Torpedo vs Pirámide: Figurado Cigars Explained

In short: a pirámide is a true tapered cigar with a fully conical head and an open, broad foot, while a torpedo is typically a parallel-sided cigar that narrows only at the tip into a pointed head. Both belong to the family of figurados — shaped cigars — and a belicoso is essentially a shorter pirámide with a more rounded, gently tapered head. The differences are real, but they are subtle, and the terms are often used loosely across the industry.

• Pirámide: tapers along its whole length, from a wide foot up to a fine point — the classic figurado silhouette (e.g. Cohiba Pirámides Extra at 160 mm × 54 ring gauge).
• Torpedo: straight-sided body that closes to a sharp point only at the head; the foot is the same gauge as the barrel.
• Belicoso: a short, stout figurado with a small, rounded tapered head — punchy and ideal when time is limited.
• The tapered head concentrates smoke onto the palate, sharpening flavour and aroma compared with a flat-capped parejo.
• All reward an unhurried hour and the same storage discipline: a steady 68–72% RH.

What exactly is a figurado?

A figurado is any cigar that departs from the simple straight-sided cylinder. The everyday cigar — a corona, robusto or Churchill with parallel sides and a flat, rounded head — is called a parejo. Everything else, every taper, bulge and flourish, falls under figurado: pirámides, torpedoes, belicosos, perfectos (tapered at both ends), diademas and the rare salomón.

Figurados are the oldest cigar shapes of all. Long before machinery standardised the parejo, every cigar was rolled by hand and finished to a point, and the figurado remains the truest showcase of a roller's skill. A well-made tapered head must draw cleanly while concentrating the smoke — a balance that only an accomplished torcedor can strike consistently. If you would like to ground these comparisons in the wider language of cigar dimensions, our guide to cigar sizes, vitolas and ring gauge is a useful companion.

How does a torpedo differ from a pirámide?

This is the question that trips up most enthusiasts, because the two shapes look related and the names are frequently swapped. The cleanest way to picture them:

• Pirámide — tapers continuously. The foot is broad, the body narrows steadily along its full length, and the head finishes in a fine point. The whole cigar is a slender cone. The Cuban benchmark is the Pirámide vitola, around 156 mm in length with a 52 ring gauge at the foot.
• Torpedo — has straight, parallel sides like a parejo for most of its body, then closes abruptly to a pointed head near the cap. The foot is flat and full-gauge; only the tip is tapered.

In Cuban factory parlance the term torpedo is largely historic, and what English-speaking smokers call a torpedo overlaps heavily with the pirámide and belicoso vitolas. New World makers tend to use "torpedo" more literally for that pointed-head, straight-body profile. The practical takeaway is simple: a pirámide tapers all the way down; a torpedo only at the tip.

Where does the belicoso fit?

The belicoso is the third member of the family and arguably the most popular. It is a shorter, fuller figurado — typically 140 mm × 52 ring gauge in its classic Cuban form (the Campana vitola) — with a small, rounded tapered head rather than a needle-fine point. Think of it as a pirámide concentrated into a more compact, robust format. The Bolivar Belicosos Finos is the textbook example: a powerful, earthy Cuban with that signature short taper, and the aged Bolivar Belicosos Finos Reserva Cosecha 2016 shows how beautifully the shape mellows with time in the box.

Why does the shape change the way a cigar smokes?

The tapered head is not merely decorative — it does real work on the palate. As the cone narrows towards your lips, it funnels the smoke from the wider body into a smaller opening, concentrating volume and intensity onto the front of the tongue. The result is often a more focused, aromatic and slightly cooler draw than a flat-capped cigar of the same blend.

A few practical consequences follow:

• Cutting. You control the draw with your cut. A small clip gives a tight, concentrated stream; a more generous cut opens it up. Many smokers prefer a punch or a shallow guillotine cut on a tapered head, removing only the very tip.
• Blend showcase. Because the smoke is concentrated, figurados tend to flatter complex, well-aged blends where you want every nuance amplified.
• Evolution. As you smoke down past the taper into the full-gauge body, the character often broadens and deepens — a built-in three-act structure.

Which figurados should I start with?

If you are exploring the shape for the first time, it helps to taste across both the Cuban and New World traditions, which interpret the figurado quite differently.

On the Cuban side

The Cohiba Pirámides Extra is the definitive modern Cuban pirámide — 160 mm × 54 ring gauge, built around aged medio tiempo leaf, with the honeyed, grassy, faintly floral profile that defines the marque. For collectors, the Cohiba Pirámides Edición Limitada 2006 and the elegantly presented 25 Aniversario Pirámides Extra jar are landmark releases that show the vitola at its most refined. The slender, sharply tapered Cuaba Pirámides Edición Limitada 2008 is a treat too — Cuaba being the one marque devoted entirely to figurado shapes. You will find these and more across our Cuban cigars collection.

On the New World side

No house has done more for the figurado than Arturo Fuente. The Don Carlos Belicoso Natural is a benchmark of balance — cedar, almond and warm spice in a flawlessly rolled tapered head — while the celebrated OpusX Belicoso XXX delivers the rich, peppery intensity of Fuente's Dominican-grown wrapper. For an easygoing everyday taper, the Chateau Fuente Cuban Belicoso is approachable and consistently rewarding. Among New World specialists, EGM Cigars also roll figurado vitolas worth seeking out.

How should I store and smoke a figurado?

Storage is no different from any premium cigar: keep them at a steady 68–72% RH and around 16–18°C, and let new arrivals settle for a week or two before lighting. The taper, however, asks for a little extra care. Light a pirámide patiently and evenly — toast the narrow foot fully before the first draw so the burn establishes cleanly along the cone. Resist relighting too aggressively; the concentrated tip rewards a slow, deliberate cadence.

Allow a proper hour for a full pirámide such as the Cohiba; the shape genuinely earns the unhurried occasion — an after-dinner ritual, a long conversation, a quiet evening. A belicoso, by contrast, makes an excellent shorter smoke when time is tight without sacrificing depth.

Frequently asked questions

Is a torpedo the same as a pirámide?

Not quite. A pirámide tapers continuously from a broad foot to a pointed head, so the whole cigar is conical. A torpedo has straight, parallel sides and tapers only at the tip near the cap. The names are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but technically the pirámide tapers along its full length while the torpedo does not.

What is a belicoso cigar?

A belicoso is a short, fuller figurado with a small, gently rounded tapered head rather than a fine point. The classic Cuban belicoso measures roughly 140 mm by 52 ring gauge. It behaves like a compact pirámide, concentrating flavour onto the palate while offering a punchier, more robust smoke in a format that suits a shorter sitting.

How should I cut a tapered figurado?

Cut conservatively at first. Remove only the very tip of the head with a guillotine or use a punch; this preserves the concentrating effect of the taper and gives a focused draw. If the draw feels tight, you can always trim a little more. Cutting too deeply at once removes the shape's defining advantage and can loosen the smoke.

Do figurados taste different from straight cigars?

From the same blend, yes — subtly. The tapered head funnels smoke from the wider body into a smaller opening, concentrating volume and aroma on the front of the palate. This tends to make flavours feel more focused and intense, and the character often broadens as you smoke down into the full-gauge body, giving the cigar a natural sense of progression.