Barn Work Sessions: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux by Luciano Intuitions

I reworked the pig’s pen in the barn going into fall. When we first got them, I built a house in their pen that we could flip the top open on and fill it with straw in the winter for warmth. They had outgrown that house and it was just wasting space so I got rid of it and re-sectioned off their area. Well, winter is upon us here and sub-freezing temperatures are coming more often and staying longer. So I need to partially close in the part of the pen they sleep in so it can retain more heat for them. 

I figured it was time for a Barn Work Sessions review. I have been very eager to smoke this A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux by Luciano since it’s release. I honestly don’t know why I’ve waited so long to do it. I have been pleased with the cigars I have had from this company and factory, and I can’t deny that I have an affinity for cigars with these blend details. 

Country of Origin: Nicaragua 

Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Vitola: 5 x 50 Robusto

MSRP: $9.50 MSRP

Release Date: July 2021 

Company Website: www.aceprime.com

I love the band design and color choices made for this cigar. I also like footbands personally. The wrapper, though the pictures may not do it justice, is lighter in color than many Sumatran wrapper leaves I have smoked recently. The cigar is quite veiny and the pack is firm, but light in weight. The cigar smells of slightly syrupy wood. The cold draw is musty fruit and dirt. First light is full bodied smoke with medium flavors of musty wood, cream, a bit of spice. The mustiness quickly drops out, but leaves the wood on the finish. Midway into the first third there is a toffee note on the draw. The burn canoeing a touch and the cigar is requiring some double puffs to get decent smoke. The body has come down to medium. Near the end of the first third the ash dropped and it is taking two puffs to get any smoke. This has not impacted the flavors fortunately. The flavors have gotten interesting the last half inch or so as it is like the grassy, creamy notes you get in Connecticut shade cigars but with some wood and baking spices common in Sumatran wrapped cigars with Nicaraguan innards. I am enjoying the profile quite a bit. The burn hasn’t needed any touch ups yet as the slight canoe has become a bit more even. Starting the second third there’s some berry sweetness coming in on the retrohale. Nearing halfway it’s coming up to medium full in flavor. The cream and baking spices are the primary flavors with some grassy wood on the finish. It’s got a nice nuttiness to it. Moving into the final third it’s become primarily nutty and grassy. Nearing the band there’s a little pepper coming in, but still tons of nuts, grass, and cream again. A little of that mustiness is coming back in. Nearing the end it is still medium full in flavor, but full in body again. There’s an oily pepper that has washed out the nuttiness on the draw, but the nuttiness is still present on the retrohale. There was a small piece of the wrapper that I chose to touch up with an inch left so it wouldn’t worsen and end the cigar too soon. Ending at an hour and 17 minutes with the nuttiness coming back in on the draw. It is still oily pepper, cream, and a touch of wood and spice. 

I found this cigar to be a much different expression of a cigar with a Sumatran wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. I am a big fan of the typical profile, but I really enjoyed the softness of the over profile. There was plenty of flavor but the flavors were balanced quite elegantly in a manner that never presented one particular flavor as bold, aggressive, or dominant. I really like the grassy, creamy notes that were present because they’re a part of the flavor profile of Connecticut shade cigars that I like most. The nuttiness was very nice as well. With the creaminess it was reminiscent of cashews. The baking spices and wood are always something I anticipate and enjoy in a cigar with these blend details. There were some concerns in performance for the first half. The burn wanted to canoe for a while, but it corrected itself wonderfully. The double puffs for the first half were concerning because it gave the impression that the cigar went out between puffs since the first puff generated nearly no smoke at all. However, this, like the canoe, resolved itself. Overall, I am quite impressed by this cigar. The price point is crazy good as well considering what this cigar delivers.

Try the cigar yourself at Small Batch Cigars and let me know what you think! Use code “Whiskey” to get 10% off your entire order. Plus, sign up and begin earning 5% back in rewards points with each purchase.

Feel free to reach out to me with questions, concerns, criticisms, or just to talk at @guitarsandcigarsfarm on Instagram, or via email at trevor@whiskeyandwhitetails.com.


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