ItalianSmokes Guide for Newcomers to Toscano Cigars
Toscano cigars have a distinct appeal to many. Each cigar is notable in taste and strength. If you are new to the Toscano cigar, it can be a little overwhelming and confusing to choose the right Toscano cigar to smoke. Strength? Flavor? What drinks do you want to pair it with?
For Cigar Beginners
If this is your first time smoking a cigar, we would suggest you start with a mild one, like Toscanello. We have a lot of varieties in the Toscanello range and they are all mild to medium in strength. The original Toscanello is 3/5 or medium in strength and it has the aromas of fresh earth, toast and aromatic wood.
If you think that might be too strong, try our range of aromatic Toscanello cigars - Caffe (coffee), Macchiato, Vaniglia (vanilla), Cioccolato (chocolate), and Hazelnut Raffinato (hazelnut). All of these are mild in strength and carry some sweet notes. The Hazelnut Raffinato cigar includes a sweetened tip that provides a nice sugary contrast to the tobacco. Toscanello cigars are pleasant, easy to smoke, and you can easily pair them with coffee, tea, craft beers, wines, or spirits. They are about half the size of the typical Toscano cigars, making them ideal for a short smoke break.
If you are feeling a little adventurous, try Toscano Extravecchio. It is aged 9 months and is 3/5 or medium in strength. It has a savory and bitter taste to it, but its aroma is a unique blend of herbs and spices. Pair this cigar with a light red wine, beers or cordials, to prevent it from clouding your palette.
For Cigar Aficionados
Toscano Originale and Toscano Classico are two of our bestsellers, and for good reason. Both are good choices to smoke as your first Toscano cigar. Both are at 4/5 or strong in strength, but with different flavors and aroma. Toscano Originale has a well rounded taste with aromas of tobacco and aromatic wood. It goes very well with spirits and bold red wines. Toscano Classico is savory with a slightly bitter taste, best paired with light red and white wines.
We also have cigars with strength of 5/5 or very strong for those who are keen on trying our more potent offerings. Toscano Antica Riserva is a very nice blend of dried fruit and toast. Toscano Antico and Toscanello Speciale on the other hand, are intensely bitter with aromas of pepper and aromatic wood. Our new addition: Toscano Anno Domini 1492 (Toscano AD1492) has a stunning, full body with earthy and woody aromas. All of these cigars are aged at least 12 months.
For strong cigars like these we usually recommend pairing them with a good cup of espresso or black coffee, but drink pairings are very subjective and we have seen successful pairings with bold red wine, brandy, cognac or fine single malt Scotch.
