The Davidoff Year of the Horse 2026 Limited Edition is now available in the UK, giving cigar enthusiasts the chance to experience the newest release in Davidoff’s Zodiac Series (based on the Chinese Zodiac) created for the Chinese market — well ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year.
I had the pleasure of attending the second official tasting at Surrey Cigars in Guildford on Friday evening— following the first event at No. 6 Cavendish the day before.
In this blog post, I’ll take you through the entire experience: a touch of Davidoff history, a look at who Surrey Cigars are, highlights from the sampling event, my tasting notes, and ultimately my verdict on the Year of the Horse.
Davidoff: A Brief History of the Brand
Zino Davidoff was born 11 March 1906 in present-day Ukraine; his family relocated to Switzerland in 1911. He learned the tobacco trade from a young age, traveling through Latin America — especially Cuba — where he refined his cigar expertise.
Davidoff built a respected tobacco shop in Geneva and launched his first major cigar line, the Château Series around 1946, named after top Bordeaux wines. A key milestone came in 1967–68, when he partnered with Cubatabaco to produce Davidoff-branded cigars in Havana.
After selling the Davidoff name to the Oettinger Group in 1970, quality concerns and the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba eventually led him to end Cuban production in 1991.
From the early 1990s onward, Davidoff shifted all cigar manufacturing to the Dominican Republic, where the brand developed its modern “crop-to-shop” model and became a global luxury cigar house. And it’s here where they are still based today!
Key milestones in Davidoff’s history include:
- 1968: Launch of the first Davidoff cigars—Davidoff No. 1, No. 2 & Ambassadrice—with the iconic white band.
- 1971: Introduction of Davidoff Mini Cigarillos.
- 1972: First Davidoff pipe tobaccos launched.
- 1991: Start of Davidoff cigar production in the Dominican Republic.
- 2001: Launch of the Davidoff Millennium Blend.
- 2008: Worldwide launch of the Winston Churchill brand.
- 2010: Introduction of Davidoff Puro d’Oro.
- 2013: Global rollout of the “Time Beautifully Filled” campaign and launch of Davidoff Nicaragua.
- 2013: Launched the first of many “Year of the…” cigars.
- 2015: Relaunch of Davidoff Winston Churchill and launch of Davidoff Escurio.
- 2016: Introduction of Davidoff Yamasá.
- 2018: 50-year jubilee celebration of the iconic white Davidoff band.
Surrey Cigars: A trusted UK cigar shop and sampling lounge
I’ve got to know James, the owner of Surrey Cigars, over a couple of years now—and I’m a huge fan. The man is legendary. 🕺 His cigar shop and its brilliant cigar sampling lounge along Epsom Road in Guildford (tucked above an estate agent) is a place worth checking out if you’re in the Surrey area. I’ve been to several events there, as well as the ones he hosts at The Weyside, the pub terrace just nearby. Funnily enough, my very first Surrey Cigars event—almost exactly two years ago—was a Davidoff evening with the brilliant Roy Sommer.
Then earlier this year I ended up travelling to Cuba with James and the most amazing bunch of humans, an absolute dream trip which you can read all about here 👉 My Cuban Cigar Adventure.
James is organising another trip to Cuba in 2026, don’t miss out – its rare cigar shops in the UK take us punters out on tour – book your place!
Anyway I digress…, when I heard about this Davidoff launch, I knew I couldn’t miss it—and it turned out to be a smashing night 🙌.
The event experience
After Friday 5 p.m., I hurriedly switched on my out-of-office at work and made a frantic dash by train from South East London to Surrey, arriving at the venue just in time for the 7 p.m. start.
Vaibhav of Davidoff UK was ready to lead us through an evening of insight and discovery.
He started the event by explaining the origins and background of the Zodiac Series cigars.
The Davidoff Zodiac Series launched in 2013 with the Year of the Snake, and every year since, Davidoff has released a new limited edition to celebrate the Lunar New Year. These cigars are highly collectible and often sell out quickly due to limited production and global demand.
Interestingly my first Zodiac release was the Davidoff Year of the Tiger in 2022, which instantly made me a fan of the series.
