Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No.2

15 Jul 2009

No non-Cuban cigar is surrounded by more mystique and hype than the Opus X by Arturo Fuente. Indeed, it’s legend stands with some of the biggest names from the forbidden island nation and, even though Fuente imports three-quarters of a million Opus X’s into the U.S. every year, the Opus is nearly as difficult to find as illegal Cubans.

opusxno2 The Opus X legend starts with its unique Cuban-seed rosado wrapper. When first planted on the Fuente estate in 1992, it was an daring experiment to see if premium wrapper could be grown in the Dominican Republic.

The Opus X line uses 100% Dominican tobacco (wrapper, binder, and filler), is cured in rum barrels prior to being rolled, then aged for at least a year before being boxed and shipped. Today, largely due to the success of the Opus X, there are a number of other Dominican puros on the market.

The Perfecxion No. 2 measures 6 and 3/8 inches with a ring gauge of 52. The rosado wrapper is reddish brown with a slight sheen. The torpedo-shaped stick is extremely solid and firm.

Pre-light, it leaves a leathery flavor in your mouth with a bit of raisin. Despite its rock-solid construction, the draw is deliberate but not too difficult.

Upon lighting, it starts out medium-bodied then quickly evolves. Only one inch in, it turns into a full-bodied flavor bomb. Leather, sweet cedar, and pepper dominate while underlying raisin, cocoa, and earth round out the taste.

It all makes for a balanced, intense smoke, while the torpedo shape focuses the flavors on the palate just right. A sturdy ash and a relatively even burn round out the above average physical properties.

That brings me to one of the biggest questions about the Opus X: price. The suggested retail price for the Opus X Perfecxion No.2 is just $14, but you’re more likely to pay twice that much due to sky-high demand. (Occasionally you’ll find a place that sells the Opus X for around $14, but don’t expect them to last long on the shelf.)

Ultimately, no matter what price you pay, you get a fantastic smoke that lives up to the hype. That’s why it’s easy to give the Opus X Perfecxion No.2 our highest rating of five of stogies out of five.