Ciao, ragazzi. Today Andy Wike and I are discussing Toscano cigars. I don't think it's a secret — I've been a huge fan of Toscano for many years, so much so that I have quite a large collection of some of the travel retail exclusives and some of the stuff that's only available in Italy. I also smoke a lot of the cigars that are available here on the US market. I find that, as a cigar and a pipe smoker, Toscano represents and occupies a really specific part of my smoking rotation. Let's do a brief overview of Toscano Cigars.

Toscano's Appeal & Lore

[Shane Ireland]: I find Toscanos to be really good crossovers between cigar and pipe smoking. The fact that it's Dark-Fired tobacco gives you a little bit of that pipe-tobacco feel and vibe, and some of that complexity that you don't necessarily get from New World cigars, but the ease of cutting and lighting one, and the portability of cutting and lighting one, and honestly, even the economic standpoint where you can smoke ammezzato. There's just so much about Toscano that I love: the history, the character, and the experience of smoking them.

[Andy Wike]: For those out there who are into pipes, pipe tobacco, and have dabbled into cigars, can you talk a little bit, Shane, about why someone should try a Toscano for the first time?

[SI]: I would say that it is a unique and singular experience in smoking. It's not directly comparable to pipes or cigars or cigarettes or literally anything else. The magic of the Toscano, the lore and history of it, and how it was created all add to the experience. They were made by accident, allowing tobacco that was left outside that got wet to ferment and then continuing to roll cigars out of it.

They're not constructed the same way New World cigars are. There's no binder, for example. Now, that is not true of their entire line. But the traditional format of a dry cigar, also known as a cheroot or a Tuscan-style cigar, is that it is wrapper and filler, and they are 100% Dark-Fired tobaccos from different origins, different crops, and different blends. That's where you get the variance in strength, complexity, and flavor.

I think it's a great short smoke for me. It's a working in the yard, walking the dog kind of smoke. I always travel with a case of Toscanos for those moments either before or after dinner when I only have time for a quick smoke. I find them to be a bit of a palate reset.

[AW]: I was gonna say the same thing, actually.

[SI]: It's a bold cigar with bold tobacco, but for some reason, maybe because of the dry finish and nature of most of these blends...

[AW]: Or that it's all Dark Fired...

[SI]: Yeah, it tends to reset my palate. If I've been smoking a lot of pipes or a lot of cigars, I can sort of reset and get back to my roots with a Toscano. Really, for me, though, it's usually my first smoke of the day. It sort of primes my palate.

[AW]: Same. It wakes it up, I feel like.

[SI]: It pairs extremely well with coffee. Almost any of these blends. Now different coffee preferences, different smoking preferences of course, but there's just something about a Toscano and an espresso that is sort of unmatched. An S-tier sort of pairing.

[AW]: Maybe a little Limoncello. You know?

[SI]: Well, that couldn't hurt either.

But the lore and the culture around Toscano goes back to Clint Eastwood and even to some of the figures in Italian pop culture. Some of the ones that are namesakes of the wines, actually. Modigliani is a good example. There's a reason that these guys were so loyal to the Toscano as a format of smoking, and it's just because once you get it, it sort of grabs a hold of you emotionally and practically, and you end up returning to it for comfort. Maybe even more than I do to certain cigars and certain pipes.

Andy, I know where my journey started and has ended up with Toscano. Where did you start and where would you recommend starting for somebody who's new to the brand?

[AW]: I think the first Toscano that I ever smoked was one of the Toscanellos. They're already cut ammezzato.

[SI]: Very practical.

[AW]: I think you gave me one, or Cassie Davison might have given me one. I think it might have been one of the almond or amaretto-flavored ones. We had just had dinner or something. It was a nice little dessert smoke. But I was really interested 'cause I was like, "Whoa, this is pretty nuts." And then I started getting into some of the non-flavored ones, like Classico and Antica Riserva. I think those are probably my staples right there.

[SI]: I think Classico is an excellent place to start. It is a little less strong than some of the blends that have more American Dark-Fired leaf in them, or even American Dark-Fired wrappers. I think typically the scale of strength and flavor is that the American tobaccos tend to boost spiciness and boost nicotine content, and that the Italian tobaccos are a little more subtle. They're a little less Dark-Fired. A little more floral, a little more earthy, and a little less spicy. They rate it as a two out of five.

It is an Italian wrapper, and they're aged for six months. So in addition to the fermentation process, all Toscano cigars are aged after rolling, and Classico gives you a really good middle-of-the-road idea of the level of fermentation, the strength of the tobaccos, and the actual aging post-production. It's right down the middle, as far as all those things go. And a lot of people stick with Classico and that becomes their favorite.

For me, I sort of quickly moved on to the Antico, which is a little more bold, flavorful, fermented, and strong. It's spicy and they're fuller. They're aged for 12 months, so twice the amount of aging as the Classico, and this is where, in my travels in Italy, most of the guys that I know that were Toscano smokers, their daily driver was the Antico. It was far and away. I'd be shocked if it wasn't the best-selling Toscano in Italy. I don't know that for a fact, but I would guess that it's up there.

