If you asked me to name a brand that surprises me, that brand will be Toscano. I don’t hide the fact I work in a cigar shop and the amount of these cigars that sell blow my mind. It’s seasoned cigar smokers who gravitate to them as well. When I ask them what draws them to the cigar the answers are always the same. The taste and the fact you can leave these in your car, locker, or golf bag as they require no humidification.
However, not everyone is aware. I once had a customer call mail order for 2GuysCigars.com and yell at me that my company should be ashamed to send a cigar that is so dried up and shriveled. I attempted to explain to him fire-curing of which he would have no part of. To quote, “if you use fire to cure, it would burn the tobacco and smoke it before I could. ”
The Stilnovo line utilizes tobacco from 2011 and it is the first Toscano cigar to feature a double wrap. More simply put it has a binder which Toscano has never used before.
Cigar Review: Toscano Stilnovo
Wrapper: Northern American Kentucky
Binder: Italian
Filler: Italian
Length: 6.5″
Ring Gauge: 40
The Look: Packaged in three count boxes, the Stilnovo can be smoked as a whole cigar or cut in half to enjoy at separate times. It almost seems sacrilegious but the cigars are designed for just that. Its a weathered looking stick that isn’t straight as you can see from the pictures below and once cut it has the look of something from a Clint Eastwood western. For the purpose of the review I am smoking the cigar whole.
The Notes: The cold draw is fire cured tobacco through and though with a smoky flavor component. The aroma off the wrapper is sweet and the foot of the cigar offers up more fired cured aromas. Once the cigar is lit as you would expect the smokey notes are dominant.
Moving into the first third of the cigar the smoke notes begin to dissipate as we from the slightly tapered foot. As the smokey notes pull back a sweetness begins to develop with tasty fruits notes along the lines of kiwi’s which remains the focal point along with some pepper and wood on the retrohale.
Shortly after breaching the half way point the sweet fruit taste begins to dissipate as notes of charred wood and a smokey component begin to emerge. The charred wood component is intensified on the retrohale which also offers up a touch of pepper.
As we finish the Toscano Stilnovo the final third brings us back to where we began with a strong fire cured taste that is smokey with a hint of maple like sweetness. The retrohale continues to offer pepper along with some remaining flavors of charred wood.
The Finish: Looking at a Toscano cigar, I just don’t want to smoke them. It’s not a premium cigar, at least in appearance. But there is a reason these are the number one selling cigars in Italy. If you smoke one, you’ll see why people love them so much. It’s become a best sell for a reason and a valid one at that. It’s more then the cigar requiring no humidification, it’s about the taste. As much as I don’t want to admit I like this smokes and I think you should definite try one, who knows you might wind up keeping them in your glove box or golf bag on the regular.
Score: 91
Cigar Price: $22.99 (3 Cigars) / $99.99 (Sleeve of 15 Cigars)
Toscano Stilnovo
Toscano Stilnovo Foot
Toscano Stilnovo Burn
