Saturday, June 18, 2016

Project X: Offering #12 Serie II - Blind Cigar Review (Arturo Fuente Opus X)


Blind review, then? Oh, yes. Blind review.
See the other Project X blind cigar reviews HERE.

Listen to the LIVE Reveal on this offering on the 6/19 Kibbitz.
Check yer local listing HERE for show times.

THE CIGAR
*classified*
4 1/2 x 46 Belicoso Colorado Maduro
(From what I can blindly surmise and guesstimate)
DECLASSIFIED
Arturo Fuente Opus X
4 5/8 x 49
ACT I

FLAVORS
Animal: Roasted meat.
Sweet: Buttery. Caramelized sugar. Honey. Vanilla.
Spicy: Cinnamon. Cloves. White pepper. Salt. Ginger.
Woody: Cedar wood.
Vegetal: Citrus. Floral.
Earthy: Peat.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
K being the least, Z the greatest
Appearance W
Construction O
Combustion W
Flavors/Body W
Strength K

NOTES

  • Very sweet cinnamon cold draw.
  • Roasted meat comes on after hot cinnamon draw.
  • Then cedar. A very good "This is what cedar tastes like," example.
  • A power-packed white pepper.
  • Seam loosens a tick at lighting. Pack softens noticeably.
  • A small, slight crack occurs in top-leaf off of burn.
  • Pace is quick-ish.
  • Draw is an even medium+ tension.
  • Limited menu, but all are mixing matching with one another.
  • Medium+ smoke out-put. Delicate room-note.
  • Palate and mouth-feel are a tick parched.
  • floral vanilla at the inch mark is dee-lish.
  • Burn ain't perfect, but no re-touch & gets through crack.
  • Seam continues to loosen humsover.
  • Hand-feel gets sultry.
  • Ash is a marbled pale grey flaked, cracked sheathing.
  • Citrus is Distinctly Bergamot. (Early Grey tea.)
  • ...and I taste tea (on r/h with white pepper).
  • White pepper gots FLEX.
  • Delicate top-leaf. Another hair-line crack now in 3/3. Cosmetic only.
ACT II

FLAVORS
Animal: Roasted meat.
Sweet: Buttery. Caramelized sugar. Honey. Vanilla (more). Cream. Fresh fruit. Sugar.
Spicy: Cinnamon. Cloves. White pepper. Salt. Ginger. Licorice/anise.
Woody: Cedar wood. Aromatic tobacco.
Vegetal: Citrus. Floral (more).
Earthy: Peat.
Chemical:
Malt: Honey.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
Appearance W
Construction O
Combustion W
Flavors/Body W
Strength P

NOTES

  • Roasted meat don't lessen, other notes flex, though.
  • Tea gets sweet cream addition.
  • Palate and m/f remain dry. Gets a 1/2-tick chewy.
  • Smoke gets smooth, verily. I almost thought notes dipped.
  • A dry sweet bread note come on in. Tea and scones?
  • Ash firms and pales w/ some silver crystals. Line is wavy.
  • Pace slows a good bit. Line begins to self-correct.
  • New fruit note (apple) freshens palate. Extends finish into sweet cream.
  • Sugar loses some caramelization, but nicely so.
  • Shaft gets more oils, as do the mouth-feel.
  • Mouth-feel picks up a slight w. pepper/nutmeg tingle.
  • Seam loosens further down and top-leaf stays delicate biz...
  • ... one for the tray, not the mitt.
  • Vanilla gets its own graham thing.
  • Is it currently legal to describe a cigar as sweet and mild?
  • At the band and through, cayenne fire, gentlepersons.

SMOKE TIME
80mins

FINAL GRADE
****A-****

EDITOR'S NOTE
In the interest of uniformity, I will be working from a flavor chart via Stogie Fresh. 
("Malt" added by moi, when added.)

One Mr. Darryl Martin, donor and facilitator of Project X has let me know that this particular offering had some good age on it.

You can listen to an audio version of this review HERE.