Guide
Cigar sizes and ring gauge explained: robusto, toro, churchill
7 min read
Robusto, toro, churchill, lancero: cigar sizes have names, and the names carry real information. They tell you roughly how long the cigar will last and how it is likely to taste. Here are the common sizes, what the numbers mean, and how to pick one for the time you have.
Length and ring gauge
A cigar's size is given as length × ring gauge, for example 5 × 50 for a robusto. Length is usually in inches (a robusto is 5 inches, about 127 mm). Ring gauge is the diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch: a 50 ring is 50/64 of an inch, about 19.8 mm across. A 64 ring would be a full inch.
To convert any size quickly, use the ring gauge converter.
The common sizes
| Name | Length | Ring gauge | Smoking time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit corona | 4½ in (114 mm) | 40–42 | 25–35 min |
| Corona | 5½ in (140 mm) | 42–44 | 35–45 min |
| Corona gorda | 5⅝ in (143 mm) | 46 | 45–55 min |
| Robusto | 5 in (127 mm) | 50 | 40–60 min |
| Toro | 6 in (152 mm) | 50–52 | 60–75 min |
| Lonsdale | 6½ in (165 mm) | 42–44 | 50–65 min |
| Churchill | 7 in (178 mm) | 47–48 | 75–90 min |
| Double corona | 7½ in (191 mm) | 49–52 | 90 min or more |
| Lancero | 7½ in (191 mm) | 38–40 | 60–75 min |
| Gordo | 6 in (152 mm) | 60 | 75–90 min |
| Torpedo / belicoso | 5–6⅛ in (127–156 mm) | 50–52, pointed head | 45–75 min |
Petit corona
- Length
- 4½ in (114 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 40–42
- Smoking time
- 25–35 min
Corona
- Length
- 5½ in (140 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 42–44
- Smoking time
- 35–45 min
Corona gorda
- Length
- 5⅝ in (143 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 46
- Smoking time
- 45–55 min
Robusto
- Length
- 5 in (127 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 50
- Smoking time
- 40–60 min
Toro
- Length
- 6 in (152 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 50–52
- Smoking time
- 60–75 min
Lonsdale
- Length
- 6½ in (165 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 42–44
- Smoking time
- 50–65 min
Churchill
- Length
- 7 in (178 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 47–48
- Smoking time
- 75–90 min
Double corona
- Length
- 7½ in (191 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 49–52
- Smoking time
- 90 min or more
Lancero
- Length
- 7½ in (191 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 38–40
- Smoking time
- 60–75 min
Gordo
- Length
- 6 in (152 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 60
- Smoking time
- 75–90 min
Torpedo / belicoso
- Length
- 5–6⅛ in (127–156 mm)
- Ring gauge
- 50–52, pointed head
- Smoking time
- 45–75 min
Parejos are straight-sided cigars with a rounded head; most of the table is parejos. Figurados have a shaped head or foot: a torpedo or belicoso tapers to a point, a perfecto tapers at both ends. The shape concentrates the smoke on the palate and often makes the first inch taste different from the rest.
Cuban factory names
Cuban cigars are made to standard factory sizes (vitolas de galera) with their own names. Brands then give each one a marketing name, which is why two very different-sounding cigars can be the same size.
| Factory name | Size | A familiar example |
|---|---|---|
| Marevas | 129 mm × 42 | Montecristo No. 4 |
| Robustos | 124 mm × 50 | Cohiba Robustos |
| Julieta No. 2 | 178 mm × 47 | Romeo y Julieta Churchills |
| Pirámides | 156 mm × 52 | Montecristo No. 2 |
| Laguito No. 1 | 192 mm × 38 | Cohiba Lanceros |
Marevas
- Size
- 129 mm × 42
- A familiar example
- Montecristo No. 4
Robustos
- Size
- 124 mm × 50
- A familiar example
- Cohiba Robustos
Julieta No. 2
- Size
- 178 mm × 47
- A familiar example
- Romeo y Julieta Churchills
Pirámides
- Size
- 156 mm × 52
- A familiar example
- Montecristo No. 2
Laguito No. 1
- Size
- 192 mm × 38
- A familiar example
- Cohiba Lanceros
How size changes the taste
- Thinner cigars have more wrapper relative to filler, so the wrapper's character dominates. Flavors tend to be more concentrated and the cigar can burn hotter if you smoke it quickly.
- Thicker cigars are dominated by the filler, smoke cooler and change more slowly. Very large ring gauges (60 and up) can taste milder and more uniform than the same blend in a corona.
- Longer cigars give the blend more time to develop, and you take in more nicotine over the session, so they often feel stronger by the end. See cigar strength explained.
- The same blend in different sizes is a good experiment: many lines come in four or five sizes, and enthusiasts often have a favourite size within a line.
Choosing a size for the occasion
- Half an hour: petit corona or corona.
- About an hour: robusto, corona gorda or a short torpedo.
- An evening: toro, churchill or double corona.
- Want maximum flavor from the wrapper: lancero or lonsdale.
- Outdoors in wind: a thicker cigar burns more forgivingly.
Keeping track of the sizes you like
aficio's catalog lists each cigar's length and ring gauge, and your rating stays with the exact size you smoked, so over time you can compare the same blend as a corona and as a toro. Your flavor profile and match % come from your own ratings, whatever the size.
Questions
- What does ring gauge mean on a cigar?
- Ring gauge is the cigar's diameter in sixty-fourths of an inch. A 50 ring gauge is 50/64 of an inch, about 19.8 mm.
- What is the most popular cigar size?
- The robusto (about 5 inches by 50 ring gauge) and the toro (about 6 inches by 50–52) are the most common sizes today. Both fit into roughly an hour of smoking.
- How long does it take to smoke a robusto?
- Around 40 to 60 minutes at a relaxed pace of one draw a minute. A toro takes about an hour or a little more.