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Long overdue review - Opus X PerfeXion X 2006

Blue Dragon

Can't Re-Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2005
Messages
2,101
Hello hello fellow CPers,

Today I am going to do a long overdue review. My memory has always had issues, especially when it comes to names. I was gifted a cigar, I can't remember if it was in a pass or if it was after the Blind Cigar Review threadI started a ways back. I'm kinda thinking it was from a pass, but then again, he asked me to review it. And who signs their name w/ a couple dashes and a letter anyway? How am I supposed to figure out who "- D -" is anyway? .. If anyone knows who this is, help a brother out! It would be greatly appreciated.



I have had this cigar sitting in my cool-idor for quite a while. I have grabbed it, thought about smoking it, but wanted to respect "-D-"'s wishes. So I would pass it over, move it around the cool-idor, look at it every now and then to see how it was doing, and kick myself for not getting around to it. It has been quite an interesting experience, the gamut of emotions from desire to guilt, always popping up randomly. And when I would look at my cigars and think, "I just don't have anything to smoke. Well, I do, but I want to try something different. No, can't have that, "I'm saving it for a special occasion". Funny thing is, our good friend Infinity has been key in my realization "there is no better time than the present." I have been putting off this review for whatever reason for to long ... so let's get to it!

Cigar: OpusX PerfeXion X 2006 Coffin

Ambiance: Now as some of you may be aware, there is definitely a HUGE correlation to the flavor/impression of a cigar and your surroundings. Your mood, your expectations, the setting, and other things happening all effect the cigar .. to a degree. So I'm sitting out on my newly refinished deck, groovin to some Zeppelin, and drinking a little Glenmorangie Qunta Ruban w/ 3 cubes of ice. And I have a backup stick, the VR Exclusivo LR from Spain in case this cigar actually sucks and I pitch it. It is the start of a weekend after a brutal week, but it seems that all the tribulations of the week have resolutions and action plans to make things work more smoothly. So tonight is a good night to enjoy a cigar!



Initial Impressions: The wrapper is beautiful; what you would expect of an Opus. It looks like it has held up well to all the shuffling in the coolidor, and I do mean ALOT. It didn't really have a place, so it would fall between boxes, get moved from one side to the other, etc. Only a very slight bit of plume, but I had to search. The wrapper tasted spicy pre-cut; it left a hint of jalepeno on my tounge and inside my lips. Pre-light smells of tobacco, earth, that good barnyard smell, and a hit of nutmeg or allspice. Pre-light draw is very good; should produce some good smoke. When I exhaled out my nose I got a much stronger nose of nutmeg or allspice. I can't quite decide .. must hit the spice rack before I proceed; this is driving me nuts. ... Whoa! Definitely NOT nutmeg. It is allspice and a little cinnamon.

(side note) So I recently made my first batch of Home Brew. When I went through all the differnt malts I smelled them and found smells that I thought were pleasing and would complement each other. The lady working the store said many people taste the kernels, which tasted similarly to how they smelled, so to me it seemed pointless to actually eat the stuff. The interesting thing is that much of what I smelled came through in the brew .. and it was awesome! .. So now I'm really curious about how the smells of this cigar will correlate to the taste of the smoke and overall experience. .. Good stuff!

Initial Light: Lit like a champ! And I was correct, plenty of good, solid smoke. There are afterhints of the allspice, and the top of my tongue and top of palate both have a little prickly sensation going on. The best I can describe is like the heat from the capsiacin of a Jalepeno. The smoke is pleasant, not too hot, full, and makes great smoke rings. :thumbs:



Burn and Ash: Grey-white with small hints of black. Burn is pretty damn even. Ash seems to be pretty solid and holding up well. This is good. Some people have criticized my coolidor (Shawn) for being too dry, but I think 65 is perfect. And the fact that this has been all over the place and in there for at least three years seems to give validity to my gauge. 1cm in and it is still really solid. I'm not trying to protect the ash, but just putting the cigar in the ashtray as needed, and it hasn't budged.



First Inch: The first inch has been great. I get a little spicy on my tongue that sticks around even after I have a sip of scotch. .. Scotch is such a great pairing with cigars! And the Quinta Ruban is one of my favorites for this price range. I would have to say my go-to scotch, if there is such a thing. .. The cigar started off with quite strong notes of allspice and by the end of the first inch, the allspice notes are receding slightly and a tobacco flavor is becoming more prominent. The spicy that I tasted before I lit the cigar is still very noticeable and hasn't lessened yet.

