In the stogie world, Gurkha cigars are synonymous with exclusivity and prestige. They are among the most expensive cigars in the market.
Gurkha cigars have often been associated with royalty and celebrities. In fact, these stogies are so badass, they were the official smokes for Bill Clinton in the White House, what?! That’s how Gurkha Cigars ended up coining the “Rolls Royce of Cigars” title.

So, if you decide to indulge in a Gurkha cigar, expect to spend a pretty penny.However, don’t let the huge price tag scare you. Gurkha cigars come in a variety of lines and blends. Not all of them will cost $1000 so it’s never difficult to find a Gurkha stogie to match your budget.

A Little History…

Every cigar brand in the market comes with an intriguing backstory. I guess maybe because we love to feel included in a meaningful tale about war and triumph.
Well, Gurkha Cigar Company embodies a unique one. There is no sad story; actually, it’s rather funny.

The owner of Gurkha Cigars, Kaizad Hansotia, stumbled upon a Portuguese man selling Gurkha cigars on the streets of Goa, India. He loved the cigars and decided to buy the whole company for a staggering $149.The idea was to gift the cigars to clients who purchased premium watches from his family business.As a trial run, he gifted a box of Gurkha cigars to his friend. His friend went on to distribute them to clients at his duty-free shop. Clients loved the stogies so much they came back for more. And that’s how Gurkha Cigars ended up in business.

The Gurkha Brand of Cigars

After this unlikely start, Kaizad Hansotia didn’t want to create just any other cigar, he wanted to stand out. He recognized a gap in the premium high-end cigar market and decided to fill it.

But to produce supremely high-ticket cigars isn’t an easy feat.Hansotia seeks out the rarest tobaccos and the finest blends. Each Gurkha line is unique in its own way. He applies tactics like changing the growing regions of various tobacco to give the leaf a new flavor profile and depth. He is also notorious for creating new sizes never seen before in the stogie market.
You may come across Vitolas like Sultan (6.2 x 56), XO (6.0 x 60), Grand Toro (7 x 55), or the Super Toro (6.75 x 60).As you can probably tell, I am positively giddy and literally gushing about this scrumptious brand. Well, I will reel it in and talk about our subject of review today; the Gurkha Special Edition Warlord.

About Gurkha Special Edition Warlord

Gurkha Special Edition Warlord is an imposing limited-release beauty.
It features a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long fillers, a Dominican shade-grown binder, and an exquisite Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.

Every time you hear about the Gurkha Warlord, the words Bold and Complex jump out. It is a full-bodied, full-flavored stogie which, according to their website;“takes no prisoners, and isn’t shy about the matter”.Gurkha Warlord enjoys stellar reviews across the internet often describing it as a consistent, complex bouquet of flavors. Perhaps the best way to describe this bad boy is to relay my experience.

Gurkha Special Edition Warlord Review

My Gurkha Special Edition Warlord is a grand 6.75 x 60 Super Toro. The construction is even with uniform give all around.
I have to admit that this stogie is lighter than I imagined. The wrapper is slightly toothy, dark brown, and oily. A whiff of the wrapper gives off dried fruit nuances with cedar and dry hay notes. The cold draw is all premium tobacco flavors with dabs of dry wood. I expected an airy draw but got nothing short of perfection.

First Third

My Gurkha Warlord opens with a bang. There are billowy layers of thick aromatic smoke. The strength is an aggressive medium that threatens to knock you out if you draw too soon.

As far as flavors, toasted nuts, oak, and a bit of spice dominate the front of the palate. There are smooth mocha traces that last through the long finish and Retrohale. Retrohale also brings out earthy, leathery notes, and a touch of black pepper. These flavors seem like a lot in a single stick but somehow, they work.
The burn line is not exactly perfect but its good enough.

Mid Third

As my Gurkha Warlord progresses into the mid third, the pepper and spice notes recede to the background.
Delicious earthy tones take over the front of the palate backed by a decadent combo of different woody flavors. I can’t quite decide which type of wood is prevalent in the flavor. It’s just a perfect marrying of cedar, oak, hay, and some murky wet taste that I cannot decipher.

At this point, I realized my Gurkha Warlord was burning a little fast. Maybe I was drawing too often. What can I say; it’s a delicious cigar!
I also noticed how little wafts of smoke ran up the cigar. Not all cigars do that; I love it!
The strength mellowed to a flat medium. Smoke is still ample and the burn line is adequate. The ash fell more often than I am used to.

Final Third

The final third opens with a slight flavor variation. Creamy cocoa notes dance on the front of the palate. There’s a tinge of vanilla with subtle cinnamon zing. An implicit sweetness lingers through the long finish and into the Retrohale.
Now, this is not a particularly “sweet” cigar. But there’s a surprising sweet disposition on the final third. A husky grass musk commingled with earth, and nutmeg are the underlying flavors.

Strength builds up to a strong medium to full as the cigar draws closer to the nub. There is no spice or pepper. No harsh aftertaste, just smooth delicious multi-layered flavors to the finish.
My Gurkha Special Edition Warlord ran for a little over an hour and it was devilishly delicious.

Gurkha Special Edition Warlord Packaging

It would be criminal to talk about Gurkha Warlord or any Gurkha cigar for that matter without mentioning the packaging. Gurkha Cigars are generally revered for their outstanding, artistically-inclined packaging.

Gurkha Warlord, in particular, comes in an elegant treasure-like mahogany chest. The chest is brass-ribbed just like you would imagine a pirate’s treasure chest. Each chest carries 33 Gurkha Special Edition Warlords.
For their 125^th Anniversary line, Gurkha released a selection of three Special Edition Humidors with 200 cigars therein. The cigars include 50 from the 125^th Anniversary Prisoner, 50 Cellar Reserve 21-year Prisoner, 50 Cellar Reserve Limitada Prisoner, and 50 Cellar Reserve 12-year Prisoner.

Other Gurkha cigar lines come in individual glass tubes that are absolutely magnificent. They include Gurkha Ghost, Gurkha Private Select, and Gurkha Grand Reserve among others.

Overall Review of Gurkha Special Edition Warlord

This exquisite cigar speaks not only to an aficionado but a warlord at heart. It’s an intense cigar that does not pretend to be an everyday smoke.
And why would it? Gurkha Special Edition Warlord was created to be enjoyed as a luxury item. Its extravagant in its flavor as well as packaging.

And even though you may end up spending a fortune, it is worth every penny. It makes an excellent gift and the badass bedazzled chest makes a beautiful keepsake. So, the next time you come across the Gurkha Special Edition Warlord, grab yourself a chest. They are a limited-edition run that is often out of stock. You work hard; you should play hard.