San Lotano Maduro

SAN LOTANO MADURO
5x52 Box Pressed Robusto

This first thing that anyone is gonna notice about this cigar is the box press. It isn't just a slight press, it isn't just a regular box press... it is REALLY box pressed. Like, this thing has SHARP corners. Anyway, San Lotano is A.J. Fernandez's first brand of his own, having made his name blending and producing cigars for other people (primarily online houses, CI in particular comes to mind). The San Lotano brand is a family brand, going back to his family in Cuba, back in the day, blah blah. Fernandez is a protege of Alejandro Robaina, the master of Cuban tobacco, God rest his soul, and has become known for his full bodied, Habano wrapped blends. The San Lotano brand comes in three wrapper variations, each available in 4 vitolas (Habano, Maduro, Connecticut). The Maduro I will be reviewing today is the robusto, which features a Mexican San Andreas Maduro wrapper, Honduran binder, and a mix of fillers from various countries.

This particular example features a dark chocolate wrapper, with a slightly mottled color to it, and a toothy matte finish. The look of this cigar actually is somewhat reminiscent of the Padron x000 series. The band is something I have to *** about, as an artsy fartsy type myself... It looks like it was designed with MS Paint or something. No graphic designer should or would be proud to be responsible for this band. That said, I don't smoke cigar bands, so aside from looking weak, it doesn't matter... The cold aroma is wet, and earthy, with a touch of musty tobacco. The cold draw is sweet and creamy, and offers primarily a dark chocolate flavor, the source of the sweetness. The draw itself is a bit firm, likely owing to the ridiculous box pressing going on. The wrapper itself looks great, no veins (all smushed in the box pressing process, no doubt), and applied masterfully, with a good enough looking double cap and tight seams. The pack itself is full... this thing feels like a brick, and has almost no give to it when squeezed...

Lit at 7:47pm.

At first light, this is a somewhat lighter, softer smoke than I expected, offering a dry, soft mouthfeel, and a simple, sweet tobacco flavor, with just a touch of spice on the finish, that gradually builds as it moves across the palate. Smoke production is not great at this point, probably as a result of the slightly snug draw. The burn, after just a few draws is already a little wacky, due to the hard edges from the box pressing. Hoping these little nuisances will correct themselves as things progress.

The first third is going well, and the tight draw has actually probably kept my pace slow, which is good. The flavor profile offers a dark chocolate bitterness, and a creamy sweetness, which contrast nicely. The finish has a mild spice to it that moves around the mouth a bit, and lingers for a good length of time. There is a heaviness developing through the mouth-feel of this cigar. The smoke is dense, and oily, where it started much lighter. Burn line has also worked itself out, requiring only a pair of quick touch ups.

Ash falls for the first time just a bit into the second third. The flavor profile continues to contain a great spread of sweet, dark flavors, now with an almost oaky character mingling on on a few draws. This is not an overly strong cigar, like some of those that AJ Fernandez makes, and not as complex as some, but it offers great flavors so far, with no issues, and a balance that is superb on the palate.

Throughout the final third, unfortunately the only further development is a bit more bitterness that eventually becomes hot, and unpleasant... but only really at the end. From start to finish this is a great, inexpensive, sweet, rich, maybe not overly complex, but pleasant cigar that really delivers what I think of as the flavors I look for in a maduro wrapped cigar. Perhaps the only negative thing I could say about this cigar is that the draw remained a bit too tight the whole time, but that is something that can vary a good deal from stick to stick, so I don't put much stock in it. if this is what we can expect from AJ Fernandez in the future, I will certainly continue to pay attention. Lasted a total of 1 hour 35 minutes approximately.

Cohiba Siglo I

COHIBA SIGLO I
4x40 Half Corona

It is a fantastic day outside, and I have decided to smoke something sort of special to enjoy it, the Cohiba Siglo I. In all fairness, this will be my first experience with the Cuban Cohiba brand. Needless to say, I'm excited to see if this little minuto lives up to the brand name hype. The Cohiba brand is certainly one of, if not the most, well known cigar marcas to come out of Cuba. The Siglo line is a series of 6 sizes, ranging from this half corona up to the massive canonazo Siglo VI, with pretty much everything in between filling out the other 4 sizes.

