Nine Cigars That Celebrate The Year Of The Horse
February 17 marks the start of the Lunar New Year, and according to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Celebrations will be taking place all over the world, with red dragons parading through the streets and fireworks exploding overhead. Many cigarmakers in recent years have gotten into the spirit with unique smokes and decorative packaging themed to the holiday (and its prescribed zodiacal animal), so why not get into the spirit yourself? Gallop over to your local tobacconist and see if you can find one of these festive cigars to light up during the fireworks display.
Aladino Year of the Horse Torpedo ($19.40)
The only Honduran puro on this list, this torpedo is also the first foray into the zodiac-themed market for Honduran cigarmaker JRE Tobacco Co. The Year of the Horse carries a lot of significance for the Honduran company as the horse is the zodiac sign for Justo Eiroa, who co-founded JRE with his father, Julio. Along with the red-and-gold boxes bearing a gold horse on the inner and outer lids, the Chinese characters 正 (translating to “just”) adorn the box as a symbolic nod to Justo. Only 600 boxes of 20 cigars are being produced.
Cohiba Short Year of the Horse (230 Swiss francs or about $300)
If it’s too difficult to find Cuban Cohibas (or just too expensive), then these little cigars just might be the perfect way to get your Cohiba fix without spending too much time or money. The Shorts are less expensive than typical Cohibas because they’re machine-made from short filler tobacco, but that short filler is supposedly a mix of Cuban scraps from Cohiba leaf that wasn’t long enough for a handmade cigar. This humidor holds 88 Shorts, a good-luck number in Chinese culture, and only 8,000 boxes have been made. The Shorts aren't sold individually, but the price averages out to 2.6 Swiss francs per cigar, or around $3.40 each.
Davidoff Year of the Horse (Prices vary)
Two’s a party, three’s a herd. For the Year of the Horse, Davidoff has three different vitolas for sale. The first is the 6 1/2-by-55 Toro Especial ($65), which is the most easily found with 5,970 boxes of 10 produced. The thinner 6-by-52 Year of the Horse Flagship Exclusive Torpedo ($89) is only for sale at flagship retail locations. Only 600 boxes of 24 Torpedoes have been released worldwide. A lavish Masterpiece Humidor set is also available containing 88 Gran Toros, which measure 6 by 56. Just 20 humidors are available worldwide, and each has a price tag of $49,000. All three cigars are made with the same blend—Ecuadoran wrapper and binder atop Dominican fillers—with the leaves reportedly carrying a combined age of 43 years.
La Galera Year of the Horse Limited Edition 2026 ($40)
Made at Tabacalera Palma by Jochy Blanco, this 6-by-56 toro features a Brazilian Arapiraca cover leaf. The rest of the blend is entirely Dominican with a filler combination of Pelo de Oro, Olor, Criollo ’98 and Piloto Cubano tobacco. The cigars come in boxes of 10, but you could also get them with a larger set ($690) that includes a lighter, cutter and horseshoe-shaped ashtray. A total of 2,026 sets have been produced.
Oliva Year of the Horse (35 euros)
This marks the third year that Oliva has produced a cigar based on the Chinese zodiac. Like the previous two releases, this cigar will not be found in the United States, as this 6-1/2-by-52 toro will be only available in Asian markets and Chinese duty-free shops. The blend has not been disclosed, but production is limited to 2,000 boxes of 10.
Plasencia El Año del Caballo Parejo Gordo ($59)
On this list, red and gold color schemes and horse imagery are par for the course, so how can a cigarmaker truly stand apart? For Plasencia’s Year of the Horse release, the equine theme is creatively carried out with a distinctive braided strip of tobacco on the head of the cigar made to resemble a plaited horse tail or mane. The motif is echoed on the box’s outer lid. Called Parejo Gordo, the cigar measures an imposing 7 by 58 and consists of a Nicaraguan wrapper grown in Jalapa, a Nicaraguan binder and combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. Production is limited to 6,000 boxes of 10 cigars.
Punch Egg Roll XL ($7.99)
Cigar prices are on the rise—especially with limited editions such as the Lunar New Year smokes—making this cigar’s $7.99 price tag the most affordable option on the list by far. General Cigar Co. joined the zodiac trend in 2019 but chose a different tack than other companies, electing to go with packaging that looks like containers of Chinese-American takeout. The original release, the 4 1/2-by-50 Egg Roll, was supersized this year to the hefty 6-by-60 XL, but the recipe remains the same, as does its shaggy foot.
Rocky Patel Year of the Horse Churchill ($35)
Like Cohiba, Rocky Patel eschews the traditional red-and-gold packaging in favor of black, and is the other "dark horse" on the list. This year marks the third time the company has saddled up for a zodiac release. Measuring 7 by 48, this box-pressed Churchill consists of a Mexican San Andrés cover leaf, Nicaraguan binder and combination of both Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. A total of 4,000 boxes of 10 cigars have been allocated for the U.S. market.
Trinidad Corcel (£92.85)
Cuban worldwide distributor Habanos S.A. unveiled its zodiac-themed cigar for 2026 earlier this month at a premiere party in Hong Kong: The Trinidad Corcel, a plump, pigtailed cigar that measures 5 3/8 by 55. The box is NFC chip-enabled to not only provide consumers with product information but to also guarantee authenticity. Only 8,888 boxes are being produced, as the number eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture.
