Cigar Weekly

Consolidated Cigar acquired the Te-Amo brand in 1989.  The cigar is one of the best selling premium cigars in the United States, ranking in the Top 10 on the Cigar Insider's 1998 survey.  The cigars are made entirely of Mexican tobacco grown in the fertile San Andres Valley. 

Te-Amo cigars are manufactured for Consolidated under contract by Nueva Matacapan Tabacos in San Andres Tuxtla, Mexico.  The vertically integrated operation owned by Alberto Turrent provides all the tobacco and manufacturing for the Te-Amo cigars.  Turrent is the fifth generation of his family in the tobacco business.

Te-Amo cigars come in varied sizes and wrappers:

Pre-Smoke Comments

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): The samples arrived in very good condition. They were nice toro sized cigars with a very nice medium brown wrapper. They showed a little veining, with a good and firm roll. The caps on both were very well made. They also had a very pleasant aroma.

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): This sample was a very rustic looking cigar. Lots of protruding veins. The coler was a faint brown with mottled specs all over. Very unattractive. Cap was not pretty either, but you chop them of anyway so not much stock into that.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): A nice looking toro in a smooth, medium-brown wrapper speckled with a few green spots. Appears well bunched with no noticable soft spots or lumps and a smooth cap. A subtle but pleasing pre-light aroma indicates well cured tobaccos. No rough edges here.

Joe Zaccone (JoCigar): Although there are no soft spots evident, the rough looking dark wrapper with blemishes makes this cigar appear non-premium. Pre-light draw is loose.

Lou Rodrigues (Þgdlou): A well constructed smoke that was firm with no soft spots and slightly noticeable veins. This smooth colorado wrapped beauty had a faint, pleasant, sweet-musty smell to it. The pre-light draw was easy with a slight amount of spice.

Mark Wentworth (MnSmoke): This cigar had a light natural wrapper. It was rough and veiny looking, but appeared to be well made with a firm bunch and a solid cap. It has a slight pre-light aroma.

Roger Tillander (RogerT): This 6 x 50 sized, smooth wrapper cigar had a very grassy smell when it arrived, after letting it rest for a few days the aroma diminished. This cigar feels loosely rolled in spots with a somewhat sloppy lumpy cap.

Smoke Comments

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): The cigars lit well, but had a tendency to burn a little uneven. There were no other burn problems and the uneven burning wasn't very bad. These cigars had some very nice flavors, starting off a little mild but gaining some strength after an inch or so. Tons of smoke, perfect draw, and some great flavors, made these pretty enjoyable.

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): The draw was easy but not a lot of smoke until the last third of the cigar. Flavor was very mild, although not unpleasent. No aftertaste at all. Feels like I didn't even smoke anything.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): The first example burned perfectly while the second canoed big time, but surprisingly the flavors remained consistent in both: nutty, woody and herbal notes come through in mild to medium strength. A mellow cigar, not spicy at all, with lots of creamy smoke pulled through an excellent draw. A long, almost sweet finish. Not a hint of bitterness, even at the stub. The medium gray ash was sometimes firm, sometimes flaky.

Joe Zaccone (JoCigar): It has an ease draw with a soapy/papery taste. I found the taste to be very flat with virtually no body. The ash was very light and flaky and would not hold for more than 1/2". At the 1/3 mark in began to develop a grassy taste and that was final indicator for me to put in down for good.

Lou Rodrigues (Þgdlou): Once lit, the draw continued to be an effortless experience (no worry of popping a blood vessel on this one) producing tons of fragrant aroma. The cedar flavor and sweet-nutty aftertaste was very pleasing. I did notice a slight spicy tingle on my lips and tongue, but no harshness or bitterness. I would say that the cigar was more on the side of medium than full in the strength category. The burn was perfectly even, correcting itself after each drop of the inch long gray ash with no flaking.

Mark Wentworth (MnSmoke): The burn was excellent, as was the draw with plenty of smoke. The ash was conical and solid throughout. Although a bit one-dimensional, there was a slight earthy sweet flavor with a hint of spice. This is a mild cigar with the strength and flavors changing very little. Both cigars were equal in quality and construction.

Roger Tillander (RogerT): This cigar started off medium to strong and smoothed out to a sweet never bitter, nicely balanced cigar. The first sample side-burned some but not enough that it was a problem. The flavor of the cigar was consistent throughout. The last 1/3 of the cigar was somewhat disappointing as it became very mild, soft and flavorless.

Summary Comments

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): I thought these were pretty good cigars. I feel as though I have smoked these before, but I can't be sure. They were a little on the mild side, but the amount of pleasant flavors made up for it. They were also very nicely constructed. If the price and availability of these cigars are right, I would consider buying some.

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): A well constructed cigar, good burn and solid ash, I would have to say I would not choose to smoke this cigar very often if at all. Way to mild for my tastes. But for those who care for this type it may be a good one to try. Thanks for the opportunity.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): With apologies to the ladies, I would characterize this as a gentleman's cigar. It's solid appearance, mild to medium body, and creamy smoke filled with subtle, woodsy flavors are sure to be a hit with occasional smokers. I give it a big thumbs up, in a button-down sort of way.

Joe Zaccone (JoCigar): I have smoked better bundle cigars than this. A very light and one-dimensional cigar with no taste. A white owl might have served me better. A strong no buy for this one.

Lou Rodrigues (Þgdlou): All in all, this was a very enjoyable smoke. Even though I would not consider this to be a great smoke for my tastes, I did enjoy the sutle sweetness during the pre-light and aftertaste. I would definitely include some of these in the mix for some variety. This cigar is definitely one that I would smoke while relaxing from a long day, and proud to hand out to my friends while watching a game or hanging out.

Mark Wentworth (MnSmoke): A very mild cigar with good construction and flavors. I have not has a cigar burn this well in a long time. Although too mild for my tastes, if you like mild cigars the consistency and great burn would make this a must try.

Roger Tillander (RogerT): Overall this cigar had a mild sweet flavor. I would recommend this to people that enjoy a mild blended cigar. The cigar kept me interested till the last 1/3 and then became to mild for my tastes. If the price were reasonable, I would pick a few up for smoking on the golf course.

Scores

Review Results
Final Score: 33.2 out of 50

3 1/2 Stars -- Above Average

Mexican cigars take a bad rap. They're well made and tend to be some of the least expensive smokes around. If you like maduros, you would enjoy the sweet, mild flavor of the Te-Amo Toro. Our reviewers described it as mild with lots of creamy smoke and a sweet, earthy flavor. At $3.35 each in box quantity, they're worth trying.