IPCPR 2016: Gurkha

I remember when Patrick Lagreid told me about how many Gurkha articles needed to be written. It’s a fact that was not lost upon me as I made my way around the booth with a notepad trying to keep track of said product and it’s something that comes back into play now as I try to make sure I don’t miss anything.

Gurkha’s booth is very much the same as it’s been for the last few years, perhaps most notable for its very bright—albeit hard—red carpeting. As noted above, there’s quite a bit of new product and it’s spread out between cases throughout the booth, though not everything in the cases are new.

Gurkha Blendmaster’s Cask

Gurkha gets in on the whiskey theme. This is a traditional cigar, i.e. not infused/flavored, designed to be paired with whisk(e)y.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic

• Gurkha Blendmaster’s Cask Ambassador (7 x 55) — $12 (Boxes of 20, $240)
• Gurkha Blendmaster’s Cask XO (6 x 60) — $13 (Boxes of 20, $260)

Gurkha The Cigar Malt Collection

To go along with Blendmaster’s Cask, Gurkha has created The Cigar Malt Collection—cigars that are designed to be paired with specific types of whiskies. There are a total of five cigars, to be paired with five different whiskies, and they are offered in two different packaging options.

• Wrapper: n/a
• Binder: n/a
• Filler: n/a

• Gurkha The Cigar Malt Collection (6 1/4 x 60) — $10 (Boxes of 25, $250)

Gurkha Cellar Reserve 21 Year

The quote from Gurkha is “yes there is 21-year-old tobacco in the blend, no, there’s not very much of it in there.” This is the fifth Cellar Reserve blend and most were originally described as limited editions—and yet—they seemingly are still available.

For whatever it’s worth, this is described as “limited production.”

• Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic

• Gurkha Cellar Reserve 21 Year Solara (5 x 58) — $13.20 (Boxes of 20, $264)
• Gurkha Cellar Reserve 21 Year Hedonism (6 x 58) — $15 (Boxes of 20, $300)
• Gurkha Cellar Reserve 21 Year Kraken (6 x 60) — $16.60 (Boxes of 20, $332)

Production: Limited Production

Gurkha Founder’s Select

Another new line out of Nicaragua. Also, another cigar with a Connecticut shade wrapper.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Gurkha Founder’s Select Robusto (5 x 50) — $9.60 (Boxes of 10, $96)
• Gurkha Founder’s Select Rothschild (6 x 66) — $10.60 (Boxes of 10, $106)
• Gurkha Founder’s Select XO (6 x 60) — $11.60 (Boxes of 10, $116)

Gurkha Ghost Phantom & Spooky

Two new sizes are added to Gurkha’s Ghost line.

• Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
• Binder: Dominican Criollo 98
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• Gurkha Ghost Phantom (5 x 58) — $8 (Boxes of 21, $168)
• Gurkha Ghost Spooky (4 x 60) — $7 (Boxes of 21, $147)

Production: Regular Production

Gurkha Heritage Collection Robusto Corto

There’s a seventh size for the Heritage line and it comes in a humidor.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua & Pennsylvania

• Gurkha Heritage Robusto Corto (4 1/2 x 48) — $5 (Boxes of 24, $120)

Production: Regular Production

Gurkha Heritage Collection Maduro 

There’s also a new three-size Mexican-wrapped Heritage Maduro line.

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Brazil
• Filler: Brazil & Nicaragua

• Gurkha Heritage Maduro Robusto (5 x 55) — $8 (Boxes of 24, $192)
• Gurkha Heritage Maduro Robusto Corto (4 1/2 x 48) — $5 (Boxes of 24, $120)
• Gurkha Heritage Maduro Toro (6 1/2 x 54) — $9 (Boxes of 24, $216)

Production: Regular Production

Gurkha Jubilee

One of a handful of new limited cigars from Gurkha. It’s packaged in a high gloss black humidor that was not particularly easy to photograph thanks to the lighting at the trade show.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Gurkha Jubilee (6 x 56) — $20 (Boxes of 10, $200)

Production: Limited to 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)

Gurkha Pan American

Arguably the flagship release for the trade show. The one-size line comes in packaging that reminds me of mid-century luggage.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Gurkha Pan American (6 x 60) — $9.60 (Boxes of 25, $240)

Production: Regular Production

Gurkha Trinity

It’s actually six cigars, two different sizes of samplers. Each sampler contains three cigars: one wrapped in Nicaraguan habano, one in Nicaraguan maduro and a barberpole.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• Gurkha Trinity Robusto (5 x 50) — $22 (Samplers of 3)
• Gurkha Trinity Toro (6 x 50) — $24 (Samplers of 3)

Production: Regular Production

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.