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Translated to English: A high quality mixture, made from fine tobaccos Virginia and Kentucky, enriched by Oriental leaves.
New pouch description: Blend with Italian Tobacco. Virginia and Kentucky
Notes: The Italia blend of tobacco historically was a product of the Italian State Monopoly. Production was switched to Ente Tabacchi Italiani, which was bought by BAT (British American Tobacco) in 2003, and then acquired in 2006 by Maccaferri Group Manufactures, of which Manifatture Sigaro Toscano handles the pipe tobacco production.
Favorite Of 1 Users
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Tobacco (1) |  |
Medium | Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
When I started smoking the pipe, I think 20 years ago, Italia wasn't at all a world reknown pipe baccy. And it really was also a really different pipe tobacco compared to the one sold today. Ordinary pipe smokers used Italia to add character to untasty or poor pipe blends. Whenever one happened to buy a bag of Italia, the long stripped ribbons were dry more often than not and the colour darker than in the recent days. An aromatisant spirit (probably cheap rhum or grappa) was used at the average of 5% to keep the blend humid. A scent of natural tobacco characterized the blend. No preservants were used. The blend had also a tipical smell of jute - probably due to the presence of oriental tobaccos such as Xanthy or Greek domesticated seeds. To my surprise, I sometimes bumped into Italia bags delivering a scent of seasoned Pecorino cheese.
Anyway, once packed in whatever the kind and shape of pipe, the tobacco lit up and burned easily, though a bit fast, delivering a cigarish room note. The strength and the taste of the blend was strong enough to deliver a bitter stubborn taste on any pipe smoker's tongue and a middle-to-strong nicotine punch at middle-end of the bowl. Nothing special, really. And a very difficult blend to smoke...not at all an all day tobacco, nor for beguinners.
And no surprise that the blend was cheap, provided that one was lucky enough to find a bag in a tobacco shop. Italia costed the old 4.000 liras, equivalent to € 1,50...the price of a capuccino today. At that times - mid '90s of the last century - very excellent buccy still lingered in the tobacconists' shelves - namely balkan sobranie bags and Three Nuns tins - whose fabulous and unrivaled content I loved and smoked most of the times if my finances allowed it.
To be fair, Italia was the kind of blend which pipe smokers could smell when stepping into the old villages cafes, frequented by old peasants pulling and puffing hardly Italia, Trinciato Comune or even worse Nazionale on their old fashioned and seasoned tarry, heavely caked briar pipes.
Those times have long foregone! The Monopolio di Stato - the producer of our four and only national pipe blends Italia, Comune, Forte and Golf - has recently been tranformed into a private share company with the state owning just a 40% share. Tobacco brands have changed and somewhat increased in number as far as the cigarette pruduction is concerned. Traditional cigars and pipe tobaccos are still in the tobacconists' shelves keeping the old brands (some anyway have been cancelled). The composition, tasting and aromatic features have indeed changed - I think to reach the international smokers' taste.
Of course, Italia also has. First of all, nowdays the blend's ribbons are less stripped and shorter than before, the colour is brighter, and a sweety/honey liquorous aromatizant (up to 10/15%) has been added together with humectants. So that, when one opens the bag a scent of honey, spirits and wallnuts hits the nostrils, and the natural tobacco smell taking its space after some seconds.
The blend composition has also undergone a variation; one can find more burley, orientals (Xanthy and Greek seeds....the jute bag scent) and Italian virginia than kentucky leaves in different grades (I think 60% of the first and 40% of the remainder). The result is a pretty different smoke experience: the ribbons still pack and ligt up easily.
The first half of the bowl sounds sweet, smooth, nutty, delivering spring fragrances, whilst when approaching the second half the blend starts delivering its traditional character though with more complexity in the backgorund, with tastes of fresh wallnuts, oriental flowers and jute (the Greek seeds) and a good but not strong nicotine kick towards the end of the bowl. The bitter stubborn taste of the old times disappeared, not a fresh smoke but not even a tongue bite - so one can also smoke it faster with no risk.
In all, Italia has become an all day more balanced pipe smoking blend, akin to Amphora Original but less sugary and with less body and with more fragrance complexity and smoothness. And obviously with more nicotine content than Amphora...that makes the smoke experience more interesting.
