The Gurkha Experiment Part 3: Spec Op SRS Limited Edition Review

Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic
Vitola: Churchill
Price: ~$6-7


This was a larger cigar than I typically smoke, so the length was a little intimidating (that’s what she said ). The wrapper was two tones of a darker brown and slightly oily with quite a few veins. When I rolled it between my fingers I only found one soft spot under the larger band. The cap looked like it was rising up a little bit off the head of the cigar. The foot had a distinctly sweet cocoa scent with a little bit of spice to it (maybe toasted cumin?). I punched the cigar and the cold draw was pretty loose with a slight “tang” to it. Sort of like a chocolate covered lemon drop. I could also get a dry grass/hay flavor after several pulls. I toasted the foot with a torch and finished the light with a soft flame. There was a slight crack in the wrapper on that end of the cigar and I wanted to be careful not to let the fire run up the side of the stick, leaving the binder and filler behind.

The first several puffs were surprisingly mild. I wasn’t expecting a full-bodied cigar, but this wasn’t even medium. It had some faint sweetness that was less potent than the scent I had picked up in the foot prior to lighting. As the cigar moved along it had nuances of chocolate, but generally just tasted lie mild tobacco. It was pretty one dimensional, but the burn was consistent.

A woody flavor emerged in the 2/3 of the cigar. This was accompanied by an intermittent pepper that wasn’t very strong, but could easily be picked up. It still only flirted with having any real depth of flavor as the profile inched more towards medium. As the halfway point the stick began to canoe come. Moving towards the nub the oak flavor emerged and the canoe worked itself out, not requiring a touch-up.

It took over an hour and a half, but the cigar finally achieved the medium profile that Gurkha claims it possesses. The smoke became creamier and sprinkled with a little bit of spice. My lips began feeling a slight burn from the pepper. Overall it remained one dimensional, just a little more stout through the finish.

As far as the burn goes, the cigar had a testy phase, but corrected itself. I suppose all is well that ends well. Total smoking time was a whopping 2:30. This stick would be an okay smoke any time of day, but because of the vitola, you’ll need to set aside a couple hours.

Pros: Decent construction, never gave any unpleasant tastes.
Cons: The flavor really never developed. If I had to describe it in one word I would say “boring”.
Overall: 8.3/10 I don’t consider this one worth the price. It was my least favorite Gurkha so far.

The Gurkha Experiment Part 4: Gurkha Beauty Review
Strength: Mild to Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Origin: Honduras
Shapes: Gordo
Dimensions: ( 6.5"x58 )


I got this cigar as part of a PIF trade back in the spring. It has rested for several months in the 63 to 65 Rh range. My first impression is “Damn, that’s a large cigar”. While occasionally I enjoy a Nub, I typically don’t fool with 58rg cigars. The wrapper was also a very light Connecticut leaf, which is the least common amongst the cigars I own. It had a number of thin veins and a couple wrinkles towards the head. The cap was slightly raised up in one spot, but construction seemed pretty solid overall without any “squishy” spots. It was finished off with a classic ostentatious Gurkha band and a separate one for the name of the cigar.

The wrapper gave off a scent of very mild tobacco with hints of fresh mowed grass. The foot offered little change, with only the faint addition of nuttiness. I punched the cigar and the pull was pretty firm, but not so tight that it was annoying. The nut flavor (something sweeter like almonds or pecans) was mixed with the taste of heavy cream in the cold draw. I toasted the foot with a torch and finished the light with a wooden match. I smoked while drinking a cup of Constant Comment tea.

The first few puffs had a slight amount of cedar like spice to them, but in general the cigar began very smoothly. The woodiness remained in the smoke after the initial light, but the spiciness was only evident in a couple of the retrohales through the first third of the stick. There was a nice sweetness that seemed to lightly wash over any other flavors I could pick up, including some residual nuttiness from the cold draw. The burn was damn near perfect and produced pale grey ash in distinctive layers. The profile was mild which made the prospect of such a large vitola easier to handle.

