Toscano Cigars first came to be in 1815, but had it not been for Christopher Columbus traveling to America in 1492 history may have written a different story. In 1868, the company was making 140 million cigars a year. The Originale was the first cigar made by Toscano but in 1970 the company stopped producing them when they abandoned hand rolled cigars. Fortunately in 1985, due to a strong response from consumers the company decided to reactivate selling hand-made cigars and the tradition that was passed down from generation to generation returned to Lucca, Italy.
Cigar Review: Toscano Originale
Wrapper: USA Kentucky
Filler: Italy, Kentucky/Tennessee
Length: 70mm (6 2/3″)
Ring Guage: 25/41
Size: Cheroot
The Look: The Originale comes in a 30 count box that has a leather like appearance. Inside the box there is a humidification device that attached via a magnet giving you instant storage for these cigars. It’s a gorgeous item, because it like the cigar is so different from what we expect to see in the American market. Inside the cheroot cigars feature dark tobacco that looks like the type of tobacco. It’s an ugly cigar that won’t win any awards in terms of appearance so you might need to take a leap of faith if you are looking at them on the shelf.
The Notes: The Original is open on both ends so there is no need to cut this bad larry up before lighting. The cold draw and nose of he cigar is the same due to the dark Kentucky Fire Cured tobacco. There is a touch of leather, anise and burning wood much like that of a camp fire. Once the cigar is lit there is that distinct fire cured tobacco taste.
As we continue to smoke the cigar which I won’t break down into thirds the Fire Cured taste is dominant, but the cigar has some sweetness to it as well. Considering it’s made from tobacco that is typically used for pipe smoking there is more of an aroma then a traditional cigar. Through the cigar I get notes of wood, burning wood, licorice, red pepper, oregano, and a subtle sweetness on the finish.
The mouth feel of the cigar is similar to that of smoking a pipe, it burns a little hotter than your typical cigar and the retrohale is aromatic while providing a long finish.
The Finish: While I don’t expect many people who read this website to be interested in a cigar like Toscano, I still chose to review it and I am glad I took the time to light one up. It’s the time of year where cigars getting national distribution are beginning to arrive. For those who enjoy a pipe, or Kentucky Fire Cured tobacco I think these are worthy of a try. For me it’s a cigar to enjoy while sitting around a campfire or in front of a fireplace. I definitely enjoyed it more than other cigars using similar tobacco.
Score: 88
Price: $5.99 / $159.99 (Box of 30)
Toscano Originale
Toscano Originale
