ACE Prime, a newly formed cigar distribution company launched at this years Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show, introduced a number of new blends to the market. One of those was the M.X.S Dominique Wilkins named for the best “Dunker” in the NBA – the nine times All Star, Dominique Wilkins.
The company notes the M.X.S Dominique Wilkins was ‘created with the best San Andres wrapper and best Nicaraguan & Dominican fillers resulting in an unprecedented equilibrium of power and flavor’. The blend is described as:
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
- Binder: Nicaraguan (Ometepe)
- Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican
The M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins is expressed in a single 6.5 x 54 vitola and is packaged in 20-count boxes with an MSRP of $17.00/cigar.
Pre-Light Examination
One of the first things you notice about this cigar is the dark brown wrapper that has slight oily sheen to it. The wrapper has a few veins running through it but nothing that detracts from its beauty. There is a fine grit to the wrapper. It is well capped and feels heavy in the hand. A slight squeeze here and there reveals no soft spots.
The M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins is adorned with a single band that uses a specially designed M.X.S. logo in gold on a black background and the the name ” Dominique Wilkins” printed in white on the bottom.
Running it along the nose, I picked up a fairly pungent barrel, with notes of fermented leaf and a bit of a barnyard aroma. The foot was offering quite a bit of aroma. The most prevalent notes were sweetness, baking spice, and fruit.
I used my double blade cutter and sliced the cap straight off the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. The draw is a bit more restricted than most cigars I enjoy and it had a sweet earthy flavor with a sprinkle of red pepper note that warmed my lips. Roll this one around – it has plenty to offer before you hit the flame to it. Feel the pepper grow on the lips and the sweetness sooth the palate.
Speaking of flame, I reached for my double flame torch to prepare the M.X.S Dominique Wilkins for its journey to smoke and ash. The first puffs delivered a nice shot of pepper right along with a full volume of smoke.
Cigar Review Notes
- Red pepper shot to the palate and nasal to start the journey
- A touch of salt comes through early on
- Full volume of smoke
- Floral fruit aroma wafts off the foot
- Sweet maltiness enters to round out the early profile
- White ash develops on a thin char line
- Citrus notes join the profile (much like citrus rind)
- Sweetness continues to develop, especially on the head of the cigar
- Ash fell in nice chunk displaying a fine centered burn cone
- Sweet cocoa aromas along with cocoa and earth on the palate starting the second third
- The smoke starts to get a a bit astringent as I reached for some water
- Citrus notes increases continue to form and entrance the palate
- Aroma shifts to more of a Caramel note
- Herbal notes find their way into the mix – there is a lot going on in the cigar
- Slight wave in burn in the second third
- Mild bitterness appears deep in the second third
- Sweetness and spice and grapefruit notes begin to take over as it moves into the final third
- Mild nut and toasted caramel join in the fun
- The journey completes with a touch of woodiness and earth
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 50 minutes
Overall, The ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins was a slam dunk. This is a cigar that both an experienced or new cigar enthusiast would enjoy. Deeply complex in flavor and aroma with a medium strength it was a pleasure to smoke. There were some minor burn issues and it did have moment here and there when it got astringent or slightly bitter. The flavor profile alone is a reason to buy at least a 5 pack of these. I rate this a 91.
Point Deductions: (-1) Mild Wave in Burn; (-1) Bitter Component deep in 2nd third; (-1) Astringent starting 2nd third
