How long does a cigar take to smoke? Most cigars take 30 to 90 minutes: about 45 to 60 minutes for a Robusto, 60 to 75 for a Toro and 75 to 90 for a Churchill, while a small cigarillo can be finished in 20. How long it takes to smoke a cigar depends mostly on its size and shape, and cigar makers don't publish burn times. So we built the Cigar Nation Burn Clock™: every cigar we carry gets an estimated smoking time, shown right on its product page and sorted into three tiers, so you can match the smoke to the time you actually have.
Quick Smokes: Up to 40 Minutes
Quick Smokes are built for short windows: a lunch break, a walk around the block, a coffee on the porch, the drive home from the course. Cigarillos, petit coronas and short, thick Nubs live here. A shorter cigar also shows its character fast, which makes this tier a smart, low-commitment way to try a new brand before buying a full-size cigar.
Popular Quick Smokes: the Cohiba Red Dot Miniature (about 20 minutes), the Macanudo Ascot (25), the CAO Flavours II Sampler (30), the My Father Fonseca Petit Corona (35), Cigar Aficionado's No. 18 cigar of 2020, and the Arturo Fuente Petit Corona (40).
Power Hour™: 45 to 65 Minutes
Power Hour™ cigars are the everyday sweet spot: long enough for a cigar to really develop, short enough to finish on a weeknight after dinner. Most Robustos, Coronas and shorter Toros land here, and it's where most brands build their best-known blends, so it's the easiest tier for comparing brands on equal terms.
Popular Power Hour™ cigars: the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente (about 45 minutes), the Romeo y Julieta 1875 Bully (50), the Liga Privada No. 9 Robusto (55), the Cohiba Riviera (55) and the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso (65), Cigar Aficionado's No. 2 cigar of 2011.
Weekend Warrior™: 70 Minutes and Longer
Weekend Warrior™ cigars are for the times the cigar is the main event: a round of golf, a fire pit that runs past sunset, a celebration where nobody is watching the clock. Larger Toros, Churchills, Gordos and Double Coronas fill this tier. Longer cigars tend to change more from the first third to the last, so give them time and pour a drink that will last as long as the smoke.
Popular Weekend Warrior™ cigars: the Liga Privada No. 9 Toro (about 70 minutes), the Padron 1964 Anniversary Imperial Maduro (75), the Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill (85), the Ashton VSG Sorcerer (85), Cigar Aficionado's No. 12 cigar of 2020, and the Ashton VSG Spellbound (100).
Cigar Burn Time Chart by Size
Typical Burn Clock ranges for common cigar sizes. Every cigar is a little different, so check each product page for its own estimate.
| Size (vitola) |
Common dimensions |
Typical burn time |
Usual Burn Clock tier |
| Cigarillo |
about 4 x 30 |
20 to 30 minutes |
Quick Smoke |
| Petit Corona |
4 to 5 x 38 to 44 |
30 to 40 minutes |
Quick Smoke |
| Nub |
about 4 x 58 to 66 |
35 to 50 minutes |
Quick Smoke or Power Hour™ |
| Corona |
5 1/2 x 42 to 46 |
45 to 55 minutes |
Power Hour™ |
| Robusto |
5 x 50 to 54 |
45 to 60 minutes |
Power Hour™ |
| Lancero |
7 x 38 |
55 to 65 minutes |
Power Hour™ |
| Toro |
6 x 50 to 54 |
60 to 75 minutes |
Power Hour™ or Weekend Warrior™ |
| Churchill |
7 x 48 to 50 |
75 to 90 minutes |
Weekend Warrior™ |
| Gordo |
6 x 60 |
75 to 90 minutes |
Weekend Warrior™ |
| Double Corona |
7 to 7 1/2 x 54 |
85 to 100 minutes |
Weekend Warrior™ |
For our favorites in each tier, see Best Cigars by Burn Time.
How the Burn Clock Works
Every Burn Clock estimate comes from a proprietary method developed by Cigar Nation. It weighs the cigar's physical profile, including its length and shape, along with several other proprietary factors, to produce a consistent smoking-time estimate for every cigar we carry. Your own pace, the weather and how your cigars have been stored will all move the real number a little, so treat the Burn Clock as a reliable starting point, not a stopwatch.
Burn Clock FAQ
How long does a cigar take to smoke?
Anywhere from about 20 minutes for a small cigarillo to around 100 minutes for the biggest double coronas. On the Burn Clock, a classic Robusto runs about 50 minutes and a Toro about an hour or a little more.
How long does a Robusto take to smoke?
Most Robustos run about 45 to 60 minutes on the Burn Clock, which puts them in the Power Hour™ tier.
How long does a Toro take to smoke?
Most Toros run about 60 to 75 minutes on the Burn Clock. Shorter Toros land in the Power Hour™ tier, and longer or thicker ones become Weekend Warrior™ cigars.
How long does a Corona take to smoke?
Most Coronas run about 45 to 55 minutes on the Burn Clock, a Power Hour™ smoke. Smaller Petit Coronas finish in 30 to 40 minutes, a Quick Smoke.
How long does a Churchill take to smoke?
Most Churchills run about 75 to 90 minutes on the Burn Clock, which makes them Weekend Warrior™ cigars.
How long does a Gordo take to smoke?
A full-size 6 x 60 Gordo runs about 75 to 90 minutes on the Burn Clock, a Weekend Warrior™. Short gordos like a 4 x 60 Nub finish much faster, usually in 35 to 50 minutes.
How long does a cigarillo take to smoke?
Most cigarillos take about 20 to 30 minutes, and the smallest minis can be done in 10 to 15. Every cigarillo we carry is a Quick Smoke on the Burn Clock.
What is a Quick Smoke?
A cigar that runs 40 minutes or less on the Burn Clock, such as petit coronas, cigarillos and some Nubs.
What is a Power Hour™ cigar?
A cigar that runs 45 to 65 minutes on the Burn Clock. Most Robustos and Coronas are Power Hour™ cigars.
What is a Weekend Warrior™ cigar?
A cigar that runs 70 minutes or longer on the Burn Clock, including larger Toros, Churchills, Gordos and Double Coronas.
Why don't cigar boxes list a burn time?
Cigar makers don't publish burn times, because smoking time depends on the smoker. The Burn Clock fills that gap with a consistent estimate for every cigar we sell.
Does a box-pressed cigar last longer?
Often a little. Shape is one of the factors the Burn Clock weighs, so a box-pressed cigar can land a few minutes away from a round cigar of the same length.
