Cigar Weekly

Black Plague · 08-01-2006, 07:21 PM

Fuente Fuente OpusX
xXx
4 5/8 x 49 Petit Belicoso

Prelight: A dark and oily colorado maduro the color of dark-stained walnut wood. The pointed cap of this small belicoso was expertly-formed and even. On a special note, the presentation of this cigar was gorgeous, with its intricate gold band and crimson ribbon around the foot. Upon cutting, I was greeted with some prelight flavors of very strong tobacco, grapes, flowers, and black pepper.

Beverage: Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale 8 Year Old.

Flavor: The strength of this cigar really surprized me, based on my previous OpusX experience. Now I know why people have dubbed it the "Power Ranger." Very strong sensations of earth and various peppers assaulted the palate. Lurking behind it were nuances of calvados, lemon rind, fragrant herbs, and charred oak on the finish. The aroma was equally strong and surprizingly floral and pleasant to the nose. At this early stage, the rum accentuated the heady, straight-forward tobacco flavors and married with the various nuances to create a cognac-like sensation. An inch in, the flavors mellowed down to tobacco and earth with a sweet, woody finish. Halfway through, this cigar was sweet honey and wood with a black peppercorn finish, the nuances shifting towards apples, roses, and a sprinkling of green grass. The rum began to produce flavors of oak, raisin, and bitter herbs. In the final third, the tobacco and wood tastes persisted with some residual sweetness. The rum created an interesting atmosphere of coconut, citrus, and returning peppers. Overall, surprizingly full-bodied for an OpusX.

Construction: Very well constructed. The burn did have a lean, but that might owe more to a shaky light-up at the start (my lighter kept wanting to go out on me). The medium-gray ash held wonderfully. I was able to stand it up on its ash and it held strong the entire length of the cigar. The draw was more than ample and produced mouthfuls of billowing white smoke.

Summary: As many of you know, I'm a bit spoiled on

cigars and I'm also not normally a big fan of the OpusX line. In the past, I've been rather unimpressed by the flavors and especially wary of the high price. This time, I must admit I did enjoy the flavors of the "Power Ranger," though I'm still turned off by the price. I chose a strong, sweet Haitian rum thinking the cigar would be more medium in flavor, but I was not disappointed in the least by the results I garnered after discovering how strong the xXx is. In the future, I'd like to try a higher-proof bourbon or scotch with this vitola.

08-01-2006, 07:21 PM	#1
Black Plague Herf Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 7,650	Fuente Fuente OpusX xXx "Power Ranger" Fuente Fuente OpusX xXx 4 5/8 x 49 Petit Belicoso Prelight: A dark and oily colorado maduro the color of dark-stained walnut wood. The pointed cap of this small belicoso was expertly-formed and even. On a special note, the presentation of this cigar was gorgeous, with its intricate gold band and crimson ribbon around the foot. Upon cutting, I was greeted with some prelight flavors of very strong tobacco, grapes, flowers, and black pepper. Beverage: Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale 8 Year Old. Flavor: The strength of this cigar really surprized me, based on my previous OpusX experience. Now I know why people have dubbed it the "Power Ranger." Very strong sensations of earth and various peppers assaulted the palate. Lurking behind it were nuances of calvados, lemon rind, fragrant herbs, and charred oak on the finish. The aroma was equally strong and surprizingly floral and pleasant to the nose. At this early stage, the rum accentuated the heady, straight-forward tobacco flavors and married with the various nuances to create a cognac-like sensation. An inch in, the flavors mellowed down to tobacco and earth with a sweet, woody finish. Halfway through, this cigar was sweet honey and wood with a black peppercorn finish, the nuances shifting towards apples, roses, and a sprinkling of green grass. The rum began to produce flavors of oak, raisin, and bitter herbs. In the final third, the tobacco and wood tastes persisted with some residual sweetness. The rum created an interesting atmosphere of coconut, citrus, and returning peppers. Overall, surprizingly full-bodied for an OpusX. Construction: Very well constructed. The burn did have a lean, but that might owe more to a shaky light-up at the start (my lighter kept wanting to go out on me). The medium-gray ash held wonderfully. I was able to stand it up on its ash and it held strong the entire length of the cigar. The draw was more than ample and produced mouthfuls of billowing white smoke. Summary: As many of you know, I'm a bit spoiled on cigars and I'm also not normally a big fan of the OpusX line. In the past, I've been rather unimpressed by the flavors and especially wary of the high price. This time, I must admit I did enjoy the flavors of the "Power Ranger," though I'm still turned off by the price. I chose a strong, sweet Haitian rum thinking the cigar would be more medium in flavor, but I was not disappointed in the least by the results I garnered after discovering how strong the xXx is. In the future, I'd like to try a higher-proof bourbon or scotch with this vitola.