This cigar is a bit of a mystery to me, as are most of Hansotia's cigars. Kaizad Hansotia is himself a mysterious character, as noted in my previous review of the Signature 101.

All mystery and conjecture aside, Hansotia can certainly design a fine cigar. While I didn't care too much for the Signature 101, I think the Symphony (review coming soon) and this Gold Edition are finely crafted smokes definitely worth sampling.

This robusto is in actuality a toro size at six inches long, with a ring gauge of 50. I can't shed much light on the anatomy of the Gold Edition, but Cigars International declares it to have a Connecticut wrapper and filler from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic. (CI should know, since they appear to be the only "major" vendor stocking this cigar.)

By looking at it, I wouldn't guess that this is Connecticut wrapper. With its rich colorado maduro hue it seems certain that this leaf is not shade grown. More of a broadleaf I would say, though not fermented to a true maduro.

The Gold Edition is a mild, sweet cigar that transitions nicely to a solid medium body. All of the three samples I smoked had a good draw and a problematic burn. The one I had this evening actually left a C shape of unburned wrapper near the band. Unfortunately I can't award it points for this creativity.

The predominate non-tobacco flavor here, oddly enough, is honey, or maybe cognac. It's a very aromatic cigar, and this is definitely its strong point. It is a little too mild to score big on flavor, but it earns a passing grade here as well. Towards the band it picks up enough of a solid tobacco twang to satisfy my taste buds and leaves a slightly tannic aftertaste.

All told, the K. Hansotia Gold is a very good boutique brand. The Gurkha website does not list the brand, so it may no longer be in production. The retail price is a little outlandish, but for the moment it is available from CI and can still be found from time to time on Cbid at a reduced price.

Recommended, especially for fans of milder maduros and possibly for pipe smokers who are branching out to cigars.