05 Opus

[replicant_argent]

Andy and I smoked a couple of these tonight. A smaller one, maybe Andy can chime in with a size if he remembers.
Maybe it's just me, (well, us), but I am unimpressed.
Drew like a hollow shake straw. As in, no resistance whatsoever.
We both had initial light problems, mine wouldn't toast for a damn, and I spent a couple minutes simply getting an even burn. Spicy as hell of the bat, and being my first Opus of any kind, I imagine these are damn near unsmokeable fresh. More than a couple relights were required and Andy ended up lopping an inch or so off his to get an even burn going. The spice mostly left in the first third.
Flavor? uh.. nothing really there. I was waiting for something, and it never materialized.
13 bucks a stick retail and all I could think about is how many much more consistent and more flavorful smokes 13 bucks would buy. I think both of us let the last 2-3 inches in the ashtray. They weren't wet at all, because they seemed to draw almost too easily, maybe they were too dry, even?
With all the hoopla surrounding these, I am pretty sure that either they don't agree with me, or perhaps we just ended up with a couple of duds.
I did have a little nicotine gremlin visit me about a third of the way through, a bit nauseous and sweaty, which happens to me extremely rarely, but this is the second time in a few weeks that I have had that happen. Both with smokes from Andy... (coincidence? Poison, perhaps? )



In any case, herfing with a friend is always good, so there is a bright spot for all of us when we spend time with our BOTLs.