How do you decide on a vitola?

[Boudie]

You hear good things about a cigar, maybe pickup a single to give them a try and its time to place an order.
How do you decide on which vitola? When stocking up on several different brands do you normally buy a similar size across the brands or does the vitola change depending on the cigar?

 

[StogieNinja]

I don't stock up on pretty much anything until I've tried a few. Generally I try the toro and the CG, as those are two of my favorite vitolas and will give me an idea if I prefer the blend in a larger or smaller vitola. If there's not a lot of difference, I stock whatever I feel like; if I prefer one over the other, I may try another in an even more pronounced vitola (IE petit corona or something in a larger rg) to see what the difference is there.

One general rule of thumb I use, is that I tend to prefer slightly smaller rg for maduros. I find that the strength of flavor from the wrapper is what I like about dark, earthy nicaraguans, so I tend to want that flavor more concentrated, and therefore enjoy the smaller RGs more often. When it comes to more complex, medium bodied cigars (for example, Cornelious or El Gueguense), I prefer the larger rg, because it provides for better balance and nuance. There are exceptions to this rule (I prefer the short churchill for Sobremesa, a medium-bodied cigar, and I prefer the Tenessee Waltz to the Paniolo, for example), but it's a general starting point for me.

It's all guesswork, but the journey is half the fun.

 

[Hopduro]

Lonsdale thank me later

Sent from the past on VeLoRoK's flip phone

 

[Merovius]

You hear good things about a cigar, maybe pickup a single to give them a try and its time to place an order.
How do you decide on which vitola? When stocking up on several different brands do you normally buy a similar size across the brands or does the vitola change depending on the cigar?

When trying a new release I usually go Robusto. The blend is usually well balanced in this format and its a tough one for rollers to screw up.

As far as where to go from there, I just try them out. Lets take the Illusione Original Documents for example, if I find that I like the 88 (Robusto) I'll go ahead and try the other more classic vitola (Churchill, Corona Gorda, Lonsdale). 2c

 

[Boudie]

I read on the web that when first building or putting together a new cigar most blenders roll toros so that size is the taste intended by the original blender. Is there any credibility to that observation?

 

[ChuckMejia]

Lonsdale thank me later

Sent from the past on VeLoRoK's flip phone

Gtfo


Robusto extra

 

[Hopduro]

Gtfo


Robusto extra

You really have a 52-54 RG thing lately huh?

Sent from the past on VeLoRoK's flip phone

 

[Nacho Daddy]

really satisfying for Chuck when he looks down.................

 

[JR Kipling]

If a cigar catches my attention since it's mentioned somewhere, I'll do a search and see what various reviewers have thought. If a reviewer I like (such as Katman) has said glowing things about the cigar & it sounds like its in my preferred wheelhouse, I'll buy 1-3 in that same size. If I still like it, I'll try additional cigars in vitolas I prefer to see how I like them. If I have little information to go on, I'll probably buy one robusto as that is a size that I have a lot of experience with which to compare.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[redneck_toy]

I usually go for the smallest size available in any given cigar. I prefer a shorter 30 minute smoke vs. over an hour or two for a churchill sized smoke. I feel wasteful dropping half a gar in the ashtray when I've had my fill. Not that I won't do it, but it does feel wasteful. The smaller violas generally have more flavor to me anyways. Less filler per wrapper and binder.
To each his own

 

[BadWolf]

My "go to" size is the toro-- but that's more habit than anything else. At least it's not grounded in anything that makes sense. Size, for me, depends a lot on how much time I have to smoke. If I have a cigar I like a lot I'll likely have some in different vitolas. Can I taste the difference between say a robusto and a toro. Not really.