It’s nice to have friends. It’s even better to have friends who age cigars and are generous enough to share them. For those of you who didn’t know, Walt & I belong to a small gaming clan called High Plains Strike Force (hpsf.org). We’re a group of gamers who play games like the Battlefield series (1942, Vietnam & BF2), Counter Strike and more recently gotten into games like World of Warcraft, City of Heroes/Villians and EvE Online. Earlier this year, a group of us chipped in and bought a nice travel humidor and started our own little cigar pass. We’re currently in round 3 when the travel humidor arrived at my door and behold an Opus X from my buddy Josh that he was nice enough to age for six years!

Its times like these that I wish I had a little bit of skill with my digital camera. This beauty had a nice coat of plume up and down the stick. If you’re one of those smokers who aren’t sure whether the Opus X are worth it or aren’t sure whether taking the time to age a cigar is worth it. Let this review be proof positive that both are very true.

My Opus experience is similar to my ISOM experience and consists of maybe a handful in my lifetime. Twice a year when my B&M gets them (Father’s Day & Christmas) I buy a pair but sadly, like most, don’t have the patience or the will power to age my sticks. I either smoke the Opus right away or age them at most for a month. This aged Opus X weighs in at 5 5/8 x 46 and features a wrapper, binder and filler from the Dominican Republic.

My buddy Walt reviewed a similar sized Opus X back in July. The one he reviewed was one that I had purchased only a month or so before at my local B&M for him. Now aging a stogie is supposed to mellow it out a bit. This little fire cracker after six years of “mellowing” in Josh’s humidor hasn’t mellowed one bit and I would have to say this gave me a bit of a high while smoking it. Had no problems with burn or any wrapper issues. Josh did an amazing job preserving this bad boy. Tons of smoke with a sweet peppery smell. A lot of white ash that takes a long time to develop with the slow burn rate.

Very smooth, bold and intense is how I would sum up its flavor profile. No harshness, bitterness or metallic tastes. Just pure smooth and bold flavors. The wrapper gives you a nice honey like sweetness on your lips while you get an intense smooth and creamy peppery flavor inside. Now I know we’ve all had that tobacco high from other full bodied cigars. Cigars that you are advised not to smoke on a empty stomach or you will get that light headed almost sickly feeling. While you do get that light headed part its a very pleasant light headiness and is absent of any sickly feelings. I really felt my palette was unprepared and unworthy to partake in this heavenly stogie.

I’m not very good on recommending what food or drink to accompany a cigar but this is the one time I felt that I wish I had a nice 30oz porterhouse steak beforehand and a glass of the finest port while smoking this guy. I imagined those things along with good company would be the closes thing to heaven on earth. Out of all the stogies I’ve smoked in my cigar career I have to say, that this is one of the most complex stogies I have ever smoked and that has to do with the six years of aging since I’ve never experienced this intensity and depth in other Opus X that I smoked new.

In closing, if you’ve read this blog from its inception you will know that I’m not big on saving cigars for a “special day.” Normally I’m one of those tree hugging hippies that feel everyday is a special day. But with this Opus X, I truly wished I would’ve saved it for a birth of a child or to remember someone’s life. So take it from me, a great cigar like the Opus X needs to be enjoyed with great food and friends and not sitting in front of your computer waiting 90 minutes in the server queue to play World of Warcraft.

P.S.
Josh you the man bro and this makes up for you knocking me out of 1st place in Fantasy Baseball…I knew I shouldn’t of traded Ryan Howard. Ryan Howard for a six year old OpusX…I think I got the better end of that trade.