r3db4r0n
BoM Jan '11
It’s father’s day again and my family has been invited over to the neighbours for a dip; upon learning this, my first thoughts were: is there really a better way to spend an afternoon with the family than sitting pool- side with a drink and a good cigar? I quickly decided that there wasn’t, grabbed an Opus X Petite Lancero (courtesy of Bob - hdroadglide) and headed on over without haste.
An interestingly shaped vitola measuring 6.25”x39 and sporting a tapered head, it gives the impression that it is both an elegant but delicate cigar. The aforementioned traits are only further accentuated by the delicious looking caramel brown Dominican Rosado wrapper – free of veins and imperfection, it is rolled over the binder so well that even the seams are barely visible at a glance. In addition, the filler seems to be packed well and has nice give.
Pre light: The tapered head came off with one cleanest and easiest cuts I’ve ever experienced – perhaps it was the Palio or possibly the cigar itself, regardless, the draw it produces is smooth. It produces notes primarily of spice, cedar and mild tobacco while the body and foot exude a strong fragrance of barnyard notes, followed by hints of cedar.
Light: For such a small ring gauge, this Opus X takes longer than I’d expected to come to a cherry under a jet flame, none the less, it lights fine and continues to draw well, delivering sweet floral nuances, cedar and a sharp spice to the palate.
First Third: The cigar has taken off to a lightning start, taking only 7-10 minute to burn through the first inch; however, the profile has already mellowed considerably. Floral notes continues to reign as the dominant nuance which is followed closely by cedar. Mild but pleasing almond notes make an appearance towards the end of the draw, accompanied by hints of spice. In between draws, the ambient burn delivers generous plumes of smoke which carry vanilla, almond and cedar to the senses. The retro-hale, however, is quite a bit more ominous in contrast to the draw: a creamy, although heavy oak fragrences greets the nose foremost, followed by cedar which is rounded out by spice, a very complex first third. The burn itself progresses without hindrance, although some flaking was apparent shortly after the light, however the ash still held for an inch before dropping.
Second Third: Well into the second third, the Opus proves to be a astounding example of consistency, while floral and almond notes continue to flood the palate, spice has come on strong in the finish, coupled with very leathery notes. The ambient burn remains largely the same; however, the retro-hale continues to darken, keeping to flavours of dark toasted oak, now followed by almond and ample amounts of spice. The burn again maintains excellent form, keeping to a near razor edge and dropping ash in inch-long segments, almost as if they were measured.
The Final Third: A very strong and fitting finale, the floral notes have all but died away leaving toasty almond as the predominant flavour, followed by a sharp and heavy spice with a leathery finish in tow. The retro-hale continues to bring strong fragrances of toasted oak, almond, and a firm spice. The burn has remains exceptional, although it dropped ash in half-inch bits through to the finish.
Final thoughts: Arguably, my favourite of all vitolas, the wrapper to binder ratio creates a uniquely complex meld of flavours that allows this cigar to build towards a strong and consistent finish, truly a masterpiece and well worth the price point that accompanies this sought after line of cigars.
Total smoking time was roughly an hour.
Cheers,
Shawn
An interestingly shaped vitola measuring 6.25”x39 and sporting a tapered head, it gives the impression that it is both an elegant but delicate cigar. The aforementioned traits are only further accentuated by the delicious looking caramel brown Dominican Rosado wrapper – free of veins and imperfection, it is rolled over the binder so well that even the seams are barely visible at a glance. In addition, the filler seems to be packed well and has nice give.
Pre light: The tapered head came off with one cleanest and easiest cuts I’ve ever experienced – perhaps it was the Palio or possibly the cigar itself, regardless, the draw it produces is smooth. It produces notes primarily of spice, cedar and mild tobacco while the body and foot exude a strong fragrance of barnyard notes, followed by hints of cedar.
Light: For such a small ring gauge, this Opus X takes longer than I’d expected to come to a cherry under a jet flame, none the less, it lights fine and continues to draw well, delivering sweet floral nuances, cedar and a sharp spice to the palate.
First Third: The cigar has taken off to a lightning start, taking only 7-10 minute to burn through the first inch; however, the profile has already mellowed considerably. Floral notes continues to reign as the dominant nuance which is followed closely by cedar. Mild but pleasing almond notes make an appearance towards the end of the draw, accompanied by hints of spice. In between draws, the ambient burn delivers generous plumes of smoke which carry vanilla, almond and cedar to the senses. The retro-hale, however, is quite a bit more ominous in contrast to the draw: a creamy, although heavy oak fragrences greets the nose foremost, followed by cedar which is rounded out by spice, a very complex first third. The burn itself progresses without hindrance, although some flaking was apparent shortly after the light, however the ash still held for an inch before dropping.
Second Third: Well into the second third, the Opus proves to be a astounding example of consistency, while floral and almond notes continue to flood the palate, spice has come on strong in the finish, coupled with very leathery notes. The ambient burn remains largely the same; however, the retro-hale continues to darken, keeping to flavours of dark toasted oak, now followed by almond and ample amounts of spice. The burn again maintains excellent form, keeping to a near razor edge and dropping ash in inch-long segments, almost as if they were measured.
The Final Third: A very strong and fitting finale, the floral notes have all but died away leaving toasty almond as the predominant flavour, followed by a sharp and heavy spice with a leathery finish in tow. The retro-hale continues to bring strong fragrances of toasted oak, almond, and a firm spice. The burn has remains exceptional, although it dropped ash in half-inch bits through to the finish.
Final thoughts: Arguably, my favourite of all vitolas, the wrapper to binder ratio creates a uniquely complex meld of flavours that allows this cigar to build towards a strong and consistent finish, truly a masterpiece and well worth the price point that accompanies this sought after line of cigars.
Total smoking time was roughly an hour.
Cheers,
Shawn
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