Short answer: Fuente Fuente Opus X is an all-Dominican cigar built around a Cuban-seed wrapper grown on the Fuente family's Chateau de la Fuente farm. It is rolled round, aged after rolling, and hard to find. Padrón's 1964 Anniversary Series and 1926 Serie are all-Nicaraguan, box-pressed, offered in Natural and Maduro, and built from tobacco aged four and five years. Choose between them on country of tobacco and shape. Both have been named Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado more than once.
The differences that matter
| Opus X | Padrón 1964 and 1926 | |
| Maker | Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., Dominican Republic | Padrón Cigars, founded in Miami in 1964; made in Nicaragua |
| Tobacco | Dominican wrapper, binder and filler | Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler |
| Wrapper | Cuban-seed leaf from Chateau de la Fuente | Sun-grown Natural or Maduro |
| Shape | Round, in straight and tapered sizes | Box-pressed |
| Aging | Rolled cigars rest at least a year before release | Tobacco aged four years (1964) or five years (1926) |
| First released | November 1995 | 1964 Anniversary in 1994; 1926 Serie in 2002 |
| Cigar of the Year | 2005 and 2023 | 2004, 2007, 2009, 2021 and 2025 |
Dominican against Nicaraguan
Arturo Fuente describes Opus X as the first Dominican puro: wrapper, binder and filler all grown in the Dominican Republic. The wrapper comes from Chateau de la Fuente, the family's own farm. Cigar Aficionado reports that the leaf is a Cuban-seed Corojo and that the Fuentes do not sell tobacco from that farm to anyone else, so it appears only on cigars made in their factory.
Padrón began in Miami in September 1964, when José Orlando Padrón opened the company with a single roller. Today the cigars are made in Nicaragua from tobacco grown on Padrón's own farms. Cigar Aficionado lists the 1964 Anniversary and the 1926 Serie as Nicaraguan in wrapper, binder and filler, and notes that the company works only with sun-grown leaf.
Round against box-pressed
Padrón introduced the 1964 Anniversary Series as a box-pressed line, in honor of the old Cuban tradition of pressing cigars, and the 1926 Serie followed the same format. The squared shape is the signature of the house, with a few exceptions such as the round 1926 No. 90.
Opus X is rolled round. The line runs from straight-sided sizes such as the Robusto and Double Corona to tapered figurados such as the PerfecXion No. 2 and the Belicoso XXX.
Two ideas about aging
The two houses age at different points. Padrón ages the tobacco before rolling: four years for the 1964 Anniversary, five for the 1926 Serie and ten for Family Reserve, by the company's own account. Cigar Aficionado reports that Padrón does not hold cigars back after rolling; they are pressed, banded, boxed and shipped.
Fuente does the opposite with Opus X. According to Cigar Aficionado, the finished cigars are closed in cabinets and aged for a minimum of a year before they leave the factory.
Strength
Arturo Fuente does not publish a strength rating for Opus X. Cigar Aficionado has rated individual sizes from medium-full to full, and in 2004 called the line too strong for some palates. Its milder sibling, Angel's Share, uses wrapper taken from lower on the plant.
Padrón describes the 1926 Serie as full-bodied. Cigar Aficionado rated the 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Natural medium-full when it was Cigar of the Year for 2021. For a closer look at the two Padrón lines, see Padrón 1964 vs. 1926.
Sizes to know
- Opus X: Robusto (5¼ x 50), PerfecXion No. 2 (6⅜ x 52), Reserva d'Chateau (7 x 48), Double Corona (7⅝ x 49) and Belicoso XXX (4⅝ x 49), as listed by Arturo Fuente.
- Padrón 1964 Anniversary: Exclusivo (5½ x 50), Torpedo (6 x 52) and Imperial (6 x 54).
- Padrón 1926 Serie: No. 9 (5¼ x 56) and No. 35 (4 x 48).
The awards
Cigar Aficionado has named Opus X its Cigar of the Year twice: the Double Corona for 2005 and the Reserva d'Chateau for 2023. Padrón has won five times: the 1926 Serie 40th Anniversary (2004), the 1926 Serie No. 9 (2007), the Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro (2009), the 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Natural (2021) and the 60th Anniversary Perfecto (2025).
Finding them
Opus X is the harder of the two to buy. Cigar Aficionado has described its availability as scarce, and some retailers limit purchases. Our page on how Opus X allocation works explains how it reaches our humidor, and Opus X in stock shows what is on hand today.
Padrón calls the 1964 Anniversary a limited-production series, and both it and the 1926 Serie carry an individually numbered band to guard against counterfeits. Browse all Padrón.
Which one
If you want the Dominican benchmark, a round cigar and the Chateau de la Fuente wrapper, it is Opus X. If you want Nicaraguan tobacco, a box-pressed cigar and the choice of Natural or Maduro, it is Padrón. Many collectors keep both. Our guides go further on each: Opus X sizes, releases and allocation and the Padrón lines.
Frequently asked questions
Is Opus X stronger than Padrón?
It depends on the size and line. Cigar Aficionado has rated Opus X sizes from medium-full to full and the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Torpedo medium-full. Padrón itself describes the 1926 Serie as full-bodied.
Are Opus X and Padrón both puros?
Opus X is a Dominican puro by Arturo Fuente's own description. The Padrón 1964 Anniversary and 1926 Serie are listed by Cigar Aficionado as Nicaraguan in wrapper, binder and filler. Padrón's Dámaso line is the exception, with a wrapper grown in Ecuador.
Which has won Cigar of the Year more often?
Padrón, with five wins from Cigar Aficionado (2004, 2007, 2009, 2021 and 2025). Opus X has two (2005 and 2023).
Sources: arturofuente.com, padron.com and Cigar Aficionado. Last updated September 29, 2026.
