At this week’s Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE), Gurkha Cigars will be releasing a new version of its value-priced line called Castle Hall.

The Gurkha Castle Hall traces its roots back to an old Cuban brand, but has received a modern blend and design. It uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Ecuadorian habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, creating what the company describes as a mild-to-medium profile. Additionally, this new version of the Castle Hall is being made by a different manufacturer than the previous version, which was sold only to Thompson Cigar. While the company has not disclosed which factory that is, in a press release it did mention it is in the Dominican Republic.

It is being released in three sizes, all available in 20-count boxes:

  • Gurkha Castle Hall Robusto (5 x 52) — $4.50 (Box of 20, $90)
  • Gurkha Castle Hall Toro (6 x 54) — $4.75 (Box of 20, $95)
  • Gurkha Castle Hall Magnum (6 x 60) — $4.95 (Box of 20, $99)

It is slated to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2020.

TPE 2020 takes place Jan. 29-31 in Las Vegas.

Update (March 25, 2020) — Gurkha has announced that the release of the Castle Hall has been delayed due to issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically to the closure of numerous cigar factories in the Dominican Republic. An updated release date has not been announced.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.