Tag Archives: Toscano

by | April 2, 2023 · 9:38 am

Toscano, Gurkha, Dos Niños and Cavalier Cigars

I started off this week with something a little different.  I had a Toscano Master Aged Serie 3 in the humidor from last year’s PCA show, and I decided it was time to give it a try.  I’ve been enjoying Toscano cigars for over 20 years, my wife brought me some from a trip to Italy in 2000 (Anticos), and I’ve been a fan.  I bought some more when I went to Italy myself a few years back, Unfortunately, I have so many other cigars to smoke, these get pushed to the back of the rotation. They are dry cured, so they are great to keep in the car in case of emergency, and it’s totally acceptable to cut them in half.  The Master Aged 3 I smoked is a high end Toscano, made with aged Kentucky tobacco, which is fire cured and tastes like it.  I probably should have cut it in half, because it had a hole in the middle of the cigar, under the band, which I had to cover with a finger to get a decent amount of smoke.  I only realize as I type that I could have cut it in half, it never occured to me when I was smoking it.  that would have saved me some frustration!  It was a bold, tasty cigar with the smoky, bar-be-cue type of flavors which is nice from time to time.  I still think the Modigliani is the best  Toscano I’ve smoked.

 

I bought a Gurkha Ghost Gold a few weeks ago after hearing someone rave about it.  I like the original Ghost well enough, so I wanted to give this a try.  They have replaced the Brazilian wrapper with a Habano, grown in Ecuador. I have to give a little critique of the Gurkha website here, on the Ghost pages there are some errors, the Gold list all three sizes the same, when it should be the Shadow at 5″ x 54, and the Exorcist at 6″ x 60, with the Asura, 6″X 54 being the only one correct.  There is also an inconsistency in the blend info, one place it says a Criollo 98 binder and Mexican in another. I tend to believe it has a Mexican binder.  This was a very nice smoke, I smoked it while watching Blazing Saddles, which may be a little ironic. The cigar burned well and had a nice, creamy sweetness.  I dug it, although it wouldn’t make any lists for me.  I’d smoke either the Ghost or the Gold again.

 

Another PCA show leftover was a Dos Niños robusto, which I believe to be the Corojo variety.  The guy behind this cigar is someone I’ve known for many years, from the Usenet days, named Chris Kelly. There are an abundance of Chris Kellys in the cigar business, one owns Tesa Cigars in Chicago, one is one of the owners of  Ezra Zion/Cigar Federation, and one is the owner of Leaf Lovers Tobacconist in the incorrectly named town of North East, PA. (it’s near Erie, with is in the North West part of the state). It’s the third one who owns the Dos Niños brand. From what I remember, he started this brand rolling the cigars himself in his shop. If I also remember correctly, which is a crapshoot, by the way, the are now produced by Francisco Almonte of DBL Cigars, and distributed by Sutliff. This cigar started off bold, which is why I think it was the Corojo as opposed to the Habano. It had a rich, heavy chocolate flavor that was quite good. It was less of a sweet chocolate, but very lush and satisfying.  I quite enjoyed the cigar, although I’ve been passing it over for the last 8 months, worried that if I smoked it and didn’t enjoy it I’d hurt a friend’s feelings.  No issue, it was very good. I’ve spent my weekend power-watching House of the Dragon before my free trial expires, and this got me through an episode and a half, pretty good for a 5″ x 50 robusto.

 

Finally, I smoked a Cavalier Geneve White toro last night. I was watching TV, and a wicked thunderstorm passed through, knocking out the power for 45 minutes or so. Oddly, when the main TV came back on, and we were trying to watch hockey, it didn’t have any sound.  I was quite unhappy since the TV was only a few months old. I did some Googling,  and came across an unlikely solution which involved turning the TV off, unplugging it, then holding down the power button in the remote for 30 seconds.  Seemed far fetched, but I was desperate. It actually worked. Reduced my stress level considerably. This all went down after I finished the cigar.  I first encountered this brand at the 2016 show where I met Sebastien Decoppet, who started this brand shortly before that.  He’s a young, hip guy with the beard and tattoos, last time I talked to him was in the Starbucks line after the ’22 TPE where he was kind enough to buy me a coffee.  Phil of Comedy-Cigars-Music fame sent me this Cavalier Geneve White toro, which I hadn’t had the chance to try yet.  This 6″x 52 cigar has a Habano wrapper, a Connecticut binder (guessing broadleaf, shade isn’t used for a binder often, if ever), and Habano fillers, probably made in Cavalier’s own factory in Honduras. Again, I was distracted by a reasonably violent thunderstorm, but this tasted very good, on the mild to medium side, with some bready notes and some spice. I can never taste the 24k gold leaf when I burn though it, but it’s a cool touch.  I’ve enjoyed the Cavalier cigars I’ve smoked, although it’s been limited to a handful of the “Black” varieties. This White was really good, and another thanks to Phil for sending this!

