Does size matter?

First Warrior

I've got a question. Does size matter? A cigar is made of filler, binder and wrapper. This I know. The question is about ring sizes and the taste of a cigar. I am assuming that ideally the different ring sizes of the same cigar are porptionaly the same but that may not be the case. I seem to be getting less taste with the larger ring sizes of 54- 60 which have more filler and binder and more taste with ring sizes of 48-52 which have less filler and binder. Am I tasting the wrapper better because there is more wrapper in the smaller sizes or am I just imagining things?

jd50ae

I agree with you. Especially the larger pointy ones which no matter how many I smoke just do not seem to match up with the rest of the same brand.

kuzi16

here you go ... read THIS

CharlieHeis

Yes, there would be a different ratio of binder, filler, and wrapper. Must be why so many guys on here prefer the lancero and corona sizes.

wwhwang

Well, some people say that size doesn't matter as much as how you use it. Oh wait. You meant cigars.

First Warrior

kuzi16:

here you go ... read THIS

Kuzi, I read the whole thread. Thanks for providing the linc. The info avaliable on this forum is amazing.

catfishbluezz

Keep in mind, most blenders tweak blends for size as it is simply not possible or viable to use the same number of leaf in a small ring gauge as a larger ring gauge. For instance, a 38-42 may use 2, a 42-46 may use 2-3 fillers, while a 50-52 3-4, and 52+ 4-5. This happens with most companies, and most blenders realize it is impossible to make a small rg consistent flavor wise with their larger offerings. Does that mean you get companies from time to time that make lancero's with 5 fillers? Sure, but it is still not a viable thing to do. The reality is, you may loose some complexity as you get smaller, but gain some distinction of the wrapper. As you get larger the opposite holds true. Either way, the wrapper is not as big of an influence as some might claim in the cigar world, otherwise binders and fillers would not exist. It is the interplay of all that create the depth, balance, finish, and longevity. A great wrapper will mtake cheap filler taste good, and vice versa. I find 46rg is the best in between really, but often times a Robusto will have tons more flavor and depth then a small ring gauge within a brand. I just had this happen at the show actually.

So to answer your question, yes, size does matter. Personally I love PC 40-42rg stuff from Habanos, but not in the NC world, as their wrapper does not compare other then a few examples. For CC the small rings just give me complexity and tons of flavor and body. The larger rings allow for more depth in a delicate way. For the NC world, i prefer 46-50rg and find the most complexity in this range. They have access to more growing regions, soil complexity, and ranges of tobaccos, so this is where the NC world really shines in comparison, when done right of course. The simple amount of space Cuba has to grow pales in comparison to the NC world. Now if only the NC world could catch up and figure out how to blend and cure tobacco with as good of a finish, the world would be complete They sure are getting close, they just like to charge a ton, unless their name is Elogio or Regius.

The3Stogies

wwhwang:

Well, some people say that size doesn't matter as much as how you use it. Oh wait. You meant cigars.

As long as it fits your ashtray, ohhh that was bad.

Went through a bunch of corona's last year, this year I've been smoking mostly robusto's in the same brands. Think I like the robusto's better, maybe because I do tend to smoke a little fast. Interesting topic, I wondered about this too.

catfishbluezz

First Warrior:

I've got a question. Does size matter? A cigar is made of filler, binder and wrapper. This I know. The question is about ring sizes and the taste of a cigar. I am assuming that ideally the different ring sizes of the same cigar are porptionaly the same but that may not be the case. I seem to be getting less taste with the larger ring sizes of 54- 60 which have more filler and binder and more taste with ring sizes of 48-52 which have less filler and binder. Am I tasting the wrapper better because there is more wrapper in the smaller sizes or am I just imagining things?

What you are getting with the larger rings is less depth of flavor. The core flavors of the tobacco will be there, but the subtle nuance will not, and the interplay of smaller leaves combusting together to create a bouquet of flavor.

Cigary

I'll go ask her and then get back to you........she said it doesn't matter but I heard her laughing anyway and now I don't trust her at all.

Rhamlin

I do enjoy a good 60 gage. But it's been my experience that the best big ring smokes are the ones that were meant to be smoked in a big RG. Such as the Inch or MUWAT. When a smoke is blended with say a robusto size in mind it usually loses something when you go big with it.

0patience

Cigary:

I'll go ask her and then get back to you........she said it doesn't matter but I heard her laughing anyway and now I don't trust her at all.

Honey, does size matter?
What? No, [snicker] of course not. [giggle] It isn't the size, but the quality of it. [Laughing hard]
Ok, thanks. Wait!! What the H does that mean??
Nothing dear, now go back to playing with your friends on the internet.

ROFL!!