Gurkha Royal Challenge

The cigars of the Royal Challenge series are classified as Core Brands by Gurkha's marketing strategy. Originally, when this line was introduced in 2011, it was exclusively intended for so-called "Brick & Mortar" cigar shops. This term refers to physical retail stores made of actual mortar and bricks. Luckily, nobody paid too much attention to that here... :-) Although, with the Cigarworld Lounge, we are also a "real" B&M shop!

In the US market, such sales restrictions are common, as "smaller" brands rely on the support of specialty retailers. These retailers provide support only if these cigars are NOT available through the (sometimes very aggressively priced) large online retailers.

Now, let's talk about the cigar: The wrapper was grown in Ecuador and is a very light, premium Connecticut Shade. The binder, on the other hand, comes from Honduras. The filler tobaccos were cultivated in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. They are very mild and smooth cigars, yet still exhibit a relatively great complexity.

Another highlight achieved by the company founder and also known as the "King of Packaging," Kaizad Hansotia, is the packaging: the 20-cigar boxes are covered with leather and feature a large, striking buckle on the front. The company received a significant award in 2011 for the highly elaborate cigar bands.