Ever wonder why cigar manufacturers produce the exact same cigar blend in a ton of different sizes and shapes? Surely it's done just for personal preference and looks, right?
Yes, many cigar enthusiasts like to smoke around and sample different sizes, or vitolas as they are more commonly called in stogie lingo. Sometimes it is done purely for personal preference and aesthetics. Other times, a vitola is selected based purely upon how long you plan on smoking, or the environment in which the cigar will be smoked.
But what about flavor and aroma? Even though the blend is the exact same, surely there has to be some variation in nuance between something like a 60-ring-gauge gordo and a pinky finger wide lancero.
In short, yes, different cigar shapes and sizes do influence flavor and aroma. But sometimes these differences aren't always blatantly apparent. The palate and olfactory sensitivity of the person smoking also have to be taken into consideration, which in itself is its own deep dive.
So, for the sake of clarity, we will focus on a few different vitolas that are notorious for producing different flavors and aromas than the run-of-the-mill robusto or toro. Hopefully, this will encourage some of you to break out and smoke some oddball stogies for a change of pace. In the process, maybe you'll find that the flavor, strength, aroma, and smoking experience is quite a few degrees different than that of the parejo you've been puffing every week. Let's get to it, shall we?
How Cigar Shapes Influence Flavor, Strength, Body & Aroma
Like fasteners down at the local hardware store, cigars come in a plethora of different sizes, lengths, shapes, and materials.
Something super slender might burn a bit faster, but it also doesn't have nearly as much filler tobacco inside, so you will likely detect more wrapper nuances. In contrast, a large ring-gauge cigar will have way more filler leaf inside, so it is safe to expect some seriously impressive smoke production levels, along with a good bit more body and potentially, strength as well.
But what about something like a figurado, where one end, or sometimes both ends, has a taper to it? Some say that a sloped shoulder, head, and cap on a cigar allows the smoke to concentrate while limiting flow, thus reducing the risk of overheating. Others say that on long, gradual sloping cigars, like a diadema or a salomon, this gradual reduction in filler leaf allows more of the wrapper to be tasted and smelled as the cigar combusts.
However, as we stated earlier, this all depends upon who is smoking and the blend itself, which can be a very subjective experience to say the least.
Oddball Cigar Sizes & Vitolas to Try
While there are numerous other cigar shapes and sizes out there that deserve sampling, the following list should give you a few solid alternative options to consider if you are looking to break out of that robusto and toro box.
Remember, the shape and size of a cigar not only can influence flavor, aroma, strength, body, and smoke production, but it can also provide a helpful indication of the duration of the smoking session that you are about to embark upon. So, if you've only got an hour to spare, skip the Churchill or gordo, and go with a petit corona or a panatella instead.
Panatela
While short versions do exist, the panatela is usually a long and slender cigar, often measuring around 6–7 inches with a smaller ring gauge of 34–38. This cigar offers a more delicate smoking experience. Its slim profile provides a refined mouthfeel and can often (but not always) return a shorter burn time. Panatela vitolas typically are offered in milder blends, making them ideal for sampling first thing in the morning with a cup of caffeine, or mid-afternoon before supper.
Petit Corona
The petit corona is a shorter version of the classic corona, which gives it a 4–5 inch length and a 40–42 ring gauge. Arguably one of the briefer smokes you will encounter in the wild, this vitola is commonly referred to as a "dog walker" here at Klaro due to its burn time sitting right around the 30-minute mark on average. Just enough time for a quick smoke while Fido does his doodie in the asshole neighbor's lawn. Highly recommended for novice smokers in search of a premium long filler blend without all of the financial investment or puffing time.
Short Robusto
This is another stubby smoke, but one that is quite a bit fatter than the petit corona. Short robustos often rest somewhere in the 48–52 ring gauge range, and unlike the regular robusto, are commonly sized right around 4 inches in length. An excellent option for those wanting something stocky because slender smokes look silly on them.
Gordo
Ranging anywhere from a 60 ring gauge and up, the gordo is the big boy on the block. With no length limitation or ring gauge requirements beyond humongous, this is where those who truly want to smoke can find their happy place. Due to the extra amount of filler leaf required to make these large cigars, strength, body, and aroma are all prone to increasing in intensity, whereas the cigar flavor profile will typically remain close to what one might find in a standard toro.
Gorbusto
Combining the chubbiness of a robusto with the girth of a gordo, this vitola is almost as big around as it is long. To the best of our knowledge, the name of this vitola remains exclusive to the Aladino brand. However, the 4-inch length and 60-gauge encircling its barrel are used across the board by other cigar makers and are named things like "firecracker," for instance. Flavor profiles remain fairly true to what one might find in a common robusto, though, with the only difference being the influence of all the filler leaf inside.
Double Figurado
Tapered on both ends, the double figurado comes in a wide array of ring gauges and lengths. A slope in the first third allows easy lighting and the flavors of the wrapper to shine, while much of the barrel favors filler and binder influences. Depending on the length and slope of the cap, the final third can occasionally return your focus back to the wrapper, as the internals gradually grow more scarce.
Lonsdale
Slightly fatter than a panatela, but nearly identical in length, the lonsdale adds corona circumferences to the lengthiness found in its more delicate cousin. Sizes sit somewhere between 6–7 inches from cap to foot, while 42–44 barrel gauges remain the norm. Like most skinny cigars, this vitola focuses more upon wrapper cigar flavor profiles, which range from dark to light in color.
Culebra
A trippy, three-in-one cigar that requires intertwining a trifecta of slightly under-filled pantelas that have been soaked in water, and allowing them to dry together. Intended to be shared with friends, each cigar gets separated from the others prior to light, and appears corkscrew in shape on its own. Another slender smoke that favors wrapper flavor over filler and binder attributes.
Parting Puffs
Now, all that being said, it must be stressed that things like box-pressed cigars are not commonly associated with augmenting the cigar flavor profile experience. Box-pressing is done purely for aesthetic and combustion aid purposes, so don't expect too much of a difference when jumping from a round robusto to its blocky brethren.
As for everything else, one must remember that the fatter the cigar, the more filler and binder notes may be detected. Whereas slimmer cigars focus upon the wrapper above all else. That's not to say that the differences will vary all that much in every circumstance, but you never know until you spark up a vitola you've never tried before. Which, in our opinion, is part of the fun of smoking premium long-filler cigars.