Gurkha pipe tobacco

[qmechanics]

Hi

Any thoughts or reviews on MacBaren owned Sutliff creation..... Gurkha pipe tobaccos? I know Gurkha has a dubious reputation as a cigar manufacturer but was curious if the blends' have a better reputation. Did MacBaren play a role in the blends' creation? Or am I mistaken about the MacBaren owned Sutliff connection to Gurkha pipe tobaccos?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I wasn't even aware that they had a pipe tobacco.

I know Gurkha has a dubious reputation as a cigar manufacturer but was curious if the blends' have a better reputation.

Odd, they are one of the highest grossing cigar companies. I can barely ever find their Ninja cigars, because they sell out almost every time a box is opened. I am not much of a cigar guy, and I have never tried any of their other labels, but they seem to move more cigars than anyone else. What exactly do you mean by dubious? Maybe, I am just not understanding.

 

[jvnshr]

What exactly do you mean by dubious?

Gurkha cigars are kind of like the Royal Yacht of the cigar world, some love them, some hate them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Or, maybe the Budweiser of cigars? Are they machine rolled? I only know their ninjas. I haven't tried any of their others.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

BTW, pipe tobacco companies are paring up with cigar companies to put their names on new blends. Lane did this with a bunch of vanilla aromatic blends, recently. This is to get a new blend through the FDA. But, IMO Lane wasted great names like Cohiba and Macanudo to just put out a mediocre aromatic, when they had the opportunity to release something like a new cigar blend. The boys at Lane don't seem to have any intentions of getting into the real tobacco business, as they are too busy playing with candy coatings.

At least whoever is producing these Gurkhas seems to know tobaccos a little better than the Lane swill with cigar labels on them.

 

[mso489]

I've looked at their blend specs for a few years, and the emphasis on aros and something about the marketing turns me off. The sales pitch seems to target people without much pipe experience, which in turn calls into question the finer points of the blends. If members have good things to say (I almost said snarky "wonderful things to say") I'll be interested to read them. These seem to be pitched to the cigar audience more than the pipe people. It's subtle, but persistent, to me.

 

[delkhouri]

Well in my limited experience and knowledge with cigars...... Ghurkas tend to sell a lot but also tend to be overpriced.... More name than substance if you will.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

These seem to be pitched to the cigar audience more than the pipe people. It's subtle, but persistent, to me.

For the Lane cigar named blends, I have no idea. Do cigar guys all think that pipe tobacco smells like vanilla? I just think the Lane version are pathetic. They could have at least added some cigar leaf to the aromatic... and how many vanilla blends can Lane come up with? Can anyone tell the difference from one to the other?
As to the Gurkha pipe tobaccos, they seem to be geared towards actual tobacco tasting pipe tobaccos.
Gurkha Urban Legend - English

Gurkha Retribution - more of a Balkan or Oriental blend

Gurkha Rare Breed - looks like more of a Balkan or Oriental blend, with perique

 

[sablebrush52]

I've smoked both Gurkha Urban Legend and Grukha Rare Breed and Liked both of them. I'd say that they're a medium strength English/Balkan. IIRC, one of them is just a rebranding of Sutliff Medium Engish.

 

[jvnshr]

They also manufacture 3 aromatic tobaccos:
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/brand/930/east-india-trading-co

 

[jvnshr]

Or, maybe the Budweiser of cigars?

Budweiser of cigars? Here we go :P

Are they machine rolled?

Do you mean Lieberman machine? Then yes. But the wrappers are hand-rolled.
Here are the rating of the ones I have smoked so far:

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Ghurka cigars in general suck. Spend much time in a cigar shop though and you'll quickly notice the majority of cigars carried out the door are not purchased by discerning cigar smokers. I don't get it when you can buy a Padron 2000 or 3000 for the same, or less, money. For a few bucks more, you could be smoking a Tatuaje, My Father or a high end Padron. Or with a little effort, a Cuban cigar. However, there's no explaining taste.
I watch people come in an pay good money for Acid cigars, so go figure. As long as people are purchasing them with their own money, I don't care what they buy. Just don't put me in a touchy situation by offering me one to smoke on the spot. People can talk about all the high end cigar and pipe tobaccos they want. The reality is, the common so called "low end" products are what provide the cash flow to keep most pipe and cigars shops open.

 

[jvnshr]

Ghurka cigars in general suck.

Although all generalizations are false, including this one, I have to agree with you. When someone hands out a cigar to you and says that's a Padron, you don't hesitate and start looking for a cutter and a lighter. In case of Gurkha you will be like 'hmmm, well, maybeeee'.

 

[oldtoby]

Completely agree, Hoosier.

 

[npod]

people come in an pay good money for Acid cigars

Acid cigars are the number one selling premium/hand-rolled cigar in the world. Just like Captain black is one of the best selling pipe blends in the world. Gurkha management are masters at marketing in their specific niche. I don't care for their cigars, nor their marketing, and yes they are overpriced, but the market is what it is, and they sell a ton of cigars and make people happy. So that's good for me, I grab the good sticks while the general public looks at the shiny pretty objects not knowing any better.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The only Gurkha I've tried that I can recall is the Ninja, which was recommended to me by a fellow forum member here. It is a pretty good little Madura with some strength to it, pretty tasty. I like really strong cigars, triple ligeros and the like. But, I am still a novice in the cigar realm. MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured is my absolute favorite, and Esteban Carreras Chupacabra Cigars being a close second.

Well, the Cuban, Hoosier gave me could be a favorite, but I think that with as few cigars as I smoke, tracking down Cubans might be out of my experience range.
But, interesting how the Captain Black and Budweiser of the cigar world is the one name brand that is releasing a tobacco-ey pipe tobacco, and the other brands are connected to just releasing aromatics, vanilla at that.
Drew Estates is a cigar brand also, right?

And, wasn't 1882 both a cigar and pipe tobacco?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Acid cigars are the number one selling premium/hand-rolled cigar in the world. Just like Captain black is one of the best selling pipe blends in the world.

And, in the stores with coolers full of hundreds of different small brewery beers, still more people, 10 to 1, grab a case of Budweiser. I was hanging out with some friends downtown, when the local bartender came in griping that he had worked so hard to get these small brewed beers (are they called IPAs?) into the bar, and he had tables full of men get up and leave when he told them that Budweiser was no longer on tap. Prince Albert and Captain Black, maybe crap tobacco, but they sell a ton of that stuff.

 

[blendtobac]

The Gurkha branded tobaccos are manufactured by Sutliff for Gurkha. The East India Line is also made by Sutliff. I did the blending for that series.
Russ

 

[qmechanics]

I understand Sutliff is the maker but did not know you, Russ, formulated the East Indian line of blends. Russ do you know who was responsible for blending the other Gurkha line?
Any other thoughts or impressions on the pipe tobaccos?
PS My thanks to Russ, Sablebrush52 and others for posting their opinions and information on the Gurkha pipe tobacco. It appears the pipe tobacco is a different beast than the cigars.

 

[mityahicks]

I bought some of their pipe Tobacco on a pretty good deal, but they have not been popped. It is likely a rebranding scheme.