Best Figurado Cigars
There are dozens of cigar shapes and sizes to smoke today. A Figurado is a cigar that is rolled in a “figured” shape, and Figurados come in different sizes. Figurado cigars taper at one or both ends, and that makes them easy to distinguish from standard Parejos, or straight-sided cigars (that don’t taper). Robustos, Toros, Coronas, and Churchills are Parejos. Examples of Figurados include Torpedos, Pyramids, Belicosos, and Perfectos.
Differences between Figurado vs. Perfecto vs. Salomon
There are three cigar sizes that cigar smokers regularly confuse: Figurado, Perfecto, and Salomon. All three shapes are Figurados because they taper. Perfectos taper at both ends and have a closed foot, or the foot is only open at the very tip. Salomon cigars are rarer because they are larger, usually over 7 inches. And, to add more confusion, Diademas, at over 8 inches, are the largest Salomon cigars. All Salomones are Diademas, but not all Diademas are Salomones. All of the above are Figurados, though, and here are the ten best Figurado cigars you can smoke today.
Top 10 Figurado Cigars
1. Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF
Fuente Fuente Opus X BBMF gets plenty of attention as one of the most expensive cigars and one of the most unique cigars you’ll ever encounter. While its rare tobaccos, its shimmering Shade Grown Dominican wrapper, and its ornate cigar band make an impression, it’s the cigar’s bulbous dimensions, 6.5 inches long with a 64 ring gauge diameter at its thickest point, that capture your curiosity first. This large Figurado gently slopes into a manageable shape you can easily fit in your mouth, and the head of the cigar erupts with a flurry of loose tobacco strands deliberately teased out by the roller. The skill it takes to roll an Opus X BBMF is remarkable. BBMF stands for “Big Bad Mother F*#%&r” and belongs on your cigar bucket list. Savor this hearty profile of coffee bean, cedar, nougat, figs, and spices with a tangy finish when you’ve got a meaningful milestone on the calendar.
2. Ashton ESG 24-Year
Ashton ESG is blended by Carlito Fuente from exclusive reserves of premium Dominican tobaccos cultivated on the world-famous Chateau de la Fuente estates. This slender Figurado is just over six and a half inches long with a 48 ring gauge and is finished in a glistening Sun Grown wrapper. Notes of cedar, graham cracker, cocoa, molasses, and spice bathe the palate with silky and savory texture. ESG is a 94-rated masterpiece guaranteed to impress. And if you’re looking for the best mild cigars in a Figurado, Ashton Cabinet Selection offers four Perfectos, the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 10, all of which are rolled with an elegant Connecticut Shade wrapper.
3. Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art
Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars are the best-known Figurados, period. You could argue the Fuentes pioneered the return of Figurados decades ago when they revived these complex Cuban sizes to create the Hemingway line. The cigars are blended with the finest Dominican long-fillers and a toothy Cameroon wrapper leaf. Few other cigar-makers wanted to bother with the time and attention to detail required in training cigar rollers how to roll Figurado cigars, but Carlos Fuente Sr. and his son, Carlito, viewed making great Figurados as a badge of honor and a nod to their mastery of Cuban tradition. It’s tough to choose one cigar from this lineup, but we’re going with the Work of Art because it lasts a long time despite its short shape, under 5 inches with a chunky 60 ring gauge near the foot. Smoke them all, though, and decide if you like iconic Figurados like the Short Story versus the Best Seller more. Arturo Fuente Hemingway Maduro is available, too, if you prefer the sweet taste of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
4. Ashton VSG Enchantment
Ashton VSG is a legendary, full-flavored, full-bodied Dominican cigar blended by Carlito Fuente, and smoking this classic blend in a gorgeous Figurado, called the Enchantment, only adds to its appeal. This short but swollen gem is just over 4 inches with a 60 ring gauge at its thickest point, and it beams with an oily sheen thanks to its well-aged Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. Notes of espresso, leather, cedar, earth, and spice coat the palate with silky texture. Smoke one of the most sought-after Ashton cigars in this intriguing Figurado today.
