Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

I was catching up on today's deals and saw the Padilla Obsidian advertised, and that got me thinking.

What's the difference between a torpedo and a belicoso? Those terms seem to be interchanged often.

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

This may help:

FIGURADOS

Although most cigars are straight-sided cylinders with one rounded end, there are a number of traditional cigar formats with more novel shapes--the figurados. Different manufacturers have interpreted these names differently, so you might, for example, find a cigar that fits the description below of a pyramid, but is called a belicoso. There is no perfect consensus, but generally here's what the figurados look like:

--PYRAMID: A sharply tapered and closed-headed cigar with a wider open foot. These cigars are between 6 and 7 inches with a ring gauge of around 40 at the head that widens to 52 to 54 at the foot.

--BELICOSO: Traditionally, a belicoso was a short pyramid, 5 or 5 1/2 inches in length with a shorter, more rounded taper at the head and a ring gauge generally of 50 or less. Today, "belicosos" are frequently coronas or corona gordas with a tapered head.

--TORPEDO: A torpedo has a closed foot, a pointed head and a bulge in the middle.

--PERFECTO: Like a torpedo, the perfecto has a closed foot and a bulge in the middle. The difference is that the head is rounded rather than pointed. Perfectos can vary greatly in length, from 4 1/2 to 9 inches, and can have a ring gauge between 38 and 48.

--CULEBRA: This exotic shape, made up of three panetelas braided together and banded as one cigar, makes it clear why cigars have sometimes been called "ropes." The three parts are unbraided and smoked separately. They are usually 5 to 6 inches in length, most often with a 38 ring gauge. Culebras are relatively rare these days. If you acquire one, you might consider finding two other cigar aficionados and turning the smoking of your culebra into an occasion.

--DIADEMAS : A big cigar--8 inches or longer. The head is closed and tapered, with a ring gauge of 40 while the foot, which can be open, or closed like a perfecto, is a hefty 52 ring gauge, or larger.

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

By those definitions it would really seem that some confuse the Pyramid and Torpedo vitolas.

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

True True, most all of the torpedo's I see advertised are not torpedos by those definitions but Pyramid's

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Great definitions...Thanks...

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

This LINK should be very helpful as well!

http://www.aficionado-a-havanas.com/...cgi/shape.html

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

I'm confused, looks like an open foot in the pic for 'torpedo', am I missing something?

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

thanks for the info!! me likes the belicoso

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Here they are as I have always thought of them.

Pyramid - Tapers continually from head to foot, the foot may be very wide.

Torpedo - Tapers from head to main body of cigar, but is a gradual taper and then parallels.

Belicoso - Tapers from head to main body, but does so very quickly, not quite a rounded head, but very close, and then it parallels.

Perfecto - Tapers at both head and foot. The taper at the foot may be gradual or sharp.

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Those look good to me

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

BELICOSO'S all the way!

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Great info here. I'm for both!

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Great information!!!

Thank you!!!

Make mine the Perfecto!!! :dr

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

great info, thanks!

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

Even in these pics I fail to see the difference between the torp and the beli

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

my understanding is a beli and a torp are the same shape, but a torpedo is a set size, I believe a 6.xx X 52 whereas a belicoso is generally a smaller cigar

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

These are all simply descriptive terms used rather loosely by manufacturers. Outside Cuba, there are no "standard" sizes or names. Even within Cuba some terms are used to describe more than one size cigar. Although generally a Belicoso is shorter than a Torpedo, there is no specific size that would prevent a manufacturer from calling any cigar a specific name. :2

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

I have to admit, I love the torpedo shape. It was one of those that just kind of jumped out and said "pick me, pick me" :)

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

I agree. I just pulled out an Oliva V Torp and a Don Carlos Belicoso out of my cooler and best I could tell the structure and shape were the same with the Torp being about 1/2 inch longer

Re: Torpedo or Belicoso?
 

I like those definitions. I always think of a Belicosa as being shorter than a Torpedo, and that is the only difference I notice.