A Churchill is a cigar of roughly seven inches in length by forty-seven ring gauge. The vitola is named after Sir Winston Churchill, who was famously fond of large cigars from Romeo y Julieta during his lifetime. The brand still sells a Churchill that bears his name, and the format has become a staple across nearly every premium manufacturer.
The Churchill is a long-format cigar in every sense. At seven inches, it smokes for roughly an hour and a half to two hours, which means lighting one is a commitment to the evening rather than a quick smoke. The forty-seven ring gauge is moderately wide; thinner than a Robusto’s fifty, but thick enough to hold a complex filler.
What you trade for the time is development. A Churchill has the length to evolve clearly through three distinct phases: the first third introduces the blend, the middle third settles into character, and the final third either deepens or declines. Cigars that hold their line through the entire length are the ones blenders are most proud of.
For more on how vitola affects the smoking experience, see The Anatomy of a Cigar.