The two unusual figurados, Regalia and Oleda, may start at the tuck (foot) slightly “canoed”—typical of tapered ends-- but in a short burn time, they will even out and burn perfectly the rest of the way. These sizes, along with the Magnifico, are direct copies of three Cuban sizes from the 1950s.

Figurados? A cigar that is shaped, tapered, fatter in the middle than the head and tuck, a Perfecto shape, any cigar that is not straight edged and straight ended. Is there any advantage in a figurado from a smoking point of view, other than looks? No, except possibly, if the tuck is tapered, they might be easier to light.

However, the narrow tuck sometimes causes “canoeing,” which means burning up the side. When it happens in a DiMeola figurado it will correct itself quickly, before the fire gets to the fat part. If a cigar burns up the side extensively, it’s a problem, since it won’t be burning all the tobacco evenly, thus not giving full flavor. Extensive burning up the side is a sign of faulty construction.

The Regalia is the same size as the former Cuban, Obsequio, which was made in the Hoyo de Monterrey brand, among others. The Oleda is an adaptation of the Belinda Czar of the 1950s, differing only because I had a slight press put on it. And the Magnifico is identical to the H. Upmann Brevas of the same era. Each of these sizes has a certain characteristic I wanted to include in the DiMeola range.