Vitola
Gordo cigar
A gordo is a fat parejo, nominally 6 inches long with a 60 ring gauge, or just under an inch across. Gordo is Spanish for fat. The name is a promise about width, not length.
Sixty ring is where gordo starts
Sixty sixty-fourths of an inch, 23.8 mm, is the ring gauge most lists treat as the gordo baseline. Wikipedia's size table files it as "Double Toro/Gordo" at 6 x 60. Think of it as a toro that kept eating.
There is no Cuban factory name behind it. Gordo is a market name, and markets stretch things. You'll see 5 x 60, 6 x 64, even 7 x 70 on boxes that say gordo. Read the numbers on the box, not the word.
How much bigger is a gordo than a toro?
A 6 x 60 gordo carries about 44 percent more tobacco across its face than a 6 x 50 toro, because area grows with the square of the width. Ten rings sound small. They aren't. Same length, very different cigar in the hand.
| Ring at 6 in | Width | Face area vs a 50 ring | Our time estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 (toro) | 19.8 mm, 0.78 in | 100% | ~60 min |
| 54 | 21.4 mm, 0.84 in | 117% | ~64 min |
| 56 | 22.2 mm, 0.88 in | 125% | ~65 min |
| 60 (gordo) | 23.8 mm, 0.94 in | 144% | ~69 min |
| 64 | 25.4 mm, 1.00 in | 164% | ~72 min |
| 70 | 27.8 mm, 1.09 in | 196% | ~77 min |
The face area column is plain geometry. The time column is our own estimate at a relaxed pace, about 10 minutes per inch at a 50 ring, and it grows more slowly than the area does. More leaf per inch burns slower, but not in proportion. So the gordo lands near 69 minutes against roughly 60 for the toro.
A fat ring draws loose and burns cool
Width sets the size of the opening at the head and the amount of filler the air passes through, so a 60 ring usually draws with less effort than a slim cigar. Each puff moves a bigger volume of smoke. That smoke travels through more leaf before it reaches you, and it tends to arrive cooler.
The flip side is the burn line. A wide ember has more edge to keep even. Light the whole foot, all the way to the wrapper, or one side runs ahead and tunnels. Turn the cigar as you toast it. If it starts to canoe, the relighting guide covers the touch-up.
Watch the wrapper share too. On a gordo the wrapper is a thin skin around a lot of filler, so the binder and filler do most of the talking. Wikipedia notes that fatter cigars hold more filler leaves, which gives the blender more room to build flavor.
Cutting and holding a big ring
A gordo needs a cutter with an opening wider than 24 mm, and plenty of pocket cutters stop short of that. A double-blade guillotine rated for 60 ring or more, or a pair of cigar scissors, handles it cleanly. Take the cap off in one fast stroke. A slow squeeze on a wide head cracks the wrapper.
Because the opening is already large, you rarely need to cut deep. Start shallow and test the draw cold. Need more? See where the cut goes. Some smokers punch a big ring twice instead, which keeps the head firm in the mouth.
Comfort is the last check. A 60 ring stretches your jaw. If 60 feels like a mouthful, 54 and 56 ring cigars exist for a reason. Convert any width you see with the ring gauge converter.
Does a bigger ring mean a stronger cigar?
No: ring gauge changes how much smoke you get per puff and how the leaves blend, while nicotine strength comes from the tobacco itself. A mild blend rolled at 60 stays mild. It just lasts longer. Strength and body are separate dials, and the strength versus body guide pulls them apart.
Want the slim end of the scale for contrast? The lancero sits at 38 ring, and the panatela shares that width at a shorter length.
Gordo questions smokers ask
What size is a gordo cigar?
The reference size is 6 inches long with a 60 ring gauge, roughly 152 x 24 mm. Wikipedia lists it as the double toro or gordo. Brands also sell 5 x 60 and 6 x 64 cigars under the same name.
How long does a gordo take to smoke?
Our estimate for a 6 x 60 is about 69 minutes at a relaxed pace. That is a model, not a stopwatch reading. Quick puffing pulls it under an hour; a slow pace pushes it toward an hour and a half.
Is a gordo stronger than a robusto?
Not because of its size. Strength comes from the tobacco in the blend. A fat ring changes how the smoke feels, not how much nicotine the leaf carries.
What cutter fits a 60 ring cigar?
One whose opening is wider than 24 mm, or a pair of cigar scissors. Many pocket guillotines top out below that, so check the stated maximum ring before you buy.
Where the gordo figures come from
- Cigar: parejo size list, Double Toro/Gordo 6 x 60, Wikipedia
- gordo: Spanish adjective, fat, Wiktionary