It was in 1995 when Arturo Fuente Cigars would unveil their landmark cigar, the Fuente Fuente OpusX. What made OpusX such a significant project is that it proved to the world an ultra-premium Dominican puro cigar could be made with a Dominican-grown wrapper. The other thing that is significant about OpusX is that it is considered one of the bolder offerings on the market. Last year (yes, the calendars are slightly off), Arturo Fuente celebrated 25 years of the OpusX brand and would release a special cigar collection through Elie Bleu. In 2016 it would mark the 20th anniversary of OpusX. For that occasion, the company would launch the Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary collection. This is a periodic limited edition cigar sold by Arturo Fuente. Today we take a closer look at the OpusX 20th Anniversary in the Father & Son (aka Toro) size.

One thing that is strikingly different is the color blue used in the packaging. It’s been explained the blue holds a significance for two reasons. First the blue represents a river near the Chateau de la Fuente farm. It has also been said that this is a color that was used to pay homage to some of bands of the earliest Arturo Fuente releases.

Without further ado, let’s break down the OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Keeping to the theme of the OpusX, the OpusX 20th Anniversary features a Dominican Shade Grown wrapper from the Chateau de la Fuente farm. The wrapper is slightly lighter than a standard OpusX wrapper. The wrapper comes from a lower priming than a standard OpusX wrapper. Details of the binder and filler have not been disclosed. Product is handled out of Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia in the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Dominican Shade Grown
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera A.Fuente y Cia

Vitolas Offered

The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary is produced in four sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes. Each of the four vitola names can be considered to be a motto or theme behind the Fuente family.

Believe: 5 3/4 x 52
Power of the Dream: 6 3/8 x 52
Father & Son: 6 1/4 x 49
God’s Whisper: 6 1/2 x 56

Appearance

There was some mottling on the surface of the Dominican wrapper of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son. The wrapper also had some oil on it. There were some thin visible veins present, while most of the wrapper seams were well hidden.

There are two bands on the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary. The primary band of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary is a variation of the iconic Fuente Fuente OpusX band. The one big difference is this band has a mostly blue, orange, gold, and cream color scheme. The secondary band features a blue background surrounded by a gold frame and touches of orange. On the center of the band is the text “20 Years” in gold font.

From the footer of the cigar to the secondary band, the cigar is covered with a cedar sleeve. There is a blue ribbon surrounding the footer.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

After removing the cedar sleeve of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son, a straight cut was used to remove the cap of the cigar. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of wood and graham cracker as well as slight cedar and earth notes. Overall this was an excellent pre-light draw experience. At this time it was time to toast up the foot of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son and move on to the smoking experience.

Tasting Notes

The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son started out with notes of cedar, black pepper, hay, coffee, and natural tobacco sweetness. Early on there was no dominant note. As the cigar moved deeper into the first third, the coffee and natural tobacco notes took over as the primary notes. The cedar, pepper, and hay settled in the background where they were joined by some fruit sweetness. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced an additional layer of black pepper and cedar.

During the second third of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son, the coffee and natural tobacco notes alternated in intensity. As the cigar moved past the midway point, then\ natural tobacco notes receded into the background. There was also a gradual increase in the pepper notes. In the background, there were also notes of fruit, cedar, and hay present.

The last third saw the coffee notes remain grounded as the primary note. Of the secondary notes, the pepper emerged as the most prominent, but these were not overpowering notes. There still were notes of natural tobacco, hay, fruit, and cedar that rounded things out. This is the way the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

There were a few moments during the smoking experience of the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son where the burn was moving toward meandering off track or slightly jagged along the burn line. Touch-ups did the trick, but this happened a little more than I would prefer. The resulting ash wasn’t overly firm and it had a medium to dark gray color to it. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The draw to the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son had a touch of resistance to it – which is something that I like. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son is going to deliver a more-dialed back experience than most of your classic OpusX vitolas. At the same time, the strength and body levels still worked quite well for this blend. The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son delivered a medium strength, medium-bodied smoke from start to finish. Along the way, there wasn’t much variance in the intensity levels of the strength and body.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son is another wonderful interpretation of the OpusX story. The original OpusX not only showed a Dominican wrapper could be used, but it could be used for a bold and flavorful smoke. The Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son is not a bold cigar, but it goes in the direction of flavorful, balanced, and refined. It’s a cigar that keeps you interested from start to finish – and it keeps you coming back for more. In the end, this is a cigar that I would recommend to either a novice or seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would certainly buy and smoke again. Coming in at 90 points, the Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary Father & Son earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Earth, Hay, Black Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy One
Score: 90
*Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence*

References

News: Fuente Fuente Opus X 20 Years Celebration Commemorates Two Decades of OpusX
Price: $34.08
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Arturo Fuente

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop