Gurkha Cigar Group
Gurkha Cigar Group is a privately held premium cigar curator that designs and sources hand-rolled cigars from five contract manufacturers across the Caribbean, distributing a 105-SKU portfolio spanning value, core, ultra-premium, and collector tiers to specialty tobacconists, lounges, and duty-free retail in 85+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersTamarac, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gurkha Cigar Group does
Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc. is a privately held premium cigar curator founded in 1989 by Kaizad Hansotia after acquiring the century-old Gurkha brand for $149. The company pioneered the ultra-premium cigar category with 1990 launches priced at $14-$17 per stick in individual glass tubes, and today operates from a 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Tamarac, Florida with approximately 50 employees, distributing in 85+ countries. Its product portfolio spans 105+ SKUs across three tiers — Core Brands (aged Cellar Reserve 12-21 Year, Ghost series, Heritage, Colección Especial, value Castle Hall/Prize Fighter), Ultra Premium (The Beauty, Royal Reserve, 25th Anniversary Beauty), and Collector's Corner (HRH, Sultan, Dragon series) — with prices ranging from under $5 to over $1,000 per cigar.
The business is asset-light in production: Gurkha curates blends and packaging while contracting manufacturing to five premier factories — El Artista (Dominican Republic), AJ Fernandez (Nicaragua), Ernesto Pérez-Carrillo (Dominican Republic), Oliva Cigar Co. (Nicaragua), and Oscar Valladares (Honduras). Proprietary assets include the Dragon trademark portfolio owned since 2009 and a Cellar Reserve inventory requiring 12-21 years of tobacco aging that competitors cannot quickly replicate. Recent product cadence reflects celebrity co-branding (Mike Tyson/LGNDS Tyson 2.0 Undisputed, 2024), zodiac collector series (Year of the Dragon 2024, Year of Snake 2025), retailer exclusives (Fantasma at Spec's Wine & Spirits, 2024), and cause-marketed SKUs (Volition America donating 13% to Folds of Honor, 2024).
Revenue is generated through wholesale cigar sales (hardware model) to a global network of specialty tobacconists, cigar lounges, duty-free/travel retail, and online retailers, with a formal retail partner program supplying look-books and prestige POS materials. The company operates 20 exclusive branded lounges worldwide, participates heavily in trade shows (PCA, TAA, TPE, IPCPR), and runs limited-edition collector's humidor SKUs ($800-$1,600) as a secondary one-time-style revenue driver. Customer mix is dominated by long-tail SMB tobacconists, with select enterprise retailers (Spec's, 180+ locations) and international distributors (ITALIA Cigar Company for Italy).
Gurkha Cigar Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gurkha Cigar Group
- Legal name
- Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://gurkhacigars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gurkha Cigar Group is a privately held premium cigar curator that designs and sources hand-rolled cigars from five contract manufacturers across the Caribbean, distributing a 105-SKU portfolio spanning value, core, ultra-premium, and collector tiers to specialty tobacconists, lounges, and duty-free retail in 85+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gurkha Cigar Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Cigars
- NAICS
- Tobacco Product and Electronic Cigarette Merchant Wholesalers (42494), Tobacco Product and Electronic Cigarette Merchant Wholesalers (424940)
- SIC
- Tobacco Products (2100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cigars & Cigarillos Manufacturing & Brands (CRADAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cigar Bars & Lounges (CRANACAK), Cigar & Premium Tobacco Retail (CRANADAB)
Keywords
Where Gurkha Cigar Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tamarac
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gurkha Cigar Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Premium Cigar Sales: Gurkha generates revenue through the sale of handcrafted premium cigars at wholesale prices to retail partners. Products range from value cigars under $5 to ultra-premium sticks exceeding $1,000. The company produces millions of cigars annually.
- Travel Retail / Duty-Free: Gurkha sells exclusive products in travel retail channels including airports and international duty-free locations. They offer 4-pack configurations exclusive to international and travel retail customers.
- Limited Edition Releases: Annual limited edition releases including anniversary cigars, collector's items in ornate humidors, and special collaboration products drive premium pricing and collectible appeal.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 35th Anniversary - $10.95-$11.95 MSRP |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Year of the Dragon - $25 MSRP per cigar |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 25th Anniversary Beauty - $30 MSRP per cigar |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Volition America - $13 MSRP |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Castle Hall Value Line - under $5 per cigar |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Treinta 30th Anniversary - $13-$15.90 MSRP |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tyson 2.0 Undisputed - $19.00-$19.90 MSRP |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Gurkha Cigar Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gurkha Cigar Group manufactures and distributes premium and ultra-premium handcrafted cigars through authorized retail partners, tobacconists, cigar lounges, and duty-free channels across more than 85 countries. The company produces a portfolio of over 250 brands spanning value to ultra-premium price tiers, including aged tobacco lines, limited-edition releases, infused varieties, and collaborations with master blenders.
