Around the world, many cultures have their warriors that have over time become legendary. Gurkha is no stranger to this – the whole company is named after the famed Nepalese soldiers who are well known for their ferocity, courage, and difficulty to kill. They don’t give up and meeting them on a battlefield generally means a bad day for you. In Japan they had a different kind of operative - one that has become even more notable than the Gurkhas: the ninjas.
The Gurkha Ninja cigar is a bit of cross-cultural warrior bonding, then.
Wikipedia tells us that ninjas were not just guys slinking around in the shadows in black pajamas tossing smoke bombs and whipping metal throwing stars at enemies while performing triple flips off of fortress walls. A lot of their covert work appears to have been espionage (although some sabotage and assassination were also part of their responsibilities). While the samurai were bound to a code of honor, someone had to do the dirty work. Perhaps it’s accurate to think of them at times as a kind of black ops special unit? We’re not historians, but we wanted to move beyond cartoons and Halloween costumes for a moment.
The Gurkha Ninja cigar simply had to have a dark wrapper, right? The image of the ninja just demands it. This one happens to be a nice oily Brazilian Maduro wrapper, rolled around a Dominican Criollo ’98 binder, and a Nicaraguan and Dominican long-filler blend. It’s a quality leaf collection, and one which earned a 91-point rating from Cigar Aficionado. The smoke comes out with medium body, and strength trending toward medium-full. Flavors are quite enjoyable, with coffee bean, walnuts, and a touch of sweetness coming through in the draw. Pick up a box and you might be surprised that it’s not in some super slick black packaging. Instead, it’s in a humble wooden container.
Of course, you’ll never see these ninjas coming.
Please browse our selection of Gurkha Ninja cigars at your leisure.
