Vitola and cigar taste

xmacro

This has been bugging me for awhile, so I figure I'd get the opinions of those with a more refined palate than me (which is pretty much anyone) - how much does the vitola affect the cigar?

I know that the blend of any cigar needs to be adjusted as soon as the gauge or size changes, but why is this? Is it because different parts of the leaf need to burn at different times, or is it something else? How much of a difference can a person taste between different vitola's of the same line?

KCW

I've had some questions about this myself. I've always wondered if I've got the "best" Vitola for a certain cigar. I tend to be a larger ring person for some reason (Anything 48 on up).

sightunseen

I believe the primary reason that blends need to be adjusted for different vitolas is because of the wrapper/filler ratio. It's generally accepted that the wrapper contributes 40%-60% of a cigar's flavor, so adjustments need to be made to the filler to keep that same ratio for all vitolas in a specific line of cigars. Kuzi wrote a really good post about this, including math proofs.

fla-gypsy

I agree, it is the wrapper to filler ratio they are trying to preserve. That said, I prefer some sizes over others because they tend to taste better and hit the sweet spot faster. It also effects body in some sticks.

jlmarta

But, ya know, this cigar-smoking hobby is already complicated enough as it is......now I'm learning that I'm gonna have to remember that I like the ABC in the robusto size but I'll only smoke a XYZ in the churchill size. I mean, Damn, this is supposed to be a pleasurable hobby, not a recordkeeping nightmare.

How the hell is a guy supposed to keep track without going apeshit?? I don't plan to try every vitola from every manufacturer in order to figure out which I prefer. I couldn't live long enough to sort it all out. If the manufacturers are so good with their blending techniques, how come they can't get them all standardized so that each vitola of a given cigar tastes the same?

Oh, well, life sucks and then ya die.

Marty

urbino

Some of them do, Marty. It varies from maker to maker. Padron, I think, tries to keep the flavor of their lines consistent from vitola to vitola, within each line.

More generally, don't let better become the enemy of good enough. Don't keep track. Smoke stuff. If you like it, you'll remember it. There's no need to then go try every other vitola in that line to see if you like one of them even better. Just keep smoking the one you've had and like. There's no need for this to get any more complicated than you want it to be.

phobicsquirrel

I'm with urbs, I really haven't tried all vitolas but I have noticed if I don't like a cigar, then try it again in a different size and still don't like it then I am almost sure a size isn't going to change it. I am sure that the blend stays the same, meaning the flavors and taste will be the same, just with different sizes you will get more or less of said taste. I know this is true with the camacho maduros, I really love the 6x60 over the robusto.

j0z3r

urbino:

Some of them do, Marty. It varies from maker to maker. Padron, I think, tries to keep the flavor of their lines consistent from vitola to vitola, within each line.

Actually, I think you've got that backwards for Padron, they don't reblend to keep tastes consistent. I think one of the best ways to see this is to smoke a Padron 2000 and then smoke a Padron 3000. The 3000 is 1/32 of an inch larger in diameter and 1/2 inch longer, but the differences between the two are very noticeable. Even more so, try a 3000 compared to the panatela, vastly different.

I think reblending vitolas for consistency is more of a "new school" thing like CAO, Gurkha, Rocky Patel, whereas a company like Padron is old school.

urbino

Oopsie. Thanks, Joe. I knew they did it one way or the other.

kuzi16

xmacro:

This has been bugging me for awhile, so I figure I'd get the opinions of those with a more refined palate than me (which is pretty much anyone) - how much does the vitola affect the cigar?

I know that the blend of any cigar needs to be adjusted as soon as the gauge or size changes, but why is this? Is it because different parts of the leaf need to burn at different times, or is it something else? How much of a difference can a person taste between different vitola's of the same line?

you should read through this: CLICK

it isnt so much what parts of the leaf need to burn when. it is about the ratios.

... not to say that what part of the leaf is burning doesnt matter, i mean, that is part of the theory surrounding the NUB. its also the reason why a cigar in the "A" vitola has a tendency to be a bit more complex through the length of the stick (there is a bit more of that explained further down the page on the link i just provided.

xmacro

Thanks I loved reading through that thread!!