The packaging of the Year of the Horse series is truly exquisite. The cigar box features a green frame with red straps, which at first glance I thought were Christmas colours—but they’re actually symbolic of the horse:
- The green frame represents the horse’s lucky colour, which is also considered lucky for those born in the Year of the Horse.
- The stitched material around the box reflects the texture of a horse’s saddle tread.
- The red strap, inspired by horse reins, symbolizes control and elegance.
A particularly striking feature is the coin box included with the release.
Each box contains a commemorative coin, beautifully designed to celebrate the Year of the Horse.
The coin features intricate engraving inspired by the traits and characteristics of the horse, making it a collectible in its own right.
Next came the highlight of the evening: the cigar itself—the Year of the Horse 2026.
To be totally honest, I’m not a massive fan of the white label Davidoff cigars, though I did recently enjoy the Grand Cru and that Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2025 was a banger. My favourite Davidoff, without question, is the dark label Winston Churchill Late Hour—I first tried it during my A-Z cigar challenge and absolutely loved it. It’s easily one of my all-time favourites. I’m pretty sure my first ever Davidoff, back around 2010, was the Signature No. 2—a classic that’s been around for years and Vaibhav mentioned its often recommended to beginners.
Overall, I’m never quite sure what to expect from the rest of the white label range, so I was very intrigued by this one.
The Toro Especial is massive, a proper big fat cigar at 6 ½″ × 55 ring gauge. It was presented in a 10-count box, and apparently there are only 17,500 boxes of the Year of the Horse released. These are available exclusively at Davidoff of Geneva flagship stores worldwide. The cigar also comes in a Torpedo format, offered in a 24-count box.
Additionally, a special humidor is available—just 20 in total—retailing for around $49,000 (approx £43,000), with each one holding 88 cigars.
Tasting notes
This Year of the Horse cigar was impressive. A slow smoke that lasted about an hour and a half. From the moment I cut the cap and lit the cigar, I was greeted with a fresh, earthy, herbal aroma, which persisted through the first and second third. By the final third, a spicy, peppery note emerged. It felt like a medium bodied cigar to me overall. The taste was sweet, the construction top notch, and the ash built beautifully. There was a bit of an uneven burn at points, though I suspect that was due to my lighting technique 🤦♂️. I had to relight the cigar a couple of times near the very end, likely because it went out while I was talking, rather than any fault of the cigar itself.
Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable cigar. Davidoff rollers crafting these cigars have a minimum of 15 years’ experience. Each cigar undergoes draw testing and quality assurance to avoid issues like plugged cigars, which can sometimes happen with Cubans.
It’s a pricey cigar at around £86 each, so it’s probably best reserved for a special occasion. For the UK market, my gut feel is that it would be more appropriately priced at around £60, but it is a premium limited release.
My rating: 8.75 out of 10
Note: Cigar reviews are subjective so what I might experience might be different to what you experience.
The night itself was fantastic. James did an amazing job at hosting us all. The lounge atmosphere was wonderful, and big shout-outs to Danny, Jack, and Jerome for making it really enjoyable – honestly the perfect way to start the weekend – BOSH! 👌
Final thoughts
The Davidoff Year of the Horse 2026 is an impressive addition to the Zodiac Series—beautifully constructed, elegantly packaged, and genuinely enjoyable to sample. Trying it at Surrey Cigars made the experience even more special, and I highly recommend visiting the lounge if you’re ever in Guildford.
Here’s a video I captured at the event:
Interested in visiting Surrey Cigars?
If you would like to visit Surrey Cigars, the details are below:
Address: Surrey Cigars, 1 Epsom Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3JT
Website: https://www.surreycigars.com/
Email: info@surreycigars.com
Telephone: 01483 397906
Also, interested in their forthcoming cigar events? Have you heard about their Christmas Party👇
This year’s Christmas Party will include a raffle supporting two important causes:
- Prostate Cancer UK
- CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Exclusive prizes will be drawn throughout the evening, with all funds going towards vital men’s health and mental health initiatives.
£5 per ticket and you can bring your own cigars.
Get your ticket now and support a great cause!
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