(Not to be confused with the Force Gurkha Xtreme off-road military vehicle – sorry for anyone who got lost along the way from a Google search.)
This is probably going to be the cigar you never saw coming, despite the packaging. As with so many Gurkhas, the Xtreme cigar comes in a striking container. On the lid, you’ll find a big black “X” with red accents and a hissing golden cobra seal. The cobra is surrounded by crossing blades that may well be kukri, the signature long knives of the Gurkha soldiers. It may be a little out there for some of you, but we’re sure there’s some cigar smokers out there who will be into it. Looking at this presentation, you might expect that the cigar is all branding and no bite, but that really couldn’t be further from the truth. This one puts out complex flavors and really decent smoke.
The Gurkha Xtreme cigar is rough and ready, right from the Nicaraguan wrapper. It’s rustic, with lots of seams and veins. It has tons of oil and toothiness, and is a beautiful medium-roasted coffee bean color. The cigar is also surprisingly light in your hand.
The interior blend is a bit of a mystery. The company says it’s a “proprietary” leaf combo, so your guess is as good as ours. We won’t accept that with many cigars, but from a company that’s as successful as Gurkha, we’ll allow them some leeway to keep things secret every now and then. At the end of the day, what really matters is whether the blend is worth lighting up, right?
Fortunately, the Gurkha Xtreme delivers.
The flavor profile in the best sticks of this line is actually on par with decent boutique smokes. Like we said, this is a surprisingly good smoke. It starts with a nice red pepper note, and carries flavors of earth, unsweetened chocolate, licorice, smoked meat, and cloves. There’s lots going on and even if it didn’t all come through in the official review from Cigar Aficionado, we know why they gave it 90 points. This cigar has fangs that bite.
Pucker up!
Please browse our selection of Gurkha Xtreme cigars at your leisure.
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