King of the World

El Rey Del Mundo


The Scene: It’s January 5 2008, around Noon and I’m smoking this dude outside…knowing that no matter how much I want it to be warm and nice, that it’s going to curl my toes with cold. Still, I haven’t had a smoke in four days and my new blog needs some lovin’ so here goes.

These dudes look elegant in their white wrapper…I’m not sure if they’re “maduro” or just dark. They don’t really have that sweetness that many maduros have. I might detect a little bit of expresso type taste along with a lot of deep muddiness.




This guy doesn’t look that manly and in the future I think I’ll get a “robusto” sized version of the El Rey. However, this guy is kind of like the new James Bond...kind of refined but you have no doubt that he’s all man.




The cigar took the flame well…and rewarded me a mouthful of musk. This stogie has a lot to live up to…given that my day began with a daughter’s kiss and progressed to a wife’s embrace…and eventually, my favorite coffee.

The El Rey Del Mundo (King of the World) is earthy-I detect no lemon, or chocolate or weird flavors that I hear about and (rarely) experience in a cigar. It makes me think of leather chairs, rib eye steaks, dark woods, single malt scotch and other symbols of successful masculinity. It’s no bullshit.

I don’t think that the flavor changes much but it’s a flavor that I enjoy Half way in, the burn is great. The ash is decent, though not crazy. The smoke is holding up well, in spite of a slight (but cold!) wind from the South. The box press form factor is not something I normally seek out…but it is coming in handy here…when I put it down the wind doesn’t roll it off my cigar rest.

I can smell it when I put it down and it smells better than it tastes-I always appreciate a cigar that I can smell. At times it reminds me of the smell of my dad’s pipe from when I was a kid, living on 4th street. I recall the contented look he had at those times. I like to think I’m experiencing some of that.

The Harp doesn’t really add anything to the experience but it doesn’t hurt either. I’d have chosen a Guinness (sp?) but my brother snatched up the ones I tried to take home with me over Xmas. Beatch.

The El Rey is indeed one of my favorite cigars…it’s a full Honduran puro that lives up to it’s name-it is one of the “Kings” of my cigar world…especially for the price (I think I got this dude for $3). It’s consistent, manly, and holds up well to the elements.