Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

In 2011, Davidoff released the first cigar in what has become, by just about every account, the most successful limited edition series in the company’s history, the Zodiac Series. As the name suggests, each of the releases in the series is inspired by one of the 12 symbols on the Chinese Zodiac calendar, and the first cigar was the Year of the Dragon.

Considering how massively successful the Zodiac Series has become—after all, the series is likely the most commercially successful limited edition release outside of Cuba, now generating an estimated $15 million annually in retail sales—it is hard to believe that the first release was basically unknown outside of a small number of people when it most likely debuted in 2011 in Japan, or perhaps elsewhere in Asia. That 6 x 52 torpedo was named Year of the Dragon, and it was such a small release that even Davidoff’s American employees apparently knew almost nothing about it.

That changed in 2012, when Davidoff announced the second addition to the series—the Year of the Snake—would be a global release. Since then, the company has released at least one new cigar each year, with the new cigars arriving in November, ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year. When Davidoff ran out of new Zodiac symbols on the calendar with the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, the company simply restarted the entire series all over again by releasing a different Year of the Dragon in 2024 and a new Year of the Snake last year.

Continuing the trend, it was no great surprise that the next release in the series would be the Year of the Horse. However, there are a number of differences between the original Year of the Horse from 2013 and this newest version. First, while there was only one vitola of the original Year of the Horse—a 6 x 60 gordo vitola packaged in 10-count boxes and priced at just $31 per cigar—there are three different vitolas of the newest version, each in its own unique packaging:

• Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse (6 1/2 x 55) — $65 (Box of 10, $650) — 17,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (175,000 Total Cigars)
• Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse Flagship Exclusive Torpedo (6 x 52) — $89 (Box of 24, $2,136) — 600 Boxes of 24 Cigars (14,400 Total Cigars)
• Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse Masterpiece Toro (6 x 56) — $556.82 (Humidor of 88, $49,000) — 20 Humidors of 88 Cigars (1,760 Total Cigars)

Secondly, the blend has been changed from a Dominican puro in the first release to a blend utilizing Ecuadorian tobacco for the wrapper and binder and three Dominican fillers for the 2026 cigar; Davidoff said it is created using its own proprietary hybrid seeds that have a combined age of 43 years.

Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

“Ensuring our aficionados’ time is beautifully filled remains the foundation of every innovation at Davidoff,” said Edward Simon, cmo at Oettinger Davidoff, in a press release. “Our limited-edition Year of the Horse cigars, which are composed entirely of proprietary hybrid seeds, showcase our expertise in seed development and blending. These creations will surely resonate strongly with collectors and connoisseurs alike across all key markets.”

Note: The following shows the various Davidoff Zodiac Series releases over the years. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was published. The list was last updated on Dec. 22, 2025.