P.S..: Just a smoking directive: keep the bag open for an hour before you smoke it to decrease the sugary/honey scent and to appreciate more the blend complexity from the first puffs.
In all an excellent still cheap four stars Italian blend.
Pipe Used: Parker Bark 578
Age When Smoked: 15 days from purchase
Purchased From: Local Tobacconist
Similar Blends: Amphora Original Blend, Mac Baren Golden Blend.
11 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Nuvoleazzurre (36) |  |
Mild to Medium | Strong | Full | Extra Strong |
Parlerò del secondo prodotto nostrano per eccellenza l’Italia o per essere precisi Italia Gusto Classico. Esporre un parere, un gusto su questo tabacco è una operazione ardua, in rete esistono moltissimi giudizi e sicuramente il mio non aggiungerà nulla di nuovo, ma cominciamo. Innanzitutto si tratta di un mix di Kentuky nostrano, Virginia ed Orientali in un taglio trinciato: Shag. La confezione è un punto di riferimento essendo uno dei tabacchi ubiquitari presenti dai rivenditori, la sua busta rossa penso sia passata almeno una volta fra le mani ti tutti i fumatori. Apertala si percepiscono aromi fruttati, il Virginia sembra prevalere sugli altri tabacchi, poi continuando ad annusare si percepisce il tipico aroma di cuoio del Kentuky. La pipa si carica molto bene, il tabacco è abbastanza secco, poche, ma buone prese e si ottiene una giusta carica, come tutte le folte le prove di aspirazioni a pipa spenta sono essenziali per comprendere se si è ecceduto con la forza di pressione. Anche l’accensione è rapida, attenzione ad usare subito il pigino, questo tabacco reagisce subito alla fiamma tendendo ad espandersi. I primi puff sono rudi, acidi oserei dire, poi questo gusto cambia per lasciare spazio al kentuky coi suoi sentori di fieno e cuoio. Gli Orientali sono molto nascosti, si vede che la percentuale è molto bassa; il virginia invece mitiga l’asprezza tipica del Kentuky nostrano. E’ comunque un tabacco schietto, non evolve e in questo poi è il suo grande pregio, può anche far impazzire per quanto si usa il pigino, ma anche un buon fumo per quando sono un po’ sovrappensiero. Alla fine è sincero, non promette, ma mantiene, si fuma tutto e non lascia delusioni o chissà quale sensazione. E’ un buon bicchier di vino, di quello prodotto dal contadino, sanguigno, deciso, ma per questo schietto. Che poi lasci la gola aspra, non importa è lui e lo ama o si odia per questi motivi. Si dice che ottimo per i neofiti per la sua felicità di fumo, io invece dico che il neofita si può spaventare perché è troppo diretto e sincero. Ottimo per le miscele, ma poi perde il suo essere un trinciato nostrano, senza le vette dei tabacchi inglesi, ma non per qesato di minor sensazione. Certo la nota ambientale non è delle più blande, ma un toscano è ben più forte e nessuno ne parla. Lo consiglio come fumata senza avere pensieri di trovare alle sottogusti o profumi quando si vuole fumare solo per il piacere del fumare il tabacco. Ecco perché il lento fumo mi piace. E’ lo stesso motivo per cui mi piacciono la musica e la letteratura: le pvie per orientarsi in questi universi sono infinite, sta ad ognuno trovare la propria. Provando e riprovando, con attenzione e con pazienza, a patto di non farsi del male per giungere a determinati obiettivi o volere a tutti costi essere arrivati ad un traguardo; il tabacco successivo sperimentato sarà ottimo o pessimo a seconda dei momenti e del gusto non del tabacco. Dò un 4/5 perché come tutti i prodotti nostrani non illude mai.
Pipe Used: Savinelli Venere, Ulrik, DonFlorian, Dunhill
Age When Smoked: 57
5 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| felipe (6) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Excellent blend of italian natural tobaccos.
The virginias are good, although not very matured and complex. I consider this as a plus, since that is not the main point of the blend. You can taste the toscano-ish bitter notes from the kentucky, while the orientals start to kick in at mid bowl.
