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El Rey del
Mundo

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History
Believed to have been created, along with Sancho Panza, by
German businessman Emilio Ohmstedt in 1848, El Rey del Mundo
(King of the World in Spanish) was at one time the most
expensive and prestigious cigar brand in the world.
Spanish businessman Antonio Allones took over the brand
sometime around 1882 (a rival version of the brand's history
claims the brand became defunct after Ohmstedt's death and
Allones re-registered it, but cigar connoisseur Min Ron Nee
maintains the brand was passed to Allones from Ohmstedt's
company, based on records stating Allones as the owner of El
Rey del Mundo from as early as 1873). Under Allones, the brand
reached the height of its world-wide prestige. In 1905,
Allones' company was bought by the Diaz Hermanos y Cia
venture, owned by Candido Vega Diaz (supposedly the namesake
of Don Candido cigars), which was later renamed the Rey del
Mundo Cigar Co. to reflect its most famous asset. The company
also produced such famous brands as Sancho Panza, Rafael
Gonzalez, and Don Candido.
Production continued after the Revolution and the brand
maintained its popularity through the 1960's and 1970's, but
as the world taste started to run towards stronger cigars, the
milder El Rey del Mundo brand began to loss its status as a
foremost brand of Cuban cigars. Despite its loss of
popularity, El Rey del Mundos cigars are still prized for
their mild, complex flavors, with the Choix Supreme, Grandes
de Espana, and Demi Tasse sizes being particularly popular
among connoisseurs.
Vitolas in the El Rey del Mundo Line
The following list of vitolas (sizes) within the El Rey del
Mundo line lists their measurements in English and metric,
their vitolas de galera (factory name), and their conventional
name in American cigar slang.
Hand-Made Vitolas
Choix Supreme - 5" x 48 (127 x 19.05 mm) Hermoso No. 4, a
robusto or rothschild
Taino - 7" x 47 (178 x 18.65 mm) Julieta, a churchill
Grande de Espana - 7 1/2" x 38 (192 x 15.08 mm) Delicado, a
long panetela
Corona de Luxe - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Petit Corona - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit
corona
Lunch Club - 4 1/2" x 40 (116 x 15.87 mm) Franciscano, a tres
petit corona
Demi Tasse - 3 7/8" x 30 (100 x 11.91 mm) Entreacto, a
cigarillo
Cigar
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