Today, we are reviewing the Fuente Fuente OpusX 25 Aniversario in the El Tributo (Churchill) size. As the name indicates, this line celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Fuente Fuente OpusX brand. OpusX is not just a vital brand for Arturo Fuente; it also holds significant importance for its creator, Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. In late 1995, Carlito introduced the Fuente Fuente OpusX, a revolutionary cigar that demonstrated to the world that an ultra-premium Dominican puro could be crafted using a Dominican-grown wrapper. This distinctive Dominican wrapper was what set OpusX apart from others.
El Tributo was the first release of the OpusX 25 Years collection. It debuted in 2021, about a year after the actual 25th anniversary, and was distributed through the accessory maker Elie Bleu. At that time, it was offered as a 7 x 50 Churchill cigar, available in both an Elie Bleu humidor and an Elie Bleu cabinet humidor. The release also included a set of Elie Bleu accessories. This initial release was followed by a very limited national distribution of the OpusX 25 La Familia, sold directly by Arturo Fuente. Fast forward to 2025, and the OpusX 25 El Tributo received its limited national release.
Without further ado, let’s break down the OpusX25 El Tributo and see what this cigar brings to the table:
SPECIFICATIONS
Fuente has not disclosed the details of the OpusX 25 blend. It also hasn’t been disclosed whether the blends are the same across sizes. It’s a good guess that Dominican tobacco makes up most, if not all, of this cigar. Production comes out of Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic.
- Wrapper: Not Disclosed
- Binder: Not Disclosed
- Filler: Not Disclosed
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
- El Tributo: 7 x 50 (Churchill)
The 7 x 50 Churchill with the El Tributo has a cedar sleeve from the footer to the cigar to the band. El Tributo comes in 25-count boxes.
On additional note: Besides El Tributo and La Familia, there are some other extremely limited sizes of the OpusX 25 floating around. Most recently we have seen a Robusto in the Father & Son 2026 Collection, and a Lancero and Toro for The Tobacconist of Greenwich.
PERFORMANCE
The El Tributo opened up with notes of baker’s spice, earth, natural tobacco, black pepper, and some cream. Early on, the trifecta of baker’s spice, natural tobacco, and pepper moved into the forefront. The cream and earth settled in the background. All three alternated in intensity. At the same time, a layer of baker’s spice and pepper emerged. While it seems like there was a lot of spice, the truth is the spice wasn’t overpowering.
During the second third, the spices dialed back, and the earth and natural tobacco took hold as the primary notes. The cream, baker’s spice, and black pepper settled in the background. By the final third, the pepper began to increase in intensity and closed in on the earth and natural tobacco. This was when the spices were most prominent. As the OpusX 25 El Tributo came to a close, it finished with a soft and slightly lukewarm nub.
The flavors delivered were medium to full-bodied from start to finish. This was countered by medium strength in the first half, and medium to full strength in the second half. While the burn maintained a straight burn path and straight burn line, it did require multiple touchups to do so. The draw was excellent, with a touch of resistance (which I like).
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
One thing I noticed is that the OpusX 25 El Tributo has very different characteristics than its sibling, the La Familia Perfecto. I found El Tributo definitely “heavier” on the spice end than La Familia. At the same time, it wasn’t “in your face” pepper; it was a wonderful combination of black pepper, baker’s spice, and cedar. Yes, it’s cedar wrapped, so you are going to get cedar notes. In this case, the cigar has a nice assortment of flavors to create a balanced smoke. I still give a slight edge to the La Familia Perfecto, but this one is still worth the price of admission and worth a splurge for sure. Coming in at 90 points, it earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Earth, Baker’s Spice, Pepper
- Burn: Very Good
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium Minus
- Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
- Body: Medium to Full
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Splurge
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
(* *) Note: No MSRP was set for this cigar. I’ve seen it priced between $50.00 and $75.00. We paid $55.00 as stated above
