Opus X Lost City Lancero
Cigar Pass hosted a memorial raffle last year whose proceeds went towards the running of the online community. Members were given the opportunity to buy tickets for the chance to win one of several boxes of premium cigars that had been donated by various shops and members. After deciding that the entry was worth just the knowledge I had already received from there, I entered and began hoping on hopes that despite the odds, I would walk away with a lucky golden ticket. After the numbers were drawn, I was overjoyed to find that the box of ten Opus X Lost City Lanceros was making its way to my door. Coming with an offer for a free DVD of the cigars’ namesake, I obtained my copy of the movie with the intent to watch it while smoking the first of ten. Setting up the laptop outside, with film and cigar in tow, I seated myself in the fading sunshine to enjoy my first Opus X.
On inspection, the first thing that catches my eye is the band itself. Ornate but not overwhelming, the combination of black, gold and red embossing is very beautifully done. The bold signature “X” on the face is a strong focal point. Moving onto the cigar itself, the burnt grass hued barrel has various veins but none of them are raised from the wrapper. Against typical Fuente standards, the wrapper is slightly wrinkly in some areas and just above the band glue residue is evident. The majority of the cigar is firm with a slight spring to it although there is one soft spot present. A well made cap begins a deep ½ inch from the head and ends in a fancier styled pigtail. Taking a prelight whiff of the foot exudes a strong barnyard scent with a prominent white pepper presence, so much so that it actually causes me to sneeze. Prelight flavors contrast the smell with creamy earth and grass.
Lighting the cigar produces a sizable volume of creamy smoke with a slight peppery taste that tingles on the tongue. While creamy, the smoke is also very drying. Initial perception is that this is a very smooth smoke and the profile resembles something akin to soft warm bread. Through the first couple of inches the draw is impeccable and creates a very sharp burn. The flavor begins to grow a bit stale around the two inch mark but ashing helps to rejuvenate it and the cigar remains pleasant through the first half.
Moving into the second half of the cigar, it takes on a strong spice and the nicotine definitely begins to have more of an impact. The main flavor accompanying the spice is of sweet grass and still provides a nice background. I am unashamed to say that at this point I need to get something sweet into my system to combat the increased nicotine kick. Pouring myself a Fernet Branca and Coke, which is widely accepted as the unofficial drink of Argentina, I take a couple of sips and proceed on. The drink has a sweet menthol feel, which works as a pallet cleanser as well keeping queasiness at bay helping to get the smoke back to being pleasant. While remaining spicy, it develops a smoky campfire undertone. Other than this, there is not a whole lot of development after the initial half.
While I never dreamed my first Opus X would be able to live up to the hype, I did expect a bit more from this stick. With a thirty dollar price tag the disappointment is even more amplified. Several enjoyable flavors occur throughout but the overwhelming spice and nicotine at the halfway point of this lancero really detracts from the experience. As I feel that there is still potential here, I plan to put down the remainder of the box down for an extended rest with the hope that the spice and nicotine will mellow and create a more even blend. Needless to say, my expectations have been significantly lowered for future Opus X experiences yet I still hold out hope that there are other promising blends and/or vitolas available.
Cigar Pass hosted a memorial raffle last year whose proceeds went towards the running of the online community. Members were given the opportunity to buy tickets for the chance to win one of several boxes of premium cigars that had been donated by various shops and members. After deciding that the entry was worth just the knowledge I had already received from there, I entered and began hoping on hopes that despite the odds, I would walk away with a lucky golden ticket. After the numbers were drawn, I was overjoyed to find that the box of ten Opus X Lost City Lanceros was making its way to my door. Coming with an offer for a free DVD of the cigars’ namesake, I obtained my copy of the movie with the intent to watch it while smoking the first of ten. Setting up the laptop outside, with film and cigar in tow, I seated myself in the fading sunshine to enjoy my first Opus X.
On inspection, the first thing that catches my eye is the band itself. Ornate but not overwhelming, the combination of black, gold and red embossing is very beautifully done. The bold signature “X” on the face is a strong focal point. Moving onto the cigar itself, the burnt grass hued barrel has various veins but none of them are raised from the wrapper. Against typical Fuente standards, the wrapper is slightly wrinkly in some areas and just above the band glue residue is evident. The majority of the cigar is firm with a slight spring to it although there is one soft spot present. A well made cap begins a deep ½ inch from the head and ends in a fancier styled pigtail. Taking a prelight whiff of the foot exudes a strong barnyard scent with a prominent white pepper presence, so much so that it actually causes me to sneeze. Prelight flavors contrast the smell with creamy earth and grass.
Lighting the cigar produces a sizable volume of creamy smoke with a slight peppery taste that tingles on the tongue. While creamy, the smoke is also very drying. Initial perception is that this is a very smooth smoke and the profile resembles something akin to soft warm bread. Through the first couple of inches the draw is impeccable and creates a very sharp burn. The flavor begins to grow a bit stale around the two inch mark but ashing helps to rejuvenate it and the cigar remains pleasant through the first half.
Moving into the second half of the cigar, it takes on a strong spice and the nicotine definitely begins to have more of an impact. The main flavor accompanying the spice is of sweet grass and still provides a nice background. I am unashamed to say that at this point I need to get something sweet into my system to combat the increased nicotine kick. Pouring myself a Fernet Branca and Coke, which is widely accepted as the unofficial drink of Argentina, I take a couple of sips and proceed on. The drink has a sweet menthol feel, which works as a pallet cleanser as well keeping queasiness at bay helping to get the smoke back to being pleasant. While remaining spicy, it develops a smoky campfire undertone. Other than this, there is not a whole lot of development after the initial half.
While I never dreamed my first Opus X would be able to live up to the hype, I did expect a bit more from this stick. With a thirty dollar price tag the disappointment is even more amplified. Several enjoyable flavors occur throughout but the overwhelming spice and nicotine at the halfway point of this lancero really detracts from the experience. As I feel that there is still potential here, I plan to put down the remainder of the box down for an extended rest with the hope that the spice and nicotine will mellow and create a more even blend. Needless to say, my expectations have been significantly lowered for future Opus X experiences yet I still hold out hope that there are other promising blends and/or vitolas available.
