Cigar : 1996 Fuente Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No.5
Size: 4 7/8 x 40
Pairing : Can of Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso
Venue: My porch
This was an original release Opus that I purchased in Boston sometime in 1996, although I didn't really record detail like that back in the day. This is the first one i have tried in around 5 years. A semi-decent Nov day in the NorthWest merits a good smoke. The wrapper is perfectly constructed with very tiny veins. I wiped off the plume and decided to use a punch due to the small ring gauge.
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The prelight draw was very easy with a woody flavor. The initial light went perfectly producing lots of smoke. The cigar started with earthy and floral flavors, and was incredibly mild and smooth. You can nose exhale the entire draw with no issues at all. The ash was tight and compact with a white hue. About a half an inch of ash built up and then for some reason the draw became much tighter with less smoke coming through.
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After the ash fell, I decided to try and remedy the draw issue. Clipped it with the trusty Palio and 'voila", draw problems gone and lots of smoke. In the second portion of the stick, flavors got much stronger but still retained it's mild body. Lots of leather and woody flavors. Much sharper retro-nasal but nothing too much. Some herbal grassy notes start to come out.
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The last third the cigar began to sour slightly, but a few purges mostly took care of this. Lots of smoke came billowing out at this point. Strong flavor, all leather at this point and the burn started to go a bit awry and needed some help. Towards the very end, the cigar took on an unpleasant metalic taste and had to be put down.
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Conclusion:
A very nice cigar, not mind-blowing by any means, but some clean aged flavors and aromatics. There was no overwhelming sense of nicotine at all. These are some of the oldest NCs I own, along with a bunch Padron 1964s bought shortly after that. Shows that patience can be a virtue with NCs if you like aged flavors.
I was not a huge fan of these on release which is one of the reasons I still have a bunch of these left in various sizes from that original purchase. Definitely aged decently, but possibly a little past the sweet spot. I will probably start smoking through the rest of them now as this one was enjoyable and I don't see them getting any better.
~Vitis
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