Parejo, perfecto, figurado, presidente, huh? The newer cigar smoker might ask, what do all these terms mean? Cigars come in a vast amount of shapes and sizes, it can be overwhelming to figure out what is the proper term for a cigars shape. I will try to keep this guide as simple as possible.
There really are only two different categories of a cigar shape.
The most common and recognizable cigar shape. This is the standard, plain-jane cylinder, the normal. No Fancy tapers or angles. (pronounced pair-aye-hoe)
The only other variances a parejo may have are some "upgrades" like a box press, shaggy foot, closed foot, or pigtail.
This is every other cigar shape that is not a Parejo.
The most common are:
Torpedo - Has a long gradual taper.
Belicoso - Tapers sharply at the head, with usually more of a rounded tip vs. sharp and long like the torpedo.
Pyramid - Has the longest taper which starts at the foot (lighting end) of the cigar.
The torpedo, belicoso, and pyramid are very much alike.
Perfecto
What I like to call the cartoon shape cigar. Tapered on both ends and widest in the middle.
Presidente
Tapered at the head, and closed, or almost closed foot with a nipple shape.
All of the above figurado shapes you will see often listed in cigar catalogs, online, and shops.
Less common Figurado shapes:
Salomon - Basically a very large perfecto but with a flush-cut foot.
Diadema - A slightly longer and thinner Diadema
Chisel - A torpedo shape, but the tapered end looks as though it was smashed down
Culebra
Meaning "snake" in Spanish, a Culebra is three cigars braided together. When separated they keep the twisted odd shape. No they are not suppose to be smoked still tangled together, they are meant to be separated and shared.
Exotics
Any extreme shape mostly for show but still smokable. Some examples are The Sopranos limited edition set, a Drew Estate "egg", and my baseball bat a friend and cigar maker rolled for me.
This list is not exhaustive, some smokers refer to cigars in terms that describe a shape with a certain size. šØ
Confused yet?
So are many seasoned cigar aficionados, the problem lies in the fact that some manufactures and smokers specs vary a little, and by pure habit many interchange the shapes when talking or writing. There isn't some official and universal cigar shape dictionary.
Basically, all a cigar smoker needs to know is Parejo and Figurado.
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