What's up with all these 6 x 60 ring cigars?

(Gary Korb) During the past year, I noticed that I was getting more and more press releases announcing new 6 x 60 ring gauge cigars. Do you remember how a few years ago Lanceros had come back into vogue? So, manufacturers began adding more 7 x 38 cigars to their repertoire. Now it seems as if just the opposite is happening with the demand for 6 x 60 cigars. The more 6 x 60's I saw coming into the market the more curious I became about this trend. So, I wrote to a number of well-respected cigar makers to get their take on this "Grand Toro" shape phenomenon, and asked, "What gives?" Continued

Photo: Cliff House Whisky and Cigars, circa 1902 (Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto).