Connoisseur’s Corner: El Rey Del Mundo Taino
El Rey del Mundo is Spanish for “king of the world,” and this cigar brand dates back to the mid 1800s. It once had a vast array of sizes, from the diminutive to the grand, but today it’s been whittled down to a mere two. This Taino, a Churchill, is among the many sizes that are no longer made. It’s a delicate Cuban that burns dead even, with a superb draw. The smoke is mellow with a persistent toasty quality that hints of briny olives. Light notes of cedar and almond mix with a buttery character. —David Savona
Nineteen Ninety-Three. As Sinatra would sing: “it was a very good year,” especially for Cuban cigars. This big Punch has become mellow and sublime after 27 years of aging. Cashews and truffle combine with wisps of leather, and the finish is pleasantly sweet, with notes of almond paste. The retrohale leaves a touch of earth and pepper in the nose. What a superb cigar. —David Savona
A former Cigar of the Year, this is still a heady, bold smoke that’s retained most of its power, pepper and nutmeg. But the years have brought out a cornucopia of dried fruit notes that range from raisin and apricot to fig and apple. It all comes together with an autumnal hint of burning hickory. A tasty Nicaraguan cigar that’s worthy of aging. —Gregory Mottola
Before it became part of the regular Habanos portfolio in 2008, this beefy cigar was created as one of Cuba’s Edición Limitadas. The smoke has aged well, showing off intriguing notes of granite and slate, complemented by the sweetness of nutmeg, graham cracker and a pleasant nutty quality. Powerful and raw in its youth, it has become finely balanced, with an elegance that was missing when it was young. —David Savona
