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A 2004 Opus X

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I bought this cigar in November of 2004. It was one of five that I bought on a trip to Disney World late on a Saturday night. There was a smoke shop in Downtown Disney that I remember as being very upscale. I also remember that I paid a hefty price for them because I recall I was not going to buy them because I thought the price was jacked up, but my fiancee (now my wife) said that I deserved them so I laid down the cash for the 5'er. It's been so long so I don't know the particular name of this stick but it measures nearly 7 inches long and I would guess the ring guage at about 48. It is wrapped in a beautiful Rosado wrapper. Looking at it closely it is the reddest wrapper I have seen in a long time. I also noticed a slight crack in the wrapper near the end of the foot. Sniffing the foot was just sweet tobacco and that bit of funky cedar that I have found to develop in cigars with some age on them. Right off the bat let me apologize for the changing light as it was light out when I started this smoke and dark when I finished so I had to use the flash on some of the photos. This is also the oldest cigar I have ever smoked. I remembered Opux X as a strong, powerful and spicy cigar and that is what I was expecting.
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Straight cut. Pre-light draw was woody, a bit earthy and some spice. At the light I got some real spiciness for the first few draws and then it mellowed out very quickly. That spice never completely went away. It did not taste or feel like pepper spiceness but more like the taste and feel after one has eaten a few good ginger snaps. Woody and creamy during the first third. Now I know you are going to think old Dave must be hitting the hooch today but I picked up very distinctive dark cherry cola flavors for about a dozen draws and then it went away not to reappear. I kept hoping that it would. Very unique.
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The second third just was fabulous. Creamy, woody. The draw was excellent and the burn though wavy did not present any problems. That ginger spice was in the background but it was there. What a well integrated smoke. The cigar settled into the top end of medium and stayed there the balance of the smoke. Toward the end of the 2ndthird I did detect some light notes of chocolate with some sweetness.
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The final third was more of the same but not at all in a boring way. This was a very intriguing smoke all the way through. I enjoyed it immensely. Interestingly enough when the cigar was sniffed while burning there was a very definite deep chocolate scent wafting along the stick but it was never that dominate during the smoke.

This cigar experience was superb. Not at all what I remembered Opux X being. Of course it did have 10 plus years of age on it. Never mild but never overpowering either. The integration of flavors was just superb. The cigar may have been past its prime and I do wonder what it might have tasted like 5 years ago. In the meantime I am just going to say that I enjoyed it for what it was tonight. I hated to see the hour and forty minutes end.
 
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I found this cigar buried deep in a humidor that I maintained cool and humidified. Thought I would go through it. Found a bunch of old Gurkhas, Avo's and some RP's. They all seem to be in good shape and all have about 8 years on them. I start smoking them soon as I am sure they can't have much left. LOL, some of them (Gurkhas) didn't have all that much to begin with but I didn't know any better.
 
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Wow Dave, Great find in your humi! Went to that same cigar store a year ago and the prices were through the roof.
 

bballbaby

Nov '08 BoM
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Thats' the shop! I bought a couple Opus under the same pre-tense back in 2007. I saved one and said I would smoke it when my daughter graduates high school in 2019. She knows all about it and every now and then asks me to show it to her. Can't wait to fire it up after hearing this review. Mine was the size that's the same as the 8-5-8. Perfecxion X I think?

oh, and yes, I overpaid for it. I think they were $20 each.
 

ENV

@Driven_not_Hidden
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Mmmmmm Love me some Opus. And yes everyone i have had over 4 years old has that distinct gingerbread taste and sweetness. Although this years PerfectionX seems to have the aged taste already.
 
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@mdwest Yessir that's it. I am surprised it's still open given that Disney gave in to the pleasure robbers and make it no smoking. I remember being at Disney World in 1994-1995 and we stayed at Dixie Landing. I walked over to the bar one evening for drink after a long day in the park. After i ordered I asked the bartender if it would be okay to smoke my cigar in the lounge there. Her response was "Sir, this is Disney World and anything you wish comes true." My how times have changed.
 
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What a great review/story! I thought for sure it was going to ba a "the stick lost all it's flavour" kind of review. This gives me hope as I transition to piping with a couple four humi's full of cigars :)!

Great review.
 

Jfire

BoM 9/9' 9/11' 8/12'
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Sep 2, 2008
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Yorkville, IL
As close as two years ago you can still smoke inside the Sosa night club/bar in downtown Disney!!!! Not sure if the B@m is still open about a block down..... Thanks for the review Dave!!!!
 

BoneYard

Spent loot on Scotch,Women&Cigars -rest I wasted.
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Mar 2, 2015
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South of you
Wow, great story and left me a little jealous. Ok a lot jealous... I love those smokes that break your heart to put down. Trying to recapture a moment like that is why I'm here.
 

Cigary43

Just Another Ashhole
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I love Opus ever since I smoked my first one pre 2000....I was hooked and that was with a cigar that was ROTT w/o benefit of resting/aging. I started buying them in groups in 2000 and order at least a dozen every year so that I'd have some cigars that go back years...come to find out in my inventory I discovered that I have 2 from 2000.....3 from 2001.....3 from 2002....5 from 2003....4 from 2004 and from '04 to 2014 I have at least 3 or 4 from each year. They all sit in one humidor that is set at 67% and I tend to worship and sing songs to this humidor almost as if it were like Easter Services. I usually dedicate an entire humidor to cigars that I really love and it's like one of those 'time boxes' we read about and uncover years later. The Opus is an amazing cigar at 15 years....the real break point time frame is at 5 years where I think they are at their best.
 
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