1. Davidoff Cuvée Selection 2012 Year of the Dragon (6 x 52) — $35 (Bundle of 10, $350) — Undisclosed
2. Davidoff Limited Edition 2013 Year of the Snake (7 x 48) — $29.90 (Box of 8, $239.20) — 4,500 Boxes of 8 Cigars (36,000 Total Cigars)
3. Davidoff Limited Edition 2014 Year of the Horse (6 x 60) — $31 (Box of 9, $279) — 5,000 Boxes of 9 Cigars (45,000 Total Cigars)
4. Davidoff Limited Edition 2015 Year of the Sheep (6 1/2 x 54) — $35 (Box of 8, $280) — 3,000 Boxes of 8 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
5. Davidoff Limited Edition 2016 Year of the Monkey (6 1/2 x 50) — $34 (Box of 10, $340) — 3,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
6. Davidoff Limited Edition 2017 Year of the Rooster (6 3/4 x 50) — $40 (Box of 10, $400) — 8,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (80,000 Total Cigars)
7. Davidoff Limited Edition 2018 Year of the Dog (7 x 50) — $39 (Box of 10, $390) — 4,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (45,000 Total Cigars)
8. Davidoff Limited Edition 2019 Year of the Pig (6 x 56) — $39 (Box of 10, $390) — 9,300 Boxes of 10 Cigars (93,000 Total Cigars)
9. Davidoff Limited Edition 2020 Year of the Rat (6 x 52) — $39 (Box of 10, $390) — 10,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (100,000 Total Cigars)
10. Davidoff Limited Edition 2021 Year of the Ox (6 x 60) — $40 (Box of 10, $400) — 13,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (135,000 Total Cigars)
11. Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 Year of the Tiger (5 x 52) — $42 (Box of 10, $420) — 17,350 Boxes of 10 Cigars (173,500 Total Cigars)
12. Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 Year of the Tiger Toro — $397 (Humidor of 88, $35,000) — 24 Humidors of 88 Cigars (2,112 Total Cigars)*
13. Davidoff Limited Edition 2023 Year of the Rabbit (5 15/16 x 54) — $50 (Box of 10, $500) — 19,200 Boxes of 10 Cigars (192,000 Total Cigars)
14. Davidoff Limited Edition 2023 Year of the Rabbit Flagship Edition (6 x 56) — $72 (Box of 24, $1,728) — 600 Boxes of 24 Cigars (14,400 Total Cigars)
15. Davidoff Limited Edition 2024 Year of the Dragon (7 1/2 x 50) — $59 (Box of 10, $590) — 19,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (195,000 Total Cigars)
16. Davidoff Limited Edition 2024 Year of the Dragon Flagship Edition (6 x 56) — $89 (Box of 24, $2,136) — 600 Boxes of 24 Cigars (14,400 Total Cigars)
17. Davidoff Limited Edition 2025 Year of the Snake (7 x 43) — Undisclosed — 17,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (175,000 Total Cigars)
18. Davidoff Limited Edition 2025 Year of the Snake Flagship Exclusive Toro (6 x 52) — Undisclosed — 600 Boxes of 24 Cigars (14,400 Total Cigars)
19. Davidoff Limited Edition 2025 Year of the Snake Masterpiece Toro (6 x 56) — Undisclosed — 25 Humidors of 88 Cigars (2,200 Total Cigars)*
20. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse (6 1/2 x 55) — $65 (Box of 10, $650) — 17,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (175,000 Total Cigars)
21. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse Flagship Exclusive Torpedo (6 x 52) — $89 (Box of 24, $2,136) — 600 Boxes of 24 Cigars (14,400 Total Cigars)*
22. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse Masterpiece Toro (6 x 56) — $556.82 (Humidor of 88, $49,000) — 20 Humidors of 88 Cigars (1,760 Total Cigars)*

*Not pictured.

• Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Cigars Davidoff
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Ecuador
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 55
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $65 (Box of 10, $650)
• Release Date: Nov. 20, 2025
• Number of Cigars Released: 17,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (175,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Like pretty much all of the Davidoff Zodiac releases I have seen in the past, the Limited Edition 2026 Year of the Horse is an impressive-looking specimen. The wrappers are a uniform medium brown color with a reddish tint in certain light, and they are extremely smooth to the touch, with some noticeable oil. When squeezed, the cigars are nicely firm, with no soft spots that I could find after physical inspection. While there are some very obvious veins on each cigar, none of them protrude enough to be annoying.

A sweet but generic woodiness leads the aromas coming from the wrappers of all three cigars, followed by earth, creamy nuttiness, citrus peel, cream, herbs and dark chocolate. A combination of cinnamon and earth dominates the scents emanating from the feet, along with coffee beans, barnyard, creamy leather, breadiness, white pepper and some light honey sweetness. After straight cuts, the cold draws bring flavors of creamy peanuts, baker’s spices, earth, dry hay, cinnamon, plain oatmeal, cedar and sweet raisins.

