A guest asks for "a robusto, about an hour, nothing enormous" before dinner. Another hands you a box bought ashore and asks whether it is genuine. Both questions are answered with the same body of knowledge: shapes, sizes, bands and provenance.
Vitola: Shape and Size
A vitola is the cigar's format — its length and its ring gauge. Ring gauge is the diameter measured in 64ths of an inch: a ring gauge of 50 means 50/64 of an inch, a little under 20 mm.
| Vitola | Typical length | Typical ring gauge | Rough smoking time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Corona | 4-4.5 in | 40-42 | 20-30 min |
| Corona | 5-5.5 in | 42-44 | 30-45 min |
| Robusto | 4.75-5.25 in | 48-52 | 45-60 min |
| Toro | 6 in | 50-54 | 60-75 min |
| Churchill | 7 in | 47-48 | 75-90+ min |
| Double Corona | 7.5-8 in | 49-52 | 90+ min |
- Parejo — a straight-sided cigar (all of the above).
- Figurado — a shaped cigar: torpedo/belicoso (tapered head), pyramid, perfecto (tapered at both ends), culebra (three braided).
- Larger ring gauges give a cooler, slower smoke with more filler in the blend; slimmer gauges give a higher proportion of wrapper flavour and burn faster.
Always match the vitola to the time available. Offering a Double Corona to a guest with a forty-minute window before a tender transfer is poor service — they will abandon it.
Reading a Band
The band carries the marca (brand), and often the line, the vitola name, and country of origin. Cuban boxes carry additional markings — a warranty seal, a factory code and a date code — and most premium boxes are stamped Hecho en ... , Totalmente a Mano or similar.
Remove the band only when the guest wishes it, and only after the cigar has been smoked a little way so the gum releases without tearing the wrapper. Many guests keep bands. Do not remove one uninvited.
Counterfeits and Provenance
Counterfeiting is widespread, especially of Cuban marques sold to tourists. Warning signs:
- Prices far below the market — the single strongest signal.
- Sale by beach vendors, taxi drivers, hotel staff, or anyone not an authorised merchant.
- Poorly printed or misaligned bands; inconsistent colour or size within a box.
- Missing, damaged or obviously reproduced seals and codes.
- Cigars that are spongy, unevenly filled, or smell of ammonia.
Buy only from established, authorised merchants, keep the receipt, and record the purchase in the yacht's accounts. If provenance cannot be established, say so plainly to the chief stew.
Onboard Notes
If the owner asks you to verify a box bought ashore, do not pronounce it fake. Report the specific signs you observed and let the captain or a specialist merchant decide.
Never cut or light a cigar to "test" guest stock without explicit permission. It is their property and often expensive.