When I was a kid growing up in the 1950s, all my heroes (other than Superman) were cowboys. Each week, our black and white DuMont console TV introduced me to the rugged individuals and charismatic heroes who would fire my imagination. From singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers to wholesome good guys like Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger, and Gunsmoke’s Matt Dillon, these gun-toting avengers saved both the day and my weekends by delivering justice and a whole lot of rootin’-tootin’ entertainment.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include Clint Eastwood’s iconic portrayals of impetuous TV cattle drover Rowdy Yates and the big screen’s unnamed sharpshooting stranger in A Fistful of Dollars and two other “Spaghetti Westerns.” Eastwood seals the deal for me not just by his terse yet effective triumph over the bad guys but by his ever-present smoldering stogie clenched between his teeth.
So imagine my delight in being assigned the review of Sinistro Cigar’s The Last Cowboy. This was a marriage made in heaven. I could delight in my childhood reveries about the heroes of the Old West while indulging in my favorite pastime of savoring a fine cigar. OK, enough about me; on to the review.
Appearance: The Last Cowboy Petite Belicoso checks all the boxes visually. The first thing to capture your attention is the sepia-toned cigar band featuring a grizzled old cowpoke with a well-worn Stetson atop his head and two six guns across his chest, framing the intense, faraway gaze in his eyes. This is a unique treatment for a premium cigar and quite a departure from Sinistro’s suave and elegant Gent depicted in their highly recognizable “Mister” Series.
This five-inch figurado sports an inviting, somewhat rustic-looking Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. It’s a rich shade of russet brown, streaky with dark splotches and a subtle sheen, and culminating in a twisty point that looks like it could have been rolled while sitting next to a smoky campfire out on the plains. A few prominent veins add to the rustic appearance, but the seams are well integrated. In contrast to the down-home look of the deep-dark wrapper, the foot is capped by a smooth half-inch-wide strip of candela-hued leaf, evoking images of the prairie’s sagebrush. Will the taste of the green foot-cap influence or be dominated by the hearty Broadleaf wrapper? It’s time to find out.
Pre-light aroma: Wow! A rich, incense-like pungency exudes from the wrapper leaf, redolent with spices, ripe fruits, nuts, and earth. The candela leaf covering the foot gives off little if any, aroma.
Cold draw: The initial flavor is that of dark cherry, accompanied by earth and hearty tobacco. There’s no hint of spice or strength from the cold draw.
Initial light: First up is a tingle from the red pepper spice washing over the tip of the tongue and the nasal passages. Next comes a deep note of fruit with a malt-like flavor enveloping the palate. This stogie is good right from the start.
First third: The sweet and the spice play off each other, moving in and out of prominence as the earth and tobacco flavors form a solid base underneath. Strength is medium-bodied but seems to be building fast.
Because of the tapered head and covered foot, the initial draw is tight. Burning off the candela foot cap helps somewhat, but the draw remains firm. A bit of coaxing from my draw-enhancing tool breaks through the knot, and the smoke comes pouring out! Now we’re in business.
The Petite Belicoso wastes no time in ramping up the strength quotient, and the body is not far behind. Medium strength and body are left behind on the prairie at this point. We’re headed toward full gallop, so fasten your seatbelt, uh, saddle!
Second third: After a solid 1 ½-inch ash drops off with a gentle tap, the char line wavers up and down somewhat. It appears it may be heading toward a “run,” an unburned flap of wrapper that can’t keep pace with the rest of the leaf. In fact, it does require a slight touch-up from my trusty single flame torch, but this doesn’t concern me, as I expect burn issues from a Broadleaf wrapper. This one’s as thick as a saddle blanket. Despite this, the char line remains relatively even and is nicely sharp.
Flavorwise, The Last Cowboy is ambling along with a good dose of spice and a diminishing sweetness. The malt flavor has become more prominent, joining the emerging tastes of baking spices. There’s no letup from the strength. This petite pyramid is quite a package of power!
Last third: Sinistro Cigars describes this blend as medium-full. Either I’m more of a lightweight than I thought I was, or they need to edit the website, and up the strength meter all the way up to full! The ash is a soft dove-gray, and hangs on in one-inch-plus segments, often requiring a firm tap to drop off.
As the earth and fruit begin to fade, some new flavors transition in, notably a cola-like sweetness, contrasted with a smoky, charred-meat sensation. It’s like eating around the campfire as Cookie serves up his chuck wagon fare—authentic, hearty, and satisfying.
Throughout the smoke, The Last Cowboy Petite Belicoso stayed lit, without requiring a single relight, while never becoming hot or airy. The smoke output never wavered, either; a steady stream flowed during the hour-plus experience. Flavors came and went, lending a nice complexity, but The Last Cowboy stayed true to its core mission of delivering a good dash of pepper, along with the malty, fruity, and earthy body of this very enjoyable smoke.
One final note: I typically accompany my cigars with a cup (or two) of dark roast coffee, as I did with The Last Cowboy. And yet I can’t shake the notion that I should have paired it with a steaming cup of chicory, boiled over an open fire, out on some lonely stretch of cowboy country. Or maybe an ice-cold sarsaparilla.
In sum, this is a robust, heady, and satisfying cigar. It may be a bit too full for novice or part-time enthusiasts, although it is offered in a Connecticut wrapper, which might just blunt some of its full body. I’d be willing to try that version, as it would add cream to the mix of the spicy ligero and tangy fruit. With that variation, I believe The Last Cowboy may just be a smoke for everyone, whether seasoned rancher or tenderfoot.
Sinistro Cigars The Last Cowboy
Petite Belicoso (5 x 52)
- Country of origin: Dominican Republic
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Binder: Mexican San Andrés
- Filler: Dominican Republic Piloto Cubano Ligero
- MSRP: $9.64
- Smoking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Release date: July 2018
– Photography and review by Larry Wagner. Box photo and samples courtesy of Sinistro Cigars.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 3, 2023. To receive a copy of this magazine, you must be a current member of PCA. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.