Opus X XXX Review

[Skol]

This is my first review, I think. I've been gone for almost a year it seems and I couldn't find anything with the forum search. Be gentle.

The first thing that struck me about the cigar was the presentation. The intricate band design, bright red ribbon around the foot, well set capo and flawless wrapper told me this cigar was crafted with care. Thankfully, the message the packaging was trying to deliver was indeed true.

Sadly, I don't know which Opus X it was. Help would be appreciated, here's an image. Edit: It appears to be an XXX. Thanks, YelloCello.

This was the most uniform, amazingly well constructed cigar I've had the pleasure of smoking. After lighting the foot slightly unevenly, the burn smoothed out into a perfectly straight ring with no help at all. The ash was firm and when I tried to knock it off, I only succeded in revealing the ash of the long-filler center which looked exactly like bunched tobacco save for its grey color.

The actual taste of the cigar, however, was not really my cup of tea. The taste was dominated with pepper spices throughout the cigar, except for at the very end where it mellowed out a bit. One thing that struck me, though, was an undertone of extremely aromatic flowers. Before this cigar, I had always associated a floral cigar like some of the Romeo y Julietas with a slightly bitter taste as well. The taste with this Opus, however, was a pure sweet smell of flowers, like carnations... I really would have preferred this particular note be brought to the forefront, as it was a whole new experience for me. Any suggestions of other cigars like this, but ones that lack the super-pepper flavor of the Opus X?

Lastly, this small cigar packed a nicotine punch. Normally, I don't feel the nicotine, but this one was an exception. It didn't make me need to lay down, but it was powerful nonetheless.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this cigar is not at all something I was expecting. It didn't have the milder qualities of its Dominican Fuente brethren, and I found the extreme pepper taste one dimensional. Additionally, the floral notes were underplayed for my tastes. That isn't to say this wasn't a great cigar, it just wasn't my thing. I'll probably keep my other two around though, in case they strike my fancy in the future.