As I was standing in the Sinistro Cigars booth, I made a mental note that I needed to look back on the company’s previous booths, as in a lot of ways it felt quite familiar, yet it also felt like it has evolved and might be the company’s most structure-forward booth. Turns out, my suspicions were correct and the company took a big step forward with its space after a stripped-down version in 2021.

Like many booths, it is a mix of structure, display cases and seating, with a musician’s-style road case behind the counter keeping the samples in good condition, something that is a challenge given both the travel and dry air conditions of the trade show floor.

The other thing of note—and the one thing I wish I would have grabbed a photo of—is the coffee maker that makes a mean cup of Turkish-style coffee, and which led to an interesting conversation about our preferences across the multiple styles of coffee we have tried, and how some can even come with a fortune telling aspect, initiated by pressing your thumb into the gritty grounds that get left behind in the cup.

Sinistro The Last Barbarian

The cigar got a limited release of just 4,000 cigars in each vitola in June 2021, but now it is going into regular production and shifting into boxes as opposed to the paper-wrapped bundles of the original release. Its blend is marked by a potent cigar thanks to a ligero-dominant filler, including what the company calls Dominican “super ligero.” It is also the latest in “The Last” series which honors figures that helped shape our history and future, and the company says more are in the works.

  • Wrapper: Dominican Republic (Maduro)
  • Binder: Cameroon
  • Filler: Dominican Republic (Medio Tiempo), Nicaragua (Ligero and Seco) & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania Ligero)
  • Sinistro The Last Barbarian Robusto (5 x 52) — $10 (Box of 20, $200)
  • Sinistro The Last Barbarian Toro (6 x 54) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: June 2021

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.