Centuca 72 Toro Liqueur
Centuca 72 Toro Liqueur bottles an old Abruzzo bar tradition: the habit of mixing sambuca with Centerba, the region's fiery herbal digestivo. Enrico Toro made it official, blending its 140-proof Centerba 72 herbal base with classic Italian sambuca into a smooth 38% ABV (76 proof) liqueur in a 750mL bottle — anise and mountain herbs in perfect balance. It took Double Gold and Best of Show at the 2019 Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America competition. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 38% (76 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: herbal-anise liqueur — Centerba 72 + Italian sambuca
- Origin: Tocco da Casauria, Abruzzo, Italy (Enrico Toro)
- Award: Double Gold, Best of Show — WSWA 2019
An Abruzzo Bar Ritual, Bottled
In Abruzzo, drinkers have long mixed sambuca's sweet anise with Centerba's bitter mountain herbs — two regional icons in one glass. Enrico Toro's Casauria distillery simply perfected the ratio. The build starts with star anise, green anise, and fennel, steam-distilled into sambuca, then folded into the Centerba 72 herbal digestivo (elderflower and a proprietary infusion of hand-picked mountain herbs, per the importer's production notes). The result keeps Centerba's unmistakable herbal signature while the anise rounds every edge — the house calls it "a perfect balance between the unmistakable taste of Centerba Toro with a touch of the classic Italian sambuca."
Tasting Notes
The importer's notes describe a velvet mouthfeel with a slight oily consistency and intense yet delicate flavors that move in low and strong gradations. Anise leads — sweet star anise and fennel — with the herbal Centerba character balancing underneath rather than dominating; it finishes dry and fresh, remarkably clean for a liqueur of this richness. Serve it the traditional way, with a coffee bean dropped in the glass, a nod to Angelo Molinari's post-war tradition of cutting sweet anise with bitter coffee.
How to Enjoy
Sip Centuca 72 neat as a digestivo, or follow the Abruzzo custom and drop in a single coffee bean. It also shines ice-cold as an after-dinner pour. Among anise and herbal liqueurs it occupies a rare middle ground — softer than straight Centerba, more complex than straight sambuca — and the WSWA Best of Show medal says the judges agreed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Centuca 72 made from?
A blend of Centerba 72 (Enrico Toro's 140-proof, 200-herb digestivo) and classic Italian sambuca (star anise, green anise, fennel), bottled at 38% ABV.
What awards has Centuca 72 won?
Double Gold and Best of Show at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America 2019 competition.
What does the "72" mean?
1972 — the year the Toro family built their modern distillery in Tocco da Casauria.
Why serve it with a coffee bean?
An old Italian tradition (popularized by sambuca maker Angelo Molinari after WWII): the bitter coffee bean balances sweet anise flavors.
See the full Toro family lineup at Enrico Toro and more Italian classics in aperitivo. Pick up Centuca 72 at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — Abruzzo's award-winning herbal-anise original.