The full collection of Cuban cigars is vast, and comprises many different shapes and sizes. The El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse is one of the smallest. This venerable old brand has existed since 1882, and at one time lived up to the grandeur of its name. In the years since the revolution the popularity of El Rey del Mundo has waned, but the light-to-medium strength blend has maintained a core following. Despite only having 2 regular production cigars left to fly the flag, El Rey del Mundo are a popular choice for Regional Editions, and the Demi Tasse remains popular more than 70 years after its first release.
The 30 ring gauge by 3 ⅞ inch Entreactos vitola was originally conceived for theatre lovers – the name literally translates as “between acts” – who wanted a short burst of flavour during the interval of the latest production. The encounter will last no more than 15 minutes – the ideal quick fix when time is short.
Construction: 8/10
- A pretty rough grain to the wrapper, but an even colorado shade of brown and a healthy fill.
Draw: 10/10
- This cigar drew perfectly from start to finish. Slender cigars, possibly having ben over-humidified in storage, can tighten up easily – this example had no such issue.
Combustion: 10/10
- Dead-straight burn, no re-lighting, no issues of any kind.
Ash: 3/5
- A touch disappointing, dark grey in colour and flaky. Not too nice to look at, and barely held on to the tip of the cigar.
Smoke: 5/5
- A remarkable, and surprising, amount of smoke for such a short and slender cigar.
Flavour: 20/25
- I was a little taken aback by the amount of pepper at the start of this cigar, as it’s not a note I usually associate with the larger Choix Suprême. It was not an unwelcome flavour, thankfully, and was complemented by an impressive range of others, when considering the relatively small amount of tobacco used.
Overall: 30/35
- I’m a fan of El Rey del Mundo, and a fan of short cigars, but had never tried the Demi Tasse before. The pairing of short length with such slender ring gauge had made me sceptical the cigar would provide enough enjoyment to be worthwhile – a H. Upmann Half Corona, I thought, was as small as I was happy with. I was pleased to be proved wrong. The first half brought that immediate kick of black pepper which so surprised me, along with more body than I expected. Underneath the heat of the pepper was a biscuity, toasty note that lingered long into the aftertaste. The second half – the stick seemed too small to develop in thirds – mellowed considerably, with caramel and spice becoming the mot prevalent flavours. Cinnamon and nutmeg alternated with a roasted honey until the end. As the burn line approached my fingers after a quester of an hour, I began to wish I had another to light straight away.