At the seaside with the Toscano Cigar
I am often asked, above all by newbies, if slow smoking is well-suited to a seaside experience. My answer is: Of course! Although it needs some careful planning to ensure the care of the Toscano cigar, which is sensitive to sun exposure and damp. Before leaving, I would recommend choosing a manageable size container that will fit in your suitcase and which is sufficiently large to hold your supply of ‘stortignaccoli’ (or ‘crooked cigars’).
From my point of view, there are two ideal times to savour our beloved Toscano cigar while at the seaside.
The first of these is in the morning, when the sun has not yet reached its peak, with a good Italian coffee. Here, I would recommend a light cigar, of which there are several in the Toscano range. Examples include the Garibaldi (the Grande I would keep for other moments) and the Toscanello, including the Toscanello Velluto. This is one of the most recent Toscano cigars, designed to cater to newer smokers as it is made with a softer, lighter tobacco, produced prevalently in the Benevento area, which has gone through several fermentation stages in order to mellow the Toscano’s typically more pungent notes.
The second occasion is at nightfall, watching the sun set over the sea, with a cocktail, either fruit-based or a more classical Negroni or Martini. The elegant, delicate Soldati Cigar is the traditional accompaniment. Alternatively, you may wish to step up the intensity with a Classico, an Antica Reserva or the more aromatic Modigliani, which is also recommended for female smokers.
If on the other hand you’re a bearded, restless soul, in search of the latest trend, then I would recommend the mermaid ‘beardflip’, the recurring hit joke of the American summer, which has become an Instagram sensation