PCA Magazine 2022 Show Issue

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG VOLUME 2 2022 | PCA The Magazine 27 with his priest brother, Tuco tries to put on a brave face: “My brother, he’s crazy about me. That’s so. Even a tramp like me, no matter what happens, I know there’s a brother somewhere will never refuse me a bowl of soup.” TheMan with No Name (Tuco calls himBlondie) hands Tuco a chopped-in-half Toscano, intoning, “Well, after a meal there’s nothing like a good cigar.” Truer words were never spoken. Contentedness ensues all around. Vartan Seferian, the owner of Ambassador Fine Cigars in Phoenix, Arizona, says his customers are very contented indeed with Toscano cigars. “More andmore people are discovering Toscano, and in fact the brand is helping us grow our business,” he reports. “It tastes great, and it is also perfect for our very difficult climate here in Arizona. You can leave a Toscano in the car, hot or cold, and it stays in good shape. People should give it a try.” In the United States, Toscano is distributed by Avanti Cigar Company of Dunmore, Pennsylvania (a subsidiary of Parodi Holdings, LLC). Retailers can explore the full line of Toscano offerings at toscanocigars.com , and inquire about ordering at info@ toscanocigars.com . T H E B L E N D cigars. Wondering how the American palate might be greeting such an exotic smoke, we asked David Garofalo how the cigars were faring at his Two Guys Smoke Shops in New Hampshire. He said, “Toscano has been a great addition. Displayed near our register, and away from the humidor, each and every sale started as an add-on purchase only. Added sales add to the average ring, whichmakes a big difference to the bottom line. Then, after a customer has tried Toscano, they come back and continue to add them in with every purchase, and because most of my local competitors don’t carry them, my customer count is growing at the same time. This unique little cigar is a winner all around, and the best-kept secret in the premium cigar industry.” Benedetta Bergantino, Toscano Cigars communications manager, says, “The DNA of our company contains history, tradition, quality and innovation. The best raw ingredients combined with Italian know-how have made Toscano a symbol of the Italian manufacturing excellence we think could work in every Italian company.” That history and tradition go back a very long way. With evident pride, she says, “For more than 200 years Toscano cigars have beenmade using the same tobacco, the same recipe, andmade in the same way by our cigar rollers who you can see at work in our Lucca factory. The Italian cigar had always been, since 1818, a property of Monopoli di Stato. It had been taken over in 2004 by the British American Tobacco Italia, but in July 2006 the company went back to its Italian origins thanks to acquisition by a group of Italian entrepreneurs.” Packaging and graphics are all handled by the Italian agency Sebastiani & Associati, bringing long experience in packaging in the Italian style. The company seems to be well-represented on the ground in the States. Brand ambassador Michael Cappellini says, “My work is currently concentrated in the U.S., hosting events in retail locations. We have an amazing teamwho are the lifeblood of our presence here, growing our distribution. We also have a great sales manager in Belinda Doyle and a team of experts in Italy, who help guide us in our execution and messaging.” Cost need not be any bar to customers curious to try an Italian cigar. ToscanoMSRPs range from about $4 to $11, although retailers can expect benchmark pricing. Besides, the real cost of most Toscanos is half-price because of one other tradition that rates mention: In Italy, Toscanos are known as the “cigar of friendship” owing to the common practice of cutting a Toscano in half to share with a friend. The tradition began duringWorldWar I, when money was scarce. Then, when demand exceeded production in the years after the two world wars, that also encouraged the halving of Toscanos. This (along with those Eastwood movies) probably accounts for the image of Toscano cigars as short smokes, when in fact the company’s mainstay products measure 6” to 7.75” out of the box, most with about a 38 ring gauge. Many of them in fact get smoked a half at a time, even among smokers imbibing alone. Satiation delivered by a half Toscano goes a long way. The sharing tradition brings to mind another Sergio Leone film scene, from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly . After Eastwood’s character witnesses Tuco in a physical altercation In Italy, Toscanos are known as the “cigar of friendship” owing to the common practice of cutting a Toscano in half to share with a friend. The tradition began during World War I, when money was scarce.