Then you have the Extra Vecchio, the Garibaldi, and the Modigliani. They're all variations on this format that are fun to explore. For a long time, I smoked Modigliani pretty frequently.

Then you have things like the Master Aged series. The Master Aged series is really interesting because it takes larger format Toscanos, so there's a couple of different sizes that you can find, and it plays with the aging and the fermentation in really interesting and proprietary ways.

There's slight differences in all of the editions so far — Serie 1, Serie 2, Serie 3, Serie 4, and Serie 5 — and some differences in format and size, too. It's really interesting to explore, but it's basically the cream-of-the-crop and the most premium, hand-rolled production that you can find.

These days, I will say, 9 times out of 10, I'm smoking an Originale. It's the classic, hand-rolled Toscano and I think it has all of the bold flavors, a little bit of underlying sweetness, and a really interesting balance of the American and the Italian tobaccos. That's my go-to these days, anyway.

Toscano Terre

[AW]: We also have one of Toscano's newest releases, which is the Terre. This is all-Italian leaf, right?

[SI]: The Terre is completely an Italian cigar. The wrapper and the fillers are all from various regions in Italy, the wrapper being from Tuscany, specifically. This is a 10-month-aged version of the Toscano format, and previously they were only available in Italy, so making their debut in the US market is a big deal.

We're smoking these ammezzato, which means that we're starting from the middle of the cigar, which is the biggest part of the ring gauge. That's gonna give you the biggest burst of flavor instantly. People mostly cut these because it's an economical thing. You can get two cigars for the price of one. But the blenders at Toscano actually blend with smoking full format and ammezzato in mind at the same time. So they test both ways, and they smoke both ways, and they blend for both of those experiences.

[AW]: It's about balance.

[SI]: Yeah. If you wanna have a longer smoke, smoke the whole thing. Pick whichever end you wanna light and smoke the whole thing. If you wanna make them last longer, or if you wanna experience the most intense part of flavor right off of the bat, then smoke ammezzato.

I would say, 9 times out of 10, I'm smoking ammezzato. It's a time proposition thing for me, more than anything else.

[AW]: Well, it fits into that rotation that we were talking about. In between smokes, waking up the palate first thing in the morning.

[SI]: Quick smoke with a coffee in the morning. But it is really interesting to take a cigar that you smoke ammezzato all the time and then take a nice Saturday afternoon with a book or something like that and really just smoke the whole thing, and see what the difference is. It's a building in intensity of flavor, and it's more of a ride than the instant burst of complexity that ammezzato offers.

I'm really enjoying the Terre. It might be one of my top blends that are 100% Italian leaf. It has more body than I typically associate with those blends that are 100% Italian, and really great aromatic qualities.

[AW]: Nice and smooth. There is an Oriental quality to it. If we're comparing it to pipe tobaccos...

[SI]: It's the floral earthiness. There's a little bit of spice.

[AW]: A little sour.

[SI]: I think some of that is that fermentation, for sure. But it has a lot of body without a ton of strength, which I think for a lot of smokers is a good thing. And again, it's a nice change of pace for some of the heavier, more American leaf-forward blends that Toscano offers.

[AW]: Yeah, I would say it's a little bit more nuanced.

[SI]: Elegant. I think this would pair well with a variety of lighter-bodied wines.

[AW]: Oh, sure.

[SI]: Maybe lighter roast coffees and pour-over, but it still has enough body and flavor to stand up if you are a smoker that craves those bolder and spicier flavors. It's really good.

Practice of Aging Cigars

I also think these are gonna age well. A lot of you out there might be familiar with the practice of aging cigars and cellaring pipe tobacco. It took me a while, and it sort of happened by happy accident, but a handful of my friends in Italy who are avid Toscano smokers have shared with me over the years some stuff that they had laid down and aged.

Toscanos are dry cured. They will hold up for a reasonably long time in their packaging without any sort of humidification. But if you do put them in a humidor — and I would suggest keeping them separate from the rest of your cigars, if you do put them in a humidor at a lower humidity level than you might for a New World cigar — they age beautifully long term.

[AW]: Everything levels out and mellows a bit. You still get some of that spicy, robust character, but it is like an aged, vintage wine.

[SI]: The bouquet opens up a little bit more. You do perceive more sweetness than you would smoking them fresh. Again, Toscanos are aged before packaging and post-production. It stands to reason that more age would be better, but it's kind of expensive for them to age for 10 years. It's not that expensive for me to age it for 10 years. I do recommend, when you do find a Toscano that you love, cellar deep. You will thank yourself later.

[AW]: Totally. Thank you so much for doing this with me, Shane. It's been fun to talk about this little niche within the smoking world. I love everything that Toscano's doing. They've also come out with some more traditional-sized cigars as well, like the Brenta. My daily drivers are still the Classico and the Antico.

[SI]: I think it's a whole world of exploration if you haven't already gone there. If you're already a fan of Toscano, make sure you check out the Terre. And also, the recently released Toscanello Limoncello, which was probably the most talked about cigar at the trade show this year. Another incredible combination of Dark-Fired rustic heritage and aromatics that are really fun when they're combined.

[AW]: Yeah, and such a unique Italian flavor, too. Be sure to drop us a comment and let us know what your favorite Toscano cigar is.