PCA 2022: Gurkha

Gurkha tied for having the largest booth on the show floor with Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, as both companies’ spaces measure 100′ x 50′, a total of 5,000-square-feet. Gurkha is also one of the first booths that attendees of the show see when they walk in, as it is just to the right of the aisle that almost connects to the show floor doors.

While the booth is quite big—maybe a bit too big, if we’re being honest—it certainly works. There is plenty of seating and a handful of display cabinets, while a chunk of the space is taken up by storage space and then a trio of rooms that function as offices and private spaces. It also doubles as the home for the Sindicato brand, though unless you looked in every display case, you could be forgiven for not knowing that. With no new products, the spotlight was almost completely on Gurkha this year.

As for what was on display this year, a new line that will have limited distribution, the return of a limited edition as a regular production line, and a new sampler pack that contains a new blend for the company’s Revenant line.

Gurkha Colección Especial

In late June, Gurkha shipped the first vitola in its new Colección Especial line to members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America that ordered it at their annual meeting and trade show. That cigar is a 5 1/4 x 58 double perfecto that comes in an impressive eight-count box that is definitely worth a look if you see it in stores. Now, the line is being offered to a limited number of 100-150 retailers in three other vitolas, and which will come in more traditional 10-count boxes.

The line is produced by PDR Cigars in the Dominican Republic.

• Wrapper: Undisclosed (Connecticut Hybrid)
• Binder: Mexico (Sumatra)
• Filler: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf) & Undisclosed (Habano Seco and Ligero)

• Gurkha Colección Especial Robusto (5 x 52) — $12.95 (Box of 10, $129.50)
• Gurkha Colección Especial Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 48) — $13.95 (Box of 10, $139.50)
• Gurkha Colección Especial Toro (6 x 54) — $14.95 (Box of 10, $149.50)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: September 2022

Gurkha Pure Evil

The Gurkha Pure Evil line dates back to a limited release that came out about 15 years ago in 2006, but returns this year with what the company calls a new twist. The blend was reworked by Damian Tapanes at his factory, American Caribbean Cigars, and he has made it a full flavor, full body cigar.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Gurkha Pure Evil Robusto (5 x 52) — $8.95 (Box of 20, $179)
• Gurkha Pure Evil Toro (6 x 54) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
• Gurkha Pure Evil XO (6 x 60) — $9.95 (Box of 20, $199)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2022

Gurkha Revenant Sampler

In 2021, Gurkha released its Revenant line, which was offered in two expressions, one using a Honduran corojo wrapper and the other using a Mexican San Andrés maduro leaf; both using a Cameroon binder and a mix of Dominican, Nicaraguan and undisclosed tobaccos. Now, the line is getting a Connecticut version by way of this sampler, though the company hasn’t yet disclosed the specifics of the new cigar’s blend. In the sampler are six cigars, two of each blend in a 6 x 50 round toro vitola, which differs from the box-pressed version that comes in boxes. These are being made by Artista Cigars.

• Gurkha Revenant Sampler (6 x 50) — $37

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Late July/Early August 2022

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.