Wrapper: Sumatra / Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Torpedo (6 x 54)
Strength: Medium → Medium-Plus (final inch)
Body: Full (thins slightly in the final inch)
Price: $7.50 single; $35 five-pack; $170 box of 25 (Miami Humidor, USD)
Factory: Las Villas Cigars, Nicaragua
Blender: Paul Stulac and Guillermo Peña
Release: February 2026 (Regular Production)
Smoking Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Experience Rating: 97
Sometimes I think I should just automatically give Paul Stulac cigars a high rating and be done with it. Looking back at the ones I’ve reviewed, I haven’t scored any below 97. You might think I’m just trying to kiss ass, but there’s something about his blends that always resonates with me. The only other brand I’ve developed that kind of affinity for is Curivari. Their style is completely different, but I keep having the same reaction to their cigars.
I reviewed the Blue Lightning Sky Toro earlier this year. After finally getting through most of the twenty I purchased almost a year ago, I decided to try the Torpedo and see what the larger ring gauge had to offer.
The rolling job is gorgeous, as expected. That’s as much a testament to the craftsmanship at Las Villas and Guillermo Peña’s blending sense as it is to Paul Stulac. By the way, if you haven’t tried any Las Villas or GP Cigars, you’re missing out. My recommendations: Las Villas Seleccion Red and By the Book, and the GP Cigars GP 10. With any of those cigars, you’ll see the factory signature.
Back to the BLS Torpedo: like most Paul Stulac cigar bands, this one is “metal AF!” I don’t know what Paul’s musical sensibilities are, but from the look of his bands, he seems to love heavy metal. The skin is toothy and glistens with an oil sheen that looks incredibly inviting. The cigar is packed and firm; no skimping on tobacco with this stick.
Looking down its length, I’m not entirely convinced I’m holding a conventional torpedo. It might be an optical illusion, but the cigar seems to widen gradually toward the foot, giving it more of a pirámide shape. Even better. I love a pirámide!
For all that visual presence, the aromas don’t reveal much. There’s a little dry grass from the wrapper and faint fruitiness off the foot. I cut about half an inch from the tip and find the draw a little tighter than I prefer. I may take more off after lighting, but the cold draw gives me something interesting to consider in the meantime: a salty, umami flavor that reminds me of soy sauce.
Wow! The first puff is like tasting a bouquet of roses. It’s quick, but what a surprising start. Over the next few puffs, baking spices enter and give way to fresh-cut cedar, soy sauce, light coffee, black pepper, and green peppercorn. As cream appears and encircles the whole thing, I can already feel a central theme forming around the cedar, peppercorns, soy sauce, and coffee.
Into the first inch, spice starts playing peek-a-boo with me. It appears, quickly fades, then turns up somewhere else: the tip of my tongue, the roof of my mouth, my lips. I never quite know where it’s going to land next, and I’m enjoying that playful unpredictability. Underneath it, though, the cigar has its shit together. That sense of structure and composition is Paul’s earmark, and I’ve mentioned it in every other review of his cigars. He has this uncanny ability to establish those things from the get-go.
What surprises me is how gently the Torpedo goes about it. The Toro started delivering a steady stream of flavors that became a shifting array of combinations, but this one is taking its time. The progression is more measured, and I’m beginning to wonder just how much these two vitolas have in common.
As I move farther into the first half, the smoke develops a rich, luxurious texture. Creamy and velvety smooth, it carries roasted nuts, vanilla crème, and marzipan, followed by yeasty bread and malt. Cinnamon, citrus, cardamom, and star anise work their way into the profile, with that combination of cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise taking me straight back to the chicken biryani I had for dinner the other night.
The spice has become a regular character by now, lightly coating the front of my palate and leaving a tingle on my lips. A gorgeous, light, fruity sweetness has also formed behind everything. It takes me a little while to notice it, but when I do, it catches me by surprise.
Coffee finally steps forward and asserts itself, solidifying the core around coffee, cedar, black pepper, and cream. The soy sauce and green peppercorn remain in supporting roles. I keep returning to that comparison with the Toro because, at this point, the creamy texture is about the only similarity I can confidently point to. It always amazes me how a small change in ring gauge can make such a large difference.
Then, near the end of the first half, the cedar chars. It’s delicious, and it seems to trigger something. The floral notes return in full force, exotic woods appear, and cinnamon and citrus start dancing around my mouth. Suddenly, I’m having trouble keeping up. Okay… I take it back. Now I recognize the family resemblance. The Toro and Torpedo both transition wildly, and I’m on the Mad Hatter ride at Disneyland.
By halfway, I realize I haven’t mentioned strength once. It’s just a touch over medium, while the body is full. There’s plenty happening, but the presentation still feels grown-up. Even with all these rapid changes, the Torpedo remains refined and clean.
It makes me think of Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson. Satch is the epitome of melodic shred, while Eric Johnson can be just as fast with a clean, smooth sound. I don’t prefer one over the other. They can do similar things, but their approach is completely different, and that’s what I’m experiencing with these two vitolas. The Torpedo moves through its rapid-fire transitions with the smooth legato of an Eric Johnson phrase.
Farther into the second half, the tone darkens as the coffee gets darker, the cedar chars a little more, and the black pepper intensifies. Spice remains present, but it’s behaving itself, contributing without trying to exert itself over everything else. The transitions slow significantly, though the flavors are all still there. This is definitely in flavor bomb territory now. Nicotine finally arrives, bringing a mellowing effect that fits right into the cigar’s smooth, composed character.
Just as I’m thinking that, I hear “Stray Cat Strut.”
Now it’s Brian Setzer I’m hearing in the profile, with that complex, smooth, jazzy playing. I bring up a video of the Brian Setzer Orchestra playing live in Japan, and the cigar has that concert’s energy, along with the complexity of Setzer making his guitar sing over the band.
Down to the last couple of inches, the cigar is narrowing, and the flavors are concentrating, but there’s no loss of energy. The spice intensifies just a little and gives the whole thing a lift. I can hear the band playing “Jump, Jive an’ Wail,” and I’m jamming in my seat, enjoying the show.
By the last inch, the cigar has become much narrower, and the core dominates enough to obscure much of the surrounding detail. I can still catch glimpses of the other flavors, but it’s like looking through a semi-opaque filter. I can make out shapes without being able to identify anything definite.
Strength has reached medium-plus, and I can tell it’ll flirt with full before long. Interestingly, the body has thinned a little, so I don’t feel too much pressure despite that increase. The soy sauce umami steps forward again, giving the increasingly dark profile a savory twist. I’m surprised by how enjoyable it remains as I reach the nub. The tone keeps darkening, but it never gets in the way of my wanting another puff.
Yet another winner from Paul Stulac. But if you’ve smoked the original Toro and expect the Torpedo to deliver the same experience, you’re in for a surprise. I love what it does, though I can see how that difference might throw someone for a loop.
And even though the Toro and Torpedo share the same leaf stats, that small change in ring gauge effectively made the Torpedo a different cigar.
Which do I prefer? That’s a tough call. There’s a certain mojo about the Toro that really resonates with me. The Torpedo has its own mojo, and I love that too, but I can see myself needing to be in the right mood for it. That doesn’t take anything away from how good this cigar is. The Toro just has a particular pull on me.
As with all my buying suggestions for Paul Stulac cigars, go to Miami Humidor. Not only do they have the best prices, they’re the retail arm of the Las Villas Factory.
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