Well so I am home for the holidays, and I had never meet the famed moki who also lives in the snow belt known as Rochester, NY. So what better way to enjoy a Christmas Eve but to go smoke a few cigars. Meet up with moki at his place and took a look at the impressive collection, where he pulled out an Opus X Maduro xXx (Power Ranger) and a VSG ER Beli #1, I thought to myself I cant believe he is going to torch these cigars today. I was wrong, moki looked to me and said here you go, on one condition you must smoke these both today at the club. Being completely floored by this we headed to the Havana Club for some smokes and to watch the game.
First Up:
Opus X Maduro xXx : Construction was perfect just like any Opus X is, looks like a regular Power Ranger except for the Maduro wrapper, and the black ribbon around the end. Clipped this baby, and fired it up. Initial thoughts were wow this is pretty mild and smooth which any cigar normally is with a few years of age on them. The Opus X spice started to develop but was not the spice of a regular Opus which is much stronger. This was smooth but still had the kick, the easiest way to describe it would be a Padron 1926 (Nutty, Chocolate) flavor mixed with a well aged Opus X, absoultely amazing, as these are my 2 favorite cigars kinda rolled into 1. So I take off the band, and the spice increases a little bit, yet my mouth is left with the very plesant combined taste of an Opus and a Padron 26. This baby seemed to just disapear in my fingers so we had to call for reinforcements....the tooth pick arrived which allowed me to smoke it till there was a little less than half an inch left. I had to let the experience end and dropped it in the ashtray. This ranks right up there with one of the most complex yet refined smokes I have ever had.
VSG ER Beli #1: Well I did not want to let the wonderful taste of the Maduro Power Ranger go, but holding true to my promise I had to spark up the VSG ER. This is a VSG with an Opus X wrapper, so it looks like a lighter VSG. I noticed something very interesting upon lighting it, there was some sort of floural, and Vanilla taste to it which had to be comming from the Opus wrapper. This being another well aged smoke it had the taste of a VSG but not the overpowering taste that a young wet VSG has (Put your dirty thoughts aside
) Once again first half very plesent refined, and well rounded with the vanilla flavors and classic VSG profile marrying quite well. Now the second half the spice started to kick up, I dont know if it was the wrapper or the VSG flavor and deep copius flavor comming through more pronounced. The same thing that happens with an Opus X on the 2nd half. This was a great smoke to end the session on, I wish I had more time to spend with it but I was getting the call from the parents saying I had to get my ass to church.
Cant thank moki enough for these, but I will be sure to find something he likes. Hope you all had a great Holiday!
