Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight is light brown with some darker marbling and has a decently sized vein running down the back of the cigar. The seams are very smooth and the caps well applied. The cigar is fairly light for its size. There are two bands, with the primary being white, brown and gold and designating the line. The foot band is a copperish colored ribbon. The aroma from the wrapper is musty hay and wood while the foot brings a light mix of wood and earth. The pre-light draw brings dry, aged cedar along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight is finished with this faded antique brown coloring wrapper, solid Natural, and it is not overly attractive. With that, I have no idea why we have a foot band on this cigar. It is not needed. Lipstick on a pig. Small sized veins throughout. Aromas of sweet spices, earth, herbs and tobacco.
John: The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight comes in cellophane, with a UPC sticker that has an integrated space to allow it to tear and leave the UPC intact. The cigar has a primary band, along with a ribbon foot band in copper. Aromas form the cigar included barnyard, aged wood and hay. From the foot, I was smelling mild, sweet citrus, hay and wood.
Jiunn: The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight has natural and even leather shoe brown. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give a big dose of wet barnyard. Aromas from the foot give the same wet barnyard with added black pepper spice. Cold draw tells pencil lead, nuts and a slight tingly pepper on the lips.

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar that carries a subtle bitterness along with light black pepper. At a half inch in, the black pepper is barely hanging on. The retrohale is toasted, dry cedar. At an inch in, the black pepper picks back up and has a long finish. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar is becoming dry and is verging on a carboard note. As the third comes to a close, the profile is toasted, dry cedar with a subtle bitterness along with some black pepper a bit behind. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.
Seth: The cigar begins by delivering some sweet spice notes that are paired with cedar and barnyard qualities. There is a peppery spice that lingers on the finish, and it is present for a long period of time. It has some burnt cedar qualities with that. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with honey, baking spices and a chocolate and wood finish. The post draw has a mild, dry wood finish. There are occasional echoes of honey through the post draw. As the cigar progresses, mild citrus moves into the center of the profile. By the bottom half, dry cedar has intensified on the post draw.
Jiunn: There’s quite a bit of flavors packed into this 46 ringer. Leather, minerals, oily red pepper spice and just enough creaminess and nuttiness to not make it overtly earth and spice based. Retrohaling is powerful, with nasal clearing black pepper. The finish is very long, with black pepper on the rear palate and cedar within the entire palate. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight

Second Third

Aaron: The second third begins with the profile becoming a bit dry overall. At a half inch in, some mustiness and a perfume/vegetal combination joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, mustiness and the perfume/vegetal combination. At an inch and a quarter, both the bitterness and perfume/vegetal notes pick up a bit in fullness. As the third wraps up, the toast level becomes a bit heavier. The strength level bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third delivers a flavor profile that has some meaty qualities, and those are paired with the spice, pepper and cedar notes from before. Like the first third, the cigar has a long peppery finish, and I would classify it still as medium in strength and body.
John: Cocoa and wood lead into the second third, with dry wood continuing to define the post draw. Mild citrus sweetness returns to the center of the profile as it settles in. By the halfway point, some earth comes through, lingering through the post draw.
Jiunn: The second third shifts to showing more minerals and baking spices. However, I also get more cream off the dried nuts. Strength and body is unchanged at medium plus and medium.

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the heavily toasted cedar is up front with mustiness and the perfume/vegetal note a bit behind and the black pepper in the background with a long finish. At a half inch in, the heavy toast transitions to light char. The retrohale is musty, toasted cedar and light perfume/vegetal note. The cigar wraps up with musty, lightly charred cedar up front, the perfume/vegetal note in the middle and black pepper in the background. Th strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is right in line with the second and I am picking up spice, pepper and cedar notes. Long peppery spice finish with medium strength and body.
John: The last third consists of wood, mild earth, honey and baking spices. After a few puffs, cocoa and wood come through on the post draw. As the last third progresses, earth moves to the front of the profile.
Jiunn: The final third carries the second third forward. Still abundant in flavors with minerals, baking spices, cream and dried nuts. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium.

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight the entire way, but the cigar did go out once at the end of the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on through each third.
Seth: Nice burn from start to finish.
John: The cigar had some issues with the burn, initially starting straight, becoming uneven into the second third. The uneven burn eventually required touch-up intervention as it struggled to stay lit through the halfway point. A second touch-up was required in the bottom of the second third. The burn continued to struggle in the last third, eventually going out, which required a re-light.
Jiunn: The cigar burned flawlessly. Even burn, tight ashes, ample smoke production and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Nice draw throughout.
John: The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2 to 2-1/2 notches into the resistant spectrum.
Jiunn: The draw was a bit snug. Not a distraction from the flavor experience, but nonetheless a notable one.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar started with toasted cedar with a light bitterness and some black pepper. The second third saw an interesting perfume/vegetal note join in. The final third saw the toast level build and transition to light char. The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight was pretty interesting and it provided some unique flavor components, especially the perfume/vegetal note, but it never was harmonious to the point that it was at an above average enjoyment level. This is an interesting cigar from the brand as it departs from the majority of the previous releases. I’d be interested in trying another vitola to see if there are any differences or if the blend comes together a bit more, but I don’t really see this one as something I’d come back to all that often.
Seth: I have been positive on the blends coming out of Pichardo, but I cannot say that for the A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight. The price makes the cigar approachable, but overall flavor profile hurts the savings. The blend never takes off, it is stagnant throughout, and the sharp pepper and mineral finish really kills any positive experience for me. I guess in today’s market, with so many cigars now being over $10.00, this is in line with a more affordable release from years past.
John: The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight was a pleasure to review, with balanced and complex flavors coming through in the first and second thirds. While the last third lost much of that nuance, it was still enjoyable with no harshness or off putting components. The construction struggled, with burn issues and a resistant draw. I would return to the Fiat Lux Insight, and I’d be interested in trying the Fiat Lux in other vitolas to see how they compare. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Jiunn: The A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight was a slimmer ring gauge packed tight with flavors. The flavor in itself was full, giving a spicy dose of oily red pepper spice, followed by leather, minerals and thick creaminess off dried nuts. The one thing I noticed is, you have to watch the intensity of draws. Draw too fast, and you’ll quickly get unwanted char and bitterness. Great showing, I’ll be back for more.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.55

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$1.59

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.22

Cost/Point

$1.41

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.02

Cost/Point

$1.25

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: A.C.E. Prime Fiat Lux Insight