Review Notes: I am a huge fan of the Opus line, but this little belicoso keeps leaving me to wonder. This is the fourth one smoked from three different boxes, and all finished with terrible burn problems. I had to relight the cigar twice, before finally succumbing to my frustration and letting the half smoke cigar find its way into the bottom of my trash. What a waste on such a beautiful cigar! I will keep smoking the super belicosos and No. 2's that I love, but I will keep my hands off of this little cigar until I am naive enough to think that it will change.

Review Notes: I've heard quite a bit about these smokes ever since I started smoking cigars a little under a year ago. The problem was finding a store than had them and didn't charge an arm and a leg. Luckily, a local shop that I frequent had a box of these and there were a few left. I only bought one since they're $11 a pop and I have been burned by overhyped stogies in the past. I went home and was anxious to see if it lived up to the hype. I'll let you know that I'm a big fan of Hemingways, Padron Annivarsarys, and Rocky Patel, so you know I have pretty good tastes when it comes to cigars. About two months ago I tried a Fuente Reserva Anejo, which is supposedly an OpuxX with a non-Dominican wrapper. The Anejo was ok, but nothing special. With that in mind, I wasn't expecting much difference when smoking the OpusX. Man, was I wrong! Perhaps it was the fact that this was a smaller stick (the Anejo had appx 60 ring gauge at the head and a torpedo tip at the foot)... or perhaps that wrapper made all the difference? I can't say for sure, but I will tell you that I was mighty impressed with the Opus! It had a very complex flavor, including nuts, honey, dried cherries, nutmeg, cinnamon, and that famous "grassy" Fuente flavor. Rich, smooth, complex, with a full-bodied leaning, this is an awesome smoke and is in my top 5 of all time. I'm only hoping that future OpusX's taste as good. The only knock on my particular stick was that the wrapper seemed to have a certain "waxiness" to it, as I had to continually torch the thing to keep the outside burning. Maybe I had a tough wrapper and/or binder leaf. Either way, the taste is what matters most. In the case of the OpusX, it's definitely a winner in my book.

Review Notes: The typically beautiful reddish-brown wrapper covers this well-made cigar. The burn and draw are both top-notch, and the smoke produced is quite thick. This is a medium to full-bodied cigar packed with red-pepper and and woody flavors; it's pretty strong but still retains smoothness and balance. The long finish lasts for hours. I believe the MSRP listed above is inaccurate and with some luck and patience you can get these for around $9. Still a bit too costly and strong, for me anyway, to smoke all the time, but great for an occasional treat.

Review Notes: Big taste in a small package! This one was from '03. Beautfiul flawless rosado-colored wrapper with barely perceptible veining. Solid construction without soft spots. Easy light. Loose draw in the first third, but got better after that. Even burn through the first half, then some uneveness thereafter. Required one relight (maybe b/c I purposefully smoked it slowly). Thick clouds of dense smoke. Gray-white flakey ash. BOOM! Started immediately with "in-your-face" spice and black and white pepper. The first third was a medley of vanilla, cedar, mahogany, leather, and a hint of burnt almond. The middle third brought notes of cinammon, spicy ginger, and a hint of black cherry all on the backdrop of a woody melange. The final third added a whisper of game and charcoal. All in all, this one hour 15 minute full-bodied smoke was surprisingly complex and VERY powerful. Even though I smoked it on a full stomach, I could still feel the abundance of Vitamin N. This one was gifted to me, so price wasn't an issue (which made it worth the $, of course!). Not an everyday cigar, but a nice change of pace for an after dinner smoke when you have the time to sit for awhile. Paired well with 15 y.o. Matusalem rum.

Review Notes: eleven dollars for this little puppy... not an everyday smoke. yet still it is an opus and not a bad one at that. Nice flavor that offers some complexity. Seems as though when the flavor starts to get good, you already buring your fingers holding this puppy. great if you happen to have some extra money and little time.