| est cigars in the world, if you're just looking at | | | | considered Mexican-made cigars themselves suspect, |
| rankings, tend to come from only a few countries, | | | | despite the long-honed expertise of Mexican tobacco |
| most of them Latin American: Nicaragua, the | | | | farmers. And the reason, alas, was, like so many |
| Dominican Republic, Honduras, and those | | | | things, political. |
| banned-in-America Cuban cigars that everyone talks | | | | For decades, the Mexican government enforced a |
| about. However, excellent tobacco is grown all over | | | | law that all of the country's cigars must be puros: |
| the world—some regions that you might not | | | | that is, cigars made one hundred percent from |
| immediately think of include Connecticut, the | | | | Mexican tobacco. Only Mexican leaves could be used |
| American South, and the Middle East, home of a | | | | for the fillers (the part that gets smoked), the |
| delicious sweet-smelling tobacco that makes those | | | | binders (which hold the filler) and the wrappers, AKA |
| country's open-air markets such a joy for those who | | | | the outer leaf in which the fillers and binders are |
| love to smoke. | | | | rolled. Most other cigar makers blend tobacco from |
| And the knowledge of how to make a good cigar is | | | | several areas to create a richer, more complex taste. |
| as widely diffused as are the conditions in which | | | | This meant that the only area in which Mexican cigars |
| great tobacco is grown. Here we take a look at the | | | | could compete was in the area of |
| cigars of two countries hailing from the same general | | | | price—Te-Amo, the country's major brand, |
| region of the world as the four cigar powerhouses | | | | was a popular, affordable cigar in the United States |
| mentioned above (Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican | | | | and other places for decades. But when the US cigar |
| Republic and Honduras), but which, for reasons we | | | | industry rebounded, during the 1990s, from decades |
| go into below, have only recently begun to rival the | | | | of stagnation, it was expensive cigars that |
| popularity of their neighbors'—even though | | | | everybody wanted—and many disregarded the |
| both countries have long produced the tobacco used | | | | Te-Amo’s quality. So a cigar that was already |
| in some of the world's best cigars. But the cigar | | | | somewhat handicapped by its taste was now |
| makers of these two countries on which we're | | | | handicapped as well by, ironically, its low price. |
| focusing, Mexico and Brazil, have made great strides | | | | But that's all changed now. The trade restrictions |
| in recent years—and their offerings are | | | | requiring all Mexican cigars to be puros were lifted |
| definitely worthy of your cigar humidor. | | | | during the mid-1990s, just in time for Mexican cigar |
| Mexico | | | | companies to begin appealing to that discriminating, |
| When you think about it, it's a little strange that | | | | newly robust US cigar market. The Turrent family, |
| Mexico isn't already known as a major cigar-producing | | | | owner of the Te-Amo company, offered the |
| nation. Thirty-four percent of adults in the country | | | | premium Te Amo Aniversario, using Nicaraguan, |
| smoke tobacco in some form, and Mexican farmers | | | | Dominican and Mexican filler together for a more |
| have been growing tobacco for centuries for use in | | | | complex taste. Now Mexican cigars can show off |
| the country's own and in other countries' cigars. That | | | | their incredibly high-quality tobacco to advantage, |
| high-quality Mexican tobacco is even used in | | | | blending it with the best tobaccos of other countries |
| Macanudos, the most popular premium cigar in the | | | | to create a cigar that rivals any. |
| United States. But some cigar aficionados have long | | | | |