Stick Picks

Torpedo vs Belicoso vs Pyramid Cigar: What's the Difference?

By Stick Picks · Published October 7, 2026

Figurado cigars (anything with a taper, curve, or pinch) are some of the most visually distinct sticks in any humidor. But once you move past the robusto and toro, the shape names get confusing fast. Torpedo. Belicoso. Pyramid. Perfecto. They all come to a point, yet they smoke, cut, and age in noticeably different ways. Here’s how to tell them apart and decide which belongs in your collection.

Wait — what even is a “figurado”? I keep seeing the term

A question we hear often:

Parejos are straight-sided cigars with the same ring gauge from cap to foot: robustos, toros, gordos, lanceros. Figurados have a varying ring gauge along the body, with tapered heads, wider feet, or bulges. Torpedo, pyramid, perfecto, salomon. If it isn’t a straight cylinder, it’s a figurado.

Lighting a figurado takes more finesse than your average robusto. Many have a closed foot or a tapered body, which makes ignition tricky. Expect the flavor to build gradually and shift as the ring gauge changes through the smoke. Figurados put a blend’s complexity on full display, which makes them worth reaching for when you want a cigar that actually develops rather than just burns.

Figurados are typically rolled by more experienced hands, and the results usually show. That’s one reason seasoned collectors prize them: they’re a reliable signal of factory quality.

So what exactly is a torpedo cigar, and how does it smoke?

The torpedo is defined by its long, sharply pointed head and straight sides. Typically 6-7 inches in length, it has a more dramatic taper than a belicoso, usually beginning roughly halfway down the cigar’s length. It’s also one of the more visually striking shapes in a humidor, which doesn’t hurt.

On a standard round cigar with a flat cap, you cut a wide opening and smoke passes through a broad channel. On a torpedo, the tapered head works like a funnel: smoke travels through a narrower passage before reaching your palate. The practical result is that the first third smokes noticeably more concentrated than the ring gauge alone would suggest. If you want a blend to announce itself immediately, a torpedo is a reasonable choice.

Budget 60-90 minutes. The longer format and gradual taper draw the experience out. If you keep a smoking journal, it’s worth marking where flavor shifts happen. Torpedo smokers often notice a clear transition in the second third, right around where the taper gives way to the full ring gauge.

What’s a belicoso, and is it really that different from a torpedo?

This one comes up a lot:

The short answer: yes, meaningfully different, even though the industry doesn’t always label them consistently.

A belicoso is shorter (typically 5-6.5 inches), with a rounded head and a taper that only begins about an inch from the tip. Think of it as sitting somewhere between a parejo and a torpedo in terms of feel and geometry. The shorter taper concentrates smoke much like a torpedo does, but the rounded head makes cutting and lighting easier and more forgiving.

The key practical difference from a torpedo comes down to taper length and overall format. A torpedo has a longer, more gradual taper, a sharper and more defined point, and a longer body overall. In your humidor, a belicoso sits closer to your robusto-sized smokes. Plan on a 45-60 minute session, not the 60-90 a torpedo demands.

One thing worth knowing: cigar companies don’t follow uniform rules here. One brand labels a 5.5-inch cigar with a rounded taper as a torpedo; another uses “belicoso” for nearly identical dimensions. Some use “torpedo” for anything with a pointed head, regardless of length or taper style. The best approach is to read the actual dimensions rather than relying on whatever name is printed on the band.

How is a pyramid different from both of those?

A pyramid tapers the entire length of the cigar from foot to head. A torpedo only tapers near the head; the body stays at a consistent diameter. A belicoso is similar to a torpedo but with a shorter, less dramatic taper that rounds off quickly at the tip.

That continuous taper is what makes a pyramid its own thing. As you smoke, the ring gauge changes, and so does the flavor profile. It intensifies and shifts as you work toward the head. Some smokers find that genuinely interesting. Others prefer the consistency of a belicoso and find a pyramid almost too variable.

The industry has blurred this distinction considerably. A lot of cigars labeled “torpedo” are technically pyramids because they taper the full length. Both terms get used interchangeably, which only adds to the confusion. Rather than getting tripped up by names, focus on actual dimensions and taper length. The shape determines the experience, not what someone decided to print on the box.

