Gurkha Spec Ops Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Price: $8.00 - $10.00

A couple days ago, I received a package in the mail from a cigar trade. There were three of these cigars inside of it. I had never had any of these before. I have smoked several different Gurkha cigars in the past few years, but the Spec Ops has never been in a store near me. So when I was asked a fellow cigar smoker was interested in trading a few, he agreed to send me some. So I finally had my opportunity to smoke this special edition cigar.

The maduro wrapper is dark brown and slightly oily. There were no veins throughout it that would cause any burn problems. The wrapper was also very smooth to the touch. This stick was solid throughout with a slightly softer foot that made it very easy to light. The cap was placed on very flush and produced a very clean cut. This stick gave off a very distinct aroma of chocolate and wood.

This cigar started off  completely different than what I expected. It was very sweet right away. Almost like a sweet tea flavor. There was a very creamy taste to it as well. Within about an inch, there was a mild spice that comes out as well as a little bit of a chocolate flavor. As the cigar progresses, the spice picks up a little bit more. There is a good amount of earthy and wood notes that develop as well. The wood notes become prominently cedar.

By halfway, a slight coffee flavor starts to develop and the smoke is slightly bitter. The flavors are still very creamy and the mild spice is still there. The chocolate flavor is in the background, and adds just that little bit of sweetness to compliment the peppery spice. The finish is very nice because a little bit of leather develops and clings to the palate. The little bit of spice and chocolate combine with the earthy and wood notes to make the finish very complex and flavorful.

The ash on this cigar was almost white, and very strong. It held on towards the halfway point. There was a little bit of flakiness to the ash, but wasn’t bad at all. The burn was uneven at times, but it always evened itself out. The draw started out a bit tighter than I like, but it eased up as the stick progressed. The smoke was very nice, thick and creamy and produced a sweet and earthy aroma.

Overall this was a great medium to full bodied cigar that I enjoyed very much. The only downside is that I only have one more. This could easily become one of my go-to smokes if I had the opportunity to get my hand on some more. I give this cigar a 8 out of 10 only for the minor construction issues that I ran into along the way.

Thanks for reading,

Zack the Stogie Man