It's a great tobacco for beginners, as it's quite easy to keep lit, doesn't burn too much and doesn't suffer from overheating, provided that one actually likes fire-cured kentucky.
Many people use it for breakin-in new pipes and tame rebel pipes, as the kentucky tends to absorb moist and harsh woody humors.
Good as a tasty and satisfying all-day smoke. Plus, it's cheap (at least in Italy, I don't know about elsewhere).
Pipe Used: Many briars
Age When Smoked: From the shelf
Purchased From: Many tabacconists
Similar Blends: Amphora OB.
4 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Mexican Piper (6) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Full | Tolerable |
This tobacco is nearing perfection. First off, it costs around 5€, and if you're a cheap smoker like me, this is awesome. That's not even close to being it's most important quality however. Italia is a tobacco you can smoke any day, any time of the day, it's got that sweet tang for the first third (sometimes even first half of the bowl) coming from the virginias which can be appealing during the morning. It's got that nice nice hit and raw tobacco flavours from the Italian Kentucky that show from the very first puff all through to the ashes on the bottom of the bowl. It's got that leathery, peppery, spicy, sweet, acidic tang from the Italian Kentucky that leaves you oh ever so satisfied after dinner. It can be a beautiful relaxing smoke on a summer's evening or a calm warm pipefull after a hearty winter dinner.
The cut is perfect, it comes off pretty dry off the pouch and imho, that's how you should smoke it. Pack it tightly and it will burn slowly all the freakin way down with very little relights. It evolves, from sweetness and tanginess to peppery spicy nuttiness. This tobacco leaves an amazing after taste on your mouth, and if this bites your tongue, you're doing something wrong, because I puff this like a freight train and the smoke remains cool.
There is a casing or top flavor added that I cannot identify, but it's there especially during the first 10 minutes of the bowl, and don't get me wrong, it works perfectly.
I'll be stocking up on a lot of this, age will help it become even better due to the virginias in here. If you're an Italian pipe smoker and haven't tried this, please do so. If you're an Italian pipe smoker and "don't like this", stop being a snob and admit that this 5€ italian made pouch tobacco that's readily available even at the shadiest tobacconist is on the same level of not better than many ,25-30-45€ blends you find around here. If you're visiting Italy, do yourself a favor and buy a few of these, you won't regret it.
Pipe Used: Brebbia, Savinelli, Nerone, Manuel Potes
Age When Smoked: ?
Purchased From: Local tobacconist
Similar Blends: One of a kind..
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Lingo (39) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Very honest tobacco, it never lets you down and it will be a great help in mixing and fixing. Everytime I have to rush out, I pass quickly in its dedicated humidor where I keep it fresh, and rapidly fill whichever of my briars comes to hand. I can find some wood-nuts in the very background, but unfort'ly it burns very quickly and it needs a little calm to feel it. It is my "pipe-cigarette-tobacco", a good and no-problem busy-minded smoke. Like my "reset key".
Pipe Used: any
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Clarkus (36) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Thanks to Steden, I have the opportunity to smoke this blend. There isn't anything I can add to Skando's description but I can add my opinion regarding flavor and quality. I like it. The tobaccos are expertly blended and of good quality. Its flavor comes from the tobaccos alone and not any kind of topping that I could detect. The Oriental is the magic in this one.
I only wish this could be found as an "over the counter" tobacco in the US as I think this pouch will go up in smoke rather quickly. If I have the opportunity to visit Italy again, this will be the tobacco I bring back.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Skando (203) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Italia is a honest natural blend produced in Italy, I believe entirely from italian harvested tobaccos.
Sometime it's suprisingly good quality... sometime not. It depends from lots and age, I think. The fact is that E.T.I. - the ex-public monopolist company, now belonging to B.A.T. group - seems not having interest enough in developing (or even maintaining) the pipe tobacco market: Italia stands as the only italian pipe tobacco, being its two brothers Comune and Forte something born for the RYO scope.
It's a medium ribbon mix of bright and brown leaves: the declared composition is Virginia, Oriental and Kentucky, which I find to be absolutely correct. The pouch smells fresh, grassy with flowery notes coming from the Orientals, and some faint toasty notes from the Kentucky. No doubt I was luck to find a fresh pouch.
