Havana cigars - Formats and dimensions

Havana Cigars - Formats and Dimensions

In total, there are 32 different Havana brands with more than 220 different formats (so-called "vitolas").

The lengths vary from less than 10 cm to more than 23 cm. The standard measurement for cigar diameter is as a ring gauge and is expressed in 1/64 of an inch (2.5 cm).

Below are described the twelve main cigar formats that you should know. All formats are made entirely by hand. If this is not the case, there will be a note to that effect with the corresponding format.

Mareva

Common name: Petit Corona

Dimensions: 129 mm length x 16.67 mm diameter

The most common format of Habanos. Ring gauge 42 allows all three types of filler leaves to be used.

Corona

Common name: Corona
Dimensions: 142 mm x 16.67 mm
A Corona (Spanish: "crown"), ring gauge 42 is a popular standard format.

Cervante
Common name: Lonsdale
Dimensions: 165 mm x 16.67 mm
Ring gauge 42; the Lonsdale takes its name from the British Earl of Lonsdale. For him, the Cervante was specially made by Rafael González according to his wishes - he appreciated aristocratic style and elegance.

Laguito No. 1
Common name: Lancero
Dimensions: 192 mm x 15,08 mm
The ring gauge 38 is pure elegance and distinguishes the fine, long Lancero. Slightly shorter, it is called Corona Especial and is produced, among other formats of the Cohiba brand, in the famous factory "El Laguito" in Havana.

Prominent
Common name: Double Corona
Dimensions: 194 mm x 19,45 mm
If time allows you to enjoy a cigar with ring gauge 49 and length approaching 20 cm, you will experience an overwhelming pleasure. The special thing is the gradually more intense taste.

Julieta No. 2
Common name: Churchill
Dimensions: 178 mm x 18.65 mm
Ring gauge 47 - A feast for the senses. This was also appreciated by Winston Churchill, who smoked about 300,000 Havana cigars during his long life.

Dalia
Common name: 8-9-8
Dimensions: 170 mm x 17.07 mm
The Dalia, also known as "8-9-8" from Partagás, ring gauge 43, owes its name to the arrangement in 3 layers (8-9-8, i.e. 25 cigars) in the cigar box.

Robusto
Common name: Robusto
Dimensions: 124 mm x 19.84 mm
The ring gauge 50 requires time and leisure. This format is chosen with preference by many experienced smokers. Slow burning and with a lot of flavor.

Piramide
Common name: Torpedo
Dimensions: 156 mm x 20.64 mm
The ring gauge 50 is only visible at one end of this format, because these cigars have a cylindrical shape, i.e. a tapered head. The connoisseur appreciates the aromatic concentration with an even burn.

Exquisito
Common name: Figurado
Dimensions: 145 mm x 17.82 mm
A very popular format in the 19th century with a ring gauge of 46. Tapered at both ends, it is an unusual sight and rarely found anymore (e.g. at Cuaba).

Perla
Common name: Tres Petit Corona
Dimensions: 102 mm x 15.87 mm
The Perla is a rather smaller format with ring gauge 40, but it is quite capable of delivering a complex fullness of flavor within half an hour.

Laguito No.3
Common name: Panetela
Dimensions: 115 mm x 10.32 mm
The Laguito No. 3 is its own format with ring gauge 26 and is often incorrectly referred to as "Panetela" (this has dimensions 117 x 13.5, ring gauge 34).

The format and its influence on the taste of a cigar

Each cigar manufacture, each cigar brand is distinguished by its own characteristic flavor, making it unmistakable. But also the different formats of each brand are the cause of taste variation.

The thicker the cigar (ring gauge!), the more flavor it develops, and the cooler its smoke, simply because the air drawn into the cigar body can cool better.

Basically, thicker cigars are easier to smoke, because they burn slowly and evenly. In our long experience, for beginners, such a cigar is more suitable than its thinner siblings, which are often perceived as "biting" in the last third.