IPCPR Gurkha Cellar Reserve Platinum 12 year
Hedonism 6" x 58
Country Manufactured: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador
Color: Oscuro
Strength: Medium-Full
Shape: Figurado
Pre light: The Oscuro wrapper was a wonderful dark warm brown, oily with a couple of veins, the band is two inches deep or so.
The nose was tobacco, cedar and oak. The cap is a pigtail and the foot pinches down to a nub a Figurado! My first pigtail and Figurado foot, the construction was even, with a little give between the fingers, the size was even from head to foot.
Light: I was a little surprised by how much smoke is produced by toasting the foot, and then lighting it. There was a strong flavor of oak, a full flush of it, with cedar notes, the mouth was smooth as silk.
1/3rd the oak was the dominate flavor right through the first third, with under tones of cedar and leather, with some hay or barnyard touches, I couldn't pin down the last flavor, then I understood the hay or barnyard was a touch of ammonia, not constant, but every now and then.
I would pair this with a single malt Scotch or a quality Bourbon, or with a full bodied red wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Petite Sirah, where the oak flavors would compliment each other.
The Ash held for about 1 1/2" and would have lasted longer, (had I paid more attention), but I was answering a phone call and knocked the cigar against the phone and it dropped.
2/3rd the oak eased a little, the ammonia disappeared completely, there was diminished leather, the tobacco flavor was smooth and silky, the mouth held together a long time.
About half way down the second third, the cigar went out on me, on relighting I got a bitter flavor, and purged it a couple of times, it came back to a smooth silky smoke again.
The burn on the whole cigar was within a 1/16" at all times.
Trying to peel the band was tougher than I would have thought, I allowed it to heat with the burn, but it was difficult to peel cleanly.
Into the 3/3rd the oak came back again, the strength and nicotine sat a little heavily on my stomach, I would have been better off smoking it after a good lunch or diner, thinking about the liquors that I would have paired it with, after diner would be the better choice!
My nicotine load was high enough for me to let it go out with a full 2+" of cigar left.
Prelight = 9
Light = 9
Construction = 8
Flavor = 7
Power = 9
Average of 8.4
My first noticeably aged cigar, I do find I'm liking Gurkha's for the most part, they cover a large swath of flavors and strengths.
With a meal inside me, I would have undoubtedly finished this to a nub.