Fuente Fuente Opus X

[livinloud5]

UPDATE!!! SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ON 8/1/10!

Today i went down to the local B&M and was excited to pick up 2 Opus x Fuente Fuente's. Well i jumped in the car cut the cap on one and sparked it up!
At first it was a very light tobacco taste, not strong at all, and it wasn't what i was expecting. Before i got home it had gone out twice with a horrible burn, arriving home i tried and tried to keep it lit and keep it burning correctly, but SADLY i failed. I put it out right at the halfway point.

I am not totally bashing the cigar just yet, hoping that the second one changes my mind and the Opus lives up to all the hype.

Blake.

 

[txraddoc]

I'm with you there. I've had one that blew me away. The rest, meh. Especially for the price I would expect more consistency.

 

[souldog]

Sounds like a storage issue. Let the second you bought sit for a few weeks in your humi and then pull it out and see if that one fares better.

 

[investandprosper]

Souldog is correct, most B&Ms keep their stock way too humid. Sounds like yours was too wet. A few weeks at 65% should be sufficient.

 

[Mr Peat]

Even Fuente products can have problems. It could be it was over humidified and probably the case. On the other hand, it could be a construction issue or simply the cigar just hasn't settled in since its probably from the recent shipment. I'm betting on it was over humidified. Let it rest for some time and revisit it. Opus is you love it or hate it kind of cigar. I stick with Opus X. Even when I've noted batches that had more problems with them than prior years. I've found that you could buy say 25 Opus X xXx aka Power Rangers and maybe 5 of them will blow you away. The rest are still good, but seem to have problems and the taste just seems to be muted a little.

Then the following year you could buy the same cigar and amount then your world gets rocked by all of them. I've been through this enough. Why its like this? No idea other than one can start asking questions and try to come up with logical answers.

Now for you livinloud5. I have several questions. What "hype" have you heard about Opus X and what was you expecting from smoking one? It sounds like this was your first Opus X so was you looking for a mild cigar or a power house that sends your head reeling with a nicotine buzz? I can ask all kinds of questions since you really didn't leave us with much information. Hell, do you even know what the RH% is at the place you purchased the cigars from? Lastly, it it was problem and you didn't smoke say over 1/2 of it, many B&M's will replace it if its as bad as you made it sound. Naturally you need to take it in and show them.

Now if they don't know you, they could be skeptical. But if they do know you, you shouldn't have a problem getting it resolved. And I've personally discussed some issues I've had over the years with Wayne and Carlito. :thumbs:

 

[RyJ Smoker]

Sounds like a storage issue. Let the second you bought sit for a few weeks in your humi and then pull it out and see if that one fares better.

That's exactly what I was thinking, while reading his post.

How does that saying go about great minds, Pup........??


Jeffrey L.

 

[livinloud5]

Even Fuente products can have problems. It could be it was over humidified and probably the case. On the other hand, it could be a construction issue or simply the cigar just hasn't settled in since its probably from the recent shipment. I'm betting on it was over humidified. Let it rest for some time and revisit it. Opus is you love it or hate it kind of cigar. I stick with Opus X. Even when I've noted batches that had more problems with them than prior years. I've found that you could buy say 25 Opus X xXx aka Power Rangers and maybe 5 of them will blow you away. The rest are still good, but seem to have problems and the taste just seems to be muted a little.

Then the following year you could buy the same cigar and amount then your world gets rocked by all of them. I've been through this enough. Why its like this? No idea other than one can start asking questions and try to come up with logical answers.

Now for you livinloud5. I have several questions. What "hype" have you heard about Opus X and what was you expecting from smoking one? It sounds like this was your first Opus X so was you looking for a mild cigar or a power house that sends your head reeling with a nicotine buzz? I can ask all kinds of questions since you really didn't leave us with much information. Hell, do you even know what the RH% is at the place you purchased the cigars from? Lastly, it it was problem and you didn't smoke say over 1/2 of it, many B&M's will replace it if its as bad as you made it sound. Naturally you need to take it in and show them.

Now if they don't know you, they could be skeptical. But if they do know you, you shouldn't have a problem getting it resolved. And I've personally discussed some issues I've had over the years with Wayne and Carlito. :thumbs:

the hype that i am speaking of is most people boasting Opus X, the rarity of some, people making large reviews and such on them. When i said hype i wasn't saying hype in a bad way.

No i didn't want mild nor did i want my head spinning i was looking for something in between.

And yes, i do know that the RH is at 65%. I have smoked countless cigars right out of this humidor, trouble free.

They know me well, being a regular customer. It was replaced just didn't go with another Opus since i had already purchased 2.

