You’re browsing through your favorite cigar catalog or Website and words like “Pyramid,” “Belicoso,” “Torpedo,” and “Perfecto” keep jumping out at you. Originating in Cuba, these are traditional names for a variety of non-parejo (or non-straight-sided) cigar shapes referred to as “figurados.” Since some shapes are similar in appearance, the question that arises is: What’s the difference between a Torpedo, a Belicoso, and a Pyramid, or the difference between a Perfecto, a Double Perfecto, and a Diademas? More important, what’s the difference in how they smoke?

As with any premium cigar, the quality of the tobaccos is what really matters, and since many figurados often tend to be wider in ring gauge, they also tend to be richer in flavor. Moreover, by design, the atypical shapes of these cigars are intended to offer a more complex and flavorful smoke. For example, the tapered head on the Belicoso, Torpedo, and Pyramid concentrates the smoke as it passes through the head’s narrow pathway.
   
Figurados are generally higher in price. One reason is the extra tobacco used in the cigar. But it has more to do with the skill required to roll them properly, which is why figurados are only assigned to the factory’s most experienced torcedores, or rollers.
   
To help give you a better understanding of these fabulous cigars, the opposite page shows you how they are defined.
Belicoso
  
A cigar distinguished by a refined, pointed head, and generally 6 to 61⁄2 inches in length. I love this nugget from Richard Carleton Hacker’s The Ultimate Cigar Book, in which he writes: “One of the easiest cigars to clip for smoking, even while under the influence of potent liquors.” A good example of this shape is the Padron Serie 1926 No.2. A Belicoso Jr. has the same shape, only shorter, normally ranging 41⁄2 to 51⁄2 inches. A good example of this shape is the Romeo y Julieta Petit Numero Dos.

Torpedo
Named primarily for its appearance, this shape is tapered at the head like the Belicoso, but it’s not usually as long or sharp. The body is thicker in the middle (traditionally bulged) with a flat foot. Normally about 6 to 61⁄2 inches in length, it is also one of the most difficult shapes to make. One of the finest examples of this shape is the classic Montecristo No.2.

Pyramid
Most often rolled with a pointed head like a Belicoso, the Pyramid (or Piramide) may also be rolled with a rounded head. Generally 6 to 7 inches in length, Pyramids have a narrow head that flares out to a wide-ringed foot. The idea behind this cigar is to offer the largest possible burn area while keeping the head of the cigar comfortable in the mouth. Fine examples of this shape are the Davidoff Special Series Special T and the Partagas Black Label Piramide

Perfectos
Distinguished by a unique nipple-shaped foot, most perfectos are usually straight-sided and vary in length from 4 to 9 inches. In some instances, the head is slightly tapered. Its name comes from the design of the foot. You light the nipple and the tobacco should burn evenly outward to the edge of the cigar’s foot, resulting in a “perfect” light. Perhaps the finest examples of this shape are the cigars of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series.

Double Perfectos
They are tapered at both ends, often with the foot partially open instead of a nipple, although the Zino Platinum Scepter Chubby has a nipple-shaped foot. The bulge in the middle (where the most tobacco is) gives the cigar more flavor, depth, and complexity. Among the best examples of this shape are in the Aurora Preferidos selection.

Diademas
Then there’s the Diademas, an elegant variation of the Double Perfecto. Usually long in length, the primary difference is that the cigar flares out at about the bottom third of the cigar, then tapers back in at the foot. The Oliva Serie S cigars offer some beautiful examples of this shape, and last year Davidoff introduced the Limited Edition 100th Anniversary Diademas Finas.

Cool and Unusual
If you have a flair for the unusual, you can find figurados in many other shapes, and in some cases, pretty extreme looking at that. For example, the Drew Estate Natural Egg looks like a small snake that just devoured a hamster, and the La Flor Dominicana Chisel has a head that looks like...well...a chisel! Perhaps the newest addition to the “cool and unusual” are the “Wafe” cigars offered in the Java by Drew Estate and ACID cigar series. It’s a short cigar that’s been pressed so flat it looks like a sugar wafer. Surprisingly, this cigar is very comfortable in the mouth.
   
For the ultimate in the “cool and unusual” department, check out the CAO “Artistry of Champions” sampler that features three stunning double-perfectos wrapped in different-colored leaves, and two whimsical, trumpet-shaped cigars.
   
Remember, just because the cigar is labeled a particular shape doesn’t mean it is. Like many other shapes, each frontmark is named at the discretion of the manufacturer. Some might label a Belicoso a “Torpedo,” or a Torpedo a “Pyramid,” or a Diademas a “Perfecto,” and so on. A good rule of thumb is to go by the measurements that appeal most to your personal tastes, but trying different figurados is one of the more fascinating ways to discover some great cigars.