Manifatture Sigaro Toscano Italia

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.