Vitola: PerfecXion X (Churchill)- 6.25” x 48 ring gauge
- Part of CRA Sampler
Background
I had a different cigar lined up for the third installment of the CRA Freedom Sampler series, but after finishing with today’s activities, I decided I needed something of a little “higher” level to celebrate…and one of the cigars in the CRA pack that I was not going to write about seemed to be tailor made for the occasion (or any occasion, really). I am speaking of the Fuente Fuente Opus X Angel’s Share, a variant of one of the most sought-after cigar lines in the world every year.
I don’t know exactly what makes the Angel’s Share different from a “regular” Opus X, except that I have noted that the wrapper color is several shades lighter. If it’s the same Dominican Sungrown wrapper that adorns the Opus X, it’s a lower priming or some other kind of variant. I believe the binder and filler are probably the same as a regular Opus, but who knows? Fuente tends to be very closed-lipped about the details in any of their blends. At any rate, it’s an Opus X…it’s an Angel’s Share…it’s rare and sought-after and a very good cigar to fire up in celebration of life’s big (or not so big) events.
Notes
The occasion I am celebrating today is the one-year anniversary of my start in hiking. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably seen my hiking pics…some with and some without cigars. It all started a couple years back when I was working to get in shape and decided I wanted to try hiking, something I had been wanting to try for years, really, but never got around to it. Last year my company had to work from home following the COVID outbreaks and lockdowns and one day on a Zoom call I proposed to the others in the company, “Hey, why don’t we get together to hike?” So we did. March 2020 we did what ended up as the first “ClearBox Hiking Day” which we continued as a monthly thing after we got back to the office.
I also found a new hobby…a new obsession…a new therapy and favorite place to spend time alone with God…something to share with others, too. I went from “hiking newbie” to “hiking evangelist” in about two months and have gotten at least half a dozen others hitting the trails in the last year.
The Opus X Angel’s Share had a good cold draw that tasted of hay and honey. Once fired up there was a strong cedar component in play, along with some black pepper on the palate and red pepper on the nose. I paired the cigar with a healthy pour of Zaya Rum, which brought it’s own sweetness with plentiful notes of brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Great pairing for what is a significant celebration for me. Let’s go hike!