Product overview
Gurkha Cigar Group is a premium and ultra-premium cigar manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of over 105 cigar lines across three tiers: Core Brands (premium everyday cigars like Cellar Reserve, Ghost Series, Heritage, Revenant, Colección Especial, infused cigars like Grand Reserve/Bourbon/Private Select, and value lines like Castle Hall and Prize Fighter), Ultra Premium (luxury cigars like HMR, Maharaja, Black Dragon, Triad, The Beauty, Royal Reserve), and Collector's Corner (most exclusive cigars like HRH, Sultan, Raja, and Dragon series). The company pioneered the ultra-premium cigar category in the 1980s and produces millions of cigars annually sold in over 85 countries. Key product lines include collaborations with celebrity partners (Mike Tyson's Tyson 2.0 Undisputed, Volition America), annual limited editions (35th Anniversary, 25th Anniversary Beauty), zodiac-themed releases (Year of the Dragon, Year of Snake), and TAA exclusives. The company is known for ornate packaging, rare tobacco blends, and partnerships with renowned manufacturers including El Artista, AJ Fernandez, Oliva Cigar Co, Oscar Valladares, and Ernesto Pérez-Carrillo.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cellar Reserve Series
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of Gurkha cigars score above 95 points in ratings
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Gurkha Cigar Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gurkha Cigar Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Gurkha Cigar Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, regional and minor.
- Folds of HonorcoreFolds of Honor is the charitable beneficiary of the Volition America cigar line. 13% of all Volition America proceeds fund educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen and disabled military members and first responders. Founded by Major Dan Payne.
- Volition AmericacoreVolition America partners with Gurkha Cigars to offer a patriotic premium cigar collection. 13% of all Volition America cigar purchases go to Folds of Honor for educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen military members and first responders. The collection was launched on Veterans Day 2024.
- Oscar ValladaresstrategicOscar Valladares partnered with Gurkha for the Year of the Dragon 2024 (final installment) and Year of Snake 2025. Produced a 6x52 toro in yellow commemorative box, made in Honduras. Also created Gurkha V TAA Exclusive in Honduras.
- Spec's Wine, Spirits, and Finer FoodsregionalSpec's Wine, Spirits, and Finer Foods partnered with Gurkha for exclusive Fantasma cigar. Texas-based retailer with over 180 locations. Fantasma is an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper cigar made in Dominican Republic, mild and smooth profile.
- Oliva Cigar CompanystrategicOliva Cigar Company partnered with Gurkha for the Year of the Dragon 2024 collection, shipping the third installment. Produced a 6 1/2x60 Salomon in orange commemorative box with San Andres wrapper, Cameroon binder, and Nicaraguan filler. Made in Nicaragua.
- Ernesto Pérez-CarrillostrategicErnesto Pérez-Carrillo collaborated with Gurkha on the Year of the Dragon 2024 project. Produced a 6 5/8x54 toro cigar in black commemorative box, featuring Mexican San Andres wrapper with Ecuadorian Connecticut binder. Made in Dominican Republic.
- El Artista CigarscoreEl Artista Cigars serves as primary manufacturer for multiple Gurkha products including 35th Anniversary, Tyson 2.0 Undisputed, and Year of the Dragon releases. Located in Dominican Republic, Tabacalera El Artista was established in 1956 and is famed for artfully crafted cigars.
- LGNDS (Mike Tyson Brand)strategicCollaboration between Gurkha Cigars and Mike Tyson's LGNDS brand for Tyson 2.0 Undisputed cigars. Two blends: Maduro (black top) and Habano (gold metallic), MSRP $19-$19.90. Made with El Artista Cigars. Mike Tyson appeared at PCA trade show.
- AJ FernandezstrategicAJ Fernandez partnered with Gurkha Cigar Group for the Year of the Dragon 2024 collection. Created a 6 5/8x52 box pressed cigar in commemorative green box, made in Nicaragua. MSRP $25 per cigar with 2,000 limited boxes.
- ITALIA Cigar CompanyregionalGurkha Cigar Group signed Italian Distributor ITALIA Cigar Company to reintroduce the brand to the Italian market. ITALIA Cigar Company was established in 2021 and distributes cigars throughout Italy to Italian Specialized Dealers. Led by President and CEO Amedeo Canale.
- Miguel Private Cigars (Berlin)minorMiguel Private Cigars in Berlin, Germany hosts the first Gurkha branded lounge in Europe. Opened September 12, 2019 with private ribbon-cutting event attended by over 50 VIP clients. Offers two versions of Lounge Exclusive Gurkha Dragon Cigar.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gurkha Cigar Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gurkha Cigar Group social profiles
Digital presenceGurkha Cigar Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gurkha Cigar Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Gurkha Cigar Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gurkha Cigar Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gurkha Cigar Group
What does Gurkha Cigar Group do?
Gurkha Cigar Group manufactures and distributes premium and ultra-premium handcrafted cigars through authorized retail partners, tobacconists, cigar lounges, and duty-free channels across more than 85 countries. The company produces a portfolio of over 250 brands spanning value to ultra-premium price tiers, including aged tobacco lines, limited-edition releases, infused varieties, and collaborations with master blenders.
Is Gurkha Cigar Group a public or private company?
Gurkha Cigar Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gurkha Cigar Group founded?
Gurkha Cigar Group was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gurkha Cigar Group based?
Gurkha Cigar Group is headquartered in Tamarac, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gurkha Cigar Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Premium Cigar Sales are the primary driver. The others are travel Retail / Duty-Free and limited Edition Releases.
Does Gurkha Cigar Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gurkha Cigar Group.
What industry is Gurkha Cigar Group in?
Gurkha Cigar Group's product category is Premium Cigars. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAJAB, Cigars & Cigarillos Manufacturing & Brands, with a secondary code of CRANACAK, Cigar Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 42494 and its SIC code is 2100.