EL REY DEL MUNDO

El Rey Del Mundo :: A Brief History

1848

It is believed that the El Rey Del Mundo brand was created by Emilio Ohmstedt.  A German, who registered the brand together with Sancho Panza.

1870s

After Emilio Ohmstedt’s death, the brand was transferred to Antonio Allones.  A recent immigrant to Havana from Spain.

Antonio Allones took the beginning of the brand’s name very seriously.  “The King of the World” cigars were to be in his mind, the highest end brand in the world, and use only the best tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo region.

1940

The brand was registered as Rey Del Mundo Cigar Company, and was located at 852 Padre Varela Street in Havana.  The company also owned famous brands such as Sancho Panza, Rafael Gonzalez, as well as the historically important brand Don Candido.

By the 1940s and 1950s, the El Rey Del Mundo brand’s reputation soared.  It was said to have been a favorite amongst the upper class, and was quoted as being the most expensive cigar in the World.

1967

Zino Davidoff claimed that El Rey Del Mundo was a noble “essential”, one that should be in any aficionado’s collection.

Being a milder cigar was a main reason why the brand lost its popularity in the 1980s and 90s as a global shift towards fuller bodied, stronger cigars became the fashion.

The most famous cigar and one of only 2 in regular production of the brand is the Choix Supreme.  The Hermosos No. 4 size cigar once was available in a cabinet of 50, which is regarded by many cigar enthusiasts one of the premier cigars to age.  The Choix Supreme is now available in a Semi Plain box of 25.

The Demi-Tasse cigar, also in regular production, but not easy to find in most markets, is a classic El Rey Del Mundo cigar.  The tiny cigar, measuring at 30 x 4 inches, is completely hand rolled and includes high quality long filler leaves. 

Fans of long, slim cigars were spoiled by the El Rey Del Mundo brand.  Cigars like the Elegantes, Epicures, Grandes de Espana, Lonsdales, Isabel, Panetelas Largas were all part of the brand’s portfolio. 

1999

The brand was included in drawers 108 to 117 of a very special Siglo XXI Humidor.  Only 21 of these humidors were made, and amongst other brands, it included no less than 10 different vitolas from El Rey del Mundo.

Despite only having very few cigars in regular production, the brand has released many Regional Edition cigars over the last 10 years.  Most notably the Petit Compania French Regional, the Choix du Roi Belux Regional Edition, and the Elegantes Swiss Regional Edition.

2013

The brand released a very limited production of 5000 boxes of 10 cigars each, of a CUBA Regional Edition, called the Infantes.  The cigar is highly collectible and hard to find on the international market.

2018

450 units of the 170 Year Anniversario Imperio humidor was released.  The special and unique humidor includes 50 cigars measuring 54 x 7 inches.

2019

The Regional Edition for the UK market were released called La Reina.  The cigars, in a typical El Rey Del Mundo fashion, measure 38 by 7.5 inches long (the same size as the iconic Cohiba Lancero).  The cigar is believed to be the first Regional Edition cigar made exclusively at the El Laguito factory.