Italia is far better smoked into medium to large bowls. Lights and behaves absolutely easy. The smoke is something of the VaOr family plus the earthy/smokey character of the Ky. Strenght starts from mild-to-medium and develops to medium-to-strong. It never bites nor stresses the palate, the pipe remains always fresh. The slow smoke delivers very natural tobaccoey notes, sometimes sweet, others salty, flowery, peppery, toasty.
Due to it's composition and cut, Italia is a blend very good for home made english mixtures, from the simple addition of some pinches of Latakia to more complex adventures.
3 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Valentino (8) | |
Medium | Medium | Full | Strong |
Another god rating tobacco, tasting of packing carton.
I smoke Toscano cigars and I appreciate them, but here we are faced with a cheap product of very low quality.
I also read online about a problem with tobacco waste present in industrial quantities in this blend, called Recon. and I would say that we are there.
If you want a bad tough situation in your pipe while you are in Italy, purchase the Scalferlati Caporal, which is French but at least it gives you what you want.
The Toscano line for pipe looks awful. Try the Brebbia line, which is in another price tag but at least you get quality.
Toscano Golf for pipe has good review too, but I am not brave enough to try it.
Pipe Used: Falcon
Age When Smoked: 1
Purchased From: Italy
Similar Blends: Manifatture Sigaro Toscano - Comune, Manifatture Sigaro Toscano - Forte.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Marco D. (17) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
This tobacco is a classical tobacco in Italia. The composition is Virginia based with Kentucky fire-cured and a bit of Oriental. The cut is very regular and short (shag) and the colour is dark brown with lighter shades. The frangrances and aromas are delicate and dominated by vegetal notes, the Virginia overbear the Kentucky. The smoke is easy with hay and wood notes, difficult to recognize the Orientals. This tobacco is perfect to use as first tobacco is easy to pack, to smoke and it is simple to interpret. Last note: there is an extrimly mild fruity note in the background, perhaps aromatization?
Pipe Used: Anatra dalle Uova d'Oro
Age When Smoked: One week
Purchased From: Tabacconist in Italia
Similar Blends: Scaferlati Caporal, Burrus Jaune and Burrus Bleau, Landtabak, Skandinavik regular.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| renwardhoop (177) | |
Mild | Mild | Mild | Unnoticeable |
I was pleased to receive this as a gift from my stepson, who picked it up in Rome on his honeymoon.
It's nothing out of the ordinary, just a mild Danish-type blend with a fine pouch aroma. Not sure that there is cigar leaf in it, but this feels rather lacking in depth, though not unpleasant, just rather samey.
It doesn't have the quality of blends like Larson's or Stanwell's aromatics, being more akin to Meine Mischung mixture from Germany. It's also rather dry and may or may not benefit from being decanted into a jar.
And indeed, that is where is going to stay, jarred and in the cupboard alongside the impossible-to-smoke Sunday Fantasy.
Having said that I am sure I'll dip into this if the mood warrants it and it will be interesting what a few weeks shelved will do to this blend (if anything). Also I was given a pack of Cellini at the same time (which I will open and review later) and it will be interesting to do a comparison.
Pipe Used: Meerschaums only
Age When Smoked: New
Purchased From: Gifted from Italy
Similar Blends: Meine Mischung, Larson's milder aromatics, Radford's Sunday Fantasy.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Cakici (29) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable to Strong |
A shag-cut lover's everyday tobacco
If you are into the Tuscan type of kentucky blends, Italia may be a candidate for one of your best. It's worth to age it few months, taste differs significantly. Taste start to change slightly as you arrive 3/4 of the bowl, depending on the age, the virginia inside the blend starts playing role. Even it has a little virginia to smoothen the pure kentucky, it's still among the tough guys in my everyday rotation. Should everyone who doesn't like full tastes, but still wants to know a typical Italian tobacco.
