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The Toscano was first presented to the public in 1930 and its popularity spread remarkably quickly thanks to its traditional, pleasant taste. It is made entirely of Italian Kentucky tobacco both for the wrapper and the filler. This fine tobacco is worked according to an ancient and learned tradition handed down from generation to generation. All procedures are followed with care and passion by highly qualified expert personnel. A typical aspect of the production of Kentucky tobacco is the fire curing, devised in the United States to create particular conditions concerning temperature and relative humidity in the curing barns. Even today heat is produced by lighting oakwood fires on the floor, one of the oldest systems in use, even if some small structural changes have had to be made in Italy to compensate for the different climatic conditions from those in the United States. The maturation and seasoning of the Toscano takes at least 6 months, and it is constructed by machine under the constant supervision of one of the workers in the factory in Cava dei Tirreni. It comes in an elegant box of 5 cigars which adds to its fineness and value. Only 26.95 per 20 cigars The Antico Toscano represents more than any other the tradition and classical quality of Toscano cigars, to the extent that it is particularly appreciated above all by the most expert smokers. This cigar was first produced in 1973 in the factory in Lucca, the city where the working of tobacco was already widespread in the first half of the 17th Century. The Antico Toscano was created about two hundred years after the famous episode that marked the origin of the Toscano cigar. In fact the story goes that a sudden downpour drenched some Kentucky tobacco heaped in a courtyard, the humidity and the heat caused phenomena of fermentation that led the proprietors to use it as filler for low-cost cigars. Cigars were put on sale with a single layer of natural Kentucky wrapper to cut down on costs. Success was immediate and the people affectionately called it 'Toscano'. The Antico Toscano represents almost two centuries of history and tradition in tobacco manufacturing. The Kentucky tobacco gives the Antico Toscano an extremely decisive character. The wrapper is made up of North American Kentucky leaves, while Italian Kentucky and cuts from the wrapper are used for the filler; the maturation and seasoning of the tobacco used for this cigar lasts a good 12 months. The antico Toscano comes with a band in the colours of the Italian flag and a medallion, each cigar is individually wrapped in cellophane and kept in an elegant case containing five pieces. Only $ 36.95 per 20 cigars Toscano Extra Vecchio cigars were sold for the first time in 1953 and ever since the most expert smokers have appreciated them to such an extent that they have become their preferred smoke. It is a cigar that has a strong, decisive taste and is characterised by an intense aroma. The production of Extra Vecchio Toscano cigars, made from Italian Kentucky tobacco, involves a long fermentation period for the filler, and this contributes to giving it a full-bodied, pleasant taste. The procedure followed for working the tobacco is that of bygone days: first of all the leaves are selected, the best ones, the whole leaves with the thinnest veins, are used for the wrapper, while the others make up the filler. The production stages do not follow rigid rules since the tobacco, being a natural product, can sometimes possess different characteristics. The Toscano Extra Vecchio is made by machine: one of the workers lays the leaf on a flat top and with the help of a tile cuts it to the right size, then a fine layer of corn starch paste is applied on the area where the cigar is closed and the leaf is wrapped around the filler using a mobile rubber surface that 'imitates' the movement of the cigar maker's hands, and finally the head and foot of the cigar are trimmed using a pair of cigar cutters. Just like for a fine wine, after the drying, ringing and wrapping in cellophane there follows the maturing period, which in the case of the Toscano Extra Vecchio lasts at least 9 months. This year the high quality of this cigar was recognised by the Slow Food Association on the occasion of the Fair in Turin. The Toscano Extra Vecchio, like most Toscano cigars, has a band in the colours of the Italian flag with the words 'Toscano ExtraVecchio' and is sold in a case containing 5 cellophane wrapped cigars. It is highly appreciated by true connoisseurs for its skilful construction and slow ageing. Only $ 30.95 per 20 cigars This creation of the Toscanello is closely linked with the end of the Second World War, and in fact it first went on sale in 1948. At that time there was an abundance of Toscano cigars in storage and so a decision was taken to cut them in half to make them easier to smoke, and ever since the number of Toscanello smokers has been growing daily. The length of these cigars, approximately 77 mm, makes them more decisive and accentuates the characteristics of the smoke itself. Being half-Toscanos, these cigars are constructed entirely from Italian Kentucky tobacco for both the wrapper and the filler, and are matured and seasoned for 4 months. The use of this high quality tobacco makes the cigars both elegant and amiable. You just have to think of how much dedication and passion was put into them by those working at each stage of the production; the growers, the harvesters, the curers and the manufacturers. In the past it was mainly women who worked in the cigar factories, famous for their concentration and skill in evaluating the material; ladies who used to work in the tobacco factories tell of how cigar factory girls were particularly sought after: the steady work and guaranteed pay led many young men to ask for their hands in marriage. These cigars are produced in the factories of Lucca and Cava dei Tirreni, they come in cases of 5 cigars, with no band or cellophane wrapping. Only $ 25.95 per 40 cigars The Senese is a cigar with a fresh, aromatic taste arising from a shrewd, expert choice of tobacco. After many trials sub-tropical tobacco came to be used for the wrapper and blends of European and exotic sub-tropical tobaccos from Java, Sumatra and Santo Domingo for the filler. Its originality lies in its soft, round taste, its light colour and its aroma that carries us back to the lovely, peaceful Sienese hills, where the old-fashioned tastes of a healthy, wholesome lifestyle are mixed with the pleasure of quietly enjoying the sweet aroma of this rather special cigar. It is particularly appreciated by lady smokers thanks to its pronounced lightness and pleasant tropical fragrances which give the Senese such an original and flavoursome aroma. It is made by machine in the factory in Lucca. Some experts maintain that machine constructed cigars are superior to handmade ones in that the filler is measured out and distributed more evenly in the wrapper thereby ensuring the right consistency and a better draw. The natural aromatic characteristics of the blends of tobaccos used for the Senese are enhanced thanks to the age-old techniques used during manufacture. In order to preserve the flavour and aroma, each Senese is individually wrapped in cellophane and presented in boxes of 5 cigars. Thanks to the typical measurements of the half cigar, the Senese is also much appreciated for its practicality. Only $31.95 per 40 cigars