Good Cigar News. Mid December Releases
Announcements, News & PR for Cigars (December 9 - December 16, 2025)
Let’s see what’s inside! Some potentially exciting developments in the world of Nicaraguan cigars await. But first, I want to deliver on my promise from the last episode of the Meet in the Middle Cigar Show.
A message from Mark:
I’d love your help growing my other Substack. It’s a politics-free zone where I explore business, culture, and AI in a more relaxed way, while sharing more of who I am beyond the cigar show.
Read more: vengadragon.substack.com
The Cigar Method
I love this cigar community so much that I decided to use it as a way to teach all of us how to get more out of AI in our everyday routines.
Subscribe to VengaDragon where I drop value gems… Read more
Let’s get into the releases and news.
New Releases
Drew Estate Blackened M81 & S84 Lancero – Drew Estate introduced the first-ever Lancero size for both the Blackened M81 and S84 cigars, measuring 7 x 40 Cigar Aficionado. Limited production with 15-count boxes available at Drew Diplomat retailers beginning in August 2025, priced around $12.75 per cigar.
Aladino Year of the Horse 2026 – JRE Tobacco Co. released its first Chinese zodiac cigar, a 6 x 54 torpedo made entirely of Honduran tobacco grown by the Eiroa family, limited to 600 boxes of 20 cigars at $19.40 each Halfwheel. The release is an Asian exclusive and honors Justo Eiroa’s zodiac sign.
Hooten Young RTBA 22 Rounds – Initially launched as a limited release at the NRA convention in April, the RTBA (Right To Bear Arms) is now a regular production offering in 22-count boxes, with the box count inspired by the .22 caliber bullet Cigars International. The 6 x 52 toro features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, priced at $12 per cigar.
La Flor Dominicana Apollonia – The TAA 2025 exclusive cigar began shipping this week, a 6 1/2 x 44 box-pressed lonsdale using a Cameroon wrapper over Dominican binder and fillers, priced at $20 each with production limited to 1,500 boxes of 20 Magzter. Named after Apollonia Corleone from The Godfather.
J.C. Newman Diamond Crown 130th Anniversary Humidor – J.C. Newman shipped a limited edition humidor containing cigars from the line created for its 100th anniversary to celebrate the company’s 130th anniversary this year Zinio. The humidor contains 130 Diamond Crown Belicoso No. 9 cigars.
Major Industry News
Joya de Nicaragua & Quesada Partnership – The two companies announced they will once again be partners in the American market, forming SAG as a joint U.S. distribution platform led by both the Quesada and Martínez families, ending Joya de Nicaragua’s distribution agreement with Drew Estate Cigar Coop. This marks a reunion, as SAG Imports previously distributed Joya products from 2000-2007.
U.S. Tariff Decision on Nicaragua – The U.S. government announced new 15 percent tariffs on some imported Nicaraguan goods starting in 2027, but cigars appear exempt as they are covered under the CAFTA-DR trade agreement Cigar Aficionado. The tariffs will be phased in at 10 percent in January 2027 and 15 percent in January 2028.
Year-End Awards & Rankings
Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Countdown Begins – Cigar Aficionado began unveiling its Top Cigars of 2025, with Cigars Nos. 10, 9, and 8 revealed December 15, Nos. 7, 6, and 5 on December 16, and Nos. 4, 3, and 2 on December 17 Halfwheel. The Cigar of the Year will be announced December 18, with the full Top 25 list published December 19.
Cigar Coop’s 2025 Countdown – Multiple rankings were revealed including the Davidoff Year of the Snake 2025 Lancero at #28, featuring an all-new blend with Ecuadorian wrapper and binder, and the first use of Dominican hybrid seed ‘98 tobacco in a Davidoff blend.
Holiday Releases
General Cigar Holiday Sets – General Cigar unveiled two holiday releases: a Cohiba x Weller humidor featuring four past blends from 2022-2025, and an M by Macanudo Coffee & Espresso Gift Set with seven Toros and a branded camp mug, both arriving in December Cigar Aficionado.
Accessories
Cigar Oasis Plus 4.0 – Despite not being expected until 2026, the new Plus 4.0 is already on sale with a new color, upgraded hardware, and better connectivity with the Cigar Oasis app compared to the outgoing 3.0 version Zinio.
As I said above, I’d appreciate your help growing my other Substack. It’s purely fun, no politics, just friendly discussions about business, culture, and AI, plus a more personal look at who I am beyond the cigars.
Thanks for reading, Mark & Hyacinth
Sunday, December 21: Perfect for “The Season” Stolen Throne 919 Torpedo (This one’s the “Castle 919”—a personal blend paying tribute to the creator’s childhood address. Serious hype on this stick.)
Next episode is the Christmas episode, bring your favorite pairing and be ready to be pulled up into the broadcast live.
Looking forward to my cigar father-in-law's release! :P
Great roundup of what's happening in the Nicaraguan cigar space. The tariff exempion under CAFTA-DR is fasinating, especially when so many other imports are getting hit. I've worked with a few niche importers and they're always looking for those trade agreement carveouts. It's kinda wild how specific product catergories can dodge the bullet while everything else gets taxed.