20 Years ago, United Cigar released the La Gianna Havana featuring a Connecticut shade wrapper as a celebration of the birth of David Garofalo becoming a father to a beautiful baby girl named Gianna. A few years after that a Maduro was released. The blend is said to be a ramped up version of the natural featuring a maduro wrapper, and being we were in the mood for a Maduro this morning we opted to review today’s cigar from a company that you should hear a lot from in 2015, United Cigar.
Cigar: La Gianna Havana
Size: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Strength: Mild-Medium
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look: The La Gianna Havana Maduro features a maduro wrapper that has some brindle effects to it. There are a few veins that are noticeable not he wrapper which has nice firm roll. There are no soft spots and the well packed foot does seem to have a swirl of darker tobacco. The band which features a cherub on it utilizes colors of red, gold, black, blue and white. The name Gianna means, “God is gracious”.
The Notes: The cold draw of the La Gianna Havanna Maduro features a sweet note that reminds me of chocolate and marshmallow much like a Mallomar. While the aroma off the foot is very similar, but leans more towards marshmallow. Before we light up the cigar it is obvious this is a traditional maduro built around being sweet, rather than a modern maduro around strength.
As we light up the cigar there is a subtle spice that is more of an after thought as the La Gianna Havana Maduro serves up notes that are perfect on a winter day of warm chocolate and marshmallows.
In the second third the cigar the creaminess of the warm chocolate continues as some nuttiness is introduced to the profile. The subtle spice on the first light is gone, as the cigar becomes incredibly rich and smooth with a buttery finish.
The last third of the La Gianna has a focal point of nuts, and the sweetness becomes more of a honey note instead of the chocolate that was so dominant on the first two-thirds of the stick. The cigar had a smooth finish with a touch of espresso.
The Burn: While the burn line was as crisp as I would like it, the cigar burned true and even throughout the experience. The marble color ash held on strong with some flake through the first inch of the stick before becoming firm and holding on for an inch and a half at a time. The draw was perfect and the cigar remained lit from start to finish.
Overall: The cigar industry has lost its way in the Maduro market by allowing the consumer to dictate what a maduro has become. Originally a sweeter cigar with a lot of flavor, today it is now a strong cigar that often compromises flavor and complexity. The La Gianna Havana Maduro is to me what a maduro should be, and that is complex and sweet with a ton of flavor.
Score: 91
Price: $6.59 each / $129.99 a box
La Gianna Maduro
La Gianna Maduro Foot
La Gianna Maduro Burn
