Smokes & Chasers: A Quick Guide to Sizes & Shapes

Here's the first thing to know about cigar shapes and sizes: there is no real standard.
A robusto from one company is likely as not to be longer and fatter than one from another. Add to that the fact that there are so many sizes to choose from; coronas, churchills, diademas, presidentes, gordos, perfectos, toros, panatellas, lanceros... Some companies forgo traditional naming conventions all together, making up their own names to further muddy the waters.
To sift through all this, first we need to learn how cigar size is measured.
Length is easy: it is simply measured in inches.
Width, called ring gauge, is a little trickier, as it is measured in 64ths of an inch.
For example, the "standard" size of a robusto cigar is expressed as 5 x 50. That means that it's 5 inches long, with a ring gauge of 50/64th of an inch.
Understanding that, we can get into specifics of size and shape a bit more.
From the 10,000 foot view, cigars are separated into two categories: Parejos and Figurados.
Parejos are the classic cigar everyone thinks of: rounded off on one end (the head), flat on the other (foot).

Anything that isn't a Parejo is considered a Figurado, of which there are many sub-categories.

Within these shapes, cigars are further classified based on their size. Again, this isn't exact, as there is no real rule governing cigar size naming conventions. However, the following list contains the most popular types, and their "classic" measurements.

- Corona - 5.5 x 44

- Robusto - 5 x 50

- Toro - 6 x 50

- Churchill - 7 x 48

- Gordo - 6 x 60

And now that we've dispensed with the bare-bones basics, next time we can get on to the fun stuff: drinkin' an' smokin'.