For years, collectors and smokers who followed the Fuente Fuente OpusX Rare Black line had only two sizes to choose from. That's about to change. Later this year, Prometheus will be shipping three brand new diadema vitolas to retailers, expanding one of the more sought-after lines in the OpusX portfolio.
The three new additions fall under the Fuente Fuente OpusX Serie "Heaven and Earth" Rare Black banner, and each one brings a different size to the table. The Diadema 54 measures 7 and a half inches by 54 ring gauge, making it the longest of the bunch. The Diadema 56 comes in at 6 and a quarter inches with a 56 ring gauge. And then there's the Diadema 58, the shortest of the three at 5 and a half inches, but with the thickest ring gauge of the group at 60. So while it's the smallest in length, it's the biggest in terms of girth — a trade-off that plenty of cigar smokers will find interesting.
These three shapes are not entirely new territory for Prometheus. They mirror the same vitola sizes found in the OpusX Purple Rain Diademas, another Arturo Fuente creation that Prometheus distributes. That connection is worth noting, because it speaks to the consistency in how Prometheus is building out the diadema format across its Fuente lineup.
On the blend side of things, the Rare Black is wrapped in a Dominican leaf grown on Arturo Fuente's own Chateau de la Fuente farm. That's the same estate that has produced some of the most legendary tobacco in the premium cigar world. The rest of the blend hasn't been shared publicly, which is pretty standard for the OpusX family — Fuente tends to keep those details close to the chest. What is known is that the cigars are rolled at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia in the Dominican Republic, the same factory responsible for producing the broader Arturo Fuente catalog.
Keith Park, the founder of Prometheus, spoke with halfwheel and confirmed that the final pricing hasn't been locked in yet. What he did confirm is that the cigars will be sold in 10-count boxes. There will also be an assortment collection available, though the specifics on that won't be announced until a later date.
To understand how significant this expansion is, it helps to know where the Rare Black line started. It launched back in 2019 with a single size — a 6 and seven-eighths by 44 torpedo. That was the only option for two years. Then in April 2021, a second size was added: a 7 and five-eighths by 49 Double Corona. So from 2021 all the way up until now, there have been just those two sizes sitting in the Rare Black lineup. Three new sizes arriving at once is a pretty notable jump for a line that had been this limited for this long.
Park also confirmed that the Rare Black Diademas are set to ship to retailers toward the end of the year. They're going out at the same time as the previously announced OpusX Purple Rain Diademas and the God of Fire KKP Special Reserve Diademas — so retailers and collectors are looking at a pretty stacked end-of-year release window for Prometheus distributed cigars.
And it doesn't stop with just the cigars. Park confirmed that new Rare Black accessories are in the works as well. Those won't be hitting shelves until next year, but the fact that they're coming signals that Prometheus is treating this as a full brand push for the Rare Black, not just a one-time product drop.
For anyone who has followed the OpusX world over the years, the Rare Black has always carried a certain level of prestige. It sits within the "Heaven and Earth" series, which already carries weight just by association with the broader OpusX name. Adding the diadema format — a vitola style with a long and storied history in premium cigar culture — only adds to that. Diademas are known for their tapered foot and elegant appearance, and they tend to smoke differently than a standard parejo, often delivering a more complex draw as the taper opens up through the smoke.
With three different ring gauges now in play, smokers will have real options in terms of how they want to experience the blend. The larger ring gauges in the 56 and 58 tend to allow for a slower, cooler burn, while the 54 at the longer length gives a different kind of experience altogether. Whether someone prefers a longer, more drawn-out smoke or something a bit more compact and full, there's going to be an option in this new trio worth trying.
The end of the year can't come soon enough for those who have been waiting on new Rare Black releases. And with accessories to follow in the new year, it looks like the Rare Black story is just getting started.