This cigar features a golden caramel colored wrapper, with a fine hairy tooth all over it, and a slick oil sheen to it. The wrapper features only a fine network of veins, and no blemishes or sunspots. The construction is fantastic, featuring a well lined triple cap, and tight, straight seams. The foot offers a fine, bready toast aroma, with just a slight floral nuance, as well as a hearty tobacco scent. The cold draw is just slightly snug, and offers a wide range of subtlety, from acidic citrus and grass flavors, to smooth cream and chocolate.

Lit at 1:40pm

The Siglo I lights very easily, toasting in mere seconds, and immediately offers a big blast of smoke, and flavors of sweet cream, dark chocolate, and a touch of citrus and grass, with a dash of a spice bite on the finish. This cigar is impressively well balanced even right here at the start.

The first third brings cocoa and black coffee core flavors, with citrus and floral dashes here and there (especially through the nose), and a delicate cream undertone to everything ties it all together. The burn is fantastic, never wavering. The draw is just a hair tighter than medium, and produces massive amounts of smoke. The ash holds well for just about the entire first third, and falls, leaving a clean, straight line, in a big chunk into the ash tray.

Getting a few draws into the second third, the basic flavor profile remains the same coffee and cocoa core, with floral and citrus notes, but with the addition of a dark, woody element. The creamy texture, flavor, and overall feel to this cigar still serves to just accentuate the subtle nuances, and really set this one a bit beyond other cigars it's size, which in many cases just do not have time to achieve this sort of complexity. The spicy finish initially present sort of comes and goes, never lingering for long, but popping in just to make sure you are still paying attention every once in a few draws.

In the final third, the only real change is that the stick starts to get a little hot which is likely just due to the size, ring gauge specifically. The burn and draw have remained consistently great throughout, and the flavor profile, while not changing a whole lot, has retained a level of complexity that I have never gotten, and never expected to get, from a cigar of this vitola.

Ended at 2:40, for a total smoke time of an hour. This, admittedly, was smoking pretty slowly, likely slower than many people would smoke a cigar of this size.

Perhaps the only real downside to this cigar is the cost. At 7 or 8 dollars each, they are a bit steep for the size, and resulting smoke time. For me personally, however, the vitola is actually one of my favorites, and the cost is worth it to have some of these on hand for when I want something special, but small.

Liga Privada T-52 Flying Pig

LIGA PRIVADA T-52 FLYING PIG
4x60 figurado

One of those (unfortunately) limited release cigars that has gotten a lot of buzz in the last year or two (including the No.9 Flying Pig), the T-52 Flying Pig is certainly a perfect example of what has allowed Drew Estate to really move in and take a position of influence in the traditional cigar world (where before they were known for their infused cigars, the Liga Privada lines, which the Flying Pig is a limited edition portion of, have really put Drew Estate on the map among smokers of... normal cigars)

The T-52 blend features a stalk cut Habano wrapper, a Brazilian binder, and a mix of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. As I have noticed with the other LP cigars, the Flying Pig is dark, oily, and toothy, and has a distinct sweet aroma, mixing floral and chocolate notes. The construction on this chubby perfecto is flawless, with a cool tightly wound pig tail cap, and a pig nose foot. The cold draw is free, and gives flavors of sweet chocolate, and a considerable earthy pepper spice. Even the cold draw leaves your palate oily, which really says something about the wrapper leaf used for the T-52.

Lit at 3:55pm.

Right away the flavor profile is spicy and meaty. It literally has a seared meat flavor, as well as an underlying sweetness that balances nicely with the considerable spice kick. The loose draw would be a problem, but smoke production is so impressive that it actually doesn't matter that the draw is almost too loose. Sitting idle in the ashtray, huge puffs of smoke come off the foot. This cigar was built to burn well. Even the tapered foot is burning really easily, and surprisingly evenly for the shape.

Burning just past the rounded foot, the flavor profile starts to change a little bit. The spice has come back a bit, just a gentle tickle that sits in the back of the throat, while the draw offers sweet cocoa, and bitter dark coffee notes. The seared meat flavor is more leathery now. The mouth feel is extremely oily and dense, and the almost overwhelming smoke production only serves to accentuate that.