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | May 6, 2020 · 7:17 pm

Some Toscano Cigars and a Viva la Vida

My wife decided she wanted a picnic table to go with a couple of benches we had made years ago, so I bought some lumber and started building one. In an effort to reduce the profanity count during this project, I decided to break into a pack of Toscano cigar I purchased in Rome when I was there in May of 2018. I bought a pack of the Garibaldis and a pack of Extra Vecchio, not remembering having seen them in the states. The Garibaldi were introduced here earlier this year (or late last year) and I guess the Extra Vecchio have been here, at least that what Michael Cappellini, the brand ambassador for Toscano cigars in the US tells me. My wife brought me a pack of Toscano Antico from Italy in 2000, and I’ve been enjoying one now and then ever since. I especially like the Modigliani, although it’s quite expensive. The five packs in Rome were much less expensive than here, I think I paid seven or eight euros each, they push $20 here. $20 is still a deal for five cigars, especially since they are rugged, taste great, burn a long time, and you don’t need to keep them in your humidor. I smoked the Extra Vecchio yesterday over the course of about four hours, relit it several times of course, but it tasted great the whole time. These are heavy on the fire cured tobacco, so if you like that, you’ll really like these. It’s also quite OK to cut these in half for a shorter smoke or to share! The Garibaldi is quite tasty too, as well as the Antico. I had a random oddball Toscano that I don’t know what it was, but it was unusually mild and I wasn’t overly fond of it. Toscanos are great cigars to keep one from swearing at projects!

 

Last night I was looking for something interesting to smoke and I remembered I had picked up a Viva La Vida Diademas Finas some time ago. I haven’t smoked anything from the Artesano Del Tobacco Company yet, but I’ve heard plenty about them. I remember meeting Billy Fakih when I visited Cigar Inn in NYC several years ago, now he and his brother Gus have launched this brand, made by AJ Fernandez in Esteli. I picked this up at a newer local shop that is largely a warehouse operation that ships cigars to China and has a shop and lounge in the front. It’s an odd sort of arrangement, I haven’t stopped back. Apparently I chose the top end of the Viva La Vida line in this limited edition figurado. It’s a 6½”x52 cigar beautifully rolled. It has a Habano Oscuro wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. I let this rest because the first cigar I smoked that I had bought at this shop was quite over humidified, I played it right and this cigar burned perfectly, just lighting the “nipple” it drew perfectly and evenly throughout. The flavor was good, although I’d have to say it was unremarkable, there was nothing that really distinguished it from another really good cigar. It had very good tasting, well fermented tobacco, but nothing that really wow’d me, or made me excited. I wasn’t disappointed in any way, I was just ambivalent. Obviously, the art of rolling this cigar is without question, and I have no regrets, I just wish there was a flavor sensation that caught my attention. 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time,  

 

CigarCraig

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by | May 30, 2015 · 8:05 am

Toscano Modigliani Cheroot Cigar Report and Contest

As a long time fan of “interesting” cigars, I have been quite happy to have developed a relationship with the folks at ItalianSmokes.com. Since my wife brought me back some Antico Toscano cigars from Italy 15 years ago, and since Kentucky fire cured, or dark fire, tobacco was all the rage last year, I thought I’d give the newest offering from ItalianSmokes.com a try.  I’ll be honest, the Toscano 1492 was a little too smokey for me, so I hesitated a little before deciding to commit my precious cigar time to something new. But I did, and I was quite happy.  A little back story on what is a fairly expensive cigar for this genre.  The Toscano Modigliani is named for Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani  (12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920), an Italian painter and sculptor,  known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by elongation of faces and figures. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, where he Modigliani Toscanostudied the art of antiquity and the Renaissance, until he moved to Paris in 1906. There he came into contact with prominent artists such as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brâncuşi.  Amedeo Modigliani had little success in his short lifetime, but after his death he achieved greater popularity. He died at age 35 in Paris of tubercular meningitis. He was an avid smoker of Toscano style cheroots.

