Weekend Poll Comp: Ring Gauges - From Skinnies to Face Artillery, where do you draw the line?

[MoeFOH]

This weekend's poll is all about ring gauges... specifically, where's your cut-off point? 🤔

Beyond the poll, discuss what constitutes your decision as to where your cut-off point is... e.g. smoking experience, construction, value play, jaw-breaking point, etc, etc... 

Check out the poll, vote, and/or post pics/discuss - Bonus tickets in the prize draw for related cigar smoking pics

Note: my category titles/groupings may vary slightly from yours, of course, but you get the rough idea... Comment/Elaborate below with your own groupings/titles if you wish )  

All participants go into the draw for a bundle (25) of Nudies Canonazo! 

Poll closes midnight Monday (Bris time) - Draw done Tues morning 13th May. 

Have fun with it and have a great weekend!! 

[sageman]

My preferred range is in the 40s, 42-46. Occasionally swing as low as 38 or high as 56. Don’t think I’ve ever smoked a 60. I’ve heard arguments for larger and smaller ring gauge regarding optimal flavor (more filler vs wrapper being primary flavor contributor) but I think the 40s just feel most natural in the hand. 60-90 minutes is often my target time and these gauges fit that bill. 

[Lucas Buck]

Love the skinnies. My favorite size is Ninfas. Went deep on a lot of the disco thin gauge Havanas when I could find them. Anything up to 42rg is aces for me. But I will smoke just about anything. Much as I didn’t want to give in to the jawbreaker trend I have to admit many of them are great smokes. I wish all thick ring cigars were figurados or at least 109 style tapered head but you take what you can get. Recently smoked my all time favorite thinny - Punch Ninfas - divine as always.

[SirVantes]

I run on a technicality based on effective RG, i.e. the RG at the head after clipping.  For parejos, the max is 52.  For figurados, I have had good (and I have to say, pretty fun) experiences with up to 60.

[Li Bai]

My heart goes with RG up to 52, I'll go beyond from time to time but I don't like how it feels.

[DennyPaul]

Cut off point?! Hell, I’ll try anything that has merit. That said, I’m not aware of any sticks bigger than 60rg that aren’t gimmicky.

So, 60rg or less for me.

[Deeg]

I boringly have always preferred low to mid-40’s - coronas, PCs, lonsdales - and sometimes robustos. I’ve never had any use for these huge-gauge yule logs that are all the rage these days, but I have increasingly developed a taste for for skinny cigars - everything from ninfas on up. When they’re on they can be controlled intensity in a good way, and they force you to pace yourself smoking them.

[griller]

I'm a "skinnys" smoker all the way. My preference is the 42-46 ring like others here have shared, but will go up to 52 ring depending on the word on the street so to speak. I've pretty much cut myself out of the space above that ring as I just don't like the mouthfeel & drawing on anything that wide. Means that I miss out on some good smokes I'm sure, but there are enough solid opportunities from 38-52rg that I don't feel like I'm sacrificing any cherished experiences...

[Chibearsv]

Lanceros to Churchills (40-48) is my wheelhouse but my range is Montecarlo to Rio Seco (33-56). I’ve never tried a 60+ cigar and I doubt I ever would. 

[joeypots]

I thought the Siglo VI was too fat when I first sampled one. Now? It's ok but 42 to 50 is where most sticks were back in the day and I'm most likely to grab one in that range. Fat cigars? I gotta admit that the HDM SJ and the Conni B, 54 rg cigars I got ahold of before cigarmegeddon, don't suck. But the Geniales vitola seems to be my limit. The poll shows 52RG as standard fare, times have changed.

[Mike Mecklenburg]

38 to 52 but I make exceptions for some 54's and 56's.

[KCCubano]

I love skinnies and prefer the 38-42 RG. Really miss the Partagas SdC lines. Like @joeypots when I tried the OR Sig VI it seemed so big but fast forward twenty plus years and look where we are now. 

[chasy]

Rio Seco and Mag 54 are the two largest RG I smoke. I do like a robusto in hand. 

[Capn_Jackson]

About 54 is my cutoff. I do enjoy a Rio Seco, though, as an exception. 

