I have really, really been looking forward to trying this cigar. I bought two of them along with the DVD on the Fuente Cigar company and I have had them aging in my humidor for slightly longer than a year.
I finally couldn't stand it any longer and grabbed my cigar, a lighter, and made my way to the bench in front of my office.
With much, much anticipation I lit the cigar and took the first puff.
To be honest, there is absolutely no way this cigar could have lived up to my expectations. Unfair, but true. I am not a huge Fuente fan anyway, although I did smoke a couple of nice ones at the Fuente store in Caesar's Palace last year.
The cigar was an inconsistent draw, which is always irritating to me. It started off very nice, but quickly devolved into a tight draw and stayed that way, intermittently, throughout.
The taste was strong, but pleasant. As I said in an earlier article/post, I am not a true connoisseur of cigars. I like them, but I have never tasted citrus, or licorice, or any other exotic flavor. I can occasionally taste dirt (or earth as the more cultured put it) and often leather. I can notice when the cigar is peppery but usually what I taste is...cigar.
With the Opus X I tasted earth and very, very noticeably leather. It wasn't unpleasant, but if you have ever gnawed on leather then you have the exact flavor. One thing that was unusual and to me inexplicable, the peppery feeling on the tongue that comes with a cigar was noticeable, and in fact strong, but was much further forward on the tongue than is usual.
The flavor did not change noticeably as the cigar disappeared, but perhaps grew a touch stronger.
The aftertaste was noticeable but pleasant. I never felt the need for a mint or anything, which occasionally occurs with lesser cigars.
The ash held right to the end, indicating superior workmanship, and the cigar burned evenly.
Would I buy another? Absolutely.
I would like to try this with a good brandy or cognac, following a nice (and I do mean nice) steak dinner.
While strong, the cigar was smooth and full bodied. It was very rich, definitely not what I would smoke everyday, but a cigar which I would look for when I wanted to celebrate a special occasion.
If you have tried this cigar, please leave a comment with your impressions.
