Has anybody heard of Correnti Cigars? Well, neither had I until a friend of my gf's Lisa recommended a visit to their local factory in Toronto, 606 King Street.
I can guarantee it was quite a surprise to find out that in the centre of Toronto one could find a producer of 100% Cuban tobacco cigars. The family-owned business, in fact, imports tobacco from Cuba and then hand-roll cigars in Toronto. They are - or so the website claims - the exclusive importer of Cuban raw leaves.
The factory has got a lot of character and it reminded me of an old shop you may only see in the movies. A lot of space is taken by the traditional cuban-rollers tables - see picture below
When I walked in - probably looking as happy as kid on Christmas day - I started to enquiry about the history of the company (for the curious amongst you, you can get more details here) and the type of cigars available. They produce a variety of sizes (like traditional robusto, torpedos, churchills) also in a maduro (aged) selection. It's even possible to sample the cigars in the lounge...
I bought a few Correnti cigars and so far only smoked one. The verdict is still open I think - I found the cigar very mild and probably not as tight as most other hand-rolled - the flavour remind me almost of a non-cuban (probably not surprising given that they cater to the North-American market).
A few boxes by the entrance, will give an idea of all the goods available to who decides to visit the shop/factory...
So, if you pass by King and Portland Street in Toronto, look for the sign below (by the way, it's very close to a very good place to eat nice Italian food, Buca) and pay a visit! They can personalise cigars, allowing aficionados to create their own private label (and choose the blend) even just for a particular event.
The factory has got a lot of character and it reminded me of an old shop you may only see in the movies. A lot of space is taken by the traditional cuban-rollers tables - see picture below
When I walked in - probably looking as happy as kid on Christmas day - I started to enquiry about the history of the company (for the curious amongst you, you can get more details here) and the type of cigars available. They produce a variety of sizes (like traditional robusto, torpedos, churchills) also in a maduro (aged) selection. It's even possible to sample the cigars in the lounge...
I bought a few Correnti cigars and so far only smoked one. The verdict is still open I think - I found the cigar very mild and probably not as tight as most other hand-rolled - the flavour remind me almost of a non-cuban (probably not surprising given that they cater to the North-American market).
A few boxes by the entrance, will give an idea of all the goods available to who decides to visit the shop/factory...
So, if you pass by King and Portland Street in Toronto, look for the sign below (by the way, it's very close to a very good place to eat nice Italian food, Buca) and pay a visit! They can personalise cigars, allowing aficionados to create their own private label (and choose the blend) even just for a particular event.
