Size vs Ring gauge vs

[BADS197]

I used to think that size related to burn time but after smoking a NUB, realized that's not always the case.

So why have say... a Monticristo White, but with 5 different sizes/length combos?

Example: I walked into the cigar shop near my office... 45 minutes left on the lunch clock. I picked up a Monte white but had like 5 or 6 different sizes to chose from. I went with the one in the middle and even after 45 minutes I still had 1/3 of it to go.

How does the size affect the cigar?

Ring gauge vs. length vs. burn time etc...

Is there a flavor profile or something I might not experience by getting one that is a larger ring gauge and length over say a shorter smaller ring gauge or does it boil down to burn time and how big your mouth is? haha

I pondered this a few times in cigar shops as I looked at the same brand and "type" but in several sizes.

thanks
jake

[uvacom]

It has to do with a lot of things, including but not limited to:

• Length
• Ring gauge
• Tobacco density
• Blend
• Moisture content

And other factors I'm not considering.

As far as why they make different sizes, the ratio of wrapper/binder to filler changes the flavor profile somewhat, smoking time is a factor, so is price point. Also at least some (perhaps most?) cigar makers tailor the blend to each vitola.

[raralith]

It's primarily how much tabacoo there is.

I'll use this as an example but it of course not completely true.
A Nub, 3 inch by 64 ring guage is "192" tabacoo fill.
A Monte, 5 inch by 42 ring guage is "210" tabacoo fill.

Again, the above is no way to calcuate how long it takes a cigar, but I think the most important factor in how long a smoke takes is how much tabacoo there is. Also, some people smoke fast, take strong draws, different variances that every smoker has.

As for different sizes, after having smaller ring guage cigars (lancero, PC's), and revisiting larger ring guage cigars (robustos, corona extra), I can taste a difference in cigars. The wrapper to filler ratio is different, and many would agree that the wrapper has a lot of flavor profile.

[mryellowx]

The point of the sizes is time. Not everyone has a couple hours of free time for a cigar. From my experience the ring sizes and lengths affect taste somewhat. I personally don't think the size affects milder cigars much at all. The fuller bodied cigars, to me, hit harder when the ring size is smaller and a shorter lenght tends to hit me harder. Besides that if you have two hours of free time grab a churchill. Not so much time grab a corona.

[uvacom]

Originally Posted by raralith

It's primarily how much tabacoo there is.

I'll use this as an example but it of course not completely true.
A Nub, 3 inch by 64 ring guage is "192" tabacoo fill.
A Monte, 5 inch by 42 ring guage is "210" tabacoo fill.

Assuming equal density, this formula would work, but its a little flawed because the volume is the length multiplied by the cross-sectional area, and most cigars are roughly cylindrical, so the amount of tobacco would be determined by pi*(rg/2)^2*length, so a nub 3 inches long with a ring gauge of 64 would have a "fill" of 9,650 and a 5"x42rg monte would have a "fill" of 6,920. That nub (which isn't an actual vitola afaik, the shortest nub is 3.75") would have 39% more tobacco, not 9% less.

[upah]

Also from an insulation perspective, of two cigars with equal volumetric fill, I would expect the one with a larger cross section (ring gauge) to burn slower.

[chip]

While true that smoking time can be a factor, the difference is taste. Generally, every blend has a particular size that works best (for you), because of variances in the blend relative to ring gauge. Smaller sizes may have a higher overall ligero content, making them "stronger". Wrapper is considered to be a major component of flavor. Other factors come into play. As one gains experience, it is not uncommon to gravitate more toward a smaller ring gauge.
Try a few different ones and decide for yourself, there are some lancero's and PC's that are amazingly good.

[LynnB]

Originally Posted by chip

While true that smoking time can be a factor, the difference is taste. Generally, every blend has a particular size that works best (for you), because of variances in the blend relative to ring gauge. Smaller sizes may have a higher overall ligero content, making them "stronger". Wrapper is considered to be a major component of flavor. Other factors come into play. As one gains experience, it is not uncommon to gravitate more toward a smaller ring gauge.
Try a few different ones and decide for yourself, there are some lancero's and PC's that are amazingly good.

A good example of this is looking at the reviews on Top25Cigar, the ratings can vary a good bit between sizes.

[BADS197]

So far I've been smoking the slight larger ring gauges but not the largest of them. The largest I have smoked is a 64 and that was quite large.

I try to stick with anything smaller than a 64.. probably more like a 55 or lower and in an average length. I have a few that are monsters and don't know when i'll have time to smoke them.

I had an Olivia V serie last night and it was a good smoke and only after my head was overloaded with the nicotine buzz did I set it down and goto another room with fresh air....