A lancero is a long, thin cigar, usually about seven inches long with a thirty-eight ring gauge. Some have a pigtail cap (a small twist of leaf at the head). It is still a parejo, with straight sides and an open foot, but it is a specialist size because there is very little room inside for the filler.
Glossary: lancero. To compare its measurements with other sizes, see the ring gauge and length cheat-sheet.
How the shape affects the cigar
A small ring gauge means there is a lot of wrapper compared with filler. The wrapper contributes more to the flavor of each puff than it does on a fifty-ring robusto. ligero has to be used carefully, because there is no room to hide a poorly placed leaf. That is why companies that still make lanceros often treat them as specialty items rather than big sellers. They take longer to roll and are easier to damage in the box.
A lonsdale is a similar slim size. It is longer than a classic corona and thinner than a Churchill or toro, but usually not as thin as a true lancero. If a band says lancero and the ring gauge is 44, it is a related size rather than a true lancero. Go by the printed ring gauge.
Cap, cut, and burn
A pigtail cap is a finishing style; it does not affect flavor. You still need a cut that opens the head without splitting the wrapper if it is dry, usually a small, careful cut with a guillotine cutter. Lighting with a torch works the same as for any cigar, but a thin cigar has less tobacco, so it is harder to recover if you scorch the foot. On a lancero, draw and burn problems often come from construction or storage, and the narrow shape makes them more noticeable. See the draw, burn, and the humidor guide for help with a dry cigar.
Brand and factory background: brands, how cigars are made. Reviews: Reviews. Bands: museum. Accessories: cutters, humidors. Smoke Rings does not sell tobacco; for the cigars themselves, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Sources: Common lancero factory range near 7 × 38; craft-size treatment of thin parejos in New World production; Smoke Rings glossary on wrapper-to-filler ratio.