Stogie Reviews: Kinky Friedman Kinkycristo

On Monday my colleagues ran into Kinky Friedman, “a uniquely American character,” at the 76th Annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas. The famous singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, and former Texas gubernatorial candidate was showing off a new size of his self-titled line of cigars and introducing a bundled blend called “Kinksters.”

As with all things Kinky—composer of such hits as “Get your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed” and “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore”—I look forward to checking out these new creations myself. But, for now, I thought I’d review a cigar that came out at last year’s IPCPR event: the creatively named Kinkycristo.

This torpedo-shaped stick measures in at 6.25 inches with a 52 ring gauge. Kinky says the shape “concentrates the flavors to the tip of the tongue, rolling sweet spiciness around the roof of the mouth finishing with a leathery freshness.” Handmade in Honduras with a habano wrapper, a Costa Rican binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras, it costs $150 for a box of 20 or $30 for a three-pack.

I smoked two Kinkycristos for this review and found that one of the caps (pictured) was a bit rough and unrefined. After clipping, I removed the top band immediately because it was glued too close to the head. Take care not to tear the fragile wrapper, which sports some lumps but few veins and virtually invisible seams.

While the texture and shape reminds me of the Montecristo Cabinet Selección Belicoso, the Kinkycristo is much less subtle and much more hearty. The flavor kicks off with bite and a tingly, spicy finish. It quickly notches up to resemble leather, warm tobacco, and charred steak—a manly experience that almost makes you want to lasso something—then builds again to a medium- to full-bodied finish with some bitterness.

Resist the temptation to touch-up the meandering burn with your matches or torch during the 90-minute smoke; it will correct itself in time. The easy draw produces heavy clouds of rich smoke, and the ash holds well for up to two inches.

When you get right down to it, after subtracting the gimmicks of the celebrity appeal and the gaudily designed band, this is an enjoyable outdoor smoke that’s unfortunately a tad overpriced (unless the novelty of smoking a Kinky creation is worth $5 to you). The Kinkycristo’s more admirable qualities earn it three out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys