Deep Dive: El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme

[El Presidente]

 

El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme 

This is indeed a cigar that splits the Cuban cigar community.  Some see it as a poor mans CORO and others can't see much in it at all. I have traditionally loved them with 5 years down and only wish that there were more around as 19/20/21 examples when found have been sensational with as little as six months rest. 

Let's talk El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme 

• Do you like  El Rey Del Munco Choix Supreme 
• Where does it stand in the ranks of other Robusto/Hermoso 4 cigars. 
• Have you noticed a blend/flavour/body change over the years? If so, approximately when?
• How long does it take you to smoke a El Rey Del Mundo Choix Supreme 
• Do the poll!

El Rey Del Munco Choix Supreme! 

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[KCCubano]

Have always liked them. Especially in 50 cabs with significant age. I chose cream and floral. Hsve a few 19 and 20 boxes. No desire to dive in for a few more years. The wait is worth it

[gustavehenne]

I smoked one just this morning. I remember my first Choix which I eagerly took ROTT and hated it. Left it for a few months and bang - oodles of citrus, cream and wood notes. It's now probably the one cigar I rave about time and time again. I feel that the ERDM blend/characteristics are probably my favourite of all cigars and if HSA did nothing else but ERDM (highly unlikely looking at the current brand portfolio of ERDM) I would be a happy man.

It would be easy to overpower the fairly delicate flavours of the Choix and I always tell folk that this is either a morning smoke OR one to have with a champagne or white wine. I think this works well with a German Riesling but many whites will do. Champagne it fizzes away beautifully with these flavours.

I remember Rob (I think) saying that this was a poor mans CoRo. Well in that case, I be the poor man as I'd take this over a CoRo any day of the week/month/year.

Gushing over

[westg]

Well I wish I had more , my favourite Robusto at the moment, what I love about them is they start off great and progressively become better an better. I don't know why I never really purchased any probably because I was always picking up everything thing else Boli RB, D4 , Epi2 , Cohiba. Generally they looked ugly cardboard pasty wrappers and  had no real fan fair . What did spike my interest was the poor man's Cohiba slap. Could they be okay, so I picked up a fiver locally. Gorgeous cigars sweet a little spice some caramel a luscious palette coating smoke from this Cigar . Poor man's  Cohiba I wouldn't call them that due to the fact that is similar in body at less than half the price . Flavours are not even close . At this stage they deserve a little better than that.Truly unique  and a nice change of pace from similar formats .

[RDB]

Definitely one of my favourite robusto / #4 sizes smokes, along with PSD4 and Romeo Ex.4. Really interesting, complex flavours. I have a wonderfully rich box of BRO ENE 19 that I am looking forward to watching evolve.

[ha_banos]

PITA someone said it already significant age. Don't know what it is about ERDM but leave them for bloody years. They need it. Milder, lighter wrappers goes against the normal expectation for aging. I don't have enough years left! Humbug!

[SCgarman]

Worst most flavorless Cuban I have ever smoked bar none. No flavor/body like smoking paper. Traded what I had left to a fan of these. And it was a 2010 box. Age did nothing for these. The box came from our host many years ago. I don't get it, Habanos will axe a great cigar like the Upmann PC but continue to make these flavorless turds. Sorry, I won't sugarcoat my opinion on these.

[rascalmonkey]

In my early days one of my first splurges was for 2 X 50 cabs ... ca. 2004.

Those things were unsmokable for years! + just taking up tons of space in my coolerador.

[riderpride]

First box from '07 was absolutely amazing. Not sure if there was a blend change,  but the next box from '12 was beautifully constructed, dark, oily, and tasted like rose petals and minerals (vitamin like flavor). Took me 8 years to get through that one and haven't had another since. Looked for some singles my last trips to the island,  but haven't seen any. 

I'll try them again,  but it's not at the top of my priority list.

Cheers

[Texwrangler]

I’m savoring the one 2019 box I got last year. It’s a love hate relationship when I reach for one. Love because it’s decadent in flavors. Hate because there is one less in the box after I grab one. I get it…..just wish I had more.

[Rhinoww]

Anyone looking to unload a box please feel free to Dm me. I like these and had to hide my second box from myself. 

[Frinkiac7]

Amazing cigar, one of my favorites. Haven’t had one in several years, haven’t seen them! 

[NSXCIGAR]

3 hours ago, SCgarman said:

Worst most flavorless Cuban I have ever smoked bar none

I've had some lackluster ones to be sure. The blend is a very delicate one and can end up on the bland side. 

That said it's never been my cup of tea. I've had some lovely ones with 5-7 years on them but it's tough to keep them in balance. As I said it's a delicate blend that can get out of sorts. 

If I want a hit of ERDM I'll usually reach for a DT. 

[KCCubano]

9 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I've had some lackluster ones to be sure. The blend is a very delicate one and can end up on the bland side. 

That said it's never been my cup of tea. I've had some lovely ones with 5-7 years on them but it's tough to keep them in balance. As I said it's a delicate blend that can get out of sorts. 

If I want a hit of ERDM I'll usually reach for a DT. 

I had a dud dress box from 07 I think. Never really developed. Not the worst but the ones from Cabs much better to me. Hoping my current boxes show up and shine in a few yrs. 

