Return of the Opus X (Greek Mike)

Brand: Arturo Fuente Opus X

Line: Perfeccion X

Length x Ring Gauge: 6 ¼ x 48 Double Corona natural

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Strength: Full Bodied

Date: 9/23/2011

There was Return of the Jedi, Return of the King and now there is Return of the Opus X. There was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding this cigar back in 2003. I tried it, I was unimpressed. The expensive price tag made me forget this cigar altogether until recently…….

I came across an Opus X.  Truly this cigar was not the same cigar in 2003. As years pass, everything matures and takes on a new character. This cigar is a testament to improvement with maturity.

Some recommend drinking just a glass of water to accentuate the complex taste of this cigar. Personally, I had a tall, refreshing “boot” of Hefeweizen beer in the German beer garden in Franklin Square (Plattduetsche, aka “Place of Germans”, very poetic). I found the combination to be almost heavenly. The cigar was extraordinarily smooth (dare I compare it to a Johnny Walker Blue Label), with complex notes that change as you smoke the cigar. Overall it is among the smoothest cigars I have ever smoked. The taste was amazing, with a nice bouquet and a decent after note. Towards the end (the last fifth of the cigar, because once you have this cigar, you need to smoke it to the nub), the cigar did seem a tad ashy, and the draw became too hot to handle.

This Dominican puro (filler, binder and wrapper all from the Dominican Republic) is considered the best of the best. While it is a great cigar (and better than some Cubans), but I feel a lot of its mystique can be attributed to its availability. If you do have the wallet for one, it is worth pursuing. I would recommend you smoke this cigar at least once in your life (much like the CAO Odyssey). This cigar is definitely in my top 5.
Overall, I give this cigar a 9.5/10