Cigar Sizes Explained: Robusto vs Toro vs Churchill (and Everything Else)
Cigar sizes come with a vocabulary all their own - vitola, ring gauge, perfecto - and the names matter, because size genuinely changes how a cigar smokes. Here's the plain-English version we give customers across the counter every day.
The two numbers
Every size is written as length × ring gauge - inches by 64ths of an inch of thickness. A 5 × 50 robusto is five inches long and 50/64" thick. Shorter means less time; thicker means a cooler smoke and more filler blend in every puff.
The sizes you'll actually encounter
- Corona (~5 - 6 × 42 - 46): the classic, elegant format. About 45 minutes. Wrapper flavor shines.
- Robusto (~5 × 50): America's favorite - 45 minutes of full flavor in a compact package.
- Toro (~6 × 52): the modern standard. About an hour, roomy and cool-burning.
- Torpedo / Belicoso: a pointed head that concentrates smoke on your palate - same blends, sharper focus.
- Churchill (~7 × 48): the long-form format, named for the man himself. Ninety minutes, minimum.
- Gordo (60+ ring): big, slow and cool. Two hours of couch time.
- Perfecto: tapered at both ends - see the Fuente Hemingway series, the masters of the shape.
Does bigger mean stronger?
No - strength comes from the tobacco, not the size. A thick gordo often smokes smoother than a thin corona of the same blend because more filler leaf balances the wrapper. What changes with size is time, temperature and how much of the flavor comes from the wrapper versus the filler.
Our advice
Pick by the time you actually have. A rushed Churchill is a wasted Churchill; an unhurried robusto is perfection. Browse the whole humidor by size right here, or grab a sampler and let the cigars settle the debate.
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