Stogie Reviews: Kinky Friedman Utopian
14 Oct 2010
Kinky Friedman’s Utopian cigar is easy to root for. Profits from the smoke are donated to the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, the “never-kill” animal shelter Kinky Friedman sponsors.
Friedman, the charismatic musician and politician, is also easy to like, particularly after running a gubernatorial campaign as a staunch opponent of smoking bans and fighting for the “de-wussification†of Texas. Long a cigar lover, he unleashed his own line of cigars in 2007.
With names like the Kinkycristo, Governor, Texas Jewboy, and Big Richard, it’s clear Kinky had a bit of fun creating his cigars, which use Honduran wrappers and Costa Rican binders with Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. But the Utopian (6 x 52) isn’t a joke; Kinky doesn’t make any money selling these $6-7 cigars, instead using his profits to help abused and abandoned animals.
The Honduran wrapper has a nice oily shine. The cigar is firm to the touch and constructed well. According to the official website, the Utopian uses the time-consuming entubar method, which creates an easy draw. It lights easily with just two matches.
The cigar starts off with roasted coffee flavors. There are also slightly bitter meaty and leather notes, but those begin to fade halfway through. At that point the cigar begins a more interesting phase, with roasted nuts and a creamy base combining for what is almost a peanut butter flavor. A rich milk chocolate flavor emerges as the leathery bitterness recedes.
The Utopian isn’t exactly perfectly balanced, but it has a pleasant medium- to full-bodied taste with plenty of rich roasted flavors. So, for being an enjoyable cigar benefiting an excellent cause, the Kinky Friedman Utopian earns a commendable rating of three and a half stogies out of five.
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Is it possible for us regular joes to identify the filler bunching method (entubar, book, etc…) used without dissecting the cigar? Do they generate distinct patterns in either the ash or just beneath the cap? Seems like this would be interesting – though probably not all that useful – information to know about our favorite cigars.
If there's a sure-fire way to know if a stogie is created using the entubar process without dissecting it (or without the manufacturer advertising it), then I don't know about it.
Sometimes, however, you can tell a cigar is entubar by examining the foot (i.e., can you identify the "scrolls" of filler tobacco). But this probably takes a well-trained eye.
Another option is to note the pre- and post-light draw characteristics and burning qualities. Entubar cigars are known for extremely clear draws and very solid ash structures.