Swag
Swag is a cigar line from Oliveros. It features all ligero tobacco from the same farm in the Dominican Republic. It is said that the body and flavors are full, and you’d never know this was a Dominican puro. Their slogan – “The SWAG cigar is not your father’s Dominican cigar.” The Swag line apparently is all about a lifestyle. I am not concerned with all of that stuff. It’s all about how it performs. You can read more at Swag’s website.
A quick lesson – Ligero refers to the top part of a tobacco plant. The leaves are exposed to the sun and tend to be thicker and fuller bodied. They usually contain the most nicotine, and often require a bit more aging.
I was given a few samples at Ed’s grand opening. Ed and I may review this one day. In the mean time, I figured I’d give you my take. As I do in all reviews, I paired with water.
Wrapper/Binder/Filler: Dominican Ligero
Size: Quickie – 5.5 x 42
Price: Around $5.00
Pre-smoke and Construction:
The wrapper was a little blotchy looking, with minor variations in color. This isn’t an issue. The wrapper and foot had a mild odor of cedar. The cigar was pretty evenly and solidly packed, and the draw was good. The pre-light draw had a dark woody and mild earthy taste.
The burn required one minor correction, and the ash held for about 3/4 of an inch.
Flavor:
The first third began with a simple cedar taste. It didn’t take long before it opened up a bit. There was an easy pepper when passing smoke through the nose that had a tinge of sweetness. The cedar stepped back a bit and nutty notes joined in. Overall, it was very smooth and easy.
The second third took on a creamy feel. The smoke volume was plentiful and thick. It left a sweet coating in the mouth that reminded me of caramel. The cedar notes were still there and mingled with a sweet nuttiness. If I literally chewed the smoke, I swear I picked up a fruity flavor. There wasn’t a lot of spice when passing smoke through the sinus. It was more of a sweet woody flavor with a tinge of pepper.
The last third pretty much kept pace with the second third. There may have been the addition of coffee, but it was hard to tell. The spice picked up a little bit when exhaling through the nose. The body and strength definitely hit the full range. I had a slight nicotine buzz at this point. Otherwise, the core flavors stayed the same, and it was pretty good.
Conclusion:
This was a very good cigar. It started out as a medium and went into the full range. The flavors were good and mixed together well. It was just a well refined flavor profile and strength wasn’t the focus (although it was there). I’d recommend at least trying a few of these. I liked em.