This cigar is a typical Toscano shaped cigar, a hair over 6″ long, with a ring gauge at its largest point in the 30 range. It tapers at both ends, and can either be cut in half to make two cigars, or smoked as one. I have done both in the past, but chose to smoke this whole, as it was Friday night and I just felt like it.  Any trepidation I had about smoking this cigar went away when I lit it up. It had a bit of the smokey flavor one gets from the Kentucky tobacco, although perhaps the fact that this was grown and processed in Italy as opposed to the US maybe tempered the smokeyness. This turned out to be a rich, flavorful smoke, not very complex, but loaded with good, sweet and savory flavor.  It’s got some strength to it, I  wouldn’t smoke this on an empty stomach, but that’s not uncommon for this type of cigar. It burned perfectly and who among us can say it isn’t fun hanging a cigar like this from your teeth Clint Eastwood style. It’s elegant in its ugliness, if that makes any sense, and was a fun, satisfying cigar to smoke. As I said, these approach $5 a stick MSRP, which seems a bit steep, but it’s worth it as far as I’m concerned.

 

modigliano contestI was going to have a contest, to give a pack of these away, but I like them so much I might have to smoke them all!  You all know me better than that! This contest will run through next Saturday, June 6, and I’ll announce a winner in my Sunday post.  I’ll include a five pack of the Toscano Modigliani, as well as a 1492 and an Antico so you can get an idea what some other Toscano style cigars are like if you haven’t tried them. Also I will include a Screwpop Cigar Cutter, which is perfect for cutting these cigars in half if you so desire (they do make great short smokes that way!), and is a useful tool for cutting the cap on your premium cigars.  The rules are simple, leave a comment for a chance to win, and I’ll draw a winner at random next Sunday. Usual rules apply.  Thank you to ItalianSmokes.com and Screwpop Tools for providing the goodies.

 

That’s it for today, enjoy the weekend and tune in tomorrow for the regular Sunday recap of the week’s events.

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | March 11, 2015 · 9:44 pm

A Great Big Toxic Cigar, Half a Toscano 1492 and an Arandoza

This isn’t going to be too long a post, we went to a local Vietnamese restaurant for dinner tonight and apparently Vietnamese cuisine isn’t a good match for my digestive tract!  Scratch that one off the list!  We have a shopping center within a half mile of the house that has a bunch of interesting eateries, and we’re working our way through. So far Cheeburger Cheeburger is a winner for dinner, and The Bacon Press is an obvious choice for breakfast and lunch (not open for dinner, the Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Jalapeño was really good). Something about the rice noodle wanton soup didn’t do it for me.  Anyway, if you want to hear about digestive woes tune into The Cigar Authority show, we’re here to talk about cigars! 🙂

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Toscano_1492Tuesday I was late getting home due to traffic, and figured it wound be a good time for a short smoke. I have had some Toscano 1492 cigars in the humidor for a month or two now, and have been waiting for the right time, this was it.  Toscano cigars are Italian cheroots, and are very rustic. They are hand rolled with out molds, and are meant to be cut in half and smoked that way. Of course you can smoke the whole thing if you want, but the tradition is to halve them. These are the cigars that use the majority of the Kentucky Fire Cured tobacco that was all the rage in premium cigars last year, and, if there was any doubt about that, the unlit flavor and aroma removes that doubt. They smell like a campfire. Sadly, I’m not enamored with this flavor profile, but once again I soldiered on, for science. It’s been my experience that this style of cigar burns longer than one would expect, and it took me nearly an hour to smoke the half of the 1492 (the unbanded half in the picture). THIS is an in your face, powerhouse of a little cigar, very smoky in flavor and not without some acidity and bitterness. This will certainly appeal to a group of folks who like that sort of thing, and certainly satisfy the need for a strong smoke. These and other Toscano style cigars are available at ItalianSmokes.com. Everyone should at least give this style of cigar a try to see what pure Tennessee grown Kentucky Fire Cured tobacco tastes like, and to look cool like Clint Eastwood.

