Cigar: Gurkha Titan
Vitola: 6.2x56 (though I had two others that were a toro size 6.25x50)
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican, Columbian
Price: Way too much ($22 at cigar.com), though I was gifted the one I'm smoking and got two others for pretty cheap in Gurkha samplers about a year ago.
Setting: Sun room, maybe 80 degrees or so, about 4:15, and pairing with a Peach Snapple.
Prelight: Cigar is a beautiful dark brown color with some prominent veins and a visible wrap underneath the cedar wrap and typical large Gurkha label. The cigar was very firm with no soft spots. The foot had a tiny bit of damage from being knocked around in the humidor for awhile. I've had this one sitting for about a nine months at 65% in the humi. The wrapper had a slight spice to it and the foot a very sweet smell, very pleasant. The cap peeled off easily with the Palio and the initial draw was just a tad on the free side of just right and very sweet as well.
First third: It took a bit to get this beast, excuse me, Titan started. But once going it rewarded with copious amounts of smoke. The initial flavors were hints of coffee, cedar, and a hint of molases. Right off the bat it's pounding the sweet buttons on the tongue and very little spice. The wrapper on this thing is very thick and has somewhat of a wavy thick burn line in first stages of the smoke. Though the body is in the medium range the aftertaste is very thick and lasting. Overall off to a pretty good start.
Middle third: As I reached the middle third of the cigar a slight spice and bitter chocolate hit the tongue, but in a pleasant way. The sweetness is starting to fade a bit, that or my tongue just got ovewhelmed. But a really nice wood and coffee flavor is becoming prominent. The finish remains heavy and pleasant and the body in the medium range. The ash lasted a bit under an inch and a half then promptly deposited itself in my lap. The ash is pretty firm with just some flakyness on the edges. The wave disappeared but the burn was still a bit uneven so I touched it up after the ash fell and it remained even for the rest of the third.
Final third: The woody taste is really coming to the forefront at the beginning of the last third. The body has remained medium and there is no discernable nic kick to it so far. Burn has remained relatively even since the retouch though there is a crack under the label when I removed it. The body remains in the medium range and the smoke is smooth with only a tiny bit of harshness coming in on the last inch. The wrapper did start to come apart at the head with about an inch and a half to go but it was manageable.
Final thoughts: Overall I really enjoyed this smoke. I found it very reminiscent of the Gurkha Fuerte, probably because they share the same wrapper, though this one has a double wrapper and held together much better than most of the Fuertes. It was a fairly complex cigar, much moreso than the fuerte, with the flavors if not strength and body changing throughout the smoke. It left me with a really pleasant and lingering aftertaste as well. For the price I wouldn't buy them but I'm happy I still have a couple more in the humi. At first I was surprised to see the different ring gauges, as there is no designation differing them, I'm assuming they must have just come from different years. Overall smoke time was 1:50.
Smoke again: Yep, at least twice.
Reccommend: Sure, nice smoke, full of flavor but accessible to someone who doesn't like strong cigars.
Buy again: Only if there is an amazingly cheap deal. Certainly not for $22 when I can get a similar smoke out of the Gurkha Fuerte for a little over $2.
Vitola: 6.2x56 (though I had two others that were a toro size 6.25x50)
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican, Columbian
Price: Way too much ($22 at cigar.com), though I was gifted the one I'm smoking and got two others for pretty cheap in Gurkha samplers about a year ago.
Setting: Sun room, maybe 80 degrees or so, about 4:15, and pairing with a Peach Snapple.
Prelight: Cigar is a beautiful dark brown color with some prominent veins and a visible wrap underneath the cedar wrap and typical large Gurkha label. The cigar was very firm with no soft spots. The foot had a tiny bit of damage from being knocked around in the humidor for awhile. I've had this one sitting for about a nine months at 65% in the humi. The wrapper had a slight spice to it and the foot a very sweet smell, very pleasant. The cap peeled off easily with the Palio and the initial draw was just a tad on the free side of just right and very sweet as well.
First third: It took a bit to get this beast, excuse me, Titan started. But once going it rewarded with copious amounts of smoke. The initial flavors were hints of coffee, cedar, and a hint of molases. Right off the bat it's pounding the sweet buttons on the tongue and very little spice. The wrapper on this thing is very thick and has somewhat of a wavy thick burn line in first stages of the smoke. Though the body is in the medium range the aftertaste is very thick and lasting. Overall off to a pretty good start.
Middle third: As I reached the middle third of the cigar a slight spice and bitter chocolate hit the tongue, but in a pleasant way. The sweetness is starting to fade a bit, that or my tongue just got ovewhelmed. But a really nice wood and coffee flavor is becoming prominent. The finish remains heavy and pleasant and the body in the medium range. The ash lasted a bit under an inch and a half then promptly deposited itself in my lap. The ash is pretty firm with just some flakyness on the edges. The wave disappeared but the burn was still a bit uneven so I touched it up after the ash fell and it remained even for the rest of the third.
Final third: The woody taste is really coming to the forefront at the beginning of the last third. The body has remained medium and there is no discernable nic kick to it so far. Burn has remained relatively even since the retouch though there is a crack under the label when I removed it. The body remains in the medium range and the smoke is smooth with only a tiny bit of harshness coming in on the last inch. The wrapper did start to come apart at the head with about an inch and a half to go but it was manageable.
Final thoughts: Overall I really enjoyed this smoke. I found it very reminiscent of the Gurkha Fuerte, probably because they share the same wrapper, though this one has a double wrapper and held together much better than most of the Fuertes. It was a fairly complex cigar, much moreso than the fuerte, with the flavors if not strength and body changing throughout the smoke. It left me with a really pleasant and lingering aftertaste as well. For the price I wouldn't buy them but I'm happy I still have a couple more in the humi. At first I was surprised to see the different ring gauges, as there is no designation differing them, I'm assuming they must have just come from different years. Overall smoke time was 1:50.
Smoke again: Yep, at least twice.
Reccommend: Sure, nice smoke, full of flavor but accessible to someone who doesn't like strong cigars.
Buy again: Only if there is an amazingly cheap deal. Certainly not for $22 when I can get a similar smoke out of the Gurkha Fuerte for a little over $2.