The ash is firm, and a light grey color, with a ton of tooth visible in little blobs and pockets. The burn line, while not RAZOR sharp, is just shy of it. Draw remains free, and produces massive amounts of rich oily smoke. The flavor profile, just hitting the second third has become even darker, black coffee and earthy cocoa. The spice continues much the same, lingering at the back of the throat.

Just passing the halfway mark, and the ash is still there. It hasn't fallen once, which is likely a combination of the large ring gauge, and the great construction. It's very cool, regardless of the reason, especially so because of the shape. The flavor profile remains the same, black coffee, a bit of bitter dark chocolate, and an earthy leather and pepper finish. Through the nose a floral note, like the one present before lighting is there, sort of in and out, but it is delicate, and doesn't really stand up to the bold powerful flavors that dominate otherwise.

Ash still is holding on at the band point, something that never happens, regardless of what cigar we are talking about, at least in my experience. Flavor profile just gets richer and darker as it burns. Flavors are basically the same as the regular T-52, but accentuated, elevated, richer, bolder... Not something that you would typically think to be the case when the ring gauge is LARGER on a cigar from other sizes in the line, as typically larger rings mean less potency. Another thing that impresses me is just how big and full the body and flavor are on this cigar, without the strength being above medium, maybe medium-full, unlike the regular T-52, which I think of as being a good bit stronger.

Ended at 5:35 for a total smoke time of one hour and forty minutes, which is a long time for any 4 inch cigar, and is great when it is this good. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed any of the Liga Privada cigars in the past. For me, this might be a better release even than the much praised Dirty Rat, released around the same time.

Don Carlos Edicion de Anniversario

DON CARLOS EDICION DE ANNIVERSARIO
5.2x50 Robusto

A very rare cigar, produced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Don Carlos line of Arturo Fuente cigars. Has to be special right? Certainly looks like it! Double banded, cedar and ribbon wrapped, this cigar has all the trimmings of a high end Fuente special release. It has the pedigree too. I can't find much info on the internal blend, but the cigar uses an aged Opus X wrapper, that Sungrown habano seed, Dominican wrapper that the Fuentes are so famous for. Taking off the sleeve and ribbon, this really is an impressive looking cigar, aside from the fancy dressings. The wrapper is a golden honey color, with an impressive amount of tooth to it. The construction is also flawless, in typical Fuente fashion. Triple cap, almost no visible veins, and invisible seams. The filler looks well bunched, and the overall heft of the cigar is impressive despite being the smallest size in the line. The cold aroma reminds me of the most pungent, aromatic Opus X cigars, leather and dried fruit, with a touch of cinnamon, but it has something else, a musty funk to it, manure/farm notes that sort of creep up after the punchy fruit and leather. Very impressive cold aroma. The cold draw is great, offering those same leather and fruit characteristics, as well as a bit of spice, and musty aged tobacco. This cigar is, afterall, around 5 years old now (initially released in 2006, then aged a further two years and released in smaller boxes in 2008) Really impressive before lighting. Lets see how she does once lit...

Lit at 3:15pm.

Wow. Takes a second to really get going, but once properly lit, and a few draws are down, it really has built into something impressive already. Powerful spice washes over the palate. The mouthfeel is dense, and oily, almost syrup-like. Only a few draws in that the ash looks awesome, with TONS of little oil pockets, or tooth, becoming visible. Smoke production is out of this world. Even when sitting in the ash tray, big tufts of white smoke are pouring out of the lit end. Good start!