 

Arandoza_White_RobustoTonight I enjoyed an Arandoza White Label Robusto after dinner as Macha and I took a walk on the first warm day of the year (I think it may have hit 60). I love it when it’s still light at 7 PM, and not having to suit up with hat and gloves and layers is a welcome change. The Arandoza White is a tasty smoke from the La Zona factory in Esteli. I seem to be amassing cigars made there recently, as I’ve gotten a box of La Sirena Divines in the past couple weeks which are also very nice (I smoked one Sunday, more on that as I smoke a few more and actually pay attention, now and then I need to just smoke a cigar without thinking about it!) I’ve talked about the Arandoza White Label before, and it’s a well balanced, dignified cigar that I find quite pleasant and flavorful, I’m a fan of the whole line. I’m very much looking forward to meeting Robert Arango at the IPCPR show this summer.

 

That’s enough for now. My new humidor shipped from Florida yesterday, so I’m hoping it arrives by Friday. Expect and update one way or the other on Sunday.  I have to figure out how it’s going to get unloaded from a truck, the new house has no loading dock, nor do I own a forklift (fun fact: I am a licensed forklift driver!). I cant wait to finally get this thing and get it up and running!

 

Have a great week, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 14, 2013 · 10:59 am

An Inka, a Four Kicks, Italian Cigars, News and a Recluse Contest Winner!

Inka_Rojo_FiguradoAfter yet another disappointing Flyers loss Thursday night, we stopped into the cigar bar and I lit up a little box pressed torpedo that Mitchell Orchant of C.Gars Ltd gave me to try at the IPCPR show last year.  This was the Inka Secret Blend Rojo Figurado, which is a 4″ x 52 little torpedo that is a Peruvian Puro. I gave this cigar a clip with the V-cutter, which is a little weird on a torpedo, but it works.  This is an incredible little smoke, it’s a medium to full bodied cigar with a terrific flavor akin to something with a Habano wrapper.  I wasn’t too surprised, knowing that Mitchell had a hand in the blend, and that he survives on a steady diet of Havana cigars.  I’ve enjoyed the heck out of the Inkas I’ve smoked, and am looking forward to trying something in the Azul line too.  It’s unfortunate that these have UK pricing, I would happily drop $4 or $5 on this little guy, but $8 is a bit steep. Great smokes that are worth trying if you have the chance!

 

FourKicks_CoronaGordaFriday evening’s walk featured a Four Kicks Corona Gorda that I had purchased a few months ago when I visited a shop, and I cannot remember which shop it was.  I’m late to the party on this one, I admit, I figured it was time to give it a go and see what the hubbub was all about.  I trust most readers are familiar with this initial release from Crowned Heads, made up of the folks formerly of CAO, and blended by Ernesto Carillo in his factory in the DR.  This is one of my favorite cigar sizes, 5-5/8” x 46, and I have to admit that my expectations were high.  It was a nice smoke, very enjoyable, but didn’t blow me away.  Maybe it’s just not my particular cup of tea from the start, but as it progressed it grew on me and by the time I was done I was pretty pleased (with the smoke, not that I was done!).  I was recently gifted a robusto by  Alex the StogieCop, so I look forward to sampling that size, and I think I still have a Headley Grange with about 9 months of humidor time on it that will be interesting to revisit.  Gotta give the guys at Crowned Heads credit for getting back in the game with some good smokes.

 

Saturday I decided would be Italian day, and I’ll tell you why.  I’ve been hearing about fire cured Kentucky leaf here and there.  It’s apparently featuring prominently in one of Sam Leccia‘s new blends, as well as a new My Uzi Weighs a Ton from Joya De Nicaragua/Subculture Studios.  When I hear fire cured Kentucky tobacco my first thought is the Italian Toscano style cigars (that sounds odd, but it’s true).   Back in 2000 my wife travelled to Italy and brought me back some Antico Toscano cigars that I enjoyed. These cheroots can be cut in half for 2 short smokes, or smoked all at once.  I received a 5 pack of Toscano Classico and a 5 pack of Toscanello Aroma Caffé from the folks at Italiansmokes.com, along with a discount code for you guys to use on their site (CIGCRAIG10).  I lit up a Toscanello after running some errands, and was outside vacuuming out the car.  I was surprised by this little cigar, I expected an overpowering and cloying coffee flavor, but it was very subtle. These are strong, but very pleasant little smokes that are certainly quite durable.  I probably spent 45 minutes with this little guy.  I can see keeping these around for a nice, short smoke.  After a nap (during another losing Flyers game), I took a walk with a Toscano Classico.  I chose the Intero method of smoking this, which is smoking it all at once instead of cutting it in half.  Again, I was very surprised by the flavor of this cigar. It’s a distinctive flavor that one doesn’t get in a premium, Caribbean/Central American cigar.  I would say these are strong, but not harsh.  Certainly cutting one of these in half and either sharing it or saving half for later is an option that is perfectly acceptable and may even make a bit of difference in the flavor.  An added benefit to this style of cigar is that you will look cool smoking them, like Clint Eastwood in a spaghetti western!  Thanks to Cedric at ItalianSmokes.com for sending these along.

