Gurkha Revenant

The term "Revenant" means something like "the one who has returned after a long absence" and could refer to the idea that these cigars existed in the market a long time ago and are now returning after a prolonged absence. However, this is not the case. The Gurkha Revenant cigars were introduced in 2021 at the US Cigar Trade Show PCA (formerly ICPCR) and reached our retail colleagues in the United States in the fall of the same year. The reason they often take some time to cross the ocean is that they arrived about a year and a half later.

The Gurkha Revenant cigars are manufactured by Ram Rodriguez at the Tabacalera El Artista in the Dominican Republic. Both blends are rolled with a Cameroon binder. Originally, Ram suggested using this leaf as the wrapper, but due to its fragility, that idea was abandoned. Especially Jim Colucci, the CEO of Gurkha, opposed it, which led to the two variations with either the Honduran Corojo wrapper or the Mexican San Andrés wrapper. The previously mentioned Cameroon leaf is used as the binder in both cases.

The filler for the Revenant Corojo consists of Dominican Corojo 98, Nicaraguan tobacco, and another "secret" filler.
For the Revenant Maduro, a blend of filler tobaccos was used, including a Dominican hybrid tobacco called T-13, some Nicaraguan tobacco, and a Broadleaf.

The history of Gurkha cigars is one that can be extensively discussed. People either love or hate this cigar brand; there doesn't seem to be much middle ground. This is likely due, among other reasons, to the polarizing nature of its founder, Kaizad Hansotia. In the late 2010s, he faced a massive social media backlash due to alleged politically and racially incorrect statements, which led to his official withdrawal from the operational business.

It all began during a vacation on the island of Goa (India) in 1988. After coming into contact with this brand there, he quickly decided to acquire it. The Portuguese sellers sold him their entire stock of cigars as well as the brand rights for $143. Initially intended as gifts for friends and business partners, the requests from these individuals increased, prompting him to consider turning it into a business. Gurkha took its own path from the start, emphasizing elaborate and intricate boxes and cigar bands. Later on, he introduced many extraordinary and expensive cigars, such as the €1200 HMR His Majesty's Reserve, which continue to shape the perception of the brand to this day.