The neighbor just came out .. think I'll go say hello and be neighborly. .. He was too quick. I guess he wasn't planning on hanging outside.

Well, I got a little side tracked. I though it might be nice to start a fire and in the process of making some kindling, finding some random paper to start the fire with, etc., my cigar went out. So now it will be a bit more difficult to judge the length as I had to ash it to relight it. .. I hate mail. I am just sooo bad with paper. However, junk mail does seem to make for good lighting material. A little Christian Ranch Weekly in each corner, some FHA refinancing bullshit, and other miscellaneous promos ought to do the trick!



Hmmm ... When the Levee Breaks .. Good song! ... Down by the Seaside, another great song. With the Katydids chirping in the background, a nice fire to keep warm, some good scotch, and a great cigar. I'm feeling nice and relaxed. Definitely a good way to finish up the week! I'm really glad I took the time to do this review. It has reminded me to slow down a little. In order to review the cigar I have to pay attention to all aspects of the cigar, continuously as I smoke it. A HUGE Thanks to "-D-" for setting this up for me, albeit years ago. It has still served as a great reminder. The reason I have enjoyed cigars so much is they give me some time for me, to relax, to ponder, to enjoy life, to slow down. And life has definitely been quite the whirlwind lately. The new job is going really well, but it is quite demanding. I travel quite a bit, am moving to another city, learning new technologies, confronting my own demons, and still trying to have my own life more than just work. This week's lesson has been one around communication; communication is key, especially to my success. I'm finding that communicating is an art that I probably will never master, but hopefully I get better at all the time. Everyone communicates differently. Some people want lots of communication, constant updates, and others are Ok with gaps of communication. Sometimes silence and alone time is needed; maybe not silence but individual time for reflection, analysis, getting centered. Everyone seems to need different levels of communication, different types, but in all cases clarity is needed. ..



Half way: The ash is solid and seems to hold for about an inch before it wants to fall on it's own. Could be the pace at which I am smoking the cigar, but it consistently holds the ash to keep that heat containment allowing the cigar to light up on the next puff. The spice is still there; I expected it to decrease by this time in the cigar, but it is still very prominent. The tobacco flavors are still there, but the spicy flavor seems more prevalent. Still a bunch of full smoke on every puff. Great smoke rings are possible .. hmm.. wonder if I can capture one on film. ... Got one good one!



Final Third: The nicotine is starting to be noticeable. I'm feeling the strength of the cigar now. I smoked a DCM #5 the other night and I don't remember feeling the nicotine like I am in this cigar. I'm getting a little nicotine buzz .. on top of my scotch buzz. Another thing I love about cigars is the time. This cigar probably started around 9pm or so and it is now 11:40pm, and I am still slowly puffing away. Yes, I have always been a slower smoker than many people, hence why lanceros and I seem to get along so well. This one is smoking longer than normal, even for me, probably because I'm good with just chillin out, jammin to Zepp (The Song Remains the Same is playin now), enjoying my fire and my scotch, and just celebrating life. Yes, cigars for me are a celebration of life. A way to slow down, enjoy life, savor an experience. I think I started enjoying cigars through the interaction with other people. It was fun to share in an experience with others, to hang, enjoy each other's company, and savor the experience, share the experience of smoking a cigar. Today I can do that with others or just by myself.



Well the cigar was great. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of OpusX cigars. It was consistent through out, good flavor, never got bitter, and always had lots of good smoke, even when it went out and I had to relight it (my issue, not a factor of the cigar).



Thanks again -D-! This was fun, and good to do again after so long!

Hopefully pictures will follow. Now it is time for bed.

Cheers!
- C
 
Wow great descriptive review just lacking pics. The perf x's are great sticks especially w/ some age, the construction is beyond reproach and the smoked cherry aroma coupled w/ this cigars sweetness is a joy. the duration of these smokes are unprecedented imo. Thanks for the great review.
 
Nice review. Perfecxion X is my favorite OpusX. I've got a Perfecxion No.2 that's going on 3 years old that I picked up in a pass that I need to light up soon.
 
Great review! No pics needed, IMO.
 
Wow great descriptive review just lacking pics. The perf x's are great sticks especially w/ some age, the construction is beyond reproach and the smoked cherry aroma coupled w/ this cigars sweetness is a joy. the duration of these smokes are unprecedented imo. Thanks for the great review.
updated w/ the pics.

Enjoy!
- C
 
I think I have one of these with a 2007 band. It looks identical otherwise and I always wondered what it was.
 
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