Pipe Used: Savinelli 3621
Age When Smoked: 5 months
Purchased From: Local tobacconist
Similar Blends: Manifatture Sigaro Toscano - Comune.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30171) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Pleasant to Tolerable |
This is one of the best natural italian tobacco. For the most part, the composition is: Virginia-Kentucky-Oriental (I think something like: 50-40-10%). I haven't found any 'real' aromatizant (maybe a little sweet/honey one, but it could come from Virginia). It has three 'burning-phases': during the first one, the taste is moderate sweet and spicy, with a nutty note (with the predominance of Virginia and Oriental); in the second one, it has more 'body', and the taste turns to something bitter, less sweety and more complex (the Kentucky comes out, but Virginia and Oriental equilibrate the result); in the third one, the Kentucky 'wins the game' and, so, the taste becomes similar to the Comune (always made by Manifatture Sigaro Toscano), with leather and wood notes. It's a cheap, well burning and good quality tobacco: I have always a pack at home (you can try to mix Italia with Latakia and Orientals, at the percentage of 50-40-10% - it will be a really interesting EM).
Pipe Used: Many bruyere and Olive wood and Ceramic
Age When Smoked: three months
Purchased From: local tabacconist
Similar Blends: Mac Baren - Golden Blend.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| CoolPilot (69) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Pleasant |
Although with no perique, the orientals are making the difference and this virginia mixture is at the level of Dunhill , at a fraction of its cost. This is medium to strong, very good with no additions for the people who like virginia and need some nicotine. Being a good virginia you can mix it with latakia, perique or whatever you like, just like you can do the same with any other Va mixture. The sweetness is given by the nicotine, there is no sugar, not flavoring. This is an excellent tobacco for Va lovers, taste and strength just the same as DeLuxe Navy roll, except this is in ribbons and much more easy to light up and smoke. Five solid stars, no doubts.
Pipe Used: lubinsky
Similar Blends: Dunhill Elizabethan mixture, C&D Briar Fox, Dunhill DeLuxe Navy Roll.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| L'Italiano (233) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
This tobacco is a natural base mixture. The contents are 55% light italian tobaccos and 45% dark italian tobaccos, with a very light flavoring (mainly sugar). Only natural italian tobaccos (grown in Italy). Ideal for natural mixtures' smokers. In my personal rating (from 0 to 10), my score is 7 and two stars.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30171) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
Probably the most rappresentative tobacco produced in Italy. It's a very fine natural tobacco and a usefull blending base. Virginia, Italian Kentucky and abundant presence of Orientals are the ingredients. With the simple add of Latakia in the mesure of 15-30% you obtain a medium-full english mixture natural in taste and with a rough note of Toscano cigar. Some friends name this home made blend "appenninica". Another typical mixture is Italia and some cigars cut of Toscano. Smoked just alone, orientals and kentucky prevail on Virginia giving, instead of sweetness, a spicy and full taste. Simple but not expected. Strong but not overwhelming. If you love natural tobacco without presence of any top casing or aromatic adds at my advice this is a "must".
I can't live without this, 4 Stars!!!!
Type: Natural mixture medium ; Contents: Italian Kentucky, Virginia, Oriental ; Cut: Shag, medium size ; Humidity: Moist but not much ; Lighting: Not always so easy, need some experience. Medium time burning but sometimes need to be relighted ; Pipe recommended: Any pipe is good, try it with different perspective.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Steden (100) | |
Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
Simply and reliable blend, it derives from small harvests so production is inconsistently and you may find some differences of moisture or balancing from a pouch to another, it also is very natural with a bit of roughness and due the combination of Orientals and Kentucky it has a fusty room note though not too lingering indoor and with a bland “sillage” outdoor…... this to list the defects which are widely counterbalanced by many qualities: if smoked alone Italia is a tasteful blend, sweet, musky, grassy, with a good earthy edge, cool and gentle to the mouth, bold but not too strong. Italia is an intriguing diversion per se or a surprising ingredient for blending, it worth a try for sure.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30171) | |
