Gordon Mott

An ‘A’ For the Ages

Posted: May 21, 2007 2:39pm ET

I don’t often have time to enjoy an ‘A’ size cigar. Most are nine inches long by a 47 ring gauge, and smoking one is a commitment of well over an hour, even if you’re working hard at it. But that would defeat the purpose.

A few years ago, I was heading off on a golf expedition to La Costa in Carlsbad, California with a winemaker friend of mine from Northern California. We stayed at the La Costa Resort, and had rounds of golf scheduled over two days.

So, after dinner on day one, I said, “I brought an OpusX ‘A,’ knowing that he was a big fan of the ultra-premium label from the Arturo Fuente company. It didn’t take him more than a second to say sure, and we retired to the veranda overlooking the golf course, and the surrounding low hills of the La Costa area.

At the time, the ‘A’ had only been presented in charity auctions, and I had been lucky enough to receive a few directly from Carlos Fuente Jr. It was great gift, and I had been hoarding the cigars like a cache of Fort Knox gold. (I still have a handful to this day.)

We lit up the monster cigars. My first thought focused on the cigar’s smoothness and elegance. To my taste, OpusX cigars can sometimes be a bit strong, but this was absolutely without a hint of harshness. I can still remember that blend of earthiness with spice, as I thought to myself, this is one of the greatest cigars I have ever smoked.

It remains one of my top five cigars of all time. And I can’t wait for another perfect moment to light up one of those beautiful, long smokes.