Vitola
Panatela cigar
A panatela is a long, thin cigar, classically 6 inches by a 38 ring, the Cuban size Laguito No. 2. Slim ring, lots of wrapper per puff. The leaf on the outside does most of the talking.
Named after a biscuit
Panatela comes from a Spanish word for a long, thin biscuit, borrowed from the Italian panatella and rooted in the Latin pānis, bread. Wiktionary records both senses in Spanish: the biscuit and the cigar. You can see why. Same silhouette.
The spelling wanders. Panatela, panetela, panatella. All the same idea: slim, straight and longer than it is wide by a lot. At 6 x 38, the cigar is about ten times as long as it is thick.
How much of a panatela is wrapper?
Proportionally a lot: the wrapper is a skin, so the thinner the cigar, the more wrapper there is for each bit of filler inside. A 38 ring panatela carries about a third more wrapper per unit of filler than a 50 ring robusto. That's geometry, not taste talk.
| Ring | Width | Typical sizes | Wrapper per unit of filler |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 13.1 mm | Small panatela | 152% of a 50 ring |
| 38 | 15.1 mm | Panatela, lancero | 132% of a 50 ring |
| 42 | 16.7 mm | Corona, lonsdale | 119% of a 50 ring |
| 50 | 19.8 mm | Robusto, toro | 100% of a 50 ring |
| 60 | 23.8 mm | Gordo | 83% of a 50 ring |
Our arithmetic: a wrapper's surface grows with the cigar's width, but the filler inside grows with the width squared, so wrapper per unit of filler scales as one over the ring. It assumes a wrapper of the same thickness on every size. Real leaf varies.
What it means in the mouth: on a panatela, the wrapper's character tends to come through more clearly. A maduro panatela can taste noticeably different from the same blend in a natural wrapper. If you want to learn wrapper shades, slim cigars are a good classroom. The wrapper shade chart lays out the range.
Slow down or it bites
A thin cigar has less tobacco behind the ember, so fast puffing overheats it and the smoke turns sharp. Give it a minute or so between draws. Short, gentle pulls. Let it rest in the ashtray.
The draw on a well-rolled panatela should still feel easy. A thin bunch is less forgiving of a tight roll, though. If it feels like a straw full of honey, see how to fix a tight draw. Burn lines tend to stay neat on slim cigars, since there's less edge to keep even.
Panatela, lancero or small panatela?
All three share the slim profile and differ mainly in length: the small panatela is about 5 x 33, the panatela 6 x 38, and the lancero 7 1/2 x 38. The panatela and lancero are cut from the same Cuban Laguito family. Laguito No. 1 is the lancero. Laguito No. 2 is the panatela.
On our smoke-time estimate at a relaxed pace, that's roughly 37 minutes for the small panatela, 49 for the panatela and 61 for the lancero. Thin cigars run quicker than their length suggests, because each inch holds less leaf.
Cigar Aficionado's 2000 size primer already said the panetela was losing popularity. Slim cigars are still rolled. You may just have to look for them.
Panatela size and spelling questions
What size is a panatela cigar?
The common reference is 6 inches by a 38 ring, about 152 x 15.1 mm, which matches the Cuban factory size Laguito No. 2. Cigar Aficionado gives a wider range of 5 to 7 1/2 inches at 34 to 38 ring.
Why is it called a panatela?
The word comes from Spanish panatela, a long, thin biscuit, which traces back through Italian to the Latin word for bread. The cigar borrowed the name for its shape.
Do panatelas burn hot?
They can if you puff fast. A slim cigar has little tobacco behind the ember, so rapid puffs heat it quickly. A slow, steady pace keeps the smoke cool.
Panatela or panetela: which spelling is right?
Both are in use. Wiktionary lists panetela as an alternative Spanish spelling, and Cigar Aficionado writes panetela, while Wikipedia uses panatela.
Where the panatela facts come from
- panatela: etymology and Spanish panetela, Wiktionary
- Vitola: Laguito No. 2 and the panatela sizes, Wikipedia
- Cigar Shapes, Sizes and Colors, Cigar Aficionado