Mild to Medium | Medium to Strong | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This stuff is really unexpensive. You can get a 40g pouch for less than half the local price of a tin of Dunhill or Peterson, or a third of what these older brothers cost in France. Strictly speaking it doesn't compare, but it manages to hold its own and deliver a satisfactory smoke. Upon lighting up the dominant note is that of a rather cheapo casing, vaguely reminiscent of Radford Old Scotch (the cut is also very similar). The orientals don't kick in at once. It's not until half bowl, when the burning is well under way, that the aroma suddenly gets fuller and more complex, with a pleasant hint of spiciness. From here on it affords some surprisingly rewarding puffs. I discovered this while toiling through a disappointing tin of 3 Noggins, and I'm sorry for mr. Rattray, but his stuff will have to wait until I'm done with Italia. The quality/price relationship just blows away a number of more ambitious but ultimately less reliable mixtures. A no-nonsense tobacco that I'll probably stick to, and a good resource in between experiments. Two and a half stars, with room for improvement.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeritus Account (30171) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
For about 4 Euro you can smoke a real good tobacco. I love the taste it leaves on the lips. Smoke it and it will bring you in a land of natural smoke, mediterranean tastes without loosing the sweet note of the excellent tobaccos employed. Oriental gives this tobacco a wonderful taste. Unfortunately you can find this tobacco only in Italy, but if you are there on holiday, just BUY IT. You won't regret when you'll be smooking it after a pizza or after spaghetti all'amatriciana. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
2 people found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tabaleuri (2) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Full | Very Strong |
The pouch describes it as a blend of Italian Virginia and Kentucky tobaccos; upon opening, one is greeted by a fairly dry yet compact brick. The pouch scent immediately reveals the Virginia and Kentucky components, accompanied by a discernible spicy Oriental bouquet.
Upon lighting, the smoke is mellow, dominated by the Virginia and the Oriental, with a suble Kentucky note in the background. What comes to mind is sourdough bread with a tangy plum conserve; hay balls in a field where dung has been the fertiliser of choice. Rarely, a taste of chocolate permeates the mouth, as if Burley was present as well.
As the smoke progresses, the Kentucky's presence and strength creeps up. Leather and bonfire tones now start dominating the bowl, but are somehow tamed by the Virginia and Orientals.
All in all, Italia is a rustic and humble blend that reminds us of simpler times. It is more refined than other Italian staples like the Forte or Comune, which are pure Italian cigar leaf. It can be had for 5.80 euro per 40g pouch as of February 2022.
Age When Smoked: New
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tzanet (2) | |
Mild to Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable to Strong |
I purchased this tobacco on a trip to Firenze. I asked a local tobacconist for a kentucky forward blend and he suggested this. Really cheap, i paid 5 euros for it. The dark fired leaf is in front, though it is more floral than usual kentucky. Other than that, it had a really acrid, sour, vegetative taste, that made me believe i was smoking badly cured, unfermented, green leaves. It packs and burns easily, but can get hot if you push it, and it will bite you while at it. Just shy of medium in strength, it's an all day smoke if you can handle the taste. Room note is as acrid as the aforementioned taste. On the plus side i only wasted 5 euros, on the negative side it ghosted the pipe for a few days.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italo Svevo (26) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Some of the reviews here are quite accurate, so I will just add a few remarks. The pouch description reads as "blend with Italian Virginia and Kentucky tobacco". So the only two tobaccos that we know for sure are inside the blend are the two above mentioned. A little Oriental may be there, but I doubt it. I don't think there is burley either. I would stick to the pouch description and say that this is a Virginia/Kentucky blend, with a negligible amount of added sweetener. It is certainly not a Danish type aromatic (!), but a natural tasting blend. It goes more in the Dutch direction, if you want. For me, a pleasant uncomplicated everyday smoke, which I recommend.
Purchased From: Tabaccheria Vannicelli, Roma
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Tavistock (23) | |
Medium | None Detected | Full | Strong |
Alright blend, interesting to try. Bought it on holiday to Italy and was really impressed with its relatively bold Kentucky feel that I was told is a typical trait of Italian blends. I liked it so much that I bought one more pouch before leaving. Since coming home, I haven't been impressed enough with it to see why I bought that second pouch, but this is by no means a bad blend. Just don't expect anything spectacular. It does have a distinct Kentucky boldness that reminds me of Toscano cigars (which are in fact made with fermented Kentucky leaves). There are some orientals in the mix, but I don't feel that there is much complexity in the flavour. It is Burley simplicity with a certain Kentucky boldness, and that's that. Definitely worth a try if this is your thing, or if you want to try something genuinely Italian. I enjoy it on occasion, but never crave it.
