Gurkha Black Ops Habano Torpedo

The Gurkha Black Ops Habano doesn't exactly arrive quietly. Handmade in Nicaragua, the 6.2 x 52 Torpedo wears an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Habano binder and aged Nicaraguan long-fillers, including tobaccos from some of Nicaragua's best-known growing regions. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers deep earth and coffee alongside nuts and pepper, with a subtle sweetness emerging on the finish. Its tapered Torpedo head helps focus that rich, spicy character, making this one of the more assertive selections in the lineup. Pour a glass of Red Car Estate Syrah alongside it. Syrah's dark fruit, pepper, and savory character have enough weight to stand up to the cigar, while the wine's fruit provides contrast to its earth, coffee, and nutty flavors. It's a bold pairing on both sides, but neither needs to surrender the spotlight.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.