My Weekend Cigar Review: El Rey Del Mundo King of the World

A Cigar So Nice They Named It Twice

The El Rey del Mundo King of the World cigar is a limited-edition Honduran puro born from a collaboration between Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s Forged Cigar Co. and Justo Eiroa of JRE Tobacco. The name may be redundant—El Rey del Mundo is “King of the World” in Spanish—but the partnership marks an historic moment for the brand as the first El Rey del Mundo cigar produced at the Eiroas’ Fábrica de Puros Aladino S.A.

This unique blend draws from the rich legacy of the Eiroa family, renowned for the exceptional tobaccos grown on their Jamastran Valley estate farms. Rolled to a 6x50 Toro, the cigar consists of a Honduran Habano-seed wrapper over Honduran Corojo binder and Honduran Habano fillers with production limited to 2,000 boxes of 16 cigars.

Cigar Details: El Rey Del Mundo King of the World

Factory: Fábrica de Puros Aladino S.A – Danlí, Honduras
Size: 6x50 Toro
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Honduran Habano
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Honduran Habano
Flavor profile: Medium-bodied and creamy on the palate with notes of cedar, sweet tobacco, light citrus and spices

Presentation: Limited edition box of 16 cigars

El Rey Del Mundo King of the World Cigar Review

This is a nice-looking cigar. Covering most of the cigar is a sleeve of parchment paper that, when removed, revealed an attractive Habano wrapper that was even in color throughout and finished with a textbook triple seam cap. The rolling was seamless lending a nice firmness to the cigar. The cap cut well offering a good draw. However, there was this strange, citrusy-sweet prelight note that I just couldn’t clearly define.

Once lit, the first quarter-inch issued a sharp red pepper spiciness. By the 3/4-inch mark, the cigar was off to a nice even burn, much smoother, but still spicy with a black pepper finish.

By the first inch, the cigar had settled down considerably. Now medium-bodied, the smoke offered a cedary woodiness, while the peppery finish was now even lighter.

Well into the first third, the flavors began to round out even more. Still mostly woody, a curious citrus note—perhaps related to that prelight flavor—enters the mix with some sweet tobacco and all were well-balanced.

By the midsection, the cigar had bloomed significantly. Still medium in body and strength and well-balanced, the smoke revealed distinct notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, complementing the cedar and sweet tobacco layers.

By the final inches, the cigar maintained its excellent burn, balance, and flavor profile. The cinnamon was a bit brighter as a light mineral flavor entered the mix; yet rather than interfering, it melded seamlessly with the other flavors. I put it down with a 1½” nub.

Was the El Rey Del Mundo King of the World Weekend Worthy?

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what was going on with this El Rey Del Mundo King of the World, but I was pleasantly surprised. I also didn’t know it was a Honduran puro, or that it was made with Justo Eiroa, whose Aladino cigars I’ve become very fond of.

All that aside, I appreciated how the cigar transitioned from what I thought was a fair-to-midland smoke in the early stages, into a more complex and flavorful cigar. It checked all of the technical boxes but was more like a movie where the plot is confusing in the first act, then eventually turns into much more engaging story.

Besides the die-hard ERDM fans who I believe will like the El Rey Del Mundo King of the World, I see this Toro as a good, all-around, medium-bodied puro also appealing to a respectable number of avid cigar smokers. Just remember that it is a limited edition.

Please Note: Gary’s review was based on his experience and that your mileage may vary.