Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary Father & Son Staff Review
Every once in a while, you have to treat yourself. Today, I’m reviewing Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary, and few could argue this hard-to-find cigar isn’t a treat. I’m smoking a size called Father & Son, which is 6.25 inches with a 49 ring gauge. Finding Opus X 20th Anniversary in any size guarantees a hunt, but the Father & Son format is available in the latest edition of the Arturo Fuente ‘Xtremely Rare’ Sampler – when they’re in stock.
Renowned cigar-maker Carlito Fuente ushered in a new and unprecedented era for non-Cuban premium cigars when he debuted Fuente Fuente Opus X in 1995. More than two decades later, Opus X sits at the summit of premium cigars sold in the U.S. and its allure shadows the most prominent Cubans you can buy today. In 2016, the first shipments of Opus X 20th Anniversary, also called 20 Years Celebration, landed on store shelves to commemorate the brand’s 20th anniversary. Carlito Fuente does nothing halfway and special editions of Opus X demand anticipation.
Opus X 20th Anniversary is gorgeous. The cigar is adorned with a pair of ornate gold-and-royal-blue bands. An imperial Opus X logo radiates from the top, primary band, while the secondary band distinguishes the 20 Years blend. The cigar is sheathed in a strip of cedar with a lustrous blue ribbon over the foot. From it, a seductive aroma of baking spices and wood emanates.
Although I’m tempted to smoke this cigar with a vintage scotch in hand, elite Opus X releases are equally enjoyable on their own. And, when a review is at stake, I prefer to experience the cigar unimpeded by an accompanying libation. After gently slipping the cedar sleeve off and clipping the cap, the cigar’s seamless gingerbread-hued wrapper beams with oily promise.
Opus X 20th Anniversary is drawn from an exclusive blend of Dominican tobaccos cultivated on the Chateau de la Fuente estates in classic Opus fashion. The cigar exhibits a dense and virtuous structure from head to foot. Following a series of gentle pulls as I rotate the Father & Son format over my soft-flame lighter, satin-like clouds of smoke drift into the air.
Notes of cedar, leather, and cashews layer the palate while a woody and honeyed zest graces my lips. Power off your smartphone when you smoke an Opus X. Its luxurious taste is worth relishing without distraction. Marvelous transitions of flavor occur throughout the first half. Notes of leather, caramel, and nougat mesmerize while an aroma of sweet cedar and old library books permeates the room.
A substantial ash forms and becomes flaky for a fleeting moment or two, but the cigar’s construction reflects uncompromising Fuente standards. The draw is clear and delivers spades of creamy, spicy, and complex taste. An oily and decadent texture emerges in the second half of the cigar. The flavor is ever more indulgent and harder to put down even for brief pauses over the ashtray.
A rich and chewy finish engages the palate with sweet and leathery flavors of nougat, cinnamon, and nuts. The full-bodied but velvety profile of Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary guarantees you’ll be pinching the ash with your thumb as the nub expires. If you’re lucky enough to find a full box, the blend is packaged in an extravagant 20-count cedar chest with wavy contours finished in bright white, blue, and gold colors inside and out. And, if you’ve got the budget, don’t hesitate to add one to your collection.
