CIGARS 101.1: Parejo & Figurado

Cigars have evolved from rustically shaped clumps of tobacco into beautifully crafted instruments of tactile and sensory delight.  The two main categories of cigars are parejos and figurados.  Premium cigar parejos are the traditional, straight sided, perfect cylinder with an open foot and a rounded and capped head.  Figurados, or 'shaped' cigars taper and bulge in a specific way to create a unique presentation and smoking effect.  While all premium cigars take immense skill to roll, figurados are the most difficult shapes to create.  

Vitola is the general name for the specific size and shape of a cigar.... LEARN MORE

Figurado Geometry

  

Figurados come in a variety of lengths and shapes. Some taper at the Head, some taper at the Foot, and others taper at both ends. Furthermore, the taper, Ring Gauge (rg), and shape of the cigar can also vary. This is why Figurados can be some of the most difficult cigars to roll. And, in the end, each Figurado Vitola will smoke, feel, and taste differently, depending on its construction, composition, and geometry.

  

In particular, Figurados with a tapered Foot, such as Perfectos and Salomones, tend to have the most flavor changes – as their Ring Gauge (rg) expands. In general, the smaller rg towards the Foot pronounces the Wrapper and Binder flavors more; while the Filler flavors begin to express themselves as the cigar is smoked and the rg expands. These Figurados ‘start slow’ but enable the smoker to isolate the Wrapper and Binder flavors towards the beginning.

Watch the video below to see how extraordinary Figurados get rolled.