Over the course of time, it is inevitable that people’s preference in things change. This is because society and culture itself changes. The mistakes we made in the past are usually and hopefully learnt from, and progressions made in technology and science inspires the evolution of humanity. In a way, modern life is a weave, as the present remembers the past and thinks of the future. This applies to most areas of life, particularly fashion, food and music. Products and styles come back into ‘fashion’ time and time again. It has happened with clothing, the 90s making a comeback in the present day with women taking inspiration from Jennifer Aniston a.k.a Rachel from Friends, and many men emanating the likes of Jude Law or Matt Damon in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’. With these, what you might like to call, trends, recurring time and time again, it’s right to assume that this also happened to cigars.
1900s
In the early 1900s, there was a significant increase in the demand for the vitola known as a perfecto. This particular shape is very distinctive with its rounded head and foot with a bulge in the middle. This proved popular during this time as it was the most common one in production at the time and therefore considered to be the very best Cuban cigars.
Example: Rafael Gonzalez 88 Cigar (Ex. Asia Pacifico 2016)
1920s
After this, during the 1920s, there was a spike in the demand for corona shaped cigars, which measures 142mm in length by a 42 ring gauge. This particular format has become a classic shape and one that many smokers consistently come back to.
Example: Montecristo No.3 Cigar
1930s- 50s
During and after the second world war and thanks to excellent marketing techniques the Churchill vitola saw a peak in sales, as many saw the British President as a War Hero and felt an attraction to smoking cigars named after him. This vitola is 178mm in length by 47 ring gauge and provides just over an hour of smoking time. We will have the newly awaited H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva 2011 Cigar for sale soon, which will be one of the rarest cigars on the market.
1960s
As we entered the swinging sixties, sizes began to get slimmer and longer. Smokers were opting for the likes of Panatelas and Lanceros and their popularity was at an all time high.
Example: Cohiba Lancero Cigar
1970s- 80s
When the 70s and 80s came around the most loved cigar became a torpedo, with its pointed head and bulging middle, it took inspiration from the perfecto vitola and updated it.
Example: Montecristo No.2 Cigar
2000s
Finally coming into the early 2000s, ring gauges became thicker, expanding up to as much as 80 and became significantly shorter. During these years, many cigars were being released in the Robusto vitola to appease for this. This particular size has been described as the perfect combination of taste and time, providing smokers with just under an hour of smoking time, perfect for in between meetings and during lunch breaks.
One of our most popular is the Cohiba Robustos cigar.
What vitola is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below!