Logo of the brand Arturo Fuente

Arturo Fuente Opus X Oro Oscuro

You don’t really need to say much more about Arturo Fuente; it is one of the most well-known and most renowned brands on this planet. The Fuente family—whose name, incidentally, can be translated as “fountain”—emigrated from Cuba to Key West in the USA in 1906. Interestingly, this means they left well before the Cuban Revolution, which prompted most other cigar manufacturers to leave their homeland. In 1912, the then 24-year-old Arturo Fuente founded Tabacalera A. Fuente & Co. in West Tampa, where he handcrafted cigars from Cuban tobacco. After a tragic fire, the family lost their first manufactory in the USA; unfortunately, this fate repeated itself in 1979 in Nicaragua, where the family had initially relocated. In search of greater stability and calmer conditions, the family, under Carlos Fuente Senior, eventually moved to the Dominican Republic, where the foundation for today’s remarkable success was laid.

Arturo Fuente: The Story of a Legendary Cigar Family

This marked the beginning of a meteoric rise to become one of the largest manufacturers of handmade cigars. In addition to the classic portfolio of Arturo Fuente cigars, the now-legendary line of “regular” Opus X cigars was introduced in 1995, and to this day they remain among the most sought-after cigars among enthusiasts. The Opus X Oscuro cigars presented here became the third spin-off of these very rare and exclusive cigars, first introduced in 2015. With their golden-yellow boxes, they are easy to identify in any humidor in the world—if they are available at all. The wrapper is a Rosado Oscuro wrapper sourced from the family-owned farms of Chateau de la Fuente. The filler tobaccos and the binder, of course, also come from the family’s own Dominican farms.

Opus X Oscuro: Rare Masterpieces with Dominican Perfection

To write a truthful and “proper” text, you naturally have to treat yourself to one of these cigars. To mark the occasion, it had to be a slightly larger Churchill—after all, you don’t write a text about this cigar in a hurry. Wow, it starts off with real intensity—Carlito certainly knows what he’s doing! The band (cigar ring) is very impressive; the double band plus the golden fabric ribbon at the foot immediately make it clear what you’re about to enjoy. Right from the start, sweet and creamy notes caress the palate; the burn is even and slow. Just as it should be. As it progresses, the Churchill becomes somewhat stronger, yet it essentially retains its creamy, woody first impression. The most exciting detail is certainly the “rich” and satisfying overall impression, which, interestingly, comes without any sharpness. Certainly not a cigar for every day, but something truly special for those special moments in a cigar lover’s life. I was definitely grateful to “have to” write this review!

Manufacturing types

Logo Abkürzung Beschreibung
MM MM Machine Made (vollkommen von Maschinen hergestellte Zigarren, daher das Fabriksymbol)
HAM HAM Hecho a Mano, d.h. dies ist eine Mischform – die Einlage mit der Maschine, das Deckblatt von Hand überrollt
TAF TAF Totalmente a Mano, d.h. komplett von Hand hergestellt ABER mit gerissener Einlage (dies ist die offizielle Bezeichnung der Kubaner dafür)
TAM TAM Totalmente a Mano, komplett von Hand hergestellt mit ganzen Blättern
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