Ok. So Arwen had asked about cigar lengths and sizes. There are a few sites out there with graphics as to sizing which I’ll link to but in a nutshell cigar sizing goes like this (see diagram — obtained from CigarHandbook.com):

Cigar Ring Guages (measured in 64ths of an inch)

If I list a cigar that is 7 x 42 (the Rocky Patel Summer Collection 2008 Lancero) then that means it’s 7 inches long and 42/64ths in diameter (the guage or diameter is a measure/value of 64ths of a inch). So in the case of the Lancero (7 x 42), just about 2/3rds of an inch in diameter. That’s actually a relatively skinny cigar. Most cigars are made to be between 44-54 in diameter. The length also varies but often ranges from 5-7 inches in length.

Amongst the exceptions are Nubs which  run between 3.7-4 inches in length and about 54-60 guage in diameter (making them a short, fat cigar and difficult to cut or fit into a cutter). Most cutters can handle up to a 54-58 diameter. My personal preference for a cigar size is a 5-5.5 in length with a diameter of 44-50. This sizing is often fits into what is called a Robusto or Corona shape, which is often the common view of what a cigar looks like. The other more common shape is the Churchill, named after the famed Prime Minister of England. Those fit into the 6.5 length. If we were to list the common types from shortest to longest (in length) we see the following: Robusto or Rothschild(4.5-5.5″), Panatela (4.5-7″), Petit Corona (4.5-5″), Corona (5-6″), Lonsdale (6.5″), Churchill (7″) and Double Corona (7.5-8″). A Lancero, a specific kind of Rocky Patel, would fit around a Churchill Length but has a Petit Corona guage.

It is the combination of the guage and the length that will help determine the time it takes to smoke a cigar. Additional factors to this time include how the cigar is constructed, smoking inside versus outside, how well it’s humidified or how dry a cigar is and how it’s lit. Generally, a cigar should be “tasted” (cigar smoke isn’t “inhaled” but rather “tasted” in the mouth like “sniffing” a liquor or scotch) about once a minute to keep the burn even and to avoid re-light a cigar (re-lighting can often give a harsher taste to the cigar and it’s better to re-light, let it burn for a few seconds before “tasting” again).

Let me know if this helps in understanding cigar sizing and length.