Snagged a few of these around the first of the year, and this is the first time I’ve smoked one. Dark brown wrapper with a soft square press shape. Starts off with a blast of cinnamon and spices. Not very peppery to my palate. About a half inch in, the flavors mute down a bit but not much. A delicate, rich cigar continues as it progresses.

The sweetness, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamon pick back up around the middle, along with a light black pepper, especially on the retrohale. Creamy smoke and a very solid burn line, with ash that held almost to the lower band. It might be in my head given the name, but the flavors remind me of a middle eastern spice palate. I have to say that I’m loving the rich, full body and the very pleasant aroma of this cigar very much. The balance is wonderful throughout the experience. The only unusual thing I note is the dryness it leaves on the palate. The spices remain (with some variations among them) and some leathery notes arise, but the pepper dissipates almost completely as the it hits the final third. A very good experience that lasted close to 90 minutes before I put it down.

We are left with the age old dilemma, which we find with ever increasing prices for premium cigars these days: is it worth the price? I paid approximately $45 for this one, and I believe it to be well spent relative to the market. The rather unique flavors, superb construction, and overall experience are amazing. It compares very favorably to standard Opus X line, and as such the $45 is not a terrible price for a great cigar in my opinion. I rate this one a 9.0. I definitely recommend trying latest one, if you can find it at a reasonable price.