Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Y Panda Domino is medium tan and has some raised, knotty veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being white, black and gold and denoting the brand. The foot band is blue and gold and denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of hay and cardboard while the foot brings cedar, construction paper and light earth. The pre-light draw brings an airy and dusty cedar along with some cotton candy sweetness. There is also a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Y Panda Domino is finished with a smooth and fairly silky wrapper. There are small veins throughout the with a coloring around the Natural spectrum. Golden hay coloring. Aromas of sweet spices, tobacco and sweet earth. The aroma on the wrapper is spicier than the foot, which is more earthy.
John: The Y Panda Domino came in cellophane and did not have a UPC sticker. There is a primary ‘Y Panda’ band with Chinese characters, and a ‘DOMINO’ foot band. I weighed the cigar at 14.7 grams and measured the humidity at 60.0% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet tobacco and wood. Out of the foot, I could detect wood and hay.

Y Panda Domino

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mellow mix of toasted cedar and construction paper with some light earth. At a half inch in, the earth picks up a bit and a very mild black pepper joins in. The retrohale is toasted cedar and construction paper with mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, a light creaminess joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the profile is toasted cedar and construction paper up front, with earth right behind and light amounts of black pepper and creaminess in the background. The strength was mild-medium.
Seth: The first third started out with some cedar, sweet spices, cream, earth and tobacco notes. There were some faint coconut shaving notes along with some hay on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third starts with dry wood and a wood and vegetal combination to finish. Hay is driving the post draw out of the gate. Some chocolate comes through on the finish as the first third settles in. A tannic, woody center develops in the retrohale and lingers into the finish as the cigar progresses. By the halfway point, there is a significant amount of overall dryness on the profile.

Y Panda Domino

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toast level increases a bit. At a half inch in, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar and construction paper up front. Even with some light creaminess, the profile is becoming a bit dry. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, construction paper, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the construction paper takes a slight lead in the profile. As the third comes to a close, the construction paper has a slight lead over the toasted cedar and earth with some black pepper and creaminess in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third delivered a profile of cedar, hay, cream and tobacco. There was soft earth notes present as well, and the finish had some soft grass notes. Medium in strength and body.
John: Chocolate leads off the second third, followed by wood and hay as a lingering dry hay makes up the post draw. That profile remains consistent as it continues to the halfway point, where some vegetal notes develop in the center of the retrohale. Black tea is present on the finish through the bottom half.

Y Panda Domino

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper increases a bit. At a half inch in, the toasted cedar, construction paper and earth all become even once again at the front of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, construction paper, earth with a bit fuller black pepper. At an inch in, the earth takes a slight lead and the black pepper is now in the middle of the profile. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar and construction paper, with black pepper in the middle and light creaminess in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The final third is lighter than the second with more hay notes, but overall, a very similar profile. Still medium in strength and body.
John: A creamy, tannic wood greets me in the last third, as a vegetal and wood combination finishes, and takes on some dryness through the post draw. As the cigar progresses, the puff is a creamy black tea with tannic, dry wood to finish. By the halfway point, bitterness joins the finish and intensifies as it continues.

Y Panda Domino

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout. Even with a crack in the wrapper through the first third, there was no deviation to the burn line. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was very good throughout.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review experience.

Y Panda Domino

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was very good throughout.
John: The draw was perfect, in the ideal zone between open and resistant.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mellow mix of toasted cedar and construction paper with some light earth. Some mild black pepper joined a bit later and then some creaminess after that. The second third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar and construction paper up front. The construction paper later took a lead in the profile. The final third saw the black pepper pick up and then the earth took a slight lead in the profile over the cedar and construction paper. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Y Panda Domino had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the toasted cedar, construction paper and earth. This was somewhat of a typical Connecticut shade profile where it can be a bit dry and doesn’t pop with flavor. The price point is a bit high and I wouldn’t see myself coming back to this.
Seth: I did not get much out of the Y Panda Domino. I guess that can be said by many Connecticut releases these days or in the past several years. Unless you make something unique, Connecticut offerings are not going to stand out against the many already on the market, and if you release one you better have a great price tag. It was not a bad cigar, just another Connecticut with packaging is not going to stand out against the many other brands on the market.
John: The Y Panda Domino was pleasant through the first third, becoming more dry as the cigar continued and eventually gaining some unbalanced bitterness on the last third. Construction was excellent with a perfect draw and burn. This experience was a miss for me, with a general tannic and dry quality to the profile that became unpleasant as the review continued. I don’t see myself seeking out or smoking this cigar going forward. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 57 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.80

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$2.93

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$2.98

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Y Panda Domino