5. Arturo Fuente Anejo Shark No. 77
Arturo Fuente Anejo is another of our favorite cult cigars to make the list of the best Figurados you should smoke. Few cigar lovers are unfamiliar with this coveted Fuente gem, blended from the same Ligero long-fillers reserved for Opus X cigars, but Anejo is finished in an oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that’s been matured in a cognac barrel for added sweetness. No question, the Anejo Shark No. 77 is among the most unique Figurados you’ll ever smoke. It’s a half-box-pressed Belicoso, 5.875 inches long with a 64 ring gauge at the foot. This bulky but precisely sloping cigar resembles a shark’s fin, hence the name. Notes of dark chocolate, molasses, cognac, and spice converge with buttery finesse.
6. San Cristobal Quintessence Belicoso
We’re including a few standard Figurados in our suggestions, and the 6.5 by 54 San Cristobal Quintessence Belicoso stands out. The blend was rated 95 points and ranked as the ‘#3 Cigar of the Year’ in Cigar Aficionado for 2021. Famous father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin and Jaime Garcia blend San Cristobal cigars from their finest Nicaraguan long-fillers. This classic smoke burns beautifully while its medium to full-bodied profile of cocoa, cedar, molasses, and pepper blesses the palate in every puff. The flavor is a touch more concentrated in this consistent and commanding Belicoso.
7. La Aroma de Cuba Pasión Box-Pressed Torpedo
La Aroma de Cuba Pasión debuted in 2021, and its luxuriant Shade Grown Nicaraguan wrapper makes it one of the best new Figurados to smoke. Savor an irresistible box-pressed Torpedo, at just over 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 54. Tasting notes of leather and smoked cashew mingle with hints of molasses and cedar before a brilliant finish lingers. Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia blends the historic La Aroma de Cuba brand to an award-winning standard, and Pasión is the only cigar in the portfolio blended with a Shade Grown wrapper. It’s cultivated on a private Garcia family estate eighteen miles east of Esteli, in Namanji. A unique microclimate of warm, sunny days and cool evenings blesses the basin where shade-grown crops are nourished by a snaking river.\
8. Padrón 80 Years Maduro
Dozens of prestigious Padrón cigars could make our list of the best Figurados. Padrón 1964 Anniversary, in a 6 by 52 box-pressed Torpedo, just scored 97 points and Cigar Aficionado’s official ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ honors for 2021. But we’re focusing on Padrón 80 Years Maduro, the 96-rated ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ for 2008, due to its visually striking dimensions, a 6.75 by 54 box-pressed Perfecto that comes to a precise point and approximates the tip of a sharpened pencil on both ends. Notes of cedar, dark cocoa, cayenne, cinnamon, and baking spices characterize this marvelous Figurado in a cigar that connoisseurs easily recognize.
9. Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado
Oliva cigars have scored tons of hits with the critics, too. You’ll find Figurados peppered into the brand’s bestselling portfolio, including the 95-rated Oliva Serie V and the Cameroon-wrapped Serie G. However, Oliva Serie V Melanio in a box-pressed 6.5 by 52 Figurado is the best-known of the bunch with its former ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ status. An Ecuador Sumatra wrapper embraces a rich and flawless core of premium Nicaraguan long-fillers aged to perfection. Tasting notes of caramel, wood, and pepper culminate on the palate before a leathery finish arrives.
10. La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel
La Flor Dominicana cigars brand founder Litto Gomez has blended some of the strongest Dominican cigars over the past twenty years, but his Double Ligero blend is what he’s best known for. And he created an original shape, called the Chisel, which is a 6 by 54 Torpedo with a flattened head. The story goes, Gomez was chomping on a cigar for over an hour without lighting it while he was driving around one day, and he rather liked the draw and the feel of the cigar after the head had been flattened in his mouth, so he instructed his rollers to recreate it. You can experience this hearty Figurado in the original Ecuador wrapper as well a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. There are even smaller versions called Chiselitos, and bigger box-pressed Chisels, like the La Flor Dominicana Capitulo II and La Flor Dominicana Chapter 1. If you can’t decide which Chisel to smoke first, try them all in the La Flor Dominicana Chisel Sampler.