 

Contest!

This contest has been a bit longer than usual, but I think it’s worth it.  The prize is spectacular in my opinion and someone is going to be very pleased I’m sure.  Once again, my thanks go to Scott at Iconic Leaf, along with his wife Kelly and JR Dominguez and everyone involved.  They are making excellent boutique smokes and I can’t express enough how much I enjoy them.  They have a bunch of neat sizes and shapes and are magnificently constructed.  Thanks to everyone for entering and answering the question “What do you know about Recluse Cigars?” and thanks to Scott for jumping in and answering some of the questions along the way.  I’m still waiting for an answer about 2 Guys shipping to CA, so sit tight.  Once again I’ve numbered all of the entries, taking out my comments as well as Scott’s and any duplicates and consulted the Random Number Generator at Random.org.  I entered  the number 47 and it returned number  20, which corresponds to Steven Miller, who needs to send me his address so I can ship this lovely box to him!  Stay tuned for next month’s contest which may have something  to do with Drew Estate since I’ll be visiting there in the next few weeks.

 

One more thing:

This comes from Matt Pera regarding the Midwest Smokeout:

You can expect one of the biggest and best cigar shows in the U.S. People travel from all over the world to attend this event. We expect nearly every state to be represented, along with at least four foreign countries. We will have legends from the cigar industry in attendance, including Carlito Fuentes, Tony Gomez, Lou Rodriguez, Victor Vitale and Clay Roberts. A ticket to the Midwest Smoke Out includes 14 of the world’s finest cigars, premium tastings of first-class wine, beer and spirits, gourmet food, live entertainment, and a few surprises along the way.

The event is not just for smokers. We have found that people who do not partake in cigars still want to attend the Midwest Smoke Out to get in on fun. For these people, we are offering a $95 ticket that does not include the 14 premium cigars.

We launched the Midwest Smoke Out in 2010 because we saw a glaring need in the Chicago area for an event that allowed cigar lovers to light up and mingle. Anti-smoking legislation in Chicago has made it more difficult to find places where you can enjoy a good cigar and good company. Our event fills that void and has really become an occasion that people look forward to all year.

Every year we add new features to improve on our success. We have new cigars, new spirits, and fresh entertainment. We are also really engaging people via social media this year. During this final month leading up to the Midwest Smoke Out, we are offering weekly contests on Facebook and Twitter that give people a chance to win free tickets to the event.

When you walk into the Midwest Smoke Out, you know that you are attending a lavish affair. The sweet smell of cigar smoke hangs in the air, live music plays in the background, friends are sharing laughs while enjoying top-shelf drinks – whiskey, gin, craft beer, vodka, tequila, wine, you name it – and mingling with some of the most beautiful women in the Midwest. Booths are set up throughout The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, where vendors offer gourmet food, premium cigars, fine cocktails and more. Luxury cars are situated at various sites on the event floor to be admired. This is a place where people are encouraged to relax. It is a time to unwind, forget the stress of daily life, and just have fun.

While cigars are a highlight of the night, we are very proud to offer a variety of fantastic items for people to enjoy. That includes the best in wine, liquor and beer, mouthwatering gourmet food, the chance to meet some of the most influential people working in the cigar business, exceptional entertainment and much more. We work hard to make sure people who attend the Midwest Smoke Out are spoiled from start to finish.

Visit www.MidwestSmokeOut.com for all the details and let me know if you go and how it is. I’d be happy to post a  guest review of the event here.

 

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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