Throughout the first third, the flavor profile does not change a whole lot. The draw initially offers a bit of peppery spice, followed by a smooth, really oily leather flavor, followed by a few assorted notes of vanilla bean, cinnamon sweetness, and raisins. These three flavors are not present on every draw, but sort of move around from draw to draw. Through the nose there is a prominent, well... I would call it dessert spice. Like vanilla bean, and cinnamon, but hot and spicy. A note on how well made this cigar is... my neighbor came over and was chatting me up for a few minutes, and unfortunately, the cigar went out. Within a few minutes, I was able to roll the ash, purge, and relight, and it was as if nothing had happened (what a relief). The burn and draw have also been perfect the whole time. I have seen this cigar labeled as one of those cigars that is essentially a tweaked Opus X blend (like the Casa Fuente, God of Fire, and other high-end Fuente made cigars), and this certainly, at this point, is apparent. It lacks the in your face strength that the Opus often has, but flavor wise, it is similar, but smoother, and a bit more subdued maybe. The strength is no-where above medium at this time. It does offer a good bit of that musty, aged tobacco flavor that I think of as being a key element of the regular Don Carlos line, which is a time tie in, given that this cigar was produced to celebrate the anniversary of that blend.

Impressively, the second ash (had to roll it the first time at about the one inch mark to re-light), holds all the way until the band point (admittedly, the band point comes at just past the halfway point. But regardless, the ash is firm, and bright white in color. Not a single burn issue so far. No draw issues either. Just the right amount of a tug required, and it produces more than enough smoke. Flavor profile has gotten slightly darker around the half point. Earthy dark. No distinct dark flavors. Still oily leather, with hints of musty tobacco, cinnamon, vanilla, and now even some cream flavor.

Upon removing the main band... finally something negative I can say. Fuente tends, in my experience, to be pretty liberal with their glue usage when applying bands, and the removal of this one takes a bit of wrapper with it, and leaves a sizeable flap of tobacco. Not a huge issue though, as a little yanking removes this piece, and the remainder burns through without issue.

In this final third, things sort of ramp up in strength, as I am now feeling it a bit in my head. Not stomach churning strength like the Opus X sometimes has, but it certainly has a fuller kick to it now that it did initially. Flavors remain similar, with maybe a slight shift from the oily leather and sweet fruit and spice, towards the darker, earthy character mentioned earlier. Complexity has its own form in this cigar... all at once, but not a lot of transition as it burns down.

Ended around 5pm, for a total burn time of one hour forty five minutes. Overall, I think this is an interesting cigar, falling somewhere right between the Don Carlos blend, and the Opus X blend. It has a smooth, musty, and laid back character, but has a lot of the flavors that the Opus X is known for, which I guess comes from the use of the Opus wrapper leaf. I'm not sure how I feel about the price of this cigar, as it truly does fetch a pretty penny(high 20$ range) even in this smaller size. The price, and relatively small production numbers on this stick would seem to dictate this as a special occasion type cigar, and while it certainly is a fine blend, I just think that if it sounds worth it to you, then yes, this is a cigar to have on hand. If nothing else, the fact that these probably won't be around forever is reason enough to pick some up if you see them. Performance is flawless, and flavor is great.

Cruzado Avalitos

CRUZADO AVALITOS
4x46 'Petite Robusto'

This small robusto (petite corona gorda?) is my first experience with this line from Illusione mastermind, Dion Giolito. The Cruzado line makes use of seco filler rather than ligero, for a full flavored, but lighter bodied experience than the Illusione line. Cruzado uses primarily Criollo '98 seed, with one part Corojo 2006, according to the brand website. The Cruzado is available in six sizes, ranging from this petite robusto to a 7x47 Churchill (called Marios). The entire line features flagged triple caps, for a certainly special look. The band is gold and silver, without being overly flashy. It actually has a somewhat gothic appearance to it, which fits with the Cruzado name, and artwork. The wrapper on this particular example is a slightly reddish brown, like wet, muddy clay. It has a dry, matte look to it (though it is certainly not underhumidified). The filler appears well bunched, and the overall construction, including the seams, appears tight, and professional. The aroma from the foot is mild, not offering much other than a medium, wet tobacco aroma, maybe a little sweetness. Removal of the cap allows for a free draw, offering a bold pre-light profile of pungent burning cedar and a leather character, oily and rich.

