| CIGAR SHAPE AND SIZE
Cigars come in all different shapes and sizes. You need to know about the
two dimensions, length and ring gauge. Length is measured in either centimeters
or inches, and ring gauge, also called girth or diameter, is measured by 64th
of an inch. For example, a Churchill cigar, sized 7 by 47 means it is seven
inches long and has a ring gauge of 47, which measures 47/64ths of an inch
thick.
A cigar that has the same ring gauge at both the head and the foot is called a
straight-sided cigar, or a parejo. The head of the straight-sided cigar is the
end that you smoke, the foot of the cigar is the end that you light. Examples
include Churchill, Corona, Corona Gorda, Double Corona, Lonsdale, Panatela,
Petit Corona and Robusto.
Then there are the irregular-shaped cigars, or figurados. The foot or head may
be open or closed, and pointed or rounded. These cigars have unusual in shape,
but smoked by the serious cigar aficionado. The different figurados include
Pyramid, Figurado, Torpedo, Perfecto, Diademas, Culebra and Belicoso.
Please take a look at the table below to compare cigar shapes and sizes.
STRAIGHT-SIZED (TRADITIONAL) CIGARS
| SHAPE |
LENGTH
(INCHES) |
RING
GAUGE |
DESCRIPTION |
PICTURE |
| Corona
|
5½-6
|
42 or 44
|
Popular, traditional cigar.
|
 |
| Churchill
|
7
|
48
|
Named after Britain Prime
Minister Winston Churchill, a strong-full bodied cigar. |
 |
| Double Corona
|
7¾
|
49
|
Full flavor, bigger ring
size allows well-blended tobaccos. |
 |
| Petit Corona
|
5-5½
|
38-44
|
Small cigar, good for a
brief smoke. |
 |
| Panatela
|
5
|
34 |
Long and thin. Small ring
gauge burns hotter and slender size allows less tobacco. |
 |
| Lonsdale
|
6
¼ |
42 |
Longer than coronas, thicken
than panatelas. |
 |
| Robusto
|
5-
5½ |
50 |
|
 |
|
Note: Not shown to actual size, for demonstration purposes
only. IRREGULAR-SHAPED CIGARS
| SHAPE
|
DESCRIPTION |
PICTURE |
| Perfecto |
Closed at both ends, with a bulge in the
midsection. |
 |
| Torpedo |
Pointed head, closed foot and middle
bulge. |
 |
| Pyramid |
Pointed, closed head with open wide
foot. |
 |
| Diadema |
Monster size. Usually 8 inches or
longer, with a minimum ring size of 60. Rounded head with open
foot. |
 |
| Culebra |
3 long thin cigars braided together.
Pointed head are separate, meant for each to be smoked separately. |
 |
| Bellicoso |
Easy to clip. Shaped neck. |
 |
|
Note: Not shown to actual size, for demonstration purposes
only. |
