Today we review the Toscanello Aroma Limoncello cigar. Toscano and Toscanello are brands from the Italian cigar company, Manifatture Sigaro Toscano. The company has over 200 years in the cigar business. Toscanello is a series of shorter cigars in Manifatture Sigaro Toscano’s portfolio. Toscanello cigars come in flavored offerings; Aroma Limoncello, for example, has a flavor profile similar to a traditional limoncello drink.
Most Toscano cigars utilize fire-cured Kentucky-seed tobacco. Many Toscano Cigars also come in a conical, thin perfecto shape. In fact, Toscano Cigars are designed to be cut in half, unlike most premium cigars. Toscanello is different in that the cigars (and the car) are already pre-cut.
As untraditional as this cigar is, this year at the 2026 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show (where the launch happened), the Cigar Coop Coalition selected this as “Best in Show”. Today’s assessment is based on my personal opinions of this cigar.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
The Aroma Limoncello blend is dominated by Kentucky Seed tobacco in the wrapper and filler. There is no binder that is used on Toscanello cigars. Production comes from Manifatture Sigaro Toscano’s Cava de’ Tirreni facility in Italy’s Campania region.
- Wrapper: Italian-Grown Kentucky Seed
- Binder: None
- Filler: Italian Fire-Cured Kentucky Seed, Unspecified Fire-Cured Kentucky Seed
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Factory: Cava de’ Tirreni
Vitolas Offered
Toscanello cigars are primarily offered in a 3 x 38 format, and the Aroma Limoncello offering is no exception. Since they are “cut” versions of a perfecto, they are all tapered. The cigars come in five-count soft-packs.
Appearance (*)
I’ve compared Toscanello cigars to those featured in spaghetti westerns, and the Aroma Limoncello is no exception. The Kentucky seed wrapper shows a classic roasted-coffee-bean color. While the wrapper had little oil, it still showed plenty of mottling and a slight toothiness. The wrapper also showed prominent visible veins, and the seams were noticeable. The cigar has a gentle taper, starting from the head and widening toward the footer. Toscanello cigars are pre-cut, so you don’t need to cut them unless you prefer a wider opening; however, I recommend leaving them as they are. The cold draw offers notes of wood, along with a mix of lemon citrus and lemon rind. What sets this cigar apart from other Toscanello cigars is the absence of an artificially sweetened cap. I consider this a great advantage, as the sweetened cap is often a turn-off and a weak point for many flavored cigars.
One other thing to point out is the pre-light aroma. This cigar delivers a very strong lemon flavor. In fact, you can detect the lemon flavor outside the box, even with the cellophane on. It’s a pleasant aroma. It makes the cigar worthy of the “Aroma Limoncello” name.
In the end, this was a very good pre-light draw experience. It was time to fire up the Aroma Limoncello and see what the smoking phase had in store.
Tasting Notes
As expected, the Aroma Limoncello delivers notes of limoncello. The limoncello flavor is best described as sweet and concentrated. What I liked about how this cigar delivered the limoncello was that it didn’t taste artificially sweet or syrupy. Limoncello was a primary flavor, along with classic wood notes. Meanwhile, a distinct mesquite note lingered in the background. The retrohale delivered additional lemon sweetness and black pepper.
During the second third of the Aroma Limoncello, the wood and limoncello notes remained primary. As the cigar experience progressed, the wood notes seemed to have a slight edge. Meanwhile, the mesquite notes remained in the background, and some black pepper notes also emerged on the tongue.
There wasn’t much change in the final third. The wood and limoncello notes remained primary. The wood still had a slight edge. Meanwhile, mesquite and pepper notes rounded it out. This is the way the Aroma Limoncello came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn
Overall, the Aroma Limoncello’s burn performance was excellent. This cigar needed minimal touch-ups to maintain a straight burn line and path. The resulting ash was a silver-gray with some dark spots. The ash was on the looser side. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels.
Draw
I was pleased with the Aroma Limoncello’s draw. It had just the right amount of resistance to put this cigar’s draw in my sweet spot. This was also a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.
Strength and Body
While some Toscano and Toscanello cigars can be on the bold side, the Aroma Limoncello was not. Strength-wise, the Aroma Limoncello opens up mild. Toward the final third of the cigar experience, the strength progressed into mild-to-medium territory. Meanwhile, the flavors remained mild to medium-bodied from start to finish. In terms of strength versus body, I gave the body a very slight advantage.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
While Toscanello cigars do not have bands, I can comment on the five-count soft packs. I simply love the design Manifatture Sigaro Toscano uses for these in general. I love the leaf design, the Toscano level, and the use of colors to identify the Toscanello blend. In this case, the lime green works really well (and the lemons are a nice touch too).
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
I will admit, even I was surprised when the Aroma Limoncello finished as our Cigar Coop Coalition Best of Show. At the same time, this is one of the better-flavored cigars in recent years. The key to this is that you don’t get that artificial, sweetened cap residual taste. I also found the lemon flavors paired nicely with the wood and mesquite notes from the fire-cured tobacco. Ultimately, this cigar lacks complexity, but it’s well-made and has excellent flavor. At $17.50 for a five-pack, it is a no-brainer to buy a box (in this case, a five-pack). I’d also recommend it to any Toscano fan, but if you aren’t a fan of Toscano or flavored cigars, you should give this one a try.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Limoncello, Classic Wood, Mesquite, Pepper
- Burn: Excellent
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Low
- Strength: Mild (1st 2/3), Mild to Medium
- Body: Mild to Medium
Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Box Worthy Consideration
Score: 89
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
