During my trip to San Francisco, we stopped at one of the best places to fire up a good smoke, Ghirardelli Square. It is just west of Fisherman's Wharf and has a great view of the bay and Alcatraz. The day was beautiful, sunny and a high of 75 degrees with a slight breeze. We sat on a bench watching all the freighters coming in from China. Not only can you watch all the ship traffic but there are a number of seals that hang out near the small beach front. As we sat on the bench, my buddy gave me a Fuente Fuente Opus X Reserve de Chateau that has been resting in his humidor for the past three years.  A perfect day, a perfect smoke and a perfect location. Man, I love smoking cigars!

The Fuente Fuente Opus X Reserve de Chateau is a churchill size smoke that measures 7 x 48. As you know, the Opus X is a rare find. They are a Dominican Puro constructed with the finest tobaccos grown on the island. It goes with out saying, that the construction was flawless. Case in point, a slight breeze was coming off the bay which caused a slight run on my Reserve de Chateau. I simply rolled the cigar in the opposite direction and the run quickly corrected itself. As I approached the nub, I prematurely ashed causing a slight hallowing of the stick. With a couple of additional puffs, the burn evened out. The Reserve de Chateau required no relighting and easily held a two inch ash (again, in a slight breeze). The flavor was backed with spice and hints of espresso. This full-bodied powerhouse had some kick as well. I caught a good buzz off this beauty. The only downside is the price. At $31 a stick it is pretty tough to justify, but well worth it. These are a must have for any humidor and must be saved for the special occasions or not. No surprise, the Opus X Reserve de Chateau is a Golden Monkey Winner!

MonkeyDan Rating: 95