Size Matters: Making Sense of Cigar Sizes

Looking back on my first cigar experience, a Vega Fina by Tabacalera Garcia enjoyed at a friend's camp on Lake George which I purchased at the suggestion of the girl behind the counter, I recall enjoying the cigar immensely.  A few days later curiosity got the best of me and I looked online to try to find a review, to see if what I had enjoyed so much was actually a "good" cigar.  When I began to sift through these reports, I found myself glazing over words like robusto, Churchill, and petit corona.  I figured they must mean something, but unwilling to admit I was in over my head I trudged on trying to make sense of what I was reading.  All this time later, a friend who is new to cigars was reading a post on here and asked what I meant by "robusto."  It reminded me of my own struggles with new terminology, so in the interests of accessibility I've decided to do a series of posts on here regarding the fundamentals to help those new to cigars adapt to the good life that is fine tobacco.   

Before we get to all of the fun names, it is important to understand just how cigar size is measured.  There are two principle measurements that determine the size of a cigar: the length and the ring gauge.  The length of a cigar is rather self-explanatory and is usually, at least in the United States, measured in inches.  The ring-gauge is a measure of the thickness of a cigar in 64ths of an inch, so a 64 ring-gauge cigar is 64/64, or one inch in diameter.

Now on to the fun names!  While it would seem easier if cigar sizes were simply conveyed in their two principle measurements, it would be rather time consuming to continuously spit out dimensions while on the factory floor, and so there exist special  appellations for many of the most common sizes.  Here I have collected some of the more common sizes and their names for easy reference.  These sizes aren't absolute, as every cigar maker has their own take on them, but these will help the novice cigar smoker navigate his or her way around a cigar shop.

Petit Corona: 5 x 42
Corona: 5.5 x 44
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 50
Churchill: 7 x 48
Presidente: 7-8.5 x 52-60
Torpedo: 5.5-6 x 50 (this is a cigar with a tapered end shaped much like a cone)

While this isn't an exhaustive list, it covers a wide range of sizes that one is likely to encounter on a trip to the tobacconist. 

There are, however, additional aspects to consider when discussing cigar sizes.  Let us for the sake of example consider a King Havanos Oscuro cigar.  This cigar has a very dark wrapper which has a distinct flavor that contributes to the overall taste.  In a size with a smaller ring-gauge, like a petit corona, the wrapper constitutes a larger percent of the total cigar and will therefore have a larger impact on the flavor.  Consider the same blend but this time in a Churchill size, and the wrapper will constitute a significantly smaller percentage of the total cigar, and therefore will have a smaller effect on the taste.  In short, ring-gauge can seriously affect the flavor profile of your favorite stick. 

Additionally, the length of a cigar can play a role in how a cigar smokes.  Longer cigars tend to burn more slowly, as there is much more tobacco to consume.  Combined with the slower burn, the additional length gives the air passing through your cigar longer to cool before it reaches your mouth.  This extra airflow has another effect.  As smoke passes through the tobacco along its journey from the tip of the cigar to your mouth, it imparts some of its flavor profiles as it goes by. Whether this is a good or a bad thing tends to be up to personal preference, but knowing about it makes those choices a little bit easier. 


Now that we've taken some of the mystery out of cigar sizes, stay tuned for more posts tagged "Novice" to help those who are new to the world of fine tobacco find their way around.  Enjoy your stogies!

Don Pepin Garcia 1979 Black

I first encountered the Don Pepin Garcia's Black line while visiting a friend in Boston.  Our timing was fortunate because he had just received a "groupon" for half of $50 of sticks at Cigar Masters, a tobacconist in the vicinity of the Prudential Center, and on a recommendation from a friend picked up a pair of these beautiful cigars.  My first experience was so nice I had to have a box of them, and coughed up $124 for a box of 20 as a treat to myself.

After removing this robusto cigar from its cellophane blanket, I found it well constructed, with no noticeable soft spots or deformities.  The corojo wrapper was well rolled and there were no large veins.  There are two bands on this cigar, a larger one which bears the Don Pepin name and a smaller one which reads "Cuban Classic."  The large band was interesting in that it had four small circles surrounding the main logo in which there were on the left an American flag and a picture of the statue of liberty, and on the right a Cuban flag and what I can only assume is a family crest.  These labels give the cigar a nice appearance, but does the quality of the band reflect the quality of the cigar?

In a word: yes.  The pre-light aromas smell of fine tobacco, cedar and a sort of exotic bouquet which is difficult to describe.  Upon lighting the cigar, it was rather remarkable that there was no bitterness which sometimes accompanies the process of lighting, but rather a smooth cool smoke which was quite pleasant.  The thick white smoke had a creamy mouth-feel but was not overly heavy.  The first third of the cigar had a subtle spiciness which was accompanied by hints of what I can only describe as honeysuckle: a rather unexpected but not unwelcome flavor. This taste faded and was replaced by notes of espresso and an increase in peppery spice notes which blossomed beautifully as the cigar entered the second third. At this point there were also woody notes of cedar, and which I found balanced the spiciness nicely.  This combination of flavors finished out the stick, which I could scarcely put down and smoked to a nub, although it is to be noted that the stick did develop some sharpness of flavor as it approached the tips of my finger.  The finish is a long one, which some may view as a negative, although I did not find it to be unpleasant.