A true pyramid runs wide at the foot, typically 54-56 ring gauge, narrowing continuously to a pointed head. That wide foot needs a proper, rotating toast at lighting. Rush it and you’ll have an uneven burn that tracks to one side for the rest of the smoke.

What about the perfecto? Where does it fit?

Readers frequently ask:

The perfecto is in a class of its own. It tapers at both the head and the foot, with the foot taper ranging from gradual to fairly sharp depending on the maker. That closed-foot construction means it requires a deliberate toasting ritual before the foot opens up properly. Plenty of collectors find that part of the appeal.

Think of it as a torpedo with a tapered foot added: you get the classic pointed head, but the foot closes down too, creating the traditional Cuban shape. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway series is probably the most widely collected perfecto in modern humidors. Smoke one slowly and you’ll notice the ring gauge swell through the body before narrowing again at both ends, which produces a genuine three-act flavor arc in a single cigar.

How do I cut and light these shapes without wrecking the draw?

Because all four shapes concentrate smoke through a narrowed tip, cut placement matters more than it does on a parejo.

For a belicoso or torpedo, use a straight guillotine cutter and slice just 3-6 mm off the very tip. Enough to open the tobacco, not so much that you lose the concentrating effect. A V-cut works particularly well here, directing smoke through a channel rather than a broad opening. Don’t punch a torpedo; the narrow tip makes it easy to collapse the draw entirely.

For a pyramid, the wide foot needs a thorough, rotating toast with a torch before you draw. Rush it and you’ll have an uneven burn that tracks to one side for the entire smoke. Once you’re past the first inch, figurados in general tend to even out and behave well. The narrow head can feel restrictive at first, but that usually corrects itself before the cigar reaches its fuller ring gauge.

For a perfecto, toast the closed foot slowly with indirect flame until it glows evenly around the full circumference, then begin smoking. Once the foot opens up, the draw will loosen noticeably and the full ring gauge takes over.

Which of these shapes ages best in a humidor?

Straight-sided cigars like robustos draw openly and burn evenly from start to finish. Figurados, especially those with a closed foot or a swelling center, offer a more dynamic and evolving experience. That dynamism tends to reward aging. The complexity that makes figurados interesting at release often becomes more layered after a few years of proper rest.

From a storage standpoint, torpedoes and pyramids stack less efficiently than parejos in a standard humidor tray because of their tapered heads. If you’re building a serious figurado collection, tracking where each stick sits and when you bought it is genuinely useful. Stick Picks’ humidor catalog lets you log vitola, size, and acquisition date so you can follow a torpedo’s aging arc instead of guessing by touch.

Collectors who age figurados seriously often hold them at 65-67% RH, slightly drier than the classic 70/70 rule, to encourage a tighter and more refined burn as the tobaccos meld. Check our guide on which cigars age well for blend-specific guidance.

5 FAQs: Torpedo, belicoso & pyramid cigars

What is the main difference between a torpedo and a belicoso cigar? A torpedo features a longer, more dramatically tapered head that starts several inches from the tip, while a belicoso has a shorter, blunter taper beginning about an inch from the head. Both are figurados, but the torpedo is generally longer (6-7”) and the belicoso more compact (5-5.5”).

Does a torpedo cigar smoke differently than a robusto? Yes. The tapered head of a torpedo acts like a funnel, concentrating smoke through a narrower channel before it hits your palate. This typically delivers more focused, intense flavors early on compared to the broader draw of a robusto.

Is a pyramid the same as a torpedo? No, though the industry often blurs the terms. A true pyramid tapers continuously from a wide foot all the way to a pointed head — the ring gauge changes throughout the entire length. A torpedo’s body stays at a consistent diameter and only tapers near the head.

How do you cut a torpedo or belicoso cigar? Use a straight guillotine cutter or a V-cut and remove just enough of the tapered tip to open the draw — usually 1/4” to 3/8”. Cutting too far down eliminates the taper’s flavor-focusing benefit. A V-cut works especially well on torpedo shapes.

Are figurado cigars harder to make than regular cigars? Yes. Figurados like torpedos, belicosos, and pyramids require more skilled rollers because the tapered shape must be hand-formed evenly to avoid draw problems. This extra craftsmanship is one reason many collectors consider figurados a mark of quality from a given factory.

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