Cigar News: A.C.E. Prime Launches M.X.S. at 2019 IPCPR

At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, a new company came on to the scene by the name of A.C.E. Prime, which launched several lines. One of the lines that had the most visibility was the M.X.S. – a pair of blends done in collaboration with two NBA players – Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkens and Tiago Splitter (most notably a member of the San Antonio Spurs where he won a World Championship).

M.X.S. stands for Maximum, Excellence, Success. Both Wilkens and Splitter each worked with the Tabacalera Pichardo factory in Nicaragua to produce a blend. The M.X.S. Dominique Wilkens consists of San Andres Maduro wrapper over an Ometepe Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. The cigar comes in one size – a 6 1/2.x 54 Sublime presented in 20-count boxes.

Meanwhile, the M.X.S. Tiago Splitter features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Jalapa Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. This cigar comes in two sizes presented in 20-count boxes – a 6 1/2 x 54 Sublime and a 5 x 52 Robusto.

Both cigars were blended by Don Eradio Pichardo, the Master Blender at Tabacalera Pichardo. Tabacalera Pichardo recently garnered some attention when Crowned Heads’ cigars turned to that factory for its Juarez release. The factory is not a new factory. It is co-owned by Pichardo and tobacconist/sommelier Luciano Meirelles. Until recently, the factory has been producing many cigars for U.S. and international brands silently under an NDA. Now Tabacalera Pichardo has joined forces to create A.C.E. Prime, a distribution company. A.C.E. Prime is owned by Splitter, Meirelles, Billy McCaffrey and the Cuban Legend Luis “Luisíto” Carbonell. A.C.E. stands for “A Cuban Experience.”

A.C.E. Prime has recently said that M.X.S. was enjoyed by members of the Toronto Raptors at their victory parade after they captured the 2019 NBA Championship.

The cigars are positioned as more ultra-premium offerings priced in the $15.00 to $17.00 range and the boxes feature either Wilkens or Splitter’s signature (depending on the blend).

At a glance, here is a look at the A.C.E. Prime M.X.S. line: