Luciano Cigars to Debut Y Panda at PCA 2023

For its newest cigar project, Luciano Cigars has found inspiration from the life of Linxu “Panda” Yan, who left China at the age of 16, ending up in the United States and eventually Estelí, Nicaragua with Luciano Cigars in pursuit of a career in the premium cigar industry.

The line was co-blended by Yan and Luciano Meirelles and uses an Ecuadorian corojo 98 wrapper, a double binder of Brazilian arapiraca and Ecuadorian Sumatra, while the filler is made up of Nicaraguan tobacco, specifically viso from Jalapa and seco from Estelí, a combination that the company says operates as the yin and yang, offering “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 being offered in four sizes, which are produced by the Luciano Cigar Factory:

• Y Panda Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) — $10.20 (Box of 20, $204)
• Y Panda Robusto (5 x 50) — $11.70 (Box of 20, $234)
• Y Panda Toro (6 x 52) — $12.70 (Box of 20, $254)
• Y Panda Sublime (6 1/2 x 54) — $13.70 (Box of 20, $274)

In a press release, Luciano Cigars said that “Y Panda, as a cigar, expresses Panda Yan’s own intersection between tradition and innovation: the pain of leaving family behind, the joy of finding one’s calling in a new place, and a mentor to guide him through.”

“I have always found that life is best lived when we embrace its contradictions, Meirellles added. “From his own identity, to moments in life where he’s been blessed even when most struggling, this cigar is Panda’s attempt at expressing a new realization. Y Panda is about finding the good in the bad, the opportunity when things go wrong, and some of life’s answers even when overwhelmed with questions and uncertainty. Panda is one of a kind, a super taster and working with him was priceless.”

Meirelles told halfwheel that Yan has been an intern at the company’s factory and farms for the past 14 months, but now his affiliation will be more focused on being a brand ambassador for Y Panda. Prior to joining Luciano Cigars, Yan worked at a retail shop in Memphis, Tenn. Now, he is dedicating this chapter of his life to learning about the cigar making process in its entirety alongside Meirelles, immersing himself in the company’s vertical operations, from farms to aging facilities to factories. Despite having very different backgrounds, the two connected through a mutual passion for tobacco and Luciano’s desire to extend his legacy through mentees.

“I truly believe the very reason Luciano does what he does is rooted in people, relationships, and the dreams that can be built together,” Yan said in a press release. “I’m humbled to be added to the legacy of Luciano Cigars with Y Panda.”

As for Meirelles, he believes he has found a new and exciting opportunity with the launch of Y Panda. “This is the business model I’m more and more interested in,” he told halfwheel. “To mentor people and share brands. I think it is the future to be honest.”

The Y Panda line is scheduled to begin shipping by the end of July.

Images courtesy of Luciano Cigars.