Bitter espresso and white pepper start the cigars out, along with some noticeable spice on my tongue, but flavors of peanut butter and cedar quickly take over the top spots in the profiles of all three cigars. At various points, secondary flavors of mushrooms, earth, leather, barnyard, baker’s spices, nutmeg, dry hay and cocoa nibs all show up, while the retrohale features a combination of white pepper and vanilla bean sweetness. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

Although the profiles are extremely consistent so far, there are some major differences in the finish: the first cigar has a strong but generic woodiness, the second cigar features a dark chocolate note, and the note on the third cigar reminds me of salted crackers. Flavor ends the first third at full for all three cigars, while the body is at a point between mild and medium, and the strength ranges from a point just under medium to a solid medium. There are zero issues when it comes to construction, as the burn lines, draw resistance and copious smoke production are all working in harmony together. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

Around the time the second third begins, there is a shift in the profile of all three cigars, albeit with some minor differences. My first cigar continues still has the leading combination of peanut butter and cedar combination, but the second and third cigars feature dry hay and dark chocolate. Additional flavors of sourdough bread, nutmeg, chalk, leather tack, tree bark, earth and a light floral flavor flit in and out, while the finishes of all three cigars now feature the same salted cracker flavor. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

However, the flavors on the retrohales have now diverged quite a bit: on the first cigar, there is more white pepper along with a honey sweetness, while the second cigar features the same vanilla sweetness from the first third, and the third cigar has a bready graham cracker sweetness. Flavor remains at full, the body hasincreases to land at a solid medium and the strength increases slightly, landing at a point just over the medium mark. My first and third cigars run into some minor burn issues that need correcting with my lighter, but there are no other construction problems.

The final third sees the flavor profiles of all three cigars converge as a combination of creamy peanuts and toasted bread emerges as the dominant flavor, followed by secondary notes of gritty earth, mushrooms, nutmeg, cedar, coffee beans, and light chalk. Compared to the second third, the amount of white pepper remains at about the same level for each cigar —more on the first cigar, less on the other two cigars—but there is a honeycomb sweetness that is very similar for all three cigars. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

However, on the finish of the first and third cigars, there is a new lemongrass flavor, while the second cigar continues to exhibit the same salted cracker note from the second third. Flavor ends at full, the strength ends at medium-plus and the body does not move from a solid medium. Aside from a single minor touch-up on my second cigar, the construction is excellent. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

Final Notes

• The Chinese New Year takes place on Feb. 17, 2026.
• While the concept of the Zodiac Series has been surprisingly stable—red and gold colors, a November release, new blends—in the past 15 years, there have been some small changes: for example, there are three cigars instead of just one, and last year, the company opted to put all of the accessories in a gift set as opposed to selling them individually. In addition, this year is the first time that Davidoff has used the color green in the packaging. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

• Each set includes a porcelain ashtray, cigar case, Davidoff Double Blade cutter and cigar stand/collector’s coin. Each set has an MSRP of $1,888 and only 328 sets were created. While none of these items is new, they do have exclusive Year of the Horse designs.
• I feel like I sound like a broken record when reviewing these releases from Davidoff, but the boxes are amazing: details like the leather strap used to keep the cigars in place—not to mention the leather border around the cigars on the inside of the box—make this a very interesting sight when the box is first opened. These boxes are extremely expensive, but those details do a good job of making the price slightly more palatable. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026
• Interestingly, Davidoff did not increase the MSRPs for the Flagship Torpedo and Masterpiece Humidor cigars this year; they are the same as last year’s Year of the Snake release.

• Along with the above, each of these boxes includes a removable rectangular coin medallion that is engraved with each box number for each individual box. Interestingly, there appears to be a Zodiac Series coin holder box that is designed to hold 12 of the coins, which would suggest that not only is that going to be an ongoing feature but also that Davidoff has plans for another 10 Zodiac Series releases.
• This is the first time that Davidoff has released a 6 1/2 x 55 ring gauge cigar.
• I really love how the logos on the secondary bands have evolved, from a fairly simple design for the first releases to much more intricate designs for the newest releases.
• Speaking of the logo for this year’s release, the horse head that is used on the secondary band strongly reminds me of a knight chess piece design.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by bestcigar. The box we purchased was 15,645/17,500.
• Davidoff advertises on bestcigar. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026

• These cigars are listed as being 6 1/2 x 55 vitolas. Above are the measurements we took when we measured them. Of note, according to Charlie, who actually measured the cigars, “in terms of measurement accuracy and consistency, this is a 98th percentile result. Since June, only two cigars have had better results.”
• The final smoking time averaged out to two hours and nine minutes for all three cigars. That is quite a bit longer than the Davidoff website, which lists a suggested smoking time between 70-90 minutes. Davidoff Limited Edition 2026