Quick Smoke: SWAG SoBe Edition V.I.P.

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Boutique Blends Cigars, a company formerly known as Oliveros, released the SWAG SoBe blend this summer to honor (in both name and style) the Miami neighborhood of South Beach. It is comprised completely of ligero Habano tobacco from the Dominican Republic. But with a medium-bodied profile of black pepper, dry wood, and a fair amount of spice, the VIP (4.5 x 48), as advertised, has a more powerful stature than you might expect from a Dominican puro. Construction is excellent. And the price of about $6 for a single is more than fair, making this an easy recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys