Choosing a Cigar Size

Cigars are commonly categorized by the size and shape of the cigar, which together are known as a vitola. When choosing a size, it is important to remember that the bigger the cigar, the longer it will take to smoke it. For new cigar smokers, it is therefore a good idea to stick with Coronas and Robustos.

The size of a cigar is measured by two dimensions: its ring gauge (its diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch) and its length (in inches). For example, most non-Cuban robustos have a ring gauge of approximately 50 and a length of approximately 5 inches. Robustos which are of Cuban origin always have a ring gauge of 50 and a length of 4 7/8 inches.

The most common shape is the parejo, which has a cylindrical body, straight sides, one end open, and a round cap on the other end which is either snipped off before smoking or a small hole is punched in the center of the end. Parejas are designated by the following terms:

• Mareva/Petit Corona (5" x 42)
• Corona (5 1/2" x 42)
• Corona Gorda (5 5/8" x 46)
• Rothschilds (4 1/2" x 50) after the Rothschild family
• Hermosos No. 4 (5" x 48)
• Robusto (4 7/8" x 50)
• Toro (6" x 50)
• Cervantes/Lonsdale (6 1/2" x 42), named for Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale
• Dalia (6 3/4" x 43)
• Corona Grande (6 1/8" x 42)
• Julieta, also known as Churchill (7" x 47), named for Winston Churchill
• Prominente/Double Corona (7 5/8" x 49)
• Presidente (8" x 50)
• Gran Corona ("A") (9 1/4" x 47)
• Panatelas – longer and generally thinner than Coronas
• Small Panatela (5" x 33)
• Short Panatela (5" x 38)
• Slim Panatela (6" x 34)
• Panatela (6" x 38)
• Long Panatela (7 1/2" x 38)

Irregularly-shaped cigars are known as figurados and are sometimes considered of higher quality because they are more difficult to make. The Figurados include:

• Torpedo – Like a parejo except that the cap is pointed.
• Pyramid – Has a broad foot and evenly narrows to a pointed cap.
• Perfecto – Narrow at both ends and bulged in the middle.
• Presidente/Diadema - shaped like a parejo but considered a figurado because of its enormous size and occasional closed foot akin to a perfecto.
• Culebras – Three long, pointed cigars braided together.
• Tuscanian – The typical Italian cigar, created in the early nineteenth century when Kentucky tobacco was hybridized with local varieties and used to create a long, tough, slim cigar thicker in the middle and tapered at the ends, with a very strong aroma. It is also known as a cheroot, which is the largest selling cigar shape in America.

For more about our specific cigar selection, please see the information sheets in the humidor.

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