It has been raining non-stop for the last three days, so instead of firing up in the garage, I headed to my local cigar lounge. Mrs. Monkey has been in a pretty good mood lately and has granted me permission to get the hell out of house. She doesn't have to tell me twice, so I been hanging with the fine folks at Belicoso Cigar Lounge in Orland Park, IL. There is nothing better than firing up with gentlemen (Chris and Elton) who share one common interest, cigars. I enjoy listening to their stories and discussing politics, sports, butcher shops, etc. Hanging out at a cigar lounge is the best way to kill three days of solid rain.

I fired up the Gurkha Black Puro torpedo which measures 6.5 x 53. It is constructed of 100% Cuban seed Dominican tobacco grown in the Cibao Valley. It is finished with a very dark 5-year old wrapper giving it a rich appearance. The Gurkha Black Puro lit easily and maintained an even burn. However, the cigar required several re-lights and became a chore to finish. The shoddy construction quickly became an irritant, so much so that I was unable to finish the $4 stick. With that said, this medium-bodied smoke did have a pleasant taste of espresso, cocoa, and hints of spice. Unfortunately, it was a not enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and pass on the Gurkha Black Puro!

MonkeyDan Rating: 82