Luciano Y Panda

When you see the title of this particular cigar, you might find yourself asking, "Y Panda?" to which Luciano Cigars would answer, "Y not?!"

In reality, the backstory for the Luciano Y Panda cigar is more engaging, as the cigar is named after Linxu “Panda” Yan, a China native who left his country for the USA at the age of 16. While working at a cigar shop in Memphis, Yan met Luciano Meirelles, eventually becoming an intern for Luciano Cigars and moving to Estelí, Nicaragua for 14 months of hands-on training. Being thrust head-first into the world of cigar manufacturing, Yan immersed himself in the tobacco farms, processing, factory, and aging facilities, eventually finding himself in the unique position to co-blend the Y Panda cigar with Luciano Meirelles.

In terms of blend, the cigar takes on a yin and yang concept at its core. This is due to the Nicaraguan fillers, which are sourced from Jalapa viso and Estelí seco. It's a contrasting approach, as Jalapa is known for its sweetness, though a higher-priming (more intense) leaf was chosen. Meanwhile, Estelí is known for its peppery punch, but the leaf comes from a lower priming in this case. This blend is secured in a double binder of Brazilian Arapiraca and Ecuadorian Sumatra, being finalized with an Ecuadorian Corojo '98 wrapper. Y Panda represents the intersection between tradition and innovation, showing that life is worth taking risks... and that a talented mentor sure doesn't hurt!