Lit at 10:15 pm

First impression is of a heavy spice character, with a woody core flavor. Not overly complex. I have a feeling, based on the way this blend is billed, that this spice will diminish rather quickly. Within a few draws, just as I suspect, the spice tones itself down pretty significantly. There is a flavor that I cannot quite describe perfectly, but I am leaning towards licorice right now. Very interesting. Still a woody profile overall. Maybe raisin, but not that sweet cinnamon raisin pastry profile that I get from certain Dominican cigars... Incidentally, we are getting hit with freezing rain right now, so this small format is perfect for a smoke tonight. By the time I finish smoking it, I figure I will just be starting to get too cold to continue hanging out outside.

Cigar is starting to run on one side a little bit, getting down to the end of the first third (on one side, only about 1/3 of the first third burned on the other side.) Not sure of the cause here, but unless if doesn't catch up, I'm not overly worried given the somewhat funny size of the cigar. Flavor profile is as follows at this point: Slight spice on the draw, with a tangy cedar flavor, tasting like the aroma of burnt cedar spills, followed by a big oily leather flavor that coats the palate, and remains present through the smooth, slightly peppery finish. It is a toasty, medium bodied and flavored cigar. Not overly complex on the palate, but certainly is rich, and satisfying. In a small format, I like this sort of profile. Good, solid, well defined flavors, that deliver with very little subtlety, and maintain their vigor throughout. A small cigar like this doesn't really have time to be overly complex, and this cigar is a perfect example so far, of what a small cigar should do.

Just past the halfway point and things are taking a heavier turn on the palate, earthy coffee notes, slightly bitter and even musty are moving in, along with the oily leather. The strength is basically non-existent in this cigar, but flavor, and overall feel is heavier than it started. The burn has been great aside from the slight canoe in the first third, which corrected itself within probably 10-15 minutes. The smoke production on this cigar has been phenomenal, big clouds of white smoke, which is a sign of good construction and combustion in my mind.

Ended at 11:35 for a total smoke time of one hour twenty minutes. Probably could have gotten another 5 or 10 minutes from it, but left my nubber at home. This is a killer flavor bomb of a little cigar. Because of the lack of nicotine strength in this cigar, it would make one hell of a morning coffee smoke, but really I could see it being enjoyable any time, due to the richness.

Tatuaje Cojonu 2003

TATUAJE COJONU 2003
6 1/2 x 52

This big ass toro was the first cigar released in Tatuaje's "Cojonu" line, which is a series of cigars started in 2003, with a new addition to the line every 3 years ('06 and '09 are here, '12 will be next). The concept seems to be power (Cojonu... cojones... ballsy...) So I am expecting a bit of a punch from this big ***. I'm not a huge fan of larger format cigars, but when I smoke them, I prefer that they not be much fatter than this, and instead make up for size in length, so for a huge smoke, this is right up my alley. The appearance is very nice. It has a molten milk chocolate wrapper, with a fair amount of mottling (which in my experience, while not even and aesthetically great, tends to mean amazing wrapper flavor) like a bunch of oil has soaked into the wrapper. The seams are tight, and the cap is perfectly applied. The pack feels a little light near the foot, but otherwise is even with just a slight give to it. The foot gives an aroma of earthy dark chocolate with a very slight black cherry aroma, that is pretty cool. Honestly, this cigar LOOKS ballsy, so I am going to be surprised if it doesn't deliver. The cold draw has just a slight tug of resistance, and gives an explosive dose of hot pepper flavor, like Serrano or Jalapeno peppers, and even leaves a tingle across the palette. There is also a good earthy tobacco flavor that lingers after the pepper is gone.

Lit at 3:30

Right away there is a burst of hot black pepper, and a dry leathery character on the draw. The finish is long and peppery... black pepper. The burn line isn't perfect, but I had a heck of a time getting this cigar lit (beautiful day, too windy for a soft flame, too bright to see my torch haha) It seems to want to burn better on one side than the other, so we'll see if it corrects itself.

(ladybug)

Something sweet has started to develop in the first third, like a bitter dark chocolate which is nice, and brings some complexity to the earlier pepper and leather combo. The ash is flaky, and showing a lot of tooth, which is interesting, since there wasn't an outright toothy quality to the wrapper before lighting (though it did have the appearance of leaf that had soaked up a lot of oil) The wrapper is still burning unevenly on one side, so it's looking like I may need to give it a hit from the touchup-torch. The ash is flaky, but hasn't fallen by the one inch mark. We shall see how long it holds... And in one of those awesome Nature moments, a ladybug just landed on the stick while it was sitting in the ashtray. Going to try to snap a quick photo before it runs off... Despite the size, this cigar seems to need a draw fairly often to keep from wanting to go out, at least once a minute, if not more often, which is a little fast for my normal smoking pace. Ash just fell... all over my lap. Looks like there might be a small tunnel shaping up in one spot, which isn't great. Hit it with a touch up after the ash fell, and everything seems to be going well now. The breeze out here might be affecting the burn as well.

Getting into the second third, things have settled nicely, and the burn has sorted itself out (for now). The flavor profile is big and bold, mixing leather and coffee on the draw, followed by sweet chocolate, and a black pepper finish, with what I can only describe as a light fruit flavor, like cherry, through the nose. The pepper finish is black pepper, and lasts a good long while, but isn't overpowering in terms of palette zing. Burn has definitely fixed itself, and it was definitely my fault that I was having problems. This cigar just needs more attention than most. Drawing more often definitely keeps things in check. My bad.

In the final third, just getting there, the sweetness is back in a big way, cedary in character, with continuing leather and bigger pepper. The body has also come up a bit. For the first half or so I couldn't feel any strength from this "ballsy" cigar, but here in the last third, the Ligero is starting to have a bit of an effect. Pepper is really ramping up as well, from black pepper to hot red pepper, burning like a wildfire across my tongue. Ouch.

Finished and let this bad boy go out around 5:15, for a total time of an hour and 45 minutes. Probably would have lasted a good while longer if not for the somewhat brisk pace this cigar required me to smoke at. It happens, and seems likely that it was just an example of inconsistency within a given blend. Not really anything to worry about. Overall, this didn't quite live up to the strength I was expecting to get, but it did deliver in the flavor and overall size of experience (in terms of having thick, round flavors, and great smoke production).

Fuente Fuente Opus X Petite Lancero

FUENTE FUENTE OPUS X PETITE LANCERO
6 1/4x39

It is a well known fact that I love Arturo Fuente cigars, and of the Fuente cigars I have smoked, the Opus X is certainly the crowning achievement. With the right amount of sleep, and in a good size, they are unmatched, for my palette, in complexity and pure flavor, in my experience. Adorned in the famous Dominican Rosado wrapper grown at Chateau de la Fuente, the Opus X was the cigar that set off alarms across the cigar community upon its release, and since then has continued to be one of, if not THE, single most sought after cigars. And boy do they carry a price tag. With an MSRP in the $12-$16, these should be perfectly priced cigars, but most vendors mark the prices up almost two fold (going well into the high 20's into the 30's for singles). This particular example of the petite lancero, which is a figurado and a fattish panatela at the same time, is cloaked in a gorgeous caramel brown wrapper with just a slight reddish hue to it. The seams look great, not too tight, but tight enough. The cap is expertly applied, one thing that I am very picky about in figurados. There is a fair amount of tooth to the wrapper, and a light oil sheen. The pack is great, even from head to foot, with no soft spots, and just that perfect amount of give when squeezed gently. The aroma from the foot is spicy, tickling my nose hairs, and gives a strong aroma of raisins, and pastry, Slightly sweet as well. The cold draw is slightly restricted, but not really in a bad way. The flavor profile pre-light is a little spicy on the palette, white pepper, with cinnamon, raisins, and a little earthy character. Let's light...

Lit at 11:20pm.

The Opus X Petite Lancero lights easily, toasting up within a few short seconds. The flavor profile initially is heavy on hot spicy pepper, and an earthy leather character. Maybe a little sweet cedar in there, but it is quickly overwhelmed by pepper. Very strong start.

