Torella 72 Toro Liqueur
Torella 72 Toro Liqueur is what happens when Italy's fiercest herbal digestivo gets a spoonful of honey: Enrico Toro takes its legendary Centerba 72 — the 140-proof mountain-herb liqueur of Tocco da Casauria — and rounds it with acacia honey into a silky, sweet 38% ABV (76 proof) liqueur in a 750mL bottle. All the pine, wild mint, and oregano character of the original Centerba, smoothed into something you can sip cold after dinner or stir into coffee. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 38% (76 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: herbal digestivo liqueur — Centerba 72 softened with acacia honey
- Origin: Tocco da Casauria, Abruzzo, Italy (Enrico Toro)
- Serve: neat at room temperature, cold, on the rocks, or in espresso and cocktails
Centerba's Fire, Honey's Calm
The Toro family has been macerating wild herbs from the Maiella and Morrone mountains since 1817, and their Centerba — named from Centum Herbora, "a hundred herbs" — is one of Italy's oldest digestivi. The "72" on the label marks 1972, when Enrico Toro and his father Roberto built the modern distillery that still makes it. Torella 72 starts from that same 140-proof herbal base and adds acacia honey, trading burn for balance: importer tasting notes describe a sweet entry of soft mountainous herbs, a vibrant pine note with a touch of vanilla, subtle honeyed oregano and wild mint, and a smooth cinnamon-dusted finish.
Tasting Notes
Pours a deep amber-green. The nose leads with honey, pine resin, and dried mountain herbs; the palate is full and rounded, wild mint and oregano over a honeyed core, warming gently at 38% ABV. The finish is smooth and lingering, cinnamon and sweet herbs fading into a clean alpine freshness — noticeably softer and sweeter than straight Centerba 72, built for sipping.
How to Enjoy
Serve Torella 72 neat at room temperature or well-chilled in a small digestivo glass; over a single large cube it opens up beautifully. It pairs naturally with aged cheese as an aperitivo pour and, per the importer, makes an excellent addition to espresso or coffee — the honey and herbs fold right into hot coffee. Bartenders reach for it as a herbal liqueur with a sweet streak, a gentler stand-in wherever a recipe calls for a heavy amaro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Torella 72?
Torella 72 is an Italian herbal liqueur from Enrico Toro: Centerba 72 (the family's 140-proof mountain-herb digestivo) blended with acacia honey, bottled at 38% ABV.
What does the "72" in Torella 72 mean?
It marks 1972, the year the Toro family built their modern distillery in Tocco da Casauria — the same "72" on Centerba 72 and Centuca 72.
How strong is Torella 72 compared to Centerba 72?
Torella 72 is 38% ABV (76 proof), roughly half the strength of Centerba 72's 70% ABV (140 proof) — the honey both sweetens and softens it.
Is Torella 72 an aperitivo or a digestivo?
Both: it works chilled before dinner with cheese or neat after it. Enrico Toro positions it as a digestivo first, in the Abruzzo tradition.
For more from this historic Italian house, browse Enrico Toro, and for the lighter side of Italian drinking see our aperitivo picks. Order Torella 72 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a honeyed take on Italy's boldest herbal tradition.