Initial Thoughts:
Today we continue our series of blind cigar reviews, where our goal is to provide you with a totally objective, completely neutral review of a cigar. Ellory went into this review completely blind; that means without knowing what it is, who made it, how much it costs, or what's in it. To see the entire series of blind cigar reviews, click here.
To kick off today's review of the Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto, I started by testing the humidity of this cigar with the Humidimeter. The results were odd. After sitting in my humidor for 4 months, the internal humidity of the OpusX was lower than I expected, at about 58%.
NOTE: The term “Angel’s Share” is used in the wine-making process. Winemakers often use oak barrels to store their wine during the aging process. When the wine ages for long periods of time, some of it will evaporate from the barrel. The evaporated wine is called the Angel’s Share, alluding to the belief that the guardian angels that watch over the wine sample it and give their blessings. (Source)
Visually, however, the Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto looks good. It's got a very thin, almost transparent, mid-priming Dominican wrapper leaf. The veins are well pressed, and the cigar appears marbled.
On the cold draw, the flavors were quite delightful and reminded me of the cinnamon you might put on hot chocolate at Christmas.
Regarding my first impressions of the Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto, I liked the first flavors, but the burn started out uneven, and the draw tightened up a noticeable amount after I lit the cigar.
Is the Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto worth almost $30? Let's find out.
CigarScore:
Brand: Arturo Fuente
Line: Opus X
Size: 5 1/4 x 46
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $16.45
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Smoke Time: 65 minutes
Final Thoughts
NOTE: Regarding the price of these cigars, it's obviously changed. While I purchased this cigar for $16.45, the current MSRP is significantly more expensive at $26.83
After smoking the Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto for about an hour, I didn't love the flavors. Additionally, while smoking, the cigar developed a few more cracks. Also, where the foot was very tightly packed, the area around the shoulders in the final third was somewhat spongy. However, the draw was mostly good, and the draw was decent.
Even though I didn't love the flavors, and since the flaws were minor, the $27 Arturo Fuente Opus X Angel's Share Robusto earns a CigarScore 4.
