Vintage Cigar Connoisseur's Corner: A Classic El Rey Del Mundo Scores a 98

(Cigar Aficionado) This was a lovely selection of cigars ranging in age from 14 to 54 years old. Four rated 95 points or higher, classic on our 100-point scale. The best was an El Rey del Mundo Coronas de Luxe from 1983, a relatively diminutive Cuban smoke (it’s less than 6 inches long, and but a 42 ring gauge) that combines creaminess with sweet spices. It’s interesting to look at the performance of a 1986 Quai D’Orsay Imperiales, which scored 95 points, and compare it to the modern-day version we rated blind, which scored 92. Of particular note is the sole non-Cuban cigar in this collection. The Cuba Aliados Valentino, a cigar rolled in Honduras in 1994 under the tutelage of the great cigarmaster Rolando Reyes Sr., who recently passed, showed great balance and flavor after close to 20 years of age. Continued