Cigar.com (CC): Kaizad, thanks for taking the time to sit down with me today. It's been a while since we've had a chance to interview you. Your brand grew substantially since we last spoke. Before we get into any specifics, lets talk about Gurkha's history. Your brand is older than most people think and you acquired it in an interesting way. Tell us the story.
Kaizad Hansotia (KH): Well, Gurkha's history is quite unique. Over 200 years ago, Gurkha soldiers started working for the British government. They were a mercenary tribe out of Nepal. They had fought on each and every arena from World War I to the present in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Gurkha are quite unique as soldiers as they are absolutely fearless. They have a tendency and reputation of being the most loyal, feared and the most well-trained in the art of warfare. They were basically the first special forces unit that the world has ever known. The British colonial soldiers were stationed all around the world in some of the most God-forsaken places. There was no TV or music or any sort of entertainment 200 years ago and in order to keep the soldiers happy, the British government made sure the soldiers had enough alcohol and tobacco for their use. It was very prestigious for the British colonel to be in charge of a Gurkha Batalion. When younger officers would go on patrol they would grab some of their pipe tobacco their cigars, which were nicknamed "Gurkhas". Well, the name stuck and it became a British regimental cigar, just like when you call a cup of coffee a cup of Java. After the British left, the name wandered of into obscurity and when I was in Goa, India in 1988, I met 2 Portuguese brothers who were rolling cigars. Two bottles of bad rum later I found myself purchasing their company for $143 along with all the cigar boxes that they had.
CC: So how did you and the Toraños hook up?
KH: I was introduced to Charlie Toraño by an old school friend, Andy Perez. The Perez family had been in the tobacco growing business for years and I was looking for a good company to roll my product, a family that not only knew how to grow tobacco, but also had an extensive knowledge in the art of manufacturing cigars. The Toraño's were the best and I still consider them the best.
CC: What were some of the first lines you debuted?
KH: When we started out our company in 1989, we wanted to be different than anybody else. We were the first to come out with the waxed glass tube cigar, the
Grand Reserve, which would ensure freshness and humidification capabilities for generations. After that, we came out with the
Master Select line, which had more of a Cubanesque type feel and look.
CC: You are the maker of the world’s most expensive cigar,
Gurkha’s His Majesty’s Reserve, which sells for $15,000 per box of 20. How did this brand develop and how many boxes do you sell a year?
KH: In 1996, I bought 18-year-old tobacco and infused the leaves with one whole bottle of Louis XIII cognac per box of 20. This is one important aspect of our company, making ultra premium cigars. I can’t disclose how many boxes of
His Majesty’s Reserve I sell nor can I disclose who the customers are that buy them as the roster includes everyone from rock stars to royalty. The line is very limited.
CC: Lets move on to talk about some of your newer innovations. Please share some information with us about the new
Empire and
Micro-Batch Series. They sell for a remarkable price given the aged tobaccos you use.
KH: Empire and
Micro-Batch are new concepts. We basically selected rare and limited tobaccos in extremely limited quantities and have made them exclusively for your clientele. It has been a wonderful success. Ultimately, we seek out the best materials. Sometimes there are enough to roll a million cigars and sometimes only sixty thousand. Rather than simply pass on the small batches, we created the
Empire and
Micro-Batch lines to use this unique tobacco in limited runs and offer them at sharp prices as a teaser to introduce cigar lovers to these new Gurkha brands.
CC: Speaking of price, some of your non-Gurkha branded product like
Cuban Legacy,
Sherpa and
Park Avenue have been extremely hot on the market. Are we going to see more brands like these in the future for more cost conscious cigar consumers?
KH: These cigars have been a wonderful experience to create. Each one is distinctly unique in its flavor and character. The price points are exceptional and probably the best value for your money. We are creating 4 new brands which will be debuting soon. Cigar.com will be on of the exclusive dealers. The thing I like most about these lines is they reach a wide range of cigar lovers. Some of my more expensive, Gurkha branded lines are a bit out of reach for most and these lines give the more cost conscious consumer a chance to experience Gurkha at a great, everyday low price.
CC: In addition to being a big cigar fan, you are also an avid hunter. Any interesting trips planned for this year?
KH: I love the hunting experience, the camaradere, the friendship and the memories you create last a lifetime. I just returned from Africa where I was hunting big game and actually was inspired to make a line called the “Gurkha Big Five” after an exciting Cape Buffalo hunt. The Cape Buffalo is one of Africa’s most dangerous game. Later this year I hope to get to Patagonia for Red Stag.
CC: Kaizad, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Is there anything you would like to add before we wrap up?
KH: I really enjoy your catalog. It is the finest print publication out there. A special thank you to your loyal customers for supporting my brand.
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