Having smoked almost three quarters of the box I have found that these sticks are consistent in terms of flavor, but less so with regard to an even burn.  This particular cigar was one of the ones which required some tending to burn evenly, although some require little to no effort at all.  The draw on these tends to be somewhat firm, and very occasionally I have had a heavy one, and as such I recommend a wedge cut to ensure proper airflow.  The ash on this cigar is a nice white color and the head tends to fall off after about two inches or so, but this particular head lasted a bit longer than that as can be seen in the accompanying pictures.

As for what to pair with this cigar, I would recommend a robust coffee.  Such a pairing can help to balance the woody and spicy notes and can bring out different aspects of the cigar depending on how you take your coffee.  Another option I have tried with this cigar is a glass of dark rum on the rocks.  The molasses in the rum tends to accentuate the cedar notes well, and what better to accompany your tobacco than a drink that originates in the same area of the world.


Overall, this cigar is one which I would recommend to those who are looking to expand their tastes into heavier cigars, as it is full of rich, complex flavors without knocking you out.  While it is a fine blend, I would be hesitant to hand one to a friend who had never smoked before, as typically new smokers like lighter tobacco and these robust gems are anything but. Needless to say, this full flavored medium to full bodied cigar is one which will have a place in my private stash for years to come.

Oliveros King Havano Oscuro

And now on to lighting our first cigar: the King Havano Oscuro by Oliveros.  My buying experience with these was the quintessential impulse purchase.  While checking out at an online cigar retailer, with the intent of simply buying a new cutter, my eye was drawn to the section marked "suggested for you" where among the selections I noticed a box of twenty of these triple fermented maduro beauties.  Having previously smoked the King Havano Dark Knight, I had some notion that these would be something that I would enjoy, and so I jumped at offer, paying around $80 for a box which retails for $136.  At four dollars a smoke, I figured even if they were mediocre it would still be a decent value.  It turned out far better than I had expected.


I decided to make this the first cigar I would review on here because I've smoked four of these in the last five days, and felt it appropriate to share this gem of a find before other more well known cigars.  To start, the band on this cigar is one I find quite beautiful.  It sports the King Havano name and is trimmed in a shiny gold color which really makes these sticks look nice in my humidor.  There is also a smaller band on the foot of the cigar which denotes it as an Oscuro.  These bands are a nice touch, and you can tell that time was taken in their design.





The construction of these cigars is another area which demonstrated the care that was put into crafting these cigars.  The stick was firm throughout, and the wrapper was free of major veins.  The triple fermented maduro wrapper has a nice dark coloring with a slight sheen to it. The size of this cigar is 5x48 which Oliveros have dubbed their "Squire" size, although one may appropriately call it a somewhere between a corona gorda and a robusto. The pre-light aromas were slightly earthy, and I couldn't shake the sense of a subtle sweetness about the wrapper.



On first light the cigar opened slightly harshly, but mellowed almost instantly with a slight cedar taste perhaps acquired in the humidor.  The initial retrohale didn't offend the nostrils and enhanced the bouquet which was quite aromatic.  This cigar then displayed its primary characteristics which it maintained throughout, which included notes of coffee and an almost semi-sweet chocolate flavor.  I also detected the slightest hint of spiciness, which was very mellow but ever present.  The maduro wrapper complements the Nicaraguan tobacco excellently, and really helps to round out the flavors.  The stick maintained most of these qualities throughout and although it was not a terribly complex cigar, it was certainly a pleasure to smoke. 

Having smoked it using both a double guillotine straight cutter and a wedge cut I can say the draw was moderate, although the wedge cut allowed for more air flow and therefore a slightly lighter draw. The ash was a light gray color and has a habit of falling off the cigar after about an inch and half. The burn was not fantastic at first but evened out decently after the head fell off.  While we could discuss the merits of ashing one's cigar versus letting the head fall off naturally, it came as an unpleasant surprise when it landed in my lap. That with the more even burn post ashing makes me advocate knocking the ash off this one early, and then tending to it as necessary for a more pleasant smoking experience.

Right after it ashed in my lap. Not an awful burn but might bother some

As described, the burn evened out

As for what to pair with this cigar (and there are as many schools of thought on pairing as there are cigar smokers) I have had a couple interesting experiences.  As previously mentioned, I've smoked four of these recently and have paired this stick with a couple of different beverages.  The first one I tried was an Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon.  What I found interesting was that the cigar brought more flavors out of the bourbon than vice versa, drawing notes of fruit out of the bourbon.  What I found to be more appropriate, however, was a coffee/cappuccino drink my girlfriend made me.  The coffee's robust flavors mellowed by the semi-sweet cappuccino paralleled the flavors of the cigar and made for quite the experience.  Adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg also brought out that hint of spiciness that is inherent to the cigar, which was a nice surprise.  

All in all, this medium strength, full flavored cigar provides a pleasurable smoking experience and makes me glad that occasionally I don't regret my impulse purchases.

To Kick Things Off

To start this blog off, I ask one thing of my reader: that he approach this blog like he would a cigar.  As a cigar enthusiast I have found that I enjoy the moments before I begin to light my cigar; taking in its form and savoring the excitement that comes from trying something new. So as we sit now in what are the pre-light moments of this blog waiting for our first real taste, let us hope that it brings with it all the delights that accompany the smoking of fine tobacco.