Sinistro NV Remus (2023)

In December 2021, Sinistro Cigars got into what was—at the time—the higher end of the price spectrum with a new limited line called NV. Beyond its price, the line was launched with the intention of becoming an annual, end-of-the-year limited release that featured a well-aged wrapper lef.

James Agopian of Sinistro Cigars created the NV blend, which uses a Dominican corojo maduro wrapper that has been aged for 10 years, while the binder is an Indonesian Sumatra leaf, and the filler contains Dominican olor and piloto cubano ligero, Nicaraguan ligero and Pennyslyanian ligero.

The line debuted with just 150 boxes of the two sizes that were offered to 10 retailers. The following year, production increased to 190 boxes of the Remus and 180 boxes of the Romulus, with 30 retailers carrying the cigars.

As with the past two releases, the cigars are produced by Tabacalera El Artista in the Dominican Republic, with two vitolas available:

• Sinistro NV 2023 Remus (5 x 52) — $20 (Box of 20 Cigars, $400)
• Sinistro NV 2023 Romulus (6 x 54) — $25 (Box of 20 Cigars, $500)

Production for the 2023 installment was limited to 180 boxes of 20 cigars for each size, meaning 3,600 cigars per vitola and just 7,200 cigars for the entire release. The boxes are by far the most ornate that Sinistro uses, with thick cuts of wood used to create a beefy box highlighted by gold hinges and artwork.

Just like the cigars are limited, so is the number of retailers carrying them, as only 10 retailers were selected to carry the cigars, though the company did not announce which stores received the NV.

“The NV project is very dear to James (Agopian) and I,” said Coleman Fine, co-owner of Sinistro Cigars, when the cigar debuted in 2021. He noted both the age of the wrapper being used, the fact that it comes from a farm the company now has partial ownership in, and that the cigar includes nods to the heritage of its co-owners. “On the cigar band are 2 gold coins; an Armenian ‘N’ and a Syrian (Arabic) ‘V’ symbolizing James’ and my heritage.”

• Cigar Reviewed: Sinistro NV Remus (2023)
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: El Artista
• Wrapper: Dominican Republic (Corojo Maduro)
• Binder: Indonesia (Sumatra)
• Filler: Dominican Republic (Piloto Cubano Ligero, Olor), Nicaragua (Ligero), and U.S.A. (Pennsylvanian LIgero)
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $20 (Box of 20 Cigars, $400)
• Release Date: Dec. 1, 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 180 Boxes of 20 Cigars (3,600 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Sinistro NV Remus has one of the more interesting-looking wrappers I have seen in some time, rich with oiliness, lots of mottling, and a couple of prominent veins. But the thing that stands out most of all might be the sheen on the leaf. All three cigars are firm, with some approaching the term rock hard more than others. They all appear to be rolled well, with nothing concerning from a visual perspective. The foot has an aroma that is pretty typical for a cigar, with a leading smell of moistened tobacco and then a bit of pepper, but not really anything I would call distinctive. I could make the case for some creaminess and pencil wood, but both terms feel like I’m fishing for more descriptors. Retrohales in this first section have been peppery but not overpowering, complementing the flavor without putting the focus on themselves. The cold draw is smooth and without any undue resistance, while the flavor has some nuances of cola syrup and its sweetness, some tobacco, and just a little bit of mild black pepper.

The Sinistro NV Remus starts quite well, with a thick, rich creaminess and some vibrant black pepper that feels unencumbered by that creaminess when it comes to stimulating my taste buds. A thick wood flavor comes along behind that, as well as a bit of broadleaf terroir, which helps the cigar impart a slightly mouth-drying sensation. After the first couple of puffs, the cigar puts off copious amounts of smoke in the early going, which adds to the opening experience as the ambient smoke lingers. It’s not long before the blend starts hinting that it has both some stronger flavors and some strength, subtly flexing its muscles before the first clump of ash drops. When that first clump of ash comes off, the profile gets a bit more robust on the palate as the black pepper takes on a Szechuan sauce spin, lingering on my palate with a gentle but unmistakable tingling sensation. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is medium. Construction is solid overall, with no problems outside of the third cigar, which has a draw that is slightly firmer than I would like.

The second third of the Sinistro NV Remus starts by adding a bit of damp wood to the profile. When the creaminess shines, the combination is quite good, almost tasting like a cake with a nutty core and a good amount of frosting in between those layers. Some pepper finishes off each puff, dashing the cake flavor for a moment, only to have it return during the finish. It’s a sensation that shines in one cigar, while the other two don’t see that sensation fully develop. Some creaminess carries the cigar into its midpoint, then the nuttiness becomes a bit more of a player around the midpoint, a change that continues to allow the cigar to offer a very enjoyable and approachable complexity. The nuttiness turns back into a fresh wood and bark flavor as the cigar continues making micro-adjustments to its profile. The second third wraps up with a dense, chewy flavor of damp wood, creaminess and pepper, the latter of which is quite vibrant through the nose on retrohales. It’s a change that comes with a much longer finish than previously, including a little bit of burn in my upper chest. Flavor is richer and more complex than in the first third while dialing back just a touch to medium-plus, while the body stays medium-full and strength is medium. Some combustion and construction issues begin to emerge in this section, as there’s a smattering of uneven burn lines and some spots where relights are needed. Smoke production is still good and the draws are all fine.

As the Sinistro NV Remus gets into its final third, the creaminess picks up a touch of chalk and at times the sensation is a bit more powdery. The fuller base notes feel like they back out of the spotlight for a few puffs, leaving the nuttiness and this new spin on creaminess to drive the profile for a bit. Some light black pepper comes back into the profile, as does some dry firewood, giving the cigar yet another layered combination to savor. Retrohales are a bit milder than they’ve been thus far, adding a touch of creaminess and very light pepper. While flavor-wise the start of the final third is good, I’m concerned by the physical reaction I’m having to the cigar, as it creates some discomfort in the upper chest and almost feels like it’s squeezing my sternum and collarbones. A rich, dense earthiness joins the profile for the final inches, giving the cigar a chewy base note that also has a bit of chocolate and espresso. Some heat comes into the equation, which sharpens up the profile and makes the pepper bite my taste buds a bit, while the base note gets a touch funky and acidic. A few combustion issues persist, which require relights, but the three cigars still put out good amounts of smoke and generally maintain even burn lines and don’t develop any draw issues. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is medium

Final Notes

• Coleman Fine, co-owner of Sinistro Cigars, told halfwheel that the company loses 35 to 40 percent of the wrapper during the fermentation process to achieve the desired maduro result.
• The third cigar had some of the most extreme mottling I’ve seen, reminding me of the ink stains left on a shirt when a pen accidentally goes through the laundry.
• The third cigar also had the slowest burn rate and firmest draw of the three. I wouldn’t call it an obstructed airflow, and saying that puffs were labored feels excessive, but there was definitely more resistance than the others.
• I was a bit surpirsed that the retrohales weren’t more potent and stimulating; this seemed like a blend that would offer a noticeable sensation in the nostrils, but instead, they defer to the flavor and offer just a touch of an accent.
• The Sinistro NV Remus offers a decent amount of nicotine strength from start to finish, but not quite enough to have me reaching for any white sugar to neutralize the effects. That said, I could see this being a bit strong for some people, and I don’t think it would take much more nicotine to have me feeling some effects.

• The company lists these as a 5 x 52 robusto. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
• Given the weight variance, those measurements were performed twice to confirm the accuracy of the readings.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 35 minutes on average.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.