Gurkha 35th Anniversary

An incredible 35 years had passed since the founding of Gurkha Cigars by 2023, marking the occasion with the release of a special humidor containing 25 cigars of each vitola. Naturally, we also have this humidor available for you. When it was first introduced, it was already announced that these cigars would later become part of the regular lineup. That moment arrived in the summer of 2024, when these three vitolas reached us. They are rolled with an H-wrapper from Ecuador, an Indonesian binder, and a filler made of Nicaraguan Criollo 98 tobacco from Estelí. Interestingly, this line is produced at Tabacalera El Artista, owned by Ram Rodriguez in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. Ram markets his own cigars under the El Artista Cigars brand, which, incidentally, are distributed in Germany by the Kleinlagel siblings, the former importers of Gurkha Cigars. Since 2025, these internationally renowned cigars have been distributed by the relatively new distributor GRE.

35 Years of Gurkha Cigars: Anniversary Humidor and New Vitolas

The cigar brand was essentially founded when its current owner, Kaizad Hansotia, purchased it from a retailer on the Indian island of Goa. While vacationing there, he paid the Portuguese seller just USD 143 for the entire inventory of cigars along with the trademark rights. At first, the purchase was intended more or less as a joke. The original plan was simply to place this logo and brand name on cigars that would then be given away to friends and business associates. As is often the case with stories like this, the recipients enjoyed the cigars so much that the idea eventually evolved into a business.

Polarizing Packaging and Legendary Stories: Gurkha's Trademark

Gurkha Cigars have always been known for their striking and elaborate packaging. Among cigar enthusiasts, this distinctive style has attracted both devoted fans and those who simply cannot relate to it. As a result, the brand has always been polarizing. I still remember a story from the 2010s involving an incident of political incorrectness, in which Kaizad was accused of offending other people. He subsequently stepped away from the company's day-to-day operations for quite some time until the controversy had subsided. I was not there myself, so I am not in a position to judge what happened. The story merely serves to illustrate the character of this cigar brand.