Does size matter? It does if you are purchasing cigars!
Standard industry measurements for cigars are in length, expressed in inches,
diameter, expressed in “ring size”, and shape, expressed loosely by the terms
“standard” meaning cylindrical, and “figurado” which encompasses virtually every
other shape.
Longer cigars have a cleaner taste, perhaps because they are filtered by the
rolled tobacco between the burning end and the tasting end.
Fatter cigars with higher ring sizes burn cooler because more air circulates
around the burning leaves.
Smaller cigars typically contain chopped filler which burns faster and
hotter.
Aside from the flavor differences, the time available to smoke a cigar may
determine the length and shape chosen, or even just the feel of the cigar in the
lips and the hand.
Over time, various combinations of length, ring size, and shape have become
known by common names, some of which you may recognize:
Churchill, named for Winston Churchill’s favorite cigar, a large cigar of
roughly 7 ½ inches in length and a 50 ring gauge;
Robusto: A short fat cigar about 5 inches long and with a 50 ring gauge;
Panatela: A long thin cigar that is 6 1/2 inches by 28 ring gauge;and
Corona: 6 inches with a 44 ring gauge.
There are many others, but these are some of the more common names.