Gurkha Centurion XX

Wrapper: Connecticut - dark natural
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Cuban-seed Dominican Ligero
Size: Perfecto (6"x60)

Another in the laundry list of fine cigars that I have been given recently, its the Gurkha Centurian XX on the block to review today. I have been hot and cold on Gurkha's in the past, and I wonder if that will continue to hold true today. The XX was a perfecto shaped cigar, with a beautiful, rich mocha color, smooth, with a tad bit of crystallization on it. In an odd note, this was the first perfecto I have had that was not capped and was open on both ends. It really didnt have any noticable effect on the situation, I just noted it, found it odd, and moved on.

I did clip it a tad more to open (though not much) and found that just minimal yielded a nice prelight draw that I knew would be perfect and a nice sweet tobacco taste. Lightning was a cinch, and draw was forgiving, a tad of resistance and lots of smoke (the way I like it), initially white pepper and sage, but the spice gave way quite quickly, to a rich solid coffee and leather taste that lasted pretty much the length of the cigar. the burn was razor straight and even the entire wqay down and did not need a single touch up. Overall a generally good cigar.

Now left to my own devices that way I would have said this is a pretty good stogie and recommended it. But I decided to do a little research on it after the fact. What I found out (after going to this site) is that this is at least a $12.50 cigar! Alas my friends, while a good stogie, this is not a $12 cigar and cannot compare to the good cigars I have had in this price range. Unfortunately this seems to be a running theme for me with Gurkha fare: good cigars that are grossly overpriced. If only they could come back to earth price wise I may be able to heartily recommend them, though as it now stands today, I cannot.

TomC