Brand: Panacea Connecticut
Vitola: Toro
Ring Guage: 50
Length: 6.00
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Price Point: $6.00

Brand:
Panecea cigars are a product of Flatbed Cigar Company, headed up by Paul Bush. The cigars are crafted in the Dominican Republic and distributed out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The Panacea line is available in two formats which include a Maduro and Natural. Both blends sport a Cuban Seed Seco, Ligero, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaraguan blend of tobaccos to make up the filler. The binder is made up of Dominican leaf while the wrappers are Brazilian Maduro and Connecticut shade.

Pre-Light:

Once my Panacea Connecticut was removed from its ziplock style bag, I gave it a once over to check for any obvious defects. The color of the wrapper was consistent from head to foot while exhibiting a slight sheen. There were several dainty veins which could not be felt when handled.

Giving the cigar a light pinch from head to foot showed me that it was evenly filed with tobacco. The aroma on both the exposed foot and wrapper were mild and difficult to distinguish.

After opening the head of the cigar with a pair of cigar scissors, I found the draw to be free with mild flavors of cedar and sweetness. Once the pre-light inspection was complete, I moved to the toasting and lighting process.

First Third:

Once my Panacea Connecticut was lit, it immediately began producing loads of thick and flavorful smoke. My initial impression was that this cigar would be a great example of a mild to medium bodied cigar with lots of flavor.

As I began to work through the first third, the body strikes me as mild to medium, which hasn’t changed from my initial impression. The finish is creamy with a slight bit of bite to it. I get a little bit of an aggressive feeling across my palate which is sort of acidic.

The primary flavor strikes me as simply rich tobacco. The favors lying behind this generic description are the ones that are most enjoyable. These favors include toast, nuts, and a slight bitterness. All of these background flavors linger on the palate for a minute, or so, before fading.

Second Third:

After nearly an hour of smoking, I was just about finished the second third of my Panacea Connecticut. As the smoke progressed, the body picked up a bit. At its peak in the second third it was medium, at best, with a creamy finish.

There was not much transition in terms of flavor. The straight-up natural tobacco flavor remained dominant but became a little richer as the cigar burned along. The same went for the flavors of nuts and toast. The only change came in the form of the bitterness fading and being replaced by a mild cedar taste.

The burn line was a little thick from time to time and showed some minor blistering. The ash was light in color while easily dropping from the foot after about three-quarters of an inch developed. The burn rate was on par with other cigars of this size while producing loads of thick and flavorful smoke.

Final Third:

After a period of ninety minutes had elapsed, I was about mid way through the final third of my Panacea Connecticut. The body did not change up much throughout this section of the cigar and remained medium. The finish was creamy and less aggressive than in previous thirds.

The flavor had a small change during the final third, which reverted the profile back to what it was in the first third. The taste of cedar faded and was replaced by a slight bitterness. The focus remained on the natural tobacco flavor that dominated throughout the cigar.

The burn line was thin and even for most of the final third and produced a generous supply of dense smoke. The burn rate seemed about average for a stick of this size while producing an average amount of resting smoke. While the cigar burned shorter, the smoke remained cool on the fingers and across the palate.

Final Thoughts:
When it was time to put the Panacea Connecticut down for good, I was happy to have smoked it. From the start I got the impression that it would be a fairly mild smoke with alot of flavors. I was left with that same impression when I finally set it down.

I smoked this cigar in the middle of the afternoon and enjoyed it. I think it would do very well as a Sunday morning cigar, one where you sleep in, grab a cup of coffee and reach for the paper. I would recommend giving one a try if you come across one in your travels.

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