Gurkha's Cuban Legacy
Gurkha’s maker - Kaizad Hansotia - has been hard at work crafting an onslaught of new releases. This year alone he introduced the Gurkha Micro-Batch Series (which consists of 4 unique blends), Gurkha Empire Series (6 unique blends here), and Gurkha Triad....a $100 cigar. And those are just the first three (11 for the technical folk) to come to mind. Good news....he created another gem that deepens his bench of affordable, S-CHIP buster brands that combine Gurkha’s high level of quality and superior materials with very attractive price tags. Brands like Sherpa, Park Avenue, and now Cuban Legacy.
I have in my hand a Cuban Legacy Robusto, measuring 5.5”x50. The cigar is dark and pretty, boasting an oily, leathery wrapper leaf with minimal veins. Upon lighting I notice a warm, smokey aroma and rich, earthy flavor. There’s some roasted notes through the nose followed by pepper, and a lengthy, sweet aftertaste. The wrapper hails from the San Andres Valley of Mexico....home of one of my favorite maduro leaves, but this variety is dark chocolate brown with Corojo-like tooth and a hearty, chewy character. The earthiness tones down a hair after about an inch, allowing the Nicaraguan tobaccos within to shine, showing their traditional coffee bean flavors and dark tobacco notes. A touch of white pepper develops towards the midway point and lingers on the sides and tip of my tongue. The removal of the band marks the home stretch....a point at which the aroma has become increasingly robust. I like it. It’s filling the room with a thick, smokey scent influenced by charcoal and oak and continues to work its way up my nostrils, adding a hearty spice to the smoke. With an inch left the pepper really comes out to play, smacking my palate and nostrils with hints of fresh cracked peppercorns. Interesting, and a nice way to conclude this complex offering from Gurkha.
The verdict: despite its understated appearance, Cuban Legacy is a nice smoke that shows a different side of Gurkha. Never have I had a Gurkha blend that tastes quite like this. It’s rustic and earthy with good spices and a very unique sweetness. For the money, I’ll definitely be enjoying more in the future....after I take the 6-blend Empire Series out for a test drive.