THE FORGED CIGAR COMPANY LAUNCHES EL REY DEL MUNDO

National Distribution Network Premieres Top-Selling Internet/Catalog Brand at Retail

Richmond, VA (January 22, 2021) – The Forged Cigar Company, an independent national cigar distribution network that launched on January 13, 2021, announced today that the company will begin selling the legendary Honduran brand El Rey del Mundo to brick and mortar locations across the U.S. starting in February, 2021.

El Rey Del Mundo was previously available exclusively through JR Cigars and Santa Clara Wholesale and rose to become a top-selling, top-rated brand for more than 20 years. The brand has been handcrafted at Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s HATSA factory in Honduras since. Under The Forged Cigar Company, El Rey Del Mundo will debut at retail as a full-time line featuring six frontmarks.

“El Rey Del Mundo is exactly the type of brand that will flourish under The Forged Cigar Company. By introducing this established brand to brick and mortar retailers nationwide and supporting it with customized programming to drive interest among cigar lovers, my team and I will take a brand with great potential to the next level. We look forward to generating a lot noise at retail for El Rey Del Mundo, our first brand to debut under Forged,” said Sean Hardiman, national sales manager of The Forged Cigar Company.

Handcrafted at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, El Rey Del Mundo is a medium-bodied, Cuban-style smoke with rich notes of cocoa, coffee bean and a kick of spice. The Honduran-forward blend is available in a natural version with an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper and a Connecticut Broadleaf-wrapped maduro, each featuring a Honduran-grown binder and filler.

El Rey Del Mundo will launch with a curated selection of one natural and five maduro offerings, representing El Rey del Mundo’s all-time best-sellers:

Café au Lait (4.5” x 36); SRP per cigar $4.80; available in 24-count boxes

Café Noir OSC (4.5” x 35); SRP per cigar $4.80; available in 24-count boxes

Robusto OSC (5: x 54); SRP per cigar $5.40; available in 20-count boxes

Robusto Larga OSC (6” x 54); SRP per cigar $5.80; available in 20-count boxes

Robusto Supremo OSC (7.25 x 54); SRP per cigar $6.80; available in 20-count boxes

Ronco OSC (6” x 60); SRP per cigar $7.00; available in 20-count boxes

About The Forged Cigar Company

Developed to deepen support for the brick and mortar channel, The Forged Cigar Company launched in 2021 as an independent national cigar distribution network. Bolstered by independent marketing and customized programming, The Forged Cigar Company’s portfolio includes a curated mix of established and cult brands such as Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin’ Moose. The Forged Cigar Company’s mission includes leveraging relationships with its proprietary network of cigar factories to deliver product innovations uniquely timed to meet retailer and consumer needs.