Cigar Review: ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins – Rated 91

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.

ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. 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.

Dominique Wilkins & Tiago Splitter
Dominique Wilkins & Tiago Splitter (Photo Credit ACE Prime)

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

ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
  • 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

ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins
ACE Prime M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins