Gurkha Pure Evil Robusto (Full Box of 20 Cigars)

• Length: 127mm
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Flavour: Medium-Full
• Wrapper: Ecuadorean Habano
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Origin: Nicaraguan

Gurkha Pure Evil Robusto – Full Box of 20 Cigars

Well, that's one way to decorate a cigar box. A large skull, crossed cutlasses, blood-red lettering and the words PURE EVIL emblazoned across the front. Subtlety evidently wasn't invited to the design meeting at Gurkha headquarters, although I rather suspect it wouldn't have enjoyed itself if it had been.

I've been looking at cigar boxes for many years, and there's certainly been a change in the artwork. The old Cuban houses favoured portraits of distinguished gentlemen, elaborate coats of arms and enough gold leaf to decorate a small palace. Gurkha has gone in a slightly different direction. Their Pure Evil box looks like something you'd discover in the captain's cabin of a particularly disagreeable pirate ship.

Underneath all that theatrical presentation, however, there's a cigar with an interesting tobacco composition.

The Pure Evil Robusto is handmade in Nicaragua, using a Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It's a blend built around the robust character of Nicaraguan leaf, with the Habano wrapper contributing its own distinctive qualities.

The cigar measures five inches long with a 52 ring gauge, giving it the familiar proportions of a substantial Robusto. That combination of length and diameter has become enormously popular over the years, providing plenty of tobacco in a format that doesn't demand an entire afternoon.

Gurkha's history is an interesting business in itself. The modern company was developed by Kaizad Hansotia, who helped establish its reputation for elaborate packaging, unusual cigar names and a willingness to do things rather differently from the old-established manufacturers.

The Pure Evil name actually appeared in Gurkha's catalogue some years ago before disappearing from production. Its return brought a revised blend developed by Damian Tapanes of American Caribbean Cigars, with the range offered in several traditional sizes.

As for the tobacco, Gurkha describes a medium-to-full-bodied character, with pepper, earth and nutty qualities among its principal features. The pepper is particularly noticeable in descriptions of the retrohale, giving some indication of the blend's intended intensity.

The presentation box contains twenty individually cellophane-wrapped Robustos, each carrying the black, red and silver skull band. The interior lid continues the pirate theme, while a repeating Celtic-style border surrounds the box. It's certainly distinctive, and I imagine the designer enjoyed every minute of it.

A full box makes sense for anyone already acquainted with Pure Evil and keen to keep a supply in the humidor. The cigars can remain in their original packaging inside a suitably controlled environment, ready for whenever one is required.

I will give Gurkha credit for one thing: they've made a cigar box that nobody is likely to confuse with a tin of shortbread. Which, considering the number of decorative tins I've seen in my lifetime, is an achievement in itself.