2022 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List): #29: Fiat Lux by Luciano Insight

“This delivered a well-balanced smoking experience from start to finish. On top of it, I loved how clean a finish this cigar delivered.”

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra High Priming
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Pichardo
Insight: 5 5/8 x 46
Price: $8.75

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: Yes
Review: ACE Prime Fiat Lux by Luciano Insight (3/20/22)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 2 (2022, 2022)

Coming in at #29 is the Fiat Lux Insight by Luciano. Fiat Lux is a Latin expression for “let there be light” from the intellectual movement of the Enlightenment. The cigar was released originally under ACE Prime and has moved over to Luciano Meirelles’ new company Luciano Cigars. The cigar that landed on the Countdown represents the ones sold by ACE Prime prior to the rebranding.

At the time ACE Prime released the cigar, the company stated “When you first light a great cigar, a space of expectation is created, where the opportunity for discovery presents itself. You taste a great blend, and you will be enlightened, both by delving into the complexity of flavors and with the possibility of introspection. It was with this sensorial and mindful journey in mind that the idea of Fiat Lux emerged, as a new blend that procures to express the birth of knowledge, to embody the consequence of its meaning: Let there be light.” This was the goal with Fiat Lux.

Fiat Lux by Luciano consists of a high-priming Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Sumatra is a wrapper that has been seen across the Luciano, Pichardo, and MxS brands and across the ACE Prime portfolio. The remainder of the Fiat Lux blend consists of all Nicaraguan tobaccos. Production is handled out of the Tabacalera Pichardo factory. The Insight size, which is a classic 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda, is the one that landed on this year’s Countdown.

The Fiat Lux Insight delivered notes of natural tobacco, earth, cedar, baker’s spice, and black pepper. There are two hidden attributes this cigar has: 1) It has an amazingly clean finish; 2) The flavors complement and balance each other extremely well. The Fiat Lux Insight delivers a medium-strength, medium-bodied experience.

This is most likely ACE Prime’s second and final appearance on the Cigar Coop Countdown. With many of the former blends moving to the new company Luciano Cigars, any subsequent release after the transition will be credited to Luciano.