In the first third, the burn line is a little... wavy. Just ups and downs, consistently around the ring. Not a big deal though, as none of them get out of hand, and withing a few draws, they have fixed themselves, only to dip a little bit somewhere else. As far as age on this cigar, it is from the winter 2009 release, so it has close to a year, if not a year of age on it, which by all accounts is about when these cigars start to settle into a good smoking rhythm. The draw is still kind of tight, and is kind of getting on my nerves, as I prefer a little more open of a draw. If it becomes an actual problem I have plenty of room to give it another clip. The flavor profile at the 3/4 inch mark is very pleasant. Full bodied on the palette, with a high medium strength at this point. Flavors run from fruit and leather on the draw, to cedar and pepper on the finish. Not a pepper flavor, more a spicy sensation with a wood flavored accompaniment. The ambient smoke, incidentally, has an awesome, sweet almond kind of smell to it, which is very nice, and pleasant to be surrounded by. We are going to get hit by a massive rain storm here in a few hours, based on the radar, so I'm hoping this cigar lasts just long enough, and it doesn't start raining. The ash is also super toothy, and a bright white color. Very good looking, and shows signs of good nutrient delivery in the soil. Ash falls for the first time just over an inch in, which is not a surprise given the small ring gauge of this cigar. Perfectly respectable ash length for a 39 ring.

Burn line is getting a little crooked, causing the ash to lean funny, as I reach the end of the first third. Not a real problem though. A quick touch up from the lighter seems to sort the line out. The flavor profile is starting to take a darker turn at this point as well, giving more leathery, earthy notes, with a continuation of cinnamon spice and wood on the finish. Not sweet cedar any more though, more oaky. This profile is one that I have gotten in the past with the Petite Lancero, and a few other smaller ring gauge Opus X cigars. The larger ring Opuses tend to have a lighter, fruitier character, while the little guys are dark, leathery powerhouses. Very nice profile though. Strength is not yet really anything noticeable. It is present, but not above medium-full at most. And like clockwork, marking another inch and a quarter-inch and a half... my lap, and even my laptop get nailed with a big clump of ash. Damnit! Looking at the cherry, things seem to be burning well, and evenly though, despite the waves, and one touch up. No tunneling, or canoeing. Things have REALLLY slowed down in terms of burn speed here just past the halfway marker. This is where the Opus really gives you some bang for your buck if you ask me. Something in the blending allows a smaller ring like this one to still burn at the slower rate of a larger cigar. Boy I am having ZERO luck with ash on this cigar though. I have officially been hit by it twice in a row now. I'm 1 and 3 for getting the ash in the tray. This time, just as I move to roll it in the tray... BAM... right on my lap. Gonna have to do laundry tonight...

Just getting to the start of the final third, and the spice is really coming on strong again. Hot pepper feel, with a leathery, black pepper taste on the draw. Earthy and dark continues to be the overall feel. Very nice, powerful blend. Also get a cinnamon, and now raisin flavor through the nose, which is a cool development reminiscent of a lot of high end Fuente cigars. Such complexity! Just removed the band... and a good piece of wrapper too, unfortunately. This is one complaint I have about Fuente as a whole... their band application team seems to get a little over-zealous with the glue sometimes. Not a big deal though, as the binder is doing its job just fine. Still getting lots of spicy heat. And here comes the strength. At the one hour and 40 minute mark, I am really getting kicked in the head by the nicotine. I don't really mind though, as there is about an inch and 3/4 remaining, so I got off easy for a good 4 and a half inches. For the entire cigar, smoke production has been fantastic. Lots of thick, creamy, white smoke. Very nice. And as with my few previous Opus X experiences, the strength sort of disproportionately ramps up in the last inch and a half, to, for me, an unpleasant level. I don't smoke many cigars with this kind of strength, and for me, the huge dose of nicotine at the end isn't my favorite way to end things. That said, everything up to that point is an absolute joy.

Ended at 1:08am, for a total smoke time of one hour and 48 minutes, which is outstanding given the size of this cigar. Even if the flavor profile was just good, not great as it is, there would be some great value in these cigars, given the price, because of the exorbitant smoke times you can get from them. That amount of time would be fine from a Churchill sized cigar, much less a panatela of any kind. Overall, the complexity, with multiple transitions, and bold flavors, plus pretty great performance from start to finish make the Fuente Fuente Opus X a favorite of mine, and even better when you can get them close to MSRP. As it stands, for the high prices, these are among the best "special occasion" or "once in a while" cigars on the market. Highly recommended.