Cigar Asylum Cigar Forum - Panacea Red Perfecto

Thanks to JJ at mycigarlink.com (and member here at the Asylum) for sending me this stick to review.

I will admit that prior to receiving this cigar from JJ, I had never heard of Panacea cigars. Upon researching them, I discovered that they are a product of Flatbed Cigar Company, a start-up in Pennsylvania. For more on them, see www.flatbedcigarcompany.com

Now, on to the review.

Country of Origin:Dom. Rep.
Wrapper:Brazilian Maduro
Binder:Dominican Habano
Filler:Dominican Rep. and Nicaragua
Size/Shape:6x51 Perfecto

Pre-Light:
Upon inspecting this cigar, the first thing I notice is the toothy wrapper. It is not uniform in color and has some darker and lighter splotches. I have read that this is an indication that the maduro wrapper is in its natural state, ie. it has not been dyed. The cigar is solid with no soft spots and appears to be well-constructed. The pre-light aroma was earthy and the pre-light draw is perfect, without cutting any of the foot away.

First Third:
Upon lighting the cigar, I get a blast of pepper and spice. The finish is semi-sweet. The pepper and spice subsided after a few puffs, giving way to flavors of earth and leather. The finish is still sweet, but not as sweet in the first few puffs. The burn and draw are excellent and I would characterize this as a medium bodied smoke.

Middle Third:
The burn is still dead on. The flavors are similar to those in the first third. I would characterize the smoke as earthy and leathery with hints of coffee and wood. The finish is still semi-sweet. The body is now medium-full.

Final Third:
The flavors have intensified, but are generally the same. I would say it has reached a full body at this point. The burn is still dead on. The sweetness has gone away and now leaves a hint of pepper and spice on the palate. At one point, I got a hint of peppermint, but that went away as quickly as it came.

Summary:
This cigar was great. I'm not usually a big fan of Dominican tobacco, but this one pleased me. I did not have to touch the cigar with a lighter after it was lit. The burn stayed dead on through out. The draw was perfect and the construction was solid. The flavors were definitely complex and started out as medium bodied and developed into a fuller body. The strength was medium. I would say this cigar is smooth and balanced, and definitely worth trying if you like a rich, earthy cigar.

(Sorry no pics....camera is on hiatus until this weekend).