Churchill

What is Churchill? Churchill is a large parejo cigar vitola with classic dimensions of 7 inches by 47 ring gauge, named in honor of Sir Winston Churchill, the British statesman and famously devoted cigar smoker. The shape is a parejo, meaning a straight-sided cylinder with a rounded, closed head — the most common cigar silhouette. It is most closely associated with Romeo y Julieta, where the factory designation is Julieta No. 2, a reflection of Churchill's well-known affection for that particular brand. Today the name denotes both a specific vitola and a broad size category recognised across the cigar world.

Dimensions and Shape

The standard Churchill measures 7 inches (178 mm) in length with a 47 ring gauge, which corresponds to roughly 18.65 mm in diameter — ring gauge being expressed in 64ths of an inch. As a parejo, it has a cylindrical body rather than the tapered profile of a figurado, making it straightforward to cut and light.

Cigar Aficionado defines its tasting category for Churchills generously, accepting cigars from 6¾ to 7⅜ inches in length with a ring gauge of at least 47. Within the family of parejos, the Churchill sits between the slimmer Corona (5½ in × 42) and the larger Double Corona (7⅝ in × 49); the Robusto (4⅞ in × 50) is thicker but considerably shorter.

Origin and the Romeo y Julieta Connection

The vitola owes its name to Sir Winston Churchill, a documented and prolific cigar smoker who became closely identified with the Romeo y Julieta brand. The exact origin story is disputed: some accounts place the creation of the size in the Romeo y Julieta factory in the late 1940s, supposedly following a visit from Churchill himself, while other sources argue that the Churchill name did not appear on Romeo y Julieta cigars until the 1950s.

A predecessor Cuban vitola called the Clemenceau shared identical dimensions to the Churchill but has since been discontinued. The Romeo y Julieta Churchill, by contrast, remains firmly in production and has become a benchmark for the format.

Within the Cuban Portfolio

The Cuban cigar industry has gradually consolidated its Churchill offerings around Romeo y Julieta. Both Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey once produced Churchill vitolas in Cuba, but these have been discontinued, while Romeo y Julieta has expanded its range within the size. Where Hoyo de Monterrey Churchills are still produced — including non-Cuban variants — they follow the same 7.0 in × 47 ring gauge standard.

One common point of confusion is the Short Churchill, a separate Romeo y Julieta vitola measuring 4⅞ inches by 50 ring gauge. Despite its name, the Short Churchill is classified as a Robusto rather than a true Churchill, and is best understood as a quicker smoke that borrows the prestige of the name rather than the format itself.