Pipe Used: Had to be in a Savinelli
Age When Smoked: Fresh to 2 years
Purchased From: Local tobacconist in Rome
1 person found this review helpful.
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| gam86 (49) | |
Medium | Very Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
Very good and cheap tobacco, still not my favourite. If you re-moist it the flavour slight changes and the rum casting is more "heavy". In addintion you've to like italian kentuchy, if not the italian tobacco will pnch your throat.
1 person found this review helpful.
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| pantera (8) | |
Medium to Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
Not as good as Forte but very good anyhow.Very different mixture not similar to any other . Unusual blending of Virginia ,Kentucky and Orientals. Only natural tobacco taste without any casing or topping. Worths to try it.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Strichetto (21) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium | Tolerable |
Bought in a pouch in 2013, in Italy. Cheap, but not so cheap like other ETI tobaccoes, Comune and Forte. Based on mixed various Kentucky italian leaves, it's quite dark and dry in his pouch.
Scent: a bit more harsh than Comune and Forte, but good.
Taste: natural, not very cigarish, and surely not so soft, full bodied and pleasant like Comune.
Room note: surely not an aromatic, but... no problem.
Burning: it lights easily, and burns too fast.
In the ETI tobaccoes list is not the best, by me. Comune is really better, Forte is better too, especially if you "like it strong", and both are cheaper...
Purchased From: Noli, Milano, Italy
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| JohnnyMcPiperson (119) | |
Mild to Medium | Extremely Mild | Mild to Medium | Tolerable |
This blend didn't strike me as anything particularly special although it did have a hint of something I wasn't quite sure about, can't quite describe it. Anyways, overall this was a great simple blend, a good companion while I was hopping from place to place and walking around all day touring Europe for a month with a backpack and a railpass! Picked it up in Florence, and for a quick grab, euro baccy, I would recommend it, especially if you are on the go and just want a mild all day walking around sort of smoke.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Emeritus Account (30171) | |
Medium to Strong | Extremely Mild | Medium | Tolerable |
Nice italian tobacco, I like the orientals and the quality of the Virginia in it. I like to mix it with another italian tobacco called Forte.
1 person found this review helpful.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Nikos Maistros (9) | |
Strong | None Detected | Medium to Full | Strong |
The 4 stars have to do with quality/price ratio. It's difficult to beat ITALIA in this aspect. Natural tobaccos, a bit dry in the pouch (probably because of shelf time), but you can add a clay humidifier and in a day you have it in the perfect smoking condition. All the above are holding true for a kentukcy/virginia sympathiser. And as I am such a guy, whoever returns from Italy always is asked to bring me back ten packs (less than 60 euros). A strong natural mix which I enjoy regularly and on top of that I can use it to boost some lighter blends. ITALIA must be the most "honest" blend out there and as it holds true for all natural tobaccos, this one also is very gentle to any pipe. No funny smells or residue. Clean burning, strong tobacco flavor an everyday smoke (although it is strong, it is not in any way harsh) at a very low cost.
Pipe Used: big medium small briar pipes
Age When Smoked: fresh from the bag
Purchased From: tobacconist
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| gia73 (2) | |
Mild to Medium | Mild | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
A soft tobacco today, with peculiar characteristics appreciable in the psychotropic effect. It attracts me to change the mixture often, but at least one a month is complete use of a pack is recommended!
Pipe Used: Autograph
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
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| Virginia lover (218) | |
Medium | None Detected | Medium to Full | Tolerable |
This blend is quite surprising for a pouch tobacco. It has Virginia, Kentucky and Oriental with a natural taste. The tobaccos that stand out the most are the Oriental and the Kentucky with a cigarette like Virginia showing up sometimes. The after taste is pleasant. It burns fast to a white ash and can bite if smoked at a rapid pace. Now for 7 euros and quite easy to find in Italy, one could do much worse. One of the recommended pouch tobaccos I tried so far.
Virginia lover
Nobody has rated this review yet.
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