Kinky Friedman Special Edition 'Big Richard'

Richard “Kinky” Friedman is known for his eclectic mix of songs, books, humor, and politics, but also his line of cigars. The Big Richard is bigger, badder, and definitely one for the books. This one size fits all toro combines long leaf fillers with ample ligeros from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama, with a Nicaraguan binder that’s all wrapped up in a delicious, oily, triple-fermented Honduran maduro wrapper from Habano seeds. This intricate blend creates bold flavors of earthiness and coffee with hints of pepper, cocoa, and other various spices. This medium-bodied smoke will be slow, cool, and even, and is best enjoyed with a nice port.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world. The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.