Luciano Y Panda Toro – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Luciano Cigars showed off a new project at PCA 2023 inspired by the life of Linxu “Panda” Yan, who left China at the age of 16, came to in the United States and eventually made his way to Estelí, Nicaragua with Luciano Cigars with a dream of working in the premium cigar industry.

The new line was blended by Yan and Luciano Meirelles jointly. The blend uses an Ecuadorian corojo 98 wrapper, double binder of Brazilian arapiraca and Ecuadorian Sumatra, and Nicaraguan filler, viso from Jalapa and seco from Estelí. This filler combination is described by the company as the yin and yang, with “edgy sweetness, mild flavors brought to life with slight strength to the seasoned palate.” It is a blend that “seeks to disrupt palates with the signature complexity for which Luciano Cigars is known,” according to a press release.

Y Panda is comes in four vitolas: Corona Gorda 5 5/8 x 4 $10.20, Robusto 5 x 50 $11.70, Toro 6 x 52 $12.70, and Sublime 6 1/2 x 54 $13.70. All are rolled at the Luciano Cigar Factory.

Linxu “Panda” Yan had worked as an intern at the company's factory and farms for 14 months before the release of the cigar. Now, his role has changed to more of a brand ambassador for Y Panda. Before that Yan worked at a retail shop in Memphis, Tenn.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo 99
Binder: Ecuador, Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Luciano Cigar Factory
Blender: Linxu “Panda” Yan, Luciano Meirelles
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin A. (Kevin A.) John I. (John I.) Ryan H. (Ryan H.) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Price: $12.70
Age: 2 Months
Release Date: July 2023
Contributed by: Luciano Cigars

Initial Impressions – Luciano Y Panda Toro

Appearance: 90

“6×50 double cap thick toothy wrapper dark brown in color, visible seams only because of the thickness of the wrapper. uniformity to the bunch pretty firm.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Aroma: 88

“The aroma is definitely dominated by earth, but it's more of something reminiscent of red clay with a bit more wet musty smell to it.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)”

First Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“draw is rather tight. profile is chocolate and earth very little in the way of spice profile is a bit abrasive. It's just a little black pepper. nearing the end of the first third burn is razor sharp.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“Pre-light draw is a little worrisome due to some raw green flavors very apparent. Hopefully, the caramel sweetness dominates. Starts off fairly mild with a lot of sweetness early. Seems to be fairly quick burning. Fifteen or twenty minutes in, this is very pleasant. It's not nearly as full-bodied as I typically prefer, but for a milder cigar, it's holding my interest. There remains a lot of sweetness and thus far there haven't been any of the raw flavors I detected pre-light.” –John I. (John I.)

Second Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The cloves continue to dominate the overall profile. Hitting the halfway point, I'm getting some black tea along with the cloves. This combination yields something more along the lines of a more spice-forward chai, with the sweetness and cream not being very present.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“Searching for flavors, I could pick up wisps of baseball mitt leather. Kitchen spice flavors seemed to be the main show, continuing from the beginning of the cigar. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Final Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“The final third brings the tart cherry notes detectible in the pre-light into the profile, losing the cacao and the sweetness. The coffee notes have shifted to more of an espresso note and some light leather notes appear. Black pepper along with the tart cherry adds a little bit of sharpness to the spiciness of the cigar here. Burn and draw have continued to perform. Body complexity and strength all end up in the medium-full range ” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“Things start to dwindle in the final third. The cloves have dissipated, leaving some milder notes of tea and bread. Nothing bad per se, but you just start to miss that pop that was going on the first two-thirds. ” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Overall Impressions – Luciano Y Panda Toro

Draw: 88

“Well, I thought I had a good v cut, but the cigar draw is a little bit more resistant than I care for.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Burn: 89

“Nice and even burn for the duration. Did not hold an ash particularly well, but that doesn't really mean anything. ” –John I. (John I.)

Construction: 92

“This cigar was very well put together. A couple of soft spots and a loose side on the cap were the only detractors here” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 90

“This was an enjoyable cigar from start to finish. The flavor profile was fairly complex and was sweet and creamy up until the final portion of the cigar. If you are looking for a cigar that transitions well, yet does not have a dramatic shift in profile, this would be a good cigar to try! ” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“Very enjoyable cigar. Started out fairly mild with a lot of sweet flavors, this thing seemed like a candy bar til the mid-third which shifted into notes of leather and continued background sweetness. By the finish, the strength kicked up a bit and ended with rich woodsy flavors.
Not as full-bodied as I generally prefer, but I'd grab more of these periodically especially early in the day.” –John I. (John I.)

“Not a very enjoyable experience solely based on profile. The cigar did perform in every other faucet besides the draw so not a total loss.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“This cigar was just a shame. From time to time I could find some nice flavors, but I had to work for them. Then came the headache. The draw was so tight that I wouldn't have even smoked it if it weren't a review cigar.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“Things kicked off with a good pop, but the cigar quickly found its footing. I'm a fan of chai, and I was happy to experience a fair amount of that halfway through the cigar. It ended with ease and subtleness that almost lulled me into a sense of bliss. This experience read just like a typical story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each playing their own part, but also able to present a bigger picture. I could see myself smoking this again.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 93

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Y Panda Toro – Blind Cigar Review