The Difference Between Cigarillos and Cigars

As with many fine things in life, cigar terminology is varied and sometimes confusing. A lot of new cigar aficionados (and some who have been tasting fine smokes for years) wonder if there is any real difference between a "cigarillo" and a "cigar". I hope that the following information will make things a bit more clear about these two types of smokes:

Size: This is probably the most obvious difference between cigarillos and cigars. In Spanish, "cigarillo" essentially means "small cigar" and this is basically what a cigarillo is. It's smaller and narrower than a cigar but still has tobacco filler and a leaf wrapper.
Taste: This is more or less a non-issue because just as different brands of cigars differ in taste, the flavors of cigarillos also vary. Differences in taste are more related to the brand than whether the smoke is a cigar or cigarillo.
Machine made: Many cigarillos are manufactured with machines rather than being wrapped by hand. This is one of the biggest differences between the two and tends to lower the cost of cigarillos.
Smoking time: Due to their smaller size, cigarillos can be smoked in much less time than a cigar. This makes them handy for aficionados in search of a brief cigar smoking experience.

Test for any differences between these two types of smokes by ordering them from online cigar stores.