Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow is medium tan with some lightly raised and knotty veins. The seams are a bit raised, but the caps are well applied. The band is white, rose gold and black and carries the company and line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of hay and construction paper while the foot brings dusty earth, construction paper and light cedar. The pre-light draw brings an interesting unsweetened cocoa and cinnamon mixture along with some cedar and a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow was finished with a solid Claro wrapper. The leaf itself was well applied and sports few veins throughout. Those present were quite small. The coloring was close to some Connecticut Shades out of Connecticut. Aromas of cedar, hay, tobacco, and soft earth on the foot.
John: The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker that has an integrated tear space so it remains intact when opened. There is a single band indicating Gurkha Ghost in bronze on white. Aromas from the cigar included medium barnyard up front, with hay and aged wood underneath. From the foot, I was getting dusty tobacco and old wood.
Jiunn: The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow has a Colorado claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight but visible, bunch and roll even and head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of dry basement funk and hay. Aromas from the foot give namely dried red pepper spice and cedar. Cold draws reveal hay, slight cedar and musk.

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, mushroom mustiness and construction paper. At a quarter inch in, some light earth joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, mushroom mustiness and earth. At an inch in, the construction paper note is now very light and a light baking spice becomes present. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front with the mushroom mustiness a bit behind, earth and baking spice a bit further behind and very faint construction paper. The strength was mild-medium.
Seth: The cigar is not delivering a lot with flavors. Bits of soft earth with some coffee, cream, cedar, hay and tobacco. Mild to medium in strength and body. Burn and draw are off.
John: My initial flavor impressions are creamy, sweet tobacco and a mildly tannic hay and wood combination through the center that ends up lingering well into the post draw. After a few puffs, some post draw chili pepper is coming through, at times light-plus and at other times up to medium. Some chocolate and nutmeg is present on the retrohale as the cigar approaches the halfway point.
Jiunn: The first third has an underlying bitterness to the profile. On top of that, the profile creates a charred toasted character, which really kills the little sweetness it has. Retrohaling provides a mixture of dried red pepper spice and cedar, and most importantly, none of the bitterness. The finish is short with slight bitterness. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth picks up a bit. At a half inch in, the mushroom mustiness moves back in the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar and earth with light mushroom mustiness. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth with light amounts of mushroom mustiness, baking spice and construction paper in the background. The strength remained at mild-medium.
Seth: The second third was fairly in line with the first. I was getting those earth, tobacco, coffee, cream, cedar and hay notes. Again, just under medium in strength and body.
John: The second third gets started with creamy baking spices, mild hay and wood to finish. Some orange citrus is present through the end of the finish after a few puffs. As the cigar moves towards the halfway point, a persistent dry hay lingers between puffs.
Jiunn: The second third alleviates some of the bitterness by providing roasted mixed nuts, but unfortunately it’s still there (enough to be nagging). The best part is still the retrohale, because it doesn’t give any of that underlying bitterness. Strength and body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the toast level increases. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth with light mushroom mustiness. At an inch in, a light floral and vegetal combination joins in. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with light amounts of baking spice, mushroom mustiness, construction paper and a floral/vegetal note in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly below medium.
Seth: Very little delivered in the final third. Not much going on. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The last third opens with baking spices and creamy wood. The post draw is defined with a dry hay, and as the last third progresses, that hay moves into the center of the profile. Hay and wood end up moving all the way to the front of the profile approaching the halfway mark. Some bitterness is present at the end of the draw in the bottom half.
Jiunn: The final third is unchanged from the second third. Still the same annoying inherent bitterness to the profile that really kills all the other (better) flavors. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times and the cigar went out twice, requiring re-lights.
Seth: My burn was off throughout. Terrible burn for a Connecticut.
John: The burn was straight through the first and second thirds. There was some wrapper damage from removing the band, but it didn’t seem to impact the burn in the last third.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly looser than I prefer and may have played a part in the burn issues.
Seth: Poor draw throughout. Bad construction.
John: The draw was in the ideal zone between resistant and open.
Jiunn: Flawless draw, giving the best balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, mushroom mustiness and construction paper. Some light earth joined in fairly quickly and some baking spice a bit later. The final third saw a light floral/vegetal note join in. The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow had a nice start along with a mellow strength level. As the earth increased and the mushroom mustiness decreased in the second third, the profile went down a notch and remained the rest of the way. This is a pretty nice, mellow Connecticut offering with an attractive price point. I’d be up for revisiting this to see if a better burn and draw could have kept the profile from the first third going on longer.
Seth: It’s tough when you smoke a Connecticut offering by Gurkha out of PDR that is good, only to smoke another one that is the complete opposite. If you’re curious, I am talking about the Gurkha Colección Especial. The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow was poorly constructed and delivered a lacking flavor profile throughout. Core flavors that you would expect with a Connecticut but very soft. Too soft. Close to smoking paper.
John: The Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow stood out from the pack in the first third with interesting flavor combinations. Through the second and last thirds, the profile was more in line with a standard Connecticut Shade offering. The burn and draw were both flawless. I think the Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow offered an above average flavor profile for a Connecticut Shade blend, with a price point that’s fairly attractive for the 2023 market. I would smoke this again if I was looking for that particular flavor profile. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Jiunn: This is almost the epitome of Ecuador Connecticut Shade done wrong. The heavy handed bitterness is the attribute to the cigar not tasting good. If it hadn’t been for this, I think the softer (sweeter, creamier) notes would have shined bright. I’m curious what my teammates think of this one because at this point, I wouldn’t even buy this Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow at the Gurkha 70%+ off.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.42

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.03

Cost/Point

$1.98

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.31

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow