Today we will be taking a look at a unique OpusX cigar vitola, the El Scorpion. As with the Chili Pepper (which we reviewed here not too long ago) this cigar comes in the 22 Count CFC Humidor released every year by Prometheus for the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. Here are a few pics of the box itself:

Many retailers end up breaking up these boxes so it’s entirely possible to buy just the singles if you so desire. You can also find them at Casa Fuente in Las Vegas for an inflated price of around $100-$125. The OpusX El Scorpion comes in two wrappers, the Natural and the Maduro. When looking at this cigar you can’t help but think “wow what a huge cigar!” It’s essentially a box pressed Salomon with an extremely pointy head and a tapered maduro wrapped foot. It’s truly a beautiful cigar that obviously was crafted by careful and experienced hands. I really cannot wait to dig into this one… Let’s take a look shall we?

• Cigars Reviewed: Fuente Fuente OpusX El Scorpion (Natural)
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
• Wrapper: Dominican Chateau de la Fuente Sun Grown Rosado
• Binder: Dominican Chateau de la Fuente Sun Grown Rosado
• Filler: Dominican Chateau de la Fuente Sun Grown Rosado
• Size: 6 3/8 inches (box pressed)
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Perfecto/Salomon hybrid (yes I made that up)
• MSRP: $30
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1

Looking at the cigar, it really is an amazing work of art. Right away it has a Salomon type look to it, but it has a very unique point to the head. It’s also extremely box pressed and literally looks square. It sports a very light shade wrapper with a maduro strip wrapped around the foot of the cigar. It feels very dense and has a firm feel to it. The construction is absolutely flawless and I am very impressed with the look of it. It has a very faint pre light aroma. I am getting a light tobacco scent with a touch of cinnamon and a sweet nutty note as well. The pre light draw is full of cedar and cinnamon. Starting off in the First Third, and the cigar takes quite some time to get going. I am forced to puff on it for a good 10 minutes before the burn takes hold and I am able to get some smoke and flavor out of it. As soon as it opens up I got a distinct tobacco flavor as well as some cedar and a huge kick of spice and pepper. A Fairly straight forward basic opening, honestly. Continuing on in the Second Third, the El Scorpion changes up a bit and builds in strength as well as body. The smoke becomes thicker and quite chewy. There is still a straight tobacco flavor taking charge and the cedar has turned to a more pronounced wood flavor, similar to the cedar but a bit drier and a bit heavier. I am also getting a really nice leather flavor at this point. The finish is quite short but full of pepper and a bit of cinnamon. Finishing up in the Final Third, the cigar keeps a fairly steady pace and doesn’t necessarily disappoint, but it also doesn’t offer a whole lot to keep me fully satisfied or interested. I was left wanting a bit more considering the look and price of the cigar. Final Notes:

• I really wanted this cigar to be a 96 pointer but it just isn’t the case. It had some decent flavors, but I just didn’t find it to be that complex or flavorful. The finish was short and dry and I just expected more out of this cigar.
• The construction was spot on. The burn and the draw was really a joy to experience. Like I said whoever made this cigar is definitely a highly skilled torcedor.
• I recently smoked the OpusX Chili Pepper,  and I would have to say that it was a far superior cigar compared to this. It had a ton more flavorful and complexity and a longer finish.
• Final Smoking time was 1 hour 43 minutes.

The Bottom Line: Honestly, this was a good cigar. I mean, if this cigar had cost me $15 I would probably understand and appreciate it a little more. I try very hard to judge every cigar like they are all the same price but I couldn’t help but thinking while I was smoking this “some people pay $100 for this??” Is it a good cigar? Yes. It is better than your average cigar, but it nowhere NEAR warrants a $100 price tag, and is just below what you would expect from any Opus. Now, everyone knows that the Opus line ages fairly well and shines within about 3 years in a humidor. I would like to revisit this in a few years but the price to flavor ratio on this vitola has put me off for now.

Final Score: 87