Fuente Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No. 5

I’ve actually been a non-slacker lately, kicking out another a review. Daniel will actually be going out of town this week and next on a much deserved vacation in Florida, where he will be soaking up rays, drinking real beer, and will not have to worry about being attacked by moose (mooses? moosi? meece?). So I, along with you, our readers, will be allowed to take some time and bash his reviews with comment love while he is away. Kidding of course, I hope he has a great time and a safe return. Anywho, moving forward with this week’s review of Fuente Fuente’s Opus X Perfecxion No. 5.

The Good Stuff: This stick was amongst a package sent over from out friend at Cigars Direct some time ago. They carry a large variety of Opus X with this stick at a price point of $19.95 a piece. I can’t think of a line that is anywhere near as hyped up as the Opus X due to price point, and rarity. The Opus X line, is one of the very few cigars blended perfectly enough to use Cuban seed tobacco grown exclusively in the Dominican Republic. After being rolled, the cigars are then cured in rum barrels, and then aged for at least a year before being packaged and shipped.

Size: 4.88 x 40  –  Wrapper: Dominican  –  Binder/Filler: Dominican  –  Body: Full

Prelight:The Opus X Perfecxion No. 5 is a nice box-pressed style petit corona. The wrapper is almost calico colored, spotted with orange and medium brown with lots of small darker brown spots. The wrapper is silky, and extremely shiny and almost sticky to the touch. The Perfecxion No. 5 is then topped off with a rounded triple cap (that was capped so cleanly it took a very close inspection to even figure out how many times it was wrapped) and branded with the standard Fuente Fuente Opus X signature gold and red band that demands the attention of just about anyone’s eyes. The Perfecxion No. 5 is extremely firm to the touch, with no soft spots and only one larger vein running through the body of the cigar. Perfectly constructed. The wrapper gives off an extremely pungent tobacco scent of notes of citrus and spice. The foot gives off a very similar scent, only with added grain and oat aromas. The Perfecxion No.5 clipped cleanly using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produced very earthy flavors with hints of oats and leather.

First Smoke:The Opus X Perfecxion No .5 starts off very smooth and creamy with a small burst of pepper and spice backed by cedar, leather, cocoa, and tart plum. I was actually surprised how smooth this cigar started out as I was expecting something with a little more punch, not that I am complaining in anyway. The Perfecxion No. 5’s effortless draw kicks out a thick, cedar scented cloud of smoke while giving off very little to almost not stationary smoke. The burn line on this Opus X Perfecxion No. 5 is razor sharp and dead even producing a beautiful, tightly packed white and light grey ash that held on for about two inches before giving way.

Halfway There:Halfway into this Perfecxion No. 5 the Pepper flavors and the body really began to ramp up. The main flavors outside of the pepper are still very earthy and leathery with a bit of spice and sweetness. There is also a little bit of plum still in there but the sweet tobacco is starting to overpower it. The retrohale is a bit strong and spicy, but gives off a great cedar primer. The full body is really starting to make itself more apparent. The burn line has started to produce a few small waves, but nothing to be concerned about at this time.

Finish:I don’t know if it is just me, but I swear I taste some type of meat in this cigar. Beef maybe? Maybe I am just hungry. Who knows. The nicotine in this little cigar is starting to hit me like a ton of bricks. Very strong into the final third. Outside of the meaty flavor, the cedar and spice mixed with a bit of sweetness are the flavors taking center stage, with a ton of earthy notes to back it up. The burnline has corrected itself and is now burning dead even. The Perfection No. 5 burned pretty slow and actually took about 1.75 hours for me to smoke from start to finish.

One thing did irk the crap out of me. From the beginning I had wondered just how much glue is used to hold a band as large as the opus x band in place. The answer, too damn much. As you can see from the picture below when carefully removing the band I found that glue had seeped out of the band and on to wrapper destroying it upon removal. Not a good sign from such an expensive cigar.

Overview: After all is said and done the Opus X Perfection No. 5 is a damn good cigar. The complex, and plentiful flavors make for a great cigar experience. The body, and complexity is probably too much for the novice cigar smoker, but perfect for just about any enthusiast. The price point is the only thing that concerns me. $19.95 a piece from the Cigars Direct. I honestly think I’d much rather have a nice little Padron or even a Fuente Anejo over Opus X at that price point.

Pairing:I decided to change pace a little bit and pair this cigar with a glass of Sandeman’s Founder’s Reserve Tawny Port. This port is an extremely dry, powerful wine with strong black cherry, raspberry, cinnamon, and grape notes. It made a great pairing with the opus X, although at times I had to put it down and sip on water just to ensure myself that the citrus and plum flavors I was picking up in the cigar we not that of the wine itself. The Opus X Perfecxion No. 5 is a flavor bomb, just waiting to go off. You really want to be careful and pair this with something dry, of flavorless. Unsweetened tea, dry wine, water, or scotch make for a perfect combination.