StogieNinja
Derek | BoM June 2014
Fuente Fuente Opus X Perfecxion X (2006)
Vital Stats:
Wrapper: Dominican Shade Grown Rosado
Binder/Filler: Dominican
Size: 6 1/4 x 48
Vitola: Toro
MSRP: $15.00
Age: 7 years
Prelight:
Rich cedar, and leather. Some sweetness.
First Third:
Starts off with cinnamon, nutmeg, cedar, leather, wood, and that aged tobacco flavor that's hard to pinpoint, but you recognize immediately. All that in the first puff. The smoke is sweet and creamy, with a little white pepper and a very strong cedar aroma.
The draw is flawless, and the burn is impeccable. Ash holds for two solid inches before falling.
I'm absolutely floored by how much cedar and cinnamon is in this smoke. That beautiful aroma you get opening your humidor infuses every single puff. So this is what all the fuss is about!
Second Third:
Entering the second third, the smoke has steadily gained a creamier feel. There's strong cedar, supported by white pepper and chili pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, leather, wood, and -believe it or not- sugar cookie. I can't believe how many distinct flavors are present.
The burn and draw remain impeccable, and the ash holds well into the final third, and will only fall once more, at about three inches.
Final third:
The flavor is warmer now, and more robust. The smoke is thicker, and the white pepper and oily spice remains, with rich leather. The cedar, wood, and cinnamon have all receded a little, and graham cracker and sugar cookie is more prevalent. I smoke this one right down until my fingers burn.
Conclusion:
I totally get the hype now.
I had smoked a power ranger and a corona a while back, both with a year, year and a half, on them. Wasn't terrible impressed, and hadn't revisited Opus since, until tonight, and wow, what a difference! With the years on it, it really develops into something special. Very complex, lots of subtle changes.
I'd probably argue that Cubans provide better value, and will still be my preferred profile for lighter-side smokes. The Monte GE is around the same price and edges the Opus out (for me, anyway) but until now, I was pretty happily contented with just two mental categories of smokes I pursued: the Cuban profile for my lighter-colored smokes, and my Nicaraguans (Ligas, Tats) for when I wanted to go darker. The Opus doesn't really fit in either category, and is a pleasant addition to my mental category of desireable smokes.
Now to figure out how to afford a five-year supply so I can replicate the experience...
