by Paul Bush with David P. Diaz

[Editor’s Note: With so many new cigar companies coming into existence over the past two years, I have been hard-pressed to keep abreast of the situation. So, in order to keep you informed of the rapidly-changing cigar landscape, I have asked Paul Bush (seen in photo above), owner of Flatbed Cigar Company and PANACEA cigars, to team with me to write up this informational piece about his company. Enjoy!]

PANACEA was born out of love for great cigars. That was the road map; the entire business plan. And, to be candid, I really wanted to step back out of corporate America.  Having been born and raised on a farm, the suit and tie just didn’t fit anymore.

PHOTO BELOW: Flatbed Factory: Dominican Republic

We figured that, if we started with the best tobacco, the best rollers, make a bunch of blends, and have lots of friends and colleagues sample the smokes, we should be able to find a profile or two to get behind. So, that is what we did. The culmination of this process resulted in two blends for our PANACEA Black: the Natural and the Maduro.

Our Maduro (I am smoking one right now... man it's good) has a Brazilian wrapper. Our Natural has a Connecticut, wrapper grown in Ecuador. The binder for both blends is Dominican, while a Cuban seed seco and ligero, Olor Dominicano and Nicaraguan make up the interior. (Yes, I am sure the seed has been propagated once or twice!)

We use plenty of ligero in our cigars to produce rich creamy smoke, and just enough seco to get it lit. The Nicaraguan leaf keeps the profile swirling and keeps you on your toes. I love this cigar...you will too. It is full, smooth, creamy, complex, and engaging, but not overpowering.  The blend will hold your attention, but will not dominate your time with it.  Meaning you won't forget your smoking, but won't be saying... “Uncle” either.

PHOTO BELOW: Box of PANACEA Cigars

Smoking should be that way...right?  You want to enjoy a smoke, but you don’t want the cigar to be in control.  We're all very busy in today's world and finding time to sit with family and friends is precious. When you do, you want to enjoy your smoke, but equally as important, you want to enjoy your conversation. A bully smoke requires all your attention. A weak smoke requires none. You want the cigar in the middle, the one that engages at the right time, knowing its place in the conversation.

I am certainly biased. I encourage you to smoke a PANACEA and measure for yourself. I think you'll like them. By the way, we are currently working on PANACEA Red.  More on that in the coming months!

At Flatbed Cigar Company (owner/distributor of PANACEA) we are taking an “Old-School” approach to the cigar business. Right or wrong, it’s the path we decided to take. The philosophy is simple: put all the money into tobacco.  If we focus on making great cigars, they will sell themselves, over time.

BELOW: Cigar storage room

You’ll see our packaging is very basic (as all cigar packaging once was), but it does its intended job: keeping the cigars fresh and safe. We do not manipulate the leaf in any way. No heating, cooling, steaming, coloring, flavoring, massaging, etc. What you see is what we started with. You may even see slight shading variances in the same box. That is okay.  What is most important is how the cigar tastes. In this time of “cosmetic selling” we do have an uphill climb, but want to stay true to our convictions.

Flatbed Cigar Company was founded two years ago. Our first cigar; PANACEA Black, was introduced to smoke shops in the Mid Atlantic, and North East in October of 2007. Selling from the trunk of my car, I enjoyed the company of hundreds of cigar enthusiasts, shop owners and patrons alike, as I made my way from DC to Boston.  PANACEA is now in 42 stores and growing steadily. Most of our concentration remains in the North East, but we are in stores as far reaching as Wisconsin, and Louisiana. 

Based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (PA), we enjoy a great tobacco tradition, dating back to 1765. Red Lion, PA (aka: Cigar Town, USA) at one time was producing 400 million hand rolled cigars a year. In addition to dozens of factories, many houses in town had rolling tables, where women made extra money rolling while their husbands were at work. The name “Stogie” was coined in Conestoga, PA where inexpensive cigars were made for the drivers of the Conestoga wagons. Traveling from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, the Conestoga wagon drivers were envious of the fine cigars enjoyed by their passengers. A cigar then, as it is today, was a luxury. Wagon drivers simply did not earn the wage necessary to indulge in cigars, with any kind of frequency. So, manufacturers in Conestoga began making cigars, in addition to their well know wagons, and priced them for the driver’s pocketbooks. 

PHOTO: PANACEA Perfecto

Although we are based in Pennsylvania, our factory is in the Dominican Republic. With more than 60 years of combined experience, the art of aging, blending, and rolling continues in our modest factory. Who knows….maybe a US/Dominican blend one day? (Actually you can bet on it).

Flatbed Cigar Company now has three Independent Sales Agencies representing PANACEA, and we are actively looking for additional Sales coverage on the West Coast, South West, and South East. Give us a call if you would like to join the team! 

We are a small company making really good cigars. Who knows, if all goes according to plan, we’ll grow to a bigger company; still making really good cigars.

Visit us at: www.flatbedcigarcompany.com