What issues have you encountered, and which ones were discussed with Wayne and Carlito?

Let me say this again, I am not bashing this cigar just yet, because i am wanting this cigar to be everything that i expected and everything it has been said to be. I was just sharing the issue i was having with it.

Thanx for the reply's guys, its nice to post at a friendly place, and not only get good feedback but also people who ask more and are actually interested.

Blake.

 

[souldog]

Sounds like a storage issue. Let the second you bought sit for a few weeks in your humi and then pull it out and see if that one fares better.

That's exactly what I was thinking, while reading his post.

How does that saying go about great minds, Pup........??


Jeffrey L.

They think alike! :laugh:

 

[livinloud5]

UPDATE!!!

Alright fellas i just couldn't resist. With the first Opus X being so foul yesterday, i had to let Opus X try to redeem themselves. I got in the car as i did yesterday and snipped the cap, toasted the foot, and fired this delightful baby up. Hoping it would totally make me forget about my previous experience.

On the first draw of lighting it i was overwhelmed by the amount of thick creamy smoke it was producing, with a very strong spice when exhaled through the nostrils. A few draws in and i was hooked with the strong spice, creaminess, and exquisite wood flavors. Over the first half inch it developed a small amount of uneven burn but corrected itself shortly after. While smoking this Opus x Fuente Fuente the only thing i could say to myself was "Look what i have been missing out on!".

So i got a little more than a third of the way through this immaculate smoke and sadly had to let it die out, while taking my girlfriends lunch to her. So about an hour later i fired it back up hoping for it to be as good as it was before. To my surprise it was, unlike a few past relights that have tasted bitter and stale. Still giving me all the creaminess, spice and wood flavors as it was before.

Barely in the last third the spice picked up a bit and had a nice punch. I didn't mind at all, since spice and boldness is what i look for in my go to smokes. Then after i took the band off i got some very faint floral flavors, that didn't last long at all.

Unfortunately i was getting close to ending this awesome smoke. That still had its creaminess, strong spice, and woody flavors that pleasured me through out. I put it down about 45 mins. ago with 3/4 of an inch remaining, and haven't stopped bragging about this cigar yet.

I'm not sure what went on with the one yesterday, but this one for sure made up for it. I will definitely be smoking the Fuente Fuente again as well as trying more of the Opus X line.

Blake.

 

[souldog]

Sounds like you had a good one. Lately, Fuente hasn't been the best in consistency between yearly Opus batches, and even individual Opus boxes! I've had several "duds," I just wanted to check that it wasn't a humidity issue. Sounds like it wasn't, and you just got stuck with a crappy one. Sucks, because you spend your hard earned money on the little bastards too... :angry:

 

[Mr Peat]

Sounds like you had a good one. Lately, Fuente hasn't been the best in consistency between yearly Opus batches, and even individual Opus boxes! I've had several "duds," I just wanted to check that it wasn't a humidity issue. Sounds like it wasn't, and you just got stuck with a crappy one. Sucks, because you spend your hard earned money on the little bastards too... :angry:

I'm still going to say it was over humidified. I had this happen several times with cigars. The first time was when Casa Blanca rolled their cigars with damp tobacco many many many years ago. I couldn't get one half side to burn at all and the taste was horrible. I had smoked many before this so I showed the owner was the cigar did and he was shocked. We did dissect it and the tobacco was still very damp. Not from the B&M shop either.

Another time was with a Opus X xXx aka Power Ranger in Moscow back in March 2008. I had a 65% humipak in my Armored Humidor 18 stick case. The one that was closest to the humipak had major burn issues. It even gave me a massive headache and I never get headaches. Now the only logical explanation is that it was over humidified. It burned exactly like my Casa Blanca from back in like 1999/2000 time range.

I've smoked enough Opus and have only had the 1 Power Ranger I just couldn't keep lit and burn all the tobacco. I've seen different construction flaws and what not over the years. Yes, I have been saying Opus X has taken a slide down hill since 2007. As more problems have arisen since then than before that time frame. I've had plenty of duds but in the thousands of Opus I've smoked, only 1 time I just couldn't get the cigar to burn ALL of the filler. I just wished I would have taken pictures of it. I did throw it was long before I was even 1/2 way through it.

This simply could have been a cigar that was rolled with damp tobacco. At least the 2nd one was a great experience for him and I'm glad that it worked out. Just remember that there is duds in Opus X just like any other cigar. I've even had a Padron 1926 #2 Maduro be what I called a dud. I just don't smoke enough Padron cigars to see if they have had issues since I only had the one 1926 that seemed nasty. Only 1 so that is pretty damn good odds compared to the Opus X incidents.