I spent this past week at the Society of Automotive Engineers Congress and Exposition, rubbing shoulders with fellow automotive engineers from around the world.  One thing I noticed was a growing appreciation of, and love for, cigars, amongst my fellow automotive techies.  This was especially evident amongst my French and German colleagues, who would steal up to the Cobo Roof to light up a Partagas or Cohiba during breaks between technical sessions.  I, of course, was right there with them.  Cigars really do create a common bond, a true brotherhood, amongst widely varied people.

One of the cigars being smoked by a fellow engineer out on that roof was a Gurkha.  The aroma was quite superb.  I recalled that I had one resting in my humidor, so I resolved to review it.

I purchased this Gurkha Regent Churchill in the fall of 2004, so it had been given plenty of time to stabilize under ideal conditions.  I recall my anguish at laying out $12.29 for the stick; however, my tobacconist assured me that I would not be disappointed -- these limited-production Dominicans were definitely worth the price, and the careful blend of Piloto and Ligero should definitely satisfy my finicky tastes. 

Wrapped in an attractive, delicately-veined, medium-brown Nicaraguan Havana 2000 wrapper, this cigar felt quite heavy in my hand.  It was a beautiful, matte stick with a slightly rough cap.  And when I lit this cigar, I knew I was on hallowed ground.  The very first draw was incomparably flavorful and luscious.  It had lots of backbone; the cigar was hefty but not harsh.  Full and spicy, the Gurkha had a silky draw.  After ten minutes it hadn't changed much; the lightup was so professional that it hardly needed any settling-down time.  This cigar was a complex, delicious, medium to full bodied smoke, one which was delightfully smooth and enjoyably tasty.

Despite burning perfectly, I removed about an inch and a quarter of somewhat fragile-looking, medium-gray ash after twenty minutes.  By the half hour mark the cigar had changed; it was not quite as full-bodied now, and could have been described at this point as being medium.  (I find that to be unusual; most full-bodied cigars go the other direction at this point.)  The finish had developed into an unusually clean one characterized by wood, spice and leather.

Fragrant and flavorful at 40 minutes, I removed another comparable ash.  This was an immensely enjoyable cigar.  Oddly, it was becoming a bit fuller again.  Fifteen minutes later I removed yet another ash; the frequent ashing did not bother me, though, as this was a consistently complex and elegant cigar.  And it was remarkably clean, providing bountiful flavors of cedar, fresh-sawn hardwood, spice, and leather.