Best Torpedo-Shaped Cigars
Premium cigars are handmade in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Different lengths and thicknesses in a cigar’s shape will produce varying degrees of intensity when you’re smoking. Torpedos, or Pyramids, are distinct because the head on the cigar tapers to deliver a more concentrated taste directly to your palate. The heat and the smoke are pulled through a smaller opening when you draw on your cigar, amplifying its intensity. Torpedos represent some of the highest-rated cigars ever produced, and they’re handmade by the best rollers in the factory because a Torpedo is a complicated shape to construct. Here are some of the best Torpedo cigars to add to your collection.
1. Ashton ESG 22-Year Salute (6 x 52)
In 2014, Ashton ESG 22-Year Salute scored 94 points and a ranking in Cigar Aficionado’s ‘Top 10 Cigars of the Year.’ A rare and refined profile of cedar, graham cracker, molasses, and spice emerges courtesy of premium aged Dominican long-fillers tucked under a vintage Sun Grown wrapper cultivated on the legendary Chateau de la Fuente Estates in the Dominican Republic. Legendary cigarmaker Carlito Fuente sources the tobacco for Ashton ESG cigars from his rarest and oldest reserves.
2. Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77 Shark (5.875 x 64)
Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77 Shark is not an easy cigar to find, due to its immense demand and highly limited production. A dark and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is aged in a cognac barrel before it’s drawn over a rare recipe of Dominican long-fillers otherwise reserved for Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars. Notes of dark chocolate, anise, molasses, and spice characterize a stunning profile. Luckily, the Anejo No. 55 is an alternative Torpedo drafted from the same blend (in a round shape) when the Shark is out of stock.
3. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso (5.5 x 54)
Belicoso cigars are Pyramid-shaped, but with a more rounded taper at the head than you’ll find on a traditional Torpedo. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso is among the finest specimens thanks to a versatile profile of dark cocoa, almond, espresso bean, and cracked black pepper. The 95-rated former ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ is drawn from a San Andrés wrapper draped over a delicious interior of premium aged Nicaraguan tobaccos in a soft box-pressed shape.
4. My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Press (6.125 x 52)
Few cigars receive ratings as high as 97 points, but My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Press is one of them. This spicy Torpedo also owns a coveted ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title. The cigar is handcrafted in a striking, sharp box-pressed format from an oily Cuban-seed Oscuro wrapper leaf and a hearty core of earthy and woody Nicaraguan tobaccos. Reserve this enticing cigar for after dinner thanks to its rich, nicotine-dense finish.
5. Padrón 1964 Anniversary Torpedo (6 x 52)
The critics at Cigar Aficionado are clearly enamored with Padrón cigars and Torpedos, in particular. They awarded the Padrón 1964 Anniverary Torpedo their prestigious ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ honors with a 97-point rating for 2021. And if you need more options, another lauded Torpedo from Padrón, the 40th Anniversary, bears the unique distinction of earning the critics very first ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title in 2004. Both of these rare masterpieces live up to their illustrious reputations, courtesy of the extremely well-aged Nicaraguan wrapper, binder, and filler tobaccos. Padrón’s finest cigars deliver loads of complexity and balance with luxuriant notes of cocoa, cedar, cinnamon, cayenne, coffee, and black pepper.
6. San Cristobal Fabuloso (6.125 x 52)
An oily and decadent Cuban-seed Oscuro wrapper leaf, grown in Ecuador, harbors a vibrant recipe of premium Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos blended by celebrated cigarmaker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia. Tasting notes of espresso bean, dark chocolate, black cherry, and walnut culminate in a peppery finish replete with big aroma and a savory aftertaste. San Cristobal cigars include other top-rated Torpedo shapes, like the 95-rated Quintessence Belicoso and the creamy Elegancia Pyramid.
7. Oliva Serie V Belicoso (5 x 54)
A beefy, penetrating profile of cayenne, black pepper, leather, and wood characterizes Oliva Serie V Belicoso in an abruptly tapering shape. An ample blend of Ligero-laden binder and filler tobaccos lies under a Cuban-seed wrapper aged to achieve a glistening sheen. The 95-rated blend drives home a zesty finish in a full-bodied, full-flavored display. Consider other award-winning Torpedos from Oliva, like the 96-rated Oliva Serie V Melanio and the Oliva Monticello Torpedo.
8. Montecristo No. 2 (6 x 50)
Montecristo No. 2 is an iconic Cuban-legacy cigar and arguably the most famous Torpedo period. The Dominican version of this historic vitola possesses as much curb appeal as its Cuban counterpart due to a creamy and mild profile of cashew, cedar, and coffee bean with a touch of spice. A golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf conceals an easygoing blend of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos handmade in a classic and consistent Torpedo. And unlike the Cuban version, you don’t have to worry whether you’re smoking a fake Montecristo.
9. La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel (6 x 54)
While cigarmakers commonly create new blends and new brands, pioneering a new shape is less common. La Flor Dominicana brand founder Litto Gomez, however, forged a new path when he invented the Chisel, a Torpedo with a flattened head shaped like a reed on a woodwind instrument. The unconventional cigar defied trends when it debuted and has become a bestselling staple in the La Flor Dominicana portfolio, particularly the spicy and complex Double Ligero edition with its leathery Ecuador wrapper leaf. The Chisel can be cut with a straight cutter, punch cutter, or you can simply pinch the edges together to open the head and create airflow.
10. Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo (6.5 x 52)
Rocky Patel Decade has been one of the most popular Rocky Patel cigars for years thanks to the complex taste and aroma found in formats like the 95-rated Torpedo. A lustrous Ecuador Sumatra wrapper blankets a bold and earthy core of Nicaraguan long-fillers. Notes of coffee bean, wood, and pepper meet in a lingering finish that imparts a hint of sweetness.
Enjoying Torpedo Cigars
Torpedo cigars burn slow and allow a blend to develop with lots of nuances as the cigar progresses. Do not inundate the head of the cigar with too much moisture from your mouth, or you can obstruct the draw. If you find the draw is too tight on a Torpedo, you can always cut it a little deeper to open it up more.
There are different ways to cut a Torpedo cigar. For example, a V-cutter creates a deeper draw without cutting off the tapered portion of the cigar’s head. This has become a very popular method for cutting Torpedo cigars. When you cut a Torpedo with a straight cutter, you want to be conservative at first and not cut the cigar too deeply. Otherwise, you will open the draw too much and miss out on the concentration of flavor Torpedo cigars are known for.
