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The Vitola GuideTypical dimensions, a little history and smoking notes for every vitola in Humidor Luxe. Sizes vary by maker; figures are typical.
4½" × 42
5½" × 42
5⅝" × 46
6½" × 42
7½" × 38
7" × 47
7⅝" × 49
5" × 50
6" × 52
6⅛" × 52
5½" × 52
6⅛" × 52
5" × 48Ring gauge is diameter in 64ths of an inch. A 50 ring cigar is 50/64" across.
History. The Cuban factories' everyday workhorse (the Mareva format sits right beside it). Short, slender and quick, it was built for the gap between espresso and the next appointment.
Smoking notes. High wrapper-to-filler ratio, so the leaf speaks loudly. Ideal for tasting a new blend before committing to a larger size.
History. The benchmark against which most other sizes were named: 'gorda' (fat), 'double', 'petit'. For much of the twentieth century it was simply what a cigar looked like.
Smoking notes. Balanced and focused. A classic test of a roller's draw and a blender's consistency.
History. Known in Havana as the Corona Gorda, and to many aficionados as the ideal compromise between flavor intensity and smoking time.
Smoking notes. A slightly fuller draw than the corona, with room for the blend to develop through three distinct thirds.
History. Named for Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, a sportsman of famously expensive tastes who commissioned a size to his own preference.
Smoking notes. Long and elegant. Burns cooler than its length suggests and rewards a slow cadence.
History. The long, slim format made famous by Cuba's Laguito factory, a size associated with presentation-grade rolling and diplomatic gifts.
Smoking notes. Very wrapper-forward and notoriously difficult to roll well. A connoisseur's shape: intense, nuanced, unforgiving of a poor draw.
History. Named for Sir Winston Churchill, whose loyalty to long Havanas made him the most photographed cigar smoker of the century.
Smoking notes. Generous, unhurried, best on a long evening. Expect the blend to evolve markedly from first third to last.
History. The grand format of the classic lineup; in Havana parlance the Prominente. A statement size, historically reserved for long celebrations.
Smoking notes. Cool, full and slow. Keep it well-humidified; large ring gauges punish dry storage with uneven burns.
History. Rose to dominance in the 1980s and '90s as smokers wanted full flavor in under an hour. Today it is the best-selling size in the world.
Smoking notes. Rich smoke volume in a compact frame. The default size for comparing blends side by side.
History. A modern favorite and a New World staple, the toro stretches the robusto's richness into a longer session.
Smoking notes. Even, generous and forgiving of a beginner's pace. Ring gauges of 50–54 are all common.
History. A figurado whose head tapers to a point. In modern usage the name is often interchangeable with pyramid; historically it described a bulged body with a closed foot.
Smoking notes. The pointed head concentrates the smoke. Clip it modestly at first; you can always cut more.
History. A shorter figurado with a compact, rounded taper at the head; the Cuban Campana format.
Smoking notes. Robusto-like richness with a focused draw from the tapered head.
History. The Pirámide: an even taper from an open foot to a sharp head, prized by rollers as a mark of skill.
Smoking notes. Widely held to deliver more concentrated flavor at the head. A beautiful size to photograph and to collect.
History. Tapered at both ends and bulged in the middle; among the most popular shapes of the nineteenth century before parejos took over.
Smoking notes. The narrow foot lights quickly and the flavor opens as the burn reaches the widest point. Light patiently.
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