The Store
Selling and Shipping
Toscano Cigars
 

The Store

What is ItalianSmokes.com?

ItalianSmokes.com is an online microstore selling top-quality Italian tobacco products and accessories. The store is owned by Multiverse Commerce, a Boston-based company dedicated to sourcing rare or restricted foreign goods and to making them available to American consumers through online microstores.

What is an online microstore?

It's an ecommerce website that focuses on one and only one product category. In the case of ItalianSmokes.com, the store is focused on top-quality Italian tobacco products and accessories. Microstores serve the needs of small consumer groups with a tailor-made offering, something large retailers can't do. However, rest assured, small does not mean underpowered: all Multiverse Commerce microstores use the same quality control standards and security technologies of larger websites.

Where is ItalianSmokes.com located?

ItalianSmokes.com is a property of Multiverse Commerce LLC, a company based in Boston, Massachusetts.

How do I contact you?

We strive to provide you with great customer service. The easiest way to contact us is to send us an email using our Contact Us form. This will open a ticket which will be answered within one business day. Alternatively, you can contact us by phone at (800) 318-9770 from 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. We are closed during Federal and Massachusetts holidays.

Selling and Shipping

Can you sell to minors?

No, we can't, and we don't want to, either. In accordance with the law, and with good common sense, ItalianSmokes.com only sells tobacco products to people 21 years of age or older. When you create a new account, you must confirm that you are at least 21.

Do you ship outside of the United States?

Unfortunately, we don't. We only ship cigars to consumers within the USA or those with APO/FPO USA military oversea addresses. We have thoroughly researched the option of shipping cigars to foreign cigar consumers, but sadly the myriad of different tobacco and tax laws worldwide make it really not feasible for us to do it.

What forms of payment of you accept?

We accept all major credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover).

Are payments secure?

Yes. All credit cards transactions are secured by SSL encryption technology. Also, our website is automatically tested every day to protect against any possible security threat.

Can I change an order once it is placed?

Normally, you can't. We forward orders immediately to our suppliers in Italy and/or to our fulfillment center in the US. However, please Contact Us and we will do our best to serve you.

How long does it take for my order to be delivered?

Most of our products are sourced freshly from Italy after a customer order. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery, but it most likely will not take that long.

May I return an order and receive a refund?

Yes, of course. We offer an unconditional quality guarantee that allows you to return any product, in its original condition and unopened, within 14 calendar days from the date of shipping. However, we will not accept returns or offer partial refunds for opened boxes. Once we received the return, we will process it, notify you, and send you a check for the refund amount. 

May I return your specialty and handmade goods?

We are proud to offer our customers specialty products, such as cigar cutters from Coltellerie Berti. These items, which are entirely hand-made, often have minute variations in regards to attributes like color. This is a direct result of the artisanal process, and it is these types of things that make each knife truly unique. For these items, we allow for returns and full refunds of damaged or defective (unusable) products. 

What taxes do you charge?

All our cigars are subject to import duties and to Federal excise tax. In addition, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that we charge State excise tax and sales tax to customers located in Massachusetts. Customers located in others states are responsible for reporting and paying local excise tax, as well as any applicable sales or consumption taxes, to their state government.

Toscano Cigars

What are Toscano cigars?

Toscano is an iconic brand of Italian cigars manufactured in Tuscany since 1818. Toscanos are characterized by hard outer wrappers, dark leaves and very bold, intense flavor. Toscanos are the only premium dry cigars in the world. They undergo a unique curing and fermenting process that dries the leaves without making them brittle. This method has been perfected over almost two centuries by expert cigar curators, and it ensures proper treatment of the tobacco while allowing the full intensity of its flavors to bloom.

What kind of tobacco goes into a Toscano cigar?

Toscano cigars are made using Kentucky tobacco planted and grown in Tuscany, Italy. Kentucky is a premium variety of tobacco sporting a very intense and complex mix of flavors. It has been cultivated in Tuscany since the 17th century, as the soil and weather of Italy offer the best condition for its development.

Once I purchase Toscano cigars, how do I take care of them?

Toscanos are dry cigars and therefore do not have to be placed in a humidor. As a result, you can store Toscanos in any closed container. Just make sure not to expose your Toscanos to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, excessive dryness or excessive moisture, and they will remain perfect for a very long time.

Do Toscano cigars age well?

Yes, very. As long as they are stored properly, Toscanos can age for a few months to a few years. In fact, the best Toscanos (like: Il Moro, Toscano Del Presidente, Originale, and Toscanello Speciale) are aged at least 12 months or more. The more aged a Toscano is, the more complex and strong flavor it will offer.

The cellophane (plastic) around my Toscanos has a yellowish tint to it. Is there something wrong?

On the contrary, the yellowish tint found in the cellophane is indicative of the natural aging process of your Toscano cigars. This means that your Toscanos have aged well and will offer you a mature flavor.

Do I need to cut my Toscanos cigars?

Toscanos can be smoked "intero" (i.e. "whole" in Italian) which requires 1-2 millimeters (about 1/16 of an inch) to be trimmed off both ends. They can also be smoked "ammezzato" (i.e. "halved" in Italian): start by trimming both ends as for the "intero", then cut in half, light the large end, and smoke from the narrow end. Toscanellos are precut and ready to smoke: just light the large end and smoke from the narrow end.

What is the best way to light my Toscano Cigars?

Use a direct gas flame. Sulfur tipped matches or oil flames can impart an unsavory flavor and taint the purity of your smoke.