Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro
Filler: Dominican
Price: $9.00 - $10.00
Gurkha cigars are always hit or miss with me. There are some where the construction is flawless, and then some that unwrap upon cutting. I smoked the Shaggy Natural while I was in college and enjoyed it very much. When I went into The Smoking Dog the other day, I saw the maduro version. I was unaware that the shaggy came with a maduro wrapper. So the owner asked me to review this stick. I was excited to get to give this one a chance since I remember the natural being quite good.
The maduro wrapper on this one is very nice. It is dark brown, very oily, and very smooth. There are no veins throughout that entire wrapper that would pose a problem with the burn. The construction is actually very good. The shaggy foot makes it very easy to light, but difficult to light evenly. The cap was perfectly flush which led to a nice clean cut. This cigar also gives off a very sweet, earthy smell.
The flavor was actually harsh and powerful off of the light. But it slowly eased it. When the harshness went away, it opened up to a nice spice and a little bit of coffee flavor. About an inch in, the coffee dulls down and allows a sweetness to come out. The sweet cedar flavor becomes a nice compliment to the spiciness. There is also a good amount of earthy tones that pop out as well. As the cigar progresses, the earthy tones open up and the spice winds down to just being an accent flavor.
The second half of this stick is where the flavors really shine. The smoke becomes very creamy and coats the palate nicely. The woody, cedar notes become much stronger and much more prominent. The slight bitterness and coffee come back a little bit as well. I am also picking up a little bit of chocolate flavor, which is a great compliment to the coffee.
The end of this cigar was very creamy and very smooth. There was the perfect amount of spice and coffee that just set off the taste buds. There was a good amount of earth and cedar as well throughout the finish. These flavors were above and beyond what I expected.
The ash was strong and held on about halfway. It was a medium shade of gray with nice even layers. After the first inch or so, the burn was even. The wind and shaggy foot caused a little waviness. The draw was perfect, there was no effort needed. The smoke was very thick and nice. The smoke gave off a very earthy and spicy aroma that wasn’t harsh at all.
This is a great medium bodied stick. It starts off full, but winds itself down after an inch or so. I think most full bodied cigar smokers would like this stick. I give it a 8 out of 10.
Enjoy,
Zack the Stogie Man
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