The bond between Father and Daughter is a bond like no other. David Garofalo who owns United Cigar, a manufacturer and distribution group decided to release a cigar honoring his daughter. The cigar which originally came out as a Connecticut Shade was also released years later as a Maduro.
Cigar: La Gianna
Size: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Strength: Medium
Source: United Cigar Group
The Look: The wrapper is evenly colored and milk chocolate in color. There are some creases from the veins and the seams are visible on the roll. The wrapper has some oils and a nice toothy appearance. In the hand the cigar is firm, with no soft spots and a well packed foot. The red and gold band features a cherub as a logo and states “Limited Reserve Honduran Vintage”.
The Notes: The cold draw of the La Gianna has notes of licorice and earth with a slight spice present on the lips. The aroma off of the foot serves up what I can best describe as fresh and clean like that of a valley the morning after a rain storm. There is also a subtle pepper that kicks in after you pull the cigar away from your nostrils.
The first third of the cigar serves up some earthy notes with elements of nuts and coffee. There is a sweetness on the around which offsets the pepper through the nose of the cigar. As the cigar progress the notes become more complex.
In the second third of the cigar, the primary note becomes espresso but there is also a slight coffee bean and anisette present as well. In fact it makes me wish I had an anisette cookie with a nice espresso from the North End of Boston as I write this review.
The last third of the La Gianna Havana Maduro has elements of rye with a continued dark espresso note. The finish is slightly spicy while there is some sweetness to the nose. In fact in the last third of the cigar, the nose has chocolate like sweetness to it.
The Burn: The slow burning La Gianna lasted me almost two hours, though keep in mind I am a slow smoke. The burn line was slightly jagged but symmetrical all the way around the cigar. The marble color ash held for nearly half the cigar and the cigar had a fluid draw. The cigar remained lit from start to finish.
The Finish: Of all the cigar making countries, for me Honduras is on the bottom of list when it comes to preference. It starts with Nicaragua, followed by Dominican Republic and Honduras. I left out some smaller countries like Costa Rica, and Cuba which isn’t legally available in the USA. But every now and then I find a cigar that transcends the preconceived opinion I have. Yes, I profile my cigars. However, the La Gianna Maduro is a cigar that I have been smoking a lot of lately at work. It has a nice profile, wonderful aroma and has been wickedly consistent. Three things that are important to me, and the price is wallet friendly.
Score: 91
Price: $6.59 / $129.99
La Gianna
La Gianna Burn
