The El Rey del Mundo (translated to English means King of the World) brand cigars are believed to be from the same creator as the Sancho Panza, Emilio Ohmstedt, a German businessman, in 1848. There was a time when this brand was the most expensive and the most prestigious Cuban cigar in the world.
Sometime around 1882, Antonio Allones, a Spanish businessman took over the brand. In some versions of the history of the cigar, it is said that the brand was discontinued after the death of Ohmstedt and that Allones filed a new registration for it, but cigar expert Min Ron Nee claims there is proof that Ohmstedt’s company passed ownership of the brand to Allones. This is based on company records listing Allones as owning the El Rey del Mundo as far back as 1873.
Under the direction of Antonio Allones, the brand rose to the top of its world wide popularity and elite status. He sold the entire company in 1905 to Candido Vega Diaz, the owner of the Diaz Hermanos y Cia firm. It is thought that the Don Candido brand cigars were named after this man. The firm was later re-named the Rey del Mundo Cigar Company to emphasize its most famous acquisition. Other world famous brands produced by the company included the Don Candido, Rafael Gonzalez and the Sancho Panza.
Production of the El Rey del Mundo continued through and after the Cuban Revolution. The brand remained extremely popular throughout the 60s and 70s, but then its popularity dropped as the tastes of cigar connoisseurs turned towards a stronger flavor. The milder brand started to lose its elite status as one of the most sought after Cuban cigars. But, despite losing much of its popularity, the El Rey del Mundo brand cigars are still much appreciated for their mildness and complex flavors among cigar aficionados. The Choix Supreme, Demi Tasse and Grandes de Espana sizes are still quite popular in certain circles.
El Rey del Mundo Line of Vitolas
Choix Supreme – officially named the Hermosos No.4, commonly called the corona extra.
Hand made
measures 5 inches (127 mm) x 48 ring gauge
B25 used standard “A” and “B” bands and the SLB 50 didn’t have a band until about 2005 when it started using the “A”
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars until 2010.
Demi Tasse – officially named the Entreactos, commonly called the small panetela.
Hand made
measures 3.9 inches (100 mm) x 30 ring gauge
B25 used standard “A” and “B” bands and SLB50 had no band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars until about 2003.
Discontinued Production Cigars
Coronas de Luxe – officially named the Coronas, commonly called the corona.
Hand made
measures 5.6 inches (142 mm) x 42 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars until about 2002
available in a humidor prior to 2002 containing 100 cigars
discontinued in 2006
Elegantes – officially named the Panetelas Largas, commonly called the slim panetela.
Hand made
measures 6.9 inches (175 mm) x 28 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars until about 2002
discontinued in 2002
Epicures – official name is unknown, commonly called the small panetela.
Hand made
measures 5.1 inches (130 mm) x 29 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in the 1970s
Gran Coronas – officially named the Coronas Gordas, commonly called the grand corona.
Hand made
measures 5.6 inches (143 mm) x 46 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars
discontinued in 2002
Grandes de España – officially named the Delicados, commonly called the long panetela.
Hand made
measures 7.6 inches (192 mm) x 38 ring gauge
B25 and B50at used standard “A” bands and the SLB25 had no band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars, each in an aluminum tube until about 2002
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars until about 2002
discontinued in 2010
Isabel – officially named the Carlotas, commonly called the panetela.
Hand made
measures 5.6 inches (143 mm) x 35 ring gauge
SLB had no band, the B25 used the standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in 1985
Lonsdales – officially named the Cervantes, commonly called the lonsdale.
Hand made
measures 6.5 inches (165 mm) x 42 ring gauge
SLB had no band, the B25 used the standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in 2002
Lunch Club – officially named the Franciscanos, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 4.6 inches (116 mm) x 40 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in 2009
Panetelas Largas – officially named the Panetelas Largas, commonly called the slim panetela.
Hand made
measures 6.9 inches (175 mm) x 28 ring gauge
packaged in a Dress Box of ten cigars
packaged in a Dress Box of ten cigars with each one wrapped in cellophane
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars with each one wrapped in cellophane
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued during the 90s
Petit Coronas – officially named the Marevas, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 5.1 inches (129 mm) x 42 ring gauge
B25 used the standard “A” band, the SLB had no band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars until about 2003
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars, each wrapped in cellophane until about 2000
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars until about 2000
available in a humidor containing 100 cigars until about 2000
discontinued in 2012
Petit Lonsdales – officially named the Marevas, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 5.1 inches (129 mm) x 42 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in 2003
Royal Series No.2 – official name is unknown, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 5.1 inches (129 mm) x 42 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in the 70s
Royal Series No.3 – official name is unknown, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 4.3 inches (110 mm) x 40 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in the 70s
Senoritas – officially named the Laguito No.3, commonly called the small panetela.
Hand made
measures 4.5 inches (115 mm) x 26 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of fifty cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in the 80s
Tainos – officially named the Julieta No.2, commonly called a churchill.
Hand made
measures 7 inches (178 mm) x 47 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a slide lid box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a slide lid box of fifty cigars until about 2000
packaged in a Semi Boite Nature Box containing fifty cigars until about 2000
discontinued in 2006
Tres Petit Coronas – officially named the Minutos, commonly called the petit corona.
Hand made
measures 4.3 inches (110 mm) x 42 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
discontinued in 1999
Variedades – officially named the Chicos, commonly called the cigarillo.
Machine made
measures 4.2 inches (106 mm) x 29 ring gauge
standard “A” band
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars
packaged in a Dress Box of twenty-five cigars with each one wrapped in cellophane
discontinued in the 80s.
The El Rey del Mundo was featured in several Regional Edition special releases, as well as being included in the famous Siglo XXI Millennium Humidor released in 1999 to commemorate the millennium.
