Cuban Half Corona Cigars

Cuban half corona cigars are the shortest of the classical Havana formats — roughly 90 to 110 mm with a 40 to 46 ring gauge, and around 20 to 30 minutes from light to finish.

Short does not mean slight. The smoke travels a shorter distance before it reaches you, so it arrives warmer and more concentrated: a good half corona reads as a compressed version of the marca's house style rather than a diluted one. This is the format for the half hour before dinner, for a cold walk, or for any moment when a full-size cigar is more time than you have.

Havana examples in this size include the Trinidad Reyes, the Cohiba Siglo I and Maduro 5 Secretos, the H. Upmann Half Corona and the Bolívar Coronas Junior — the same blends you know from the larger vitolas, rolled to be finished quickly.

For something thinner again, see Cuban slim cigars; for the same short length with a far thicker ring gauge, see Cuban petit robustos. You can also compare the equivalent New World half coronas, or browse the full range of Cuban cigars.