In the cigar industry, it is rare that an expert cigar crafter will collaborate with a novice, yet alone an intern, but that was not the case when Luciano Meirelles of Luciano Cigars created the Luciano Y Panda cigar. At the age of 16, Linxu “Panda” Yan left his home in China in hopes of becoming a cigarmaker. He started by working in a cigar shop in Memphis, Tennessee. After learning the retail side of the cigar business, Panda headed to Nicaragua to learn about tobacco growing and cigar making from Luciano. After 14 short months as an intern, Yan assumed the role of brand ambassador for Y Panda. The cigar’s blend consists of an Ecuadorian Corojo 98 wrapper, a double binder of Brazilian arapiraca and Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed, and a filler composed of Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Luciano Y Panda is known for its sweetness, complexity, and slight strength. The cigars are handmade at the Luciano Cigars Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.