Fuente Fuente OpusX Destino al Siglo Shark

Arturo Fuente

• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Length: 5 5/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Shark
• MSRP: $21.10 (Box of 20, $422)
• Release Date: August 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

New cigar smokers eager to learn about interesting and covetable cigars tend to quickly learn about a word that perks up the ears of many veteran cigar smokers: shark.

The Shark is a vitola that has been used in several of Arturo Fuente’s cigar lines, from the Añejo—where it is officially referred to as the No. 77—to appearances in several OpusX blends. Beyond its name, the cigar is distinctive for its belicoso shape which is round at the top but box-pressed into a square shape at the foot.

In the summer of 2022, Arturo Fuente released the Shark vitola in its Fuente Fuente OpusX Destino al Siglo line, which dates back to 2013 and uses an undisclosed blend of tobaccos that have only been described as a tweaked blend of the original OpusX blend.

Much like the other vitolas in this line, the Destino al Siglo Shark offers a blend that I found to be a refreshing departure from the core OpusX blend: creamier, sweeter and nuttier, a combination that works incredibly well with what seems to be a decent bit less strength compared to other cigars that wear the OpusX band. Altogether, it is a blend that scored well across the board, earning it a spot on this year’s Top 25 list. — Patrick Lagreid.