As I moved into the middle of the Beauty, I started realizing that this was very much a “one-trick” pony so to speak. While this cigar wasn’t suffering from the weaknesses most associate with the brand (poor construction and burn), it was horribly one-dimensional for a cigar that retails in the $26 range from Cigars International! They advertise it like this: “Beauty offers a divine smoking experience that’s deep in rich, luxurious flavors.” I didn’t find this anywhere! I did find hints of fennel and maybe a touch of ginger towards the begging of the nub, but these were mainly drowned out by the singular mild woody flavor that had been a constant since lighting the cigar.

As I transitioned into the final third I removed the bands off the cigar and found both of them to be stuck to the wrapper. I was very gentle and managed to get them off with minimal tearing, but when I couldn’t get the wrapper to lie back down, I was forced to perform a little surgery with my pocket knife in order to keep the Connecticut leaf from flappin’ in the wind. My cut briefly exposed the binder, but allowed the burn to continue without having to touch it up.

The remainder of the cigar was pretty uninteresting- the same woody notes, but there were some passing notes of leather towards the very last of the nub. The smoke became a bit buttery and the profile stayed mild-medium. The total smoking time was 2 hours flat. This wasn’t a bad tasting cigar, just a boring one. The burn was fine without any corrections, but the issue with the bands and the wrapper coming up are not something I would expect from a cigar costing this much. I give it an overall rating of 8.2/10. This really more of a rating that takes into account the actual price of the sticks versus what you get. If these were in the $5 range, I would say they make a great option for a BBQ or golf course type smoke.

The Gurkha Experiment Part 5: The Beast Review
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Costa Rican
Origin: Dominican Republic, Honduras
Shapes: Gordo


As its name might imply, this cigar looked like the darker twin to the Gurkha Beauty. Same vitola (a whopping 6.5” x 58rg), same band design, the only difference to the eye is a darker Costa Rican maduro wrapper. The wrapper leaf is mildly only and considerably toothy, with some small veins but nothing substantial. The length of the cigar smells like a nice cup of French roast coffee with some cocoa powder stirred in. The foot is more muted, but still primarily cocoa scented. Overall, the cigar seems firm and well constructed. After a quick punch I found the draw to be rather tight but still serviceable enough to smoke. I tasted mainly hay in the cold draw, with only the faintest chocolate note. All together it was very underwhelming, especially compared to the impressive scents that came off of the wrapper leaf. I toasted the foot with a torch and lit with a wooden match.

The initial few puffs of this cigar were surprisingly smooth, but very potent, with an overwhelming bittersweet chocolate taste early on. After a quick purge and a few more draws to let the stick settle down it took on a softer note with hints of cedar in the retrohale. The burn was pretty clean through the first third and I got lots of creamy smoke. The profile stayed medium and there was an interesting flavor like gingerbread as it transitioned into the second third.

The middle of the cigar was a bit stronger, but still not what I would call full bodied. It tasted like dark coffee with cedar spiciness stirred in. The wrapper began to protest, lifting up and cracking as I approached the first of the two bands. When I removed the “Beast” band, the split grew some more. While it never really effected the burn of the cigar it was certainly ugly as hell and not something I consider acceptable in a stick that sells for $17 a piece in fivers on CI! As I approached the nub I began picking up an interesting flavor that reminded me of nutmeg or maybe allspice. It was sort of eggnog like.

The final section of the cigar wasn’t as ugly to look at as the middle. The flaking wrapper finally burned away and it resumed a sharper line through the end of the stick. The smoke began to seem a little “greasy” and heavier than it had been before. It returned to some of the bittersweet flavors that were present in the first several puffs. Instead of black coffee, I think this cigar would have been more enjoyable if paired with a cherry cola or Dr. Pepper. It burned well until I nubbed it out at the 1:50 mark. Overall I was torn about how to rate this cigar. The flavors were fairly complex and never unpleasant but the wrapper issue was ridiculous for a stick that cost over $15, and while interesting, none of the flavors knocked me off my feet. I wouldn’t pay for another one of these, but would smoke it if it came to me in a trade. The vitola is also a little larger than I would prefer. Overall: 8.3/10