Cigar size info

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

Is there a guide OR can anyone here explain the reason behind various sizes of cigars? For example why a panetela vs a churchhill or robusto?

I ask with two favors in mind.

One: I want to have this information for the Pure Indulgence blog so PLEASE indicate whether or not I can credit you for the blog.

Two: I'm going to do a show on this for Pure Indulgence. Since the show is about educating both novice and experienced smokers towards a quality of life they deserve. So again, I'd love if you would indicate if I can use your responses on the show. OR perhaps we can talk about an interview from YOUR perspective.

I'll respect your privacy.

The other thing I'm going to ask will deal with morning/midday/afternoon/nighttime cigars/pipes and alcohol. But I'll put that question in the appropriate forums.

Thanks in advance.

Sascha

 

[t_ron99]

Because many folks have many different preferences.

Things like size can determine how long the cigar smokes. Short cigars for short times. I know sometimes cigars do smoke much slower or faster than others, but generally, you won't get a two hour smoke out of a corona. Longer cigars also take longer to smoke and demand a larger time commitment.

That's just the pure physics part as a function of time. That doesn't take into account the ring gauge. Some folks like big ring and some like small. Again personal preferences. You could argue larger ringed cigars can add more variety of leaves for a more complex taste...but there are complex small ring gauge too.

Then there's shape. That brings on a whole different conversation of preferences.

There are perfect cigars for the moment, but only that moment!

Good luck on your quest.

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

Checkout this link and see if it answers any or all of your questions....

http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/images/stories/cigarprimer/primer4selection90207.pdf

 

[danthebugman]

That is an excellent resource Larry :thumbsup:. Different strokes for different folks is the motto. Some like and have time for larger cigars, while others prefer smaller ones. I know since the weather has turned colder you won't find me smoking a Churchill or Salomon! Then there's the ring gauge. The smaller the RG, the more the wrapper flavor comes into play. One of the reasons that lanceros and coronas are more popular than 6 x 60 monsters in most cigar lines. I think people would be interested if you did a little history about how some of the common vitolas came to be :dunno:.

Dan

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

Dan, excellent idea! I think that's something I'll spend some time doing for the blogs/shows. I do wonder how the sizes came to be and why. And I'm starting to understand the power of smaller vitolas. The Tat 7th Reserve for example is a smaller stick than I normally like but damn it's got a lot of flavor.

Same thing with the Origen Lancero. And the La Riqueza No 1

Thanks guys!

 

[tmoney2007]

Well, the Churchill was the imperial/imperiales until Churchill became a household name. It was his favorite size.

You may find more interesting stories about how the names of the sizes came to be. The different sizes exist because people like different sized cigars.

 

[dpricenator]

As you get you information together, i think it would be beneficial to try several sizes in the same line of cigars. The Oliva V Lancero and the Olive V robusto are totally different cigars. You mention larger ring gague cigars possibly being more complex because more types of tobacco being used. I'll agree because of the word possibly, but most of the flavor in your cigar comes from the wrapper. The filler is used for Strength and burn rate...in most cases. The wrapper to filler ratio is much more in favor of FLAVOR in a thin ring gauge cigar. Once you get over the idea that a fat cigar makes you look tougher than a thin cigar does, a whole new world of cigars will be open to you.

 

[Angry Bill]

Min Ron Nee's book on Post Revoltionary CC's is an excellent source of the vitolas

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

As you get you information together, i think it would be beneficial to try several sizes in the same line of cigars. The Oliva V Lancero and the Olive V robusto are totally different cigars. You mention larger ring gague cigars possibly being more complex because more types of tobacco being used. I'll agree because of the word possibly, but most of the flavor in your cigar comes from the wrapper. The filler is used for Strength and burn rate...in most cases. The wrapper to filler ratio is much more in favor of FLAVOR in a thin ring gauge cigar. Once you get over the idea that a fat cigar makes you look tougher than a thin cigar does, a whole new world of cigars will be open to you.

That's the thing about it for me is the downtime and commitment I HAVE to make (along with cash outlay in California) for a larger ring gauge. But as mentioned in another post (or was that Fetlife cigar group) the Tat 7th Reserva isn't my ideal size but damn is it good.

I think I'll run through the HAVANA line at Tatuaje and try this out. Good experiment and great excuse to smoke!

 

[WhiteWolfIndulgence]

None of you have said whether I can use your feedback in the show/blog so I'm going to just reference my fellow Brothers of the Leaf and give the site a link on the blog. Just an FYI.

 

[USNStoops]

I use to be a churchill only guy but thanks to the CAO Brazilia Gol I realized most cigar lines have a sweet spot you also notice this distinction very well with olivia serie v. At least that has been my experience.

 

[dpricenator]

YOu can use my words, but i am just a pothead who likes cigars. Far from an expert.

 

[38-50]

No info on origination but I'll give you my take on attributes of the various vitolas.

I have found that Churchills and even Toros tend to be smoother and cooler smoking, especially in the full stregth, full bodied blends. The inverse of this being Cuban Coronas(5.5x46), Coronas, and Petite Coronas. In the notoriously full bodied blends these small sizes tend to be the spiciest and strongest vitolas puff for puff but not nescessarily stronger as a whole. I would guess that this is done intentionally by the blender to make sure those of us seeking full stregnth/body are satisfied with any of the vitolas within the line.

The middle ground here may be the lanceros and lonsdales, which are long enough to cool the smoke if smoked slowly but still have the extra kick in flavor and strength due to a higher ratio of wrapper and stronger filler.

Perfectos tend to be more complex that parejos due to the always shifting ratios of filler, binder, and wrapper. I usually find this to be enjoyable in the first half of the cigar but I am almost always dissapointed in the second half of any tapered perfecto. For some reason they seem to get hot after the midway point as the ring guage shrinks.

That's all I have and take it with a grain of salt as it comes from a completely modern perspective. I got into this hobby during the onset of the full bodied revolution and my experience may not have been valid 5 or ten years ago.

Feel free to use any or none of this for your blog.

 

[ciggy]

Hey...don't forget $$$. Alot of people will buy the size they can afford and still swear it taste better than the more expensive sizes.

 

[SuperKrishna]

A while back I put together a cigar size guide for those learning cigars.
Cigar names are quite subjective and a corona to one manufacturer might be something else to another. This was created as just a guideline and not a definitive source.