Gurkha Master Select

These cigars were originally blended by Master Blender Fidel Olivas for Gurkha and were first introduced in the USA in 2001. They were temporarily discontinued but have now been "reactivated" because this blend qualifies as a pre-FDA blend. In other words, since this line was already available and sold on the market before 2007, it falls under the so-called "Grandfather" rule, which means no further registrations or product checks are required.

In times of legal uncertainty, Gurkha's decision to bring back this line is entirely understandable, as other manufacturers are currently adopting similar approaches. They once again enlisted the services of Fidel Olivas, who reconstructed the original blend. Manufactured at Tabacalera Premium Cigars S.A in Nicaragua, these cigars have been available in the USA since the summer of 2017 and have been back in Germany since April 2018.

The Gurkha Master Select is wrapped in an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper, beneath which lies a Honduran binder and a filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The 25-count boxes have a bulging shape and strongly resemble the original ones from 2001. There are a total of five vitolas, but initially, only three (Robusto, Toro, and Perfecto) have made it to us.