What's the Connection Between Pi and Premium Cigars?

International Pi Day is this week. The accepted estimate of pi is 3.14 or March 14th. Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter or C/d. How does this relate to premium cigars?

Well the typical parejo is tubular and a key measurement is ring guage. In the United States, ring gauge (rg) is measured in 64ths of an inch. Ring guage measures the diameter of a premium cigar. A premium cigar listed as 6x64, six by sixty-four, would be six inches long and have a diameter of exactly one inch. This is especially important when considering the ratio of wrapper and binder to filler.

Keeping geometry and the pi ratio in mind, Tobacconist University explains that when the ring guage is doubled, the amount of filler is quadrupled. A premium cigar with a smaller ring gauge (thinner) will yield more flavor from the wrapper than a premium cigar with a larger ring gauge - think lancero compared to gordo. However, premium cigars with larger ring gauges tend to smoke cooler and yield more smoke.

Things are a bit different for a figurado. Here the listed ring gauge usually refers to the thickest part of the cigar. Sometimes two different ring gauges are given. These will represent the thickest and thinnest parts of the cigar. If there is a nipple on the head, that is not included when determining ring gauge. Each figuardo will smoke differently, depending on the shape and length.

Each premium cigar manufacturer tends to determine the length and ring gague for their cigars a bit differently. We always suggest trying different premium cigars before determining your favorite. Here's something else to try with one of those favorites. Get two different sizes of the same premium cigar and smoke them more slowly than you usually do. See if you taste a difference. The most drastic differences should be when comparing a corona or lancero to a gordo (6x60).

Remember, smoke what you like and enjoy yourself!

BTW - The two gentlemen pictured smoking premium cigars are John McCarthy, considered the father of AI, and 50 Cent. You should be able to determine why they are pictured here!