[Doctorossi]

14 hours ago, SCgarman said:

Worst most flavorless Cuban I have ever smoked bar none. No flavor/body like smoking paper. Traded what I had left to a fan of these. And it was a 2010 box. Age did nothing for these. The box came from our host many years ago. I don't get it, Habanos will axe a great cigar like the Upmann PC but continue to make these flavorless turds. Sorry, I won't sugarcoat my opinion on these.

I thought I was the only one! To me, these are just dullsville. No subtlety or nuance, just straight-up-the-middle-tobacco and mildness in the extreme. They're not offensive by any means, but I resent them for wasting my time.

[BrightonCorgi]

I liked them, but haven't had a box in many years. Milder fruity, profile if I remember. Great ash. Not as a popular flavor profile today. Like a more robust LGC Tainos.

Would like that to change as soon as possible! I liked them better than the ERDM Gran Corona.

[Stevieboy]

I've always liked them but once the trust I've only ever smoked a couple of boxes. On Tuesday I bought a box here in Madrid with a FEB22 box code. The shop had another 5 or 6 boxes in stock. BTW there isn't much stock in Madrid at all. Monte 4, RyJ tubos here and there but almost every shop is wiped out with empty boxes on display. Zero Cohiba at all but I found a fair few Trinidad at the new prices....probably why they're still in stock.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
 

[SCgarman]

4 hours ago, KCCubano said:

I had a dud dress box from 07 I think. Never really developed. Not the worst but the ones from Cabs much better to me. Hoping my current boxes show up and shine in a few yrs. 

I have learned one thing from 30 years of this cigar hobby. An overly mild, flavorless cigar will not improve with age. It will perhaps become even more mild and flavorless. You need a blend with some " oomph! " to age gracefully over the years/decades and still retain significant flavor.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, SCgarman said:

 You need a blend with some " oomph! " to age gracefully over the years/decades and still retain significant flavor.

Except for the exceptions like Fonseca Number 1, Siglo V,  HDM Dieux  etal 

[jakebarnes]

Personally think the CS is Habanos at its best. Absolutely delicate blend that can evolve into an absolute flavor trip. I 100% get these, but age is a must. 

[KCCubano]

16 minutes ago, jakebarnes said:

Personally think the CS is Habanos at its best. Absolutely delicate blend that can evolve into an absolute flavor trip. I 100% get these, but age is a must. 

I really should take all mine out of the dress boxes and put in old SLB's...but Im too lazy and coming off a bad Covid ordeal

[JohnS]

I find that it's an apt description to describe the El Rey del Mundo marca as 'poor man's Cohiba'. After all, there was a time (in the 1940s) when the most prestigious Habanos cigars all had French monikers and El Rey del Mundo was the most prestigious Habanos marca of them all, the Cohiba of its day. But yes, times change and mild cigars aren't as esteemed perhaps as they used to be.

In regard to the El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme, just reflect on its vitola name for a minute. That's French for 'greatest choice'. That's fairly high praise there, wouldn't you think?

[SCgarman]

8 hours ago, JohnS said:

I find that it's an apt description to describe the El Rey del Mundo marca as 'poor man's Cohiba'. After all, there was a time (in the 1940s) when the most prestigious Habanos cigars all had French monikers and El Rey del Mundo was the most prestigious Habanos marca of them all, the Cohiba of its day. But yes, times change and mild cigars aren't as esteemed perhaps as they used to be.

In regard to the El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme, just reflect on its vitola name for a minute. That's French for 'greatest choice'. That's fairly high praise there, wouldn't you think?

While the current Cohiba Robusto is grossly overpriced, flavor wise it blows the doors off the Choix Supreme. The Choix tastes nothing like a CORO IMHO. As a matter of fact the Choix tastes like wadded up newspaper.  Apples and Oranges

 

11 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Except for the exceptions like Fonseca Number 1, Siglo V,  HDM Dieux  etal 

I have had Siglo V and they are far from a mild cigar. 5 years on them and they were one of the best sticks I have ever smoked. Unfortunately at the current price I will likely never smoke another. 

[NSXCIGAR]

12 minutes ago, JohnS said:

But yes, times change and mild cigars aren't as esteemed...

Certainly truth to that and I would also say the CS is a victim of its own finesse. Not only does it absolutely require many years down but it requires a perfect blend, recipe and roll to shine. It is a balancing act that is hard to get right and easy to get wrong. 

I think there are cigars that are similar in terms of needing a perfect blend to shine. I actually think PSD4 is like that. To be great it needs to have a perfect balance of flavors and it rarely does. Any cigar that relies on balance is going to have that issue rather than a cigar that relies on "backbone" or a "core" flavor like BBF, the Connies or Famosos or most Monte and San Cristobal.

A cigar that relies heavily on balance that they seem to get right more often than not is Sir Winston. 

[dshot]

Short but sweet. Loved them. Smoked through a whole box pretty quick pre-Cigarmageddon. Thought I wish I would have bought another box couldn't get them quick enough here, forgot about them.  Some out of the box where the creamiest smoke I've ever had. Can't find them anymore. Would love to find more. I'm a big fan of under the radar not flashy cigars and they fit that perfectly. So here we are!