In the skinny range, I do enjoy the hell outta good lanceros, and love a good lonsdale. Even skinnier, love my MdO 1’s and 3’s, but that has more to do with the aged funk they have in spades. If they were fresh MdO 1’s (which of course don’t exist anymore), I might not be drawn to them, but those old OSU boxes of deliciousness, I need more in my life.

My favorite rg, though, has gotta be 46-50. I love robustos, corona gordas, and REALLY love a great Hermoso no. 4. Probably my favorite size.

Even though Connie 1, VR Famosos, and Ex. 4’s are not necessarily the very top of my list (close, though), that ring gauge is ideal. But then, if BBF were a 48 ring, it wouldn’t be a BBF.

[Ruggerpgh99]

My favorites are coronas - 43 is my sweet spot. Love my smokes in that range. A close second are the skinnies, if needed, I will wander up to a robusto, but you can sell me on a corona all day long. Big fattys are not my jam. Some recent smokes that were right up my alley:

El Pulpo The eel

PLPC

PLMC

Warped Maestro Del Tiempo

HUHC

Warped Devils Hands

[Dlowil]

For a long time it was robusto and nothing else for me. My cutoff is about 52 rg. Recently was introduced to the fundador vitola and I’m ashamed I wrote the tall skinny chicks off for so long. 😉 

[ha_banos]

I just can't comfortably hold around  56RG in my teeth. So I'll cut off at 54.

Other than that I'm not too fussy.

[MagicalBikeRide]

I smoke a lot of them, but a Mag 54 still feels awkward to me… 

[westg]

Favourite ring gauge is 54. I don't mind 56, especially Hoyo San Juan and Rio Seco. Partagas Serie E no 2, Quai D'Orsay 54, R&J wide Churchill. Love the format and combustion of these cigars. 

[Montezüma]

 48 x 5"

The ultimate size for a cigar, the equilibrium and in today's jaw-breaker world, the black horse. Its an in-betweener these days, perhaps considered neither this nor that but that's what makes it perfect, I think its a Hermosos or Corona Gorda? Not sure. Below is an exemplary specimen of the size that worked particularly well for the blend, a Punch Sir John RE Alemania circa 2012. Still remember this one like it was yesterday.

[zeedubbya]

Still find that PCs, Minutos, Coronas I seem to derive the most pleasure from. I like Robustos, Corona Gordas, Churchill’s and DCs, and even up to 54, but I get the same or more smoke time from a PC as a Robusto or Hermoso, so why spend the extra coin? CCE and Monte Esp 2 feels best in the hand and deliver an excellent experience, but still…PLPC, Party Shorts, Siglo 2, Monte 4 and 5, RASCC, Upmann PC (RIP), ERDM PC (RIP), Boli Tubos 1, 2, Boli PC,  RYJ PC, RGPC, SP Non-Plus and the list goes on. I really do think, and this is a bold statement, I’d give ALL the sizes up to just smoke PCs forever. Scored some Tang Upmann Coronas recently and really, I am thrilled with them! Can’t help but think if I had a Tang Monarch I wouldn’t be any less satisfied than I am with the Corona—maybe some day I’ll get to find out… 🤔 

[David88]

I would say that a robusto is as wide as I would choose to go but there are too many very good wide ring gauge cigars now. The San Juan, Rio Seco and Magnum 54 are all excellent. I recently tried my first Wide Edmundo and was surprised at how good it was despite finding the RG too much. 

[BrightonCorgi]

46-52 is my preferred range, leaning on the larger end of that.  The Slender Ring Gauge cigars are a once in a while cigar for me.  Can be more intense flavors but requires more dedication to keep them from getting too hot.

That puts me in the Heavy Ring Gauge category according to Habanos.

[BoliDan]

Im not going to lie, I'm not mad at the rise of the corona gorda or robusto. Not really a fan of bigger. You all flexing your skinnies are making upset about the swift death habanos gave them.

[mikejh]

Mid forties is ideal, 42-46. Anything up to 52 at most. A 46 ring is great and really under utilized.