Gurkha Special-Edition Vintage Toro – net cost $2.49 per cigar

[CJ3]

Prologue:
The Gurkha Special-Edition Vintage Toro I smoked for this review was from a 10 pack I “won” on C-Bid for $19.99. With shipping, that’s exactly $2.49 per cigar, right at the absolute top end of my $2 cigar limit! The accompanying text on the website describes the Gurkha Special-Edition Vintage as Blended by Kaizad Hansotia, with tobaccos from Honduras and the Dominican Republic, and handmade in the Torano factory. The text further effuses; “Mild, yet flavorful and satisfying, the Special-Edition Vintage from Gurkha is a wonderful any time, any day cigar.”

While I’ve tried a gifted Gurkha or two, I’m not really a Gurkha devotee, so to speak. The relatively high price points and contrasting feedback I’ve encountered have caused me to largely shy away from this brand. It seems to be a real case of “love ‘em or hate ‘em,” if you know what I mean. Therefore, I’m quite excited about the prospect of learning a bit more about this line for myself, and all within my $2 cigar price range to boot!

PRE-SMOKE:
Appearance and Construction: Score: 3 out of 5
Burn: Score: 4 out of 5
Draw: Score: 4 out of 5
Aroma: Score: 3 out of 5

Pre-Smoke Comments:
My sample Gurkha is a surprisingly lean-looking character for what is supposedly a 6 inch x 50 ring gauge cigar. It displays the now familiar, large and colorful “Gurkha” band with a secondary band just below. The second band is emblazoned with the word; “Vintage.” The wrapper leaf is a medium brown with some slightly darker mottling and just a teensy bit of visible “tooth.” The cap is hard and smooth and nips cleanly, exposing a great draw.

SMOKE:
Flavor: Score: 5 out of 10
Taste/Aftertaste: Score: 4 out of 10

Smoke Comments:
The cigar starts out with a kind “metallic” tang that, interestingly enough, is not entirely unpleasant. The overall flavor is a little “cardboardy,” if that’s a word that has any value in describing a cigar’s flavor. (sorry, that’s what sprang to mind at the time) The ash is solid and clings nicely, though.

As the cigar progresses, the “twang” gets subsumed by a more general tobacco flavor and strength, and the overall character seems to improve. The ash clings for a good solid inch and reveals definite, tiny, “dimples.” When tapped, the coal is nicely conical.

SUMMARY:
Overall Quality: Score: 5 out of 10

Summary Comments:
You know, overall, I could really take it or leave it with this cigar. The construction and burn is fairly good, but the metallic bite is a bit odd and off-putting to me. The cigar does finish better than it starts though, which is a redeeming quality.

However, if the “Vintage,” with its apparent entry level price point, is intended to “lure” me into trying the more expensive offerings in the Gurkha line, then it’s just not working for me. No offense intended to those die-hard Gurkha fans out there. You may all feel free to shower me with unsolicited samples in a group effort to get me to change my opinion.

FINAL RATING: 28 – 3 Stars, Average