Double maduro sancho panza cigars are made only with tobacco leaves, and the type, age, and size of these leaves give each cigar its characteristic appearance and flavor. Cigars are composed of three different parts:

Stuffing

Constituting the majority of the cigar’s body, these leaves help the air to flow through it. The filler or gut is a mixture of three different types of tobacco leaves, depending on which part of the tobacco plant they come from.

Lightweight, top leaves

These leaves are slow-burning and are located in the middle of the cigar. Although they are called “light leaves” because they receive the most sunlight, they also have the most robust flavor. The leaves have aged a minimum of two years before they are used.

Dry, the leaves in the middle

Of medium strength, these leaves are lighter in color and are used for their aroma. They are aged 12 to 18 months before being used.

Flying, the lower leaves

Due to less exposure to light, these leaves have little flavor but burn better. They are included to ensure that the cigar does not go out. They are aged for at least nine months before use.

Capote

The capote holds the filling and shapes the cigar. They are aged at least nine months before being used.

Capa

The leaves of the layer come from plants grown in shaded fields, wholly covered with muslin to ensure darker and longer leaves. These unique leaves are used to wrap and finish the cigar. They have aged a minimum of 6 months before being used.

Size

The size has nothing to do with the cigar’s strength or taste, as this is given by the leaves used in its construction. When priced by weight, size affects the final price: the smaller the cigar, the cheaper it will be. Cigars with a similar size will have the same price regardless of their producer.

The endless number of sizes of cigars can confuse us. On the one hand, you have the cylinder’s size; on the other hand, the length and, finally, the size designation, such as double maduro sancha panza.

The size of the cylinder refers to the thickness of the cigar. It is based on one inch divided into 64. For example, a size 32 cigar will be half the thickness of one inch, while a size 48 cigar will be three-quarters of the thickness of one inch, and so on. The cylinder’s size combined with the length is called the “Vitola,” a template for measuring cigar size. It is these vitolas that have become synonymous with cigar size.

There are many cigar sizes, but the most popular are the following:

• Petit Corona (5 1/8″ x 42 cylinder base or 129 mm x 16.5 mm diameter) 30 min to smoke.
• Corona (5 5/8″ x 42 or 142 mm x 16.5 cylinder base) more than 30 min to smoke.
• Robust (4 7/8″ x 50 or 24 mm x 20 mm diameter) over 45 min. to smoke.
• Churchill (7″ x 47 or 178 mm x 18.5mm diameter) 60 min. to smoke.
• Double Corona (7 5/8″ x 49 or 194 mm x 19.45 mm diameter) more than 75 minutes to smoke.