Understanding Vitolas: Length and Ring Gauge

Two names

• Vitola de galera (factory vitola) — the internal name of the size, e.g. Marevas (129 mm × 42 ring)
• Vitola de salida (market vitola) — the name on the shelf, e.g. Montecristo No.4

One factory size is shared across brands: Robustos (124 × 50) is both the Cohiba Robustos and the Partagás Serie D No.4.

Length and ring gauge

• Length is given in millimetres or inches
• Ring gauge is measured in 64ths of an inch: 50 ring ≈ 19.8 mm

As a rule:

• Larger rings smoke cooler and softer with more filler
• Slimmer rings have more wrapper relative to filler — more concentrated and nuanced
• Length determines smoking time

Quick reference

Common name	Typical size	Smoking time
Petit Corona	129 × 42	30–40 min
Robusto	124 × 50	45–50 min
Corona Gorda	143 × 46	60 min
Pirámide	156 × 52	75 min
Churchill	178 × 47	90+ min
Double Corona	194 × 49	2 h
Lancero	192 × 38	70 min

See the full list in the Vitola Guide.