On the 16th March 2007 the Opus X Forbidden X Lancero went down from this wonderful box of smokes. After a visual insepction, I can point out no flaws in the cigar. It smells of a slight summer breeze over a wild raspberry patch we had next door to our old place in Nebraska. That did bring back some nice memories when I had no cares in the world. The smell was hypnotic and very delicious. It was a hard decision to smoke it or whether I should eat it. I pulled out my Casa Fuente Xikar to cut this bad boy at 4:02am.
The initial draw after the cut reveals its going to be an excellent day to take down this Lancero. After gazing at this cigar, I decided it was time to light this bad boy up at 4:04am. The initial puffs had a little kick to it as I haven't had an Opus in nearly 2 weeks. I can tell its an Opus without a question. I exhaled some smoke out of the nose and it has sort of a harsh burn to it at 4:07am and wasn't to pleasant in the nasal passage. But it hasn't opened up yet to reveal what is awaiting for me. Granted, I've smoked many Opus X Lancero's so this cigar is no strange beast waiting to pounce on me. For some reason this one seems like it has a little kick to it in the strength department which isn't my normal experience with the Opus X Lancero's.
Going to ash for the first time at 4:11am and I hope this one opens up for me. For a side note this Lancero doesn't seem like the same blend found in the Prometheus Gift sets that are the 2005 band on them. Now at 4:14am I had to ash again. My nose is telling me this Lancero is another beast altogether. I'm definitely shocked by how many initial impression of this cigar before I lit it and now definitely do not agree as to what this cigar was going to be like. My initial impression have been tossed out the window and doubting this one will be a good stick.
The smoke at 4:19am as it burns my nostrils I pick up on a note that it has a woody smell to it. At the same time, the smell is something familiar that I just can't put a finger on. I can't say if its a related to a cigar experience I've had before or something I've done in my younger days, but its something I've known before at some point in time. Now at 4:23am is another visit to the ashtray. So far its been a flawless burn and no touch ups whatsoever.
Ahhh...Alas the raspberry characteristics take a presence at 4:24am which brings a smile to my face. The smell of the smoke is more pronounced at this point and its very unique. I think I can finally put the mystery to rest in what stick this reminds me of and it happens to be the Chili Pepper I had in Sept 2006 in California after buying it at Casa Fuente. This help explains what I see as a different Lancero experience I've had many times before. This one happens to have a strength profile that isn't like any Lancero or other Opus I've had before. Its not over powering or ruining the cigar at all. In fact, its a nice change of pace.
A sweeter smell comes out at 4:29am which isn't how it tastes. I can taste its an Opus and sure as hell smell it. But something else is going on underneath which I still can't figure out. I'm getting tons of smoke off each puff and the draw is fantastic. I can't find much to complain about with this cigar and that is a good sign. I do feel that this one is going to get a tannic taste to it and I said this prediction at 4:33am which is another time to ash.
Oh wow...that puff after just ashed had a nice tarty raspberry taste and smell to it. This seems like a major transition at 4:33am and at 4:34am. I haven't really noticed one before, but this is what the cigar was waiting for at 1/2 way to being done. This is what the Lancero is all about at this transition. I can still taste that it has a kick to it with this new transition. Now the real and true Lancero I've smoked many times before has finally made an appearance and seems to have stayed this time and its now 4:41am.
Perfect time to ash as well. Right now the smoke has a sweet smell to it and taste to what I am accustomed too. Time to ash once again at 4:47am and I'm just thinking oh snap...where have you been all my life. I can tell a huge change in the smoke and taste now. It still has a underlying strength to it with one hell of a balance now. The first half and the last half is like the difference between night and day.
Ok...Onto my impressions on the last half. I just can't say enough that the last half of this cigar is just so damn good. The smell is just hypnotic and mesmerising for me as this is what every Opus X should be like and noted this at 4:52am. Ash time again. Right now it reminds me of the Robusto and Petit Lancero combined which both are fantastic smokes to me. At least my apartment smells like an Opus X stash has been lost to fire again. The 2005 band had to come off at 5:05am and it was flawless. Time for another ashing in which a nice woody not has come out. I finally took off the Opus X band at 5:15 am and ashed. This is when the burn issues arrived. I stopped reviewing at this point as the burn issues was a little distracting but the cigar stayed true to itself to the very end when I burned my fingers smoking it down to the nub.
Ok...For a wrap up this cigar. The first 1/2 had a serious kick to it and not really balanced until it hit the 1/2 way mark and thats when the Lancero really opened up. It took on characteristics that is just amazing for a cigar. There wasn't many transitions on this one but the few that was there, they was major ones any one would have took note on. Over all I would have given this Lancero a solid 90 out of a 100. As previous Lancero experiences have been like the last half of this one but it was the whole cigar. So the strength unbalance kinda distracted the experience some what but still a fine damn smoke. I wouldn't turn one down if I was offered another one.
PS "I will add the pictures another day as I am to tired writing this one out."
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