Hi Guys,
I hope you’re all well, and getting used to the new normal of screens space and sanitiser!
Just an update on the stocks of cigars……
Chinchalero, La Rica and Conquistador are back in stock and ready to order.
Gurkha cigars will be with us W/C 20th July all being well,,,
Steeped in legend and history, the Gurkha Cigar created more than a century ago, was reborn in 1992. The company has continuously roll out meticulously handcrafted cigars, epitomizing all that is luxury.
If you are a cigar lover, chances are at least one of your dreams includes Gurkha Cigars. One of the highest valued cigars today, the brand has a fascinating history associated with it. Though the company started it’s epic journey only in 1989, the name has been in place since 1887. Confused? Yes, the cigar brand has a history as opulent as its flavours. So, here is a complete history of Gurkha Cigars.
Known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of cigars, Gurkha Cigars have the distinction of being the costliest cigar in the world. Produced in small batches, the brand has always valued quality over quantity and thus has an exclusive and limited line of products today. Having it’s origin in Colonial India, these cigars are produced using specially grown Asian tobacco leaves and exotic Cognac. But the journey of this multi million brand started with a chance encounter.
The fortunate encounter
In the year 1988, Kaizad Hansotia, the founder of the company was travelling to Goa, a popular sea beach in India. Hansotia was an affluent Indian man, raised in Hong Kong and London who was into luxury watch business. He neither had any intention of getting into the cigar business nor any knowledge about how the industry works. But as fortune would have it, he met an anonymous Portuguese man in the beaches of Goa, selling cigars under the brand name of Gurkha. Hansotia enjoyed the cigars and ended up buying his entire stock as well as the near dead cigar brand for $143. He basically bought the cigars as corporate gifts and till then had no intention of going into cigar business.
The beginning
The Cigars were presented to the owners of various duty free shops for Hansotia’s watch company as presents. They smoked it and came back asking for more. Now the businessman in Hansotia saw an opportunity that was to change the cigar scene forever. He planned to launch the brand in full thrust. While he had no idea about cigar industry, he had dear friends who were ready to help. So, he sought help from one of his friends who grew tobacco and Charlie Torano of Torano Cigars. Thus, the first box of cigar under the brand name of Gurkha was rolled by Torano Cigars and the journey of a lifetime started.
Flash back: the origin of the name Gurkha
As mentioned earlier, the brand dates back to colonial British ear. Gurkha is basically a tribe of Nepalese origin who live in the north-eastern parts of India. During British Rules, the brave warriors of this community fought the colonists valiantly. Though defeated, the British were in awe of their sheer courage and bravery. In this time, the British warriors started rolling their cigars following these brave natives and started referring to the cigars as “Gurkha”. Thus, in memory of these valiant soldiers the brand of Gurkha Cigar was created. The British authority too supported it and formally christened the brand as Gurkha. After the British rule ended, the brand most probably changed hands, but how it came into possession of the Portuguese man is not clear till date.
The legacy of Gurkha
When Hansotia started researching the cigar market in detail, he felt the absence of some super luxury exotic brand in the market. So, instead of going with the flow he decided to create a market for highly expensive, supreme quality cigars. So, in late 80s when Gurkha came out with it first batch of cigars priced at $12 a piece, there was a huge uproar in the market. This very first line named Grand Reserve was hand crafted and infused with the highest quality Louis XIII Cognac. Although many retailers doubted whether these exorbitantly high priced cigars will at all sell, it turned out they sold like hot cakes. Gurkha never had to look back since.
Today the company has the esteem of producing the costliest cigars in the world, His Majesty’s Reserve. Priced at $25,000 for a box of 20, an entire bottle of Louis XIII Cognac is used to infuse these cigars. Extremely high priced and rolled in small batches, these cigars enjoy a clientele made of mostly Royalty of various countries and CEO of Fortune 500 companies.
As a footnote following a firestorm that resulted from racist comments on Gurkha Cigars’ Chairman, Kaizad Hansotia’s personal Facebook account, the company announced the resignation of Hansotia as Chairman of Gurkha effective immediately. Jim Colucci will now assume the role of CEO and President of the Company. He has been with Gurkha since 2019
The Range available exclusively in the UK from Barkers of Harrogate.
Gurkha Royal Challenge Cigars.
The Gurkha Royal Challenge is a velvety smooth cigar for a relaxing smoking experience… the flavour profile is amazingly complex with crisp notes of sweet tea, cedar and a hint of citrus balanced out with clean and woodsy cedar and lightly accented with bits of peppered spiciness.
Ghost and Ghost Gold.
The Gurkha Ghost is one of Gurkha’s most popular, the Gurkha Ghost Gold Shadow was recently rated 11 in the Cigar Journal. A rich, medium-bodied cigar, it is crafted in the time honoured tradition of the Dominican Republic, and is noted for having a very complex pallet of flavours that include hints of cocoa and cinnamon. The profile consist of sweet and earthy undertones. And the ghost gold features a Mexican binder, Dominican/Nicaraguan/U.S.A filler tobaccos, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Delicious notes of black pepper, cinnamon, and spice can be experienced when smoking the Gurkha Ghost Gold.
Heritage Robusto Corto And Heritage Roabusto
Gurkha Heritage is an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapped cigar with Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and USA. The cigar is made in Nicaragua at the American Caribbean Tobacco factory. This medium to full bodied cigar was blended by Juan Lopez.
12 Year cellar reserve platinum Solara
These hand-selected filler tobaccos are all aged up to 12 years and from growing regions of Condega, Esteli and Jalapa. The blend is finished in a beautiful Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper. The result is a rich and complex smoking experience, that’s sure to please any aficionado
15 year cellar reserve KOI and Solara
The vintage Cellar Reserve uses the finest quality 15 year-old aged tobacco, comprised of an oily Criollo 1998 wrapper, that combines an aged Dominican, Olor binder with a 15-year old Dominican filler. Housed in unique wooden boxes that aesthetically evoke a maturing wine barrel, the Cellar Reserve is a delicious medium to full-bodied cigar that is full of flavor and complexity
18 Year cellar reserve KOI and Solara
The Cellar Reserve 18-year blend has a Corojo wrapper and long-filler from the Dominican Republic that’s aged for 18-years. We call the cigar medium-bodied but there is a lot of depth on the cigar’s profile.
Long one this month so thanks for sticking with us!
As always stay safe
Chris 👍
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