Choosing your first premium cigar is mostly a decision about size and strength, and should not be about starting some level of brand loyalty. This chapter explains those choices. For company histories and reviews of specific cigars, use the brand pages and the reviews section. For a cigar’s length and thickness, use the size guides.
Choosing a first premium cigar is easier when you compare size, strength, and construction, then buy from a reputable retailer. Accessories such as cutters, lighters, and humidors help complete the setup for a beginner.
Start with size (vitola)
Ring gauge is a cigar’s diameter, measured in 64ths of an inch. Length is measured in inches. Together they make up the vitola. Most beginners find a short, medium-thick cigar easier to smoke than a long, thin specialty size or a pointed figurado that needs a careful cut.
- Robusto — usually about 5 × 50; the most common modern size, and a manageable length of time to smoke.
- Corona / petit corona — thinner classic straight-sided cigars; the wrapper has more influence on flavor, and the length is shorter or similar depending on the size.
- Churchill — longer (classically about 7 × 47), so it takes more time to smoke.
- Torpedo / belicoso and perfecto / figurados — shapes that are pointed at one or both ends; they need more care when cutting and lighting.
- Lancero — long and thin; a specialty size and not the easiest choice for a first cigar.
For the measurements, see ring gauge and length.
Strength is not the same as size
A mild cigar with a Connecticut-shade wrapper can come in a robusto size. A full-strength Nicaraguan puro can come in a corona size. Strength depends on the blend and the leaves, not just the ring gauge. For a first premium cigar, many shops recommend a medium-strength cigar rather than the darkest, strongest one on the shelf, but this is advice, not a rule. Read how the cigar maker describes the cigar, and read reviews. The difference between strength, body, and flavor is explained in strength, body, and flavor.
Brand guides
Two good brands to start with are Padrón and Arturo Fuente. Both are well known, easy to find, and make cigars in many sizes and strengths. You do not have to start with either one.
- Padrón — Nicaraguan puros with natural and maduro wrappers, known for long aging. Reviews: Padrón ratings.
- Arturo Fuente — a Dominican company with a wide range of sizes, including the Hemingway figurados. Reviews: Arturo Fuente ratings.
More companies: brands index. For how Cuban and non-Cuban cigars differ, without ranking them: Cuban vs New World.
Before you light one
Have a cutter and a lighter that won’t scorch the wrapper. See how to cut and light a cigar, cutter types, and torch vs soft flame. Store the cigars you buy in a seasoned humidor; see first humidor setup.
Accessories: cutters, lighters, humidors. For the cigars themselves, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Sources: Smoke Rings vitola topic pages, brand hubs, and review indexes; no invented scores or fake tasting notes.