Vitola
Lonsdale cigar size
A lonsdale is 6 1/2 inches long with a 42 ring gauge, a long, slim corona. Cuban factories call that exact size Cervantes. The English name comes from the 5th Earl of Lonsdale.
Who was the Earl of Lonsdale?
Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, was an English landowner and sportsman, and Wikipedia's cigar article states the lonsdale size is named for him. He was also the founder and first president of the Automobile Association, which took on his livery.
- 1857 Born on 25 January.
- 1909 Donates the original Lonsdale Belts, the British boxing championship trophy that still carries his name.
- 1936 Serves briefly as chairman of Arsenal Football Club.
- 1944 Dies on 13 April, aged 87.
His biography on Wikipedia records that he squandered much of the family fortune. A cigar named after a man like that was always going to be long.
Cervantes is the Cuban factory name
In Cuban factories the 6 1/2 x 42 size is a vitola de galera called Cervantes, and every brand that rolls it uses the same dimensions. The band says one thing. The factory sheet says Cervantes. Wikipedia's vitola table files it under Long Coronas, with "Lonsdales" in brackets.
It has close neighbors in that family. All are 42 or 43 ring and between 6 and 7 inches long.
| Factory name | Size (in) | Metric (mm) | Our time estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronas Grande | 6 1/8 x 42 | 156 x 16.7 | ~54 min |
| Cazadores | 6 3/8 x 43 | 162 x 17.1 | ~57 min |
| Cervantes (lonsdale) | 6 1/2 x 42 | 165 x 16.7 | ~57 min |
| Dalias | 6 5/8 x 43 | 168 x 17.1 | ~59 min |
Times are our estimate at a relaxed pace, not a measurement. They're close together because the sizes are.
Longer than a corona, slimmer than a Churchill
A lonsdale keeps the 42 ring of a corona and adds length, so it sits between the corona and the thicker Churchill at 7 x 47. Cigar Aficionado puts it simply: longer than a corona, thicker than a panetela.
That width matters. At 16.7 mm, the wrapper is a decent share of every puff, more than on a robusto or a toro. Length then decides how long you get to enjoy it.
Thinner than the 38 ring panatela? No. Wider. The lonsdale is the classic middle: elegant without being a pencil.
How long does a lonsdale smoke?
Plan on about 57 minutes at a relaxed pace, by our own estimate. That's close to a 6 x 50 toro, in a much slimmer cigar. The extra length buys time that the narrow ring would otherwise give away.
Pace swings it hard: roughly 46 minutes if you puff quickly, about 71 if you sit back. Run your own pace through the smoke time estimator.
Storage note: 6 1/2 inches is too long for some small travel cases and desktop boxes. Measure the inside length first. The humidor capacity calculator tells you whether they'll lie flat.
Lonsdale size and naming questions
What size is a lonsdale cigar?
Six and a half inches by 42 ring, or roughly 165 by 16.7 mm. Havana factory sheets list it as Cervantes.
Who is the lonsdale cigar named after?
Hugh Cecil Lowther, the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, an English aristocrat who lived from 1857 to 1944. Wikipedia credits him as the namesake of the size.
Is a lonsdale bigger than a corona?
It is longer but the same width. A Cuban corona is 5 5/8 x 42, so the lonsdale adds about 7/8 of an inch at the same 42 ring.
How long does a lonsdale take to smoke?
About 57 minutes on our estimate at a relaxed pace, roughly 46 if you smoke quickly and 71 if you take your time. Your pace sets the real number.
Sources for the Lonsdale name and size
- Cigar: lonsdale named for Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, Wikipedia
- Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, Wikipedia
- Vitola: Long Coronas (Lonsdales), Cervantes 6 1/2 x 42, Wikipedia
- Cigar Shapes, Sizes and Colors, Cigar Aficionado