Up at the front of the trade show hall was a brand who seemly seems to still get frowned upon by many yet a brand I feel is on the rise to a new era. Company sales reps bustling around what was a busy booth all show long and newlyweds Juan and Bianca Lopez making the whole thing happen. With its beautiful displays with some interesting products inside, Gurkha was ready for PCA 2023.

Gurkha had some celebrating to do, notably their 35th Anniversary. So naturally we saw what they have brewing for the occasion with the Gurkha 35th Anniversary. This marks 35 years since owner Kaizad Hansotia bought the brand in 1989.

Gurkha 35th Anniversary is available in three sizes; Figurado (6 3/4 x 52), Toro (6 x 54), and Torpedo (6 1/8 x 52) and will range from $10.95 – $11.95. It is made using a Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Indonesian binder and filler from Nicaragua. It is being made at El Artista in the Dominican Republic. These will ship to retailers immediately.

These cigars will come in a 35th Anniversary humidor and each humidor will contain all three sizes, with a total of 75 cigars. The humidors will be limited to 1,000 pieces. Juan did mention that they are also going to be releasing the 35th Anniversary in ten count boxes either the end of this year or at the next PCA show in March 2024.

Gurkha is also getting into the Zodiac spirit. They unveiled the Gurkha Year of the Dragon. The blend is being kept undisclosed. It comes in beautiful red boxes with gold flake design with humidification built in. These are also limited to only 1,000 boxes and will come as a set of 15 cigars. Expect these in October/November of this year.

Another anniversary Gurkha is celebrating is 25 years of The Beauty. This special edition of The Beauty will feature similar packaging to the original with the frosted tubes with copper caps and placed them in a collector’s box with a total count of 25 cigars. The blend is however slightly different featuring a Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan plus Ecuadorian Broadleaf in the filler. The cigar measures 6 1/2 x 60 and prices at $30 each and Juan tells us it will be a regular production. Expect these to ship in the Fall.

Check out our interview with Juan Lopez below.

Matt Tabacco

Born and raised in New England, Matthew Tabacco began smoking cigars and living up to his unique namesake in 2017. What began as just a social indulgence became a world of everything premium cigars- learning from some of the biggest and best in the business. From casual smoking to lighting up on the hit podcast The Smokin Tabacco Show, Matthew can usually be found in some of the largest smoke shops in the Northeast enjoying a cigar, talking business, or preparing for a show.