The Final Cigar Waves of 2025
As we prepare to sign off for 2025, this week’s issue is packed with the final wave of industry news, including a limited Aganorsa release and the highly anticipated year-end cigar rankings.
Product Releases
Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf Toro 109 Aganorsa Leaf announced the Supreme Leaf Toro 109 measuring 6.0 x 52, featuring a unique tapered “109-style” head that concentrates flavors at the start. This limited release uses 100% Aganorsa-grown Nicaraguan tobaccos with a Corojo ‘99 wrapper and comes in 10-count boxes priced at $13.99 per cigar, with only 2,000 boxes being produced and available for order starting January 2026 with shipments beginning February 2026.
Alec Bradley Uncut Series – Penelope Bourbon Pairing Alec Bradley, one of my favorite brands, released its latest Uncut Series pairing on December 18, featuring Do Not Disturb Robusto cigars (5.0 x 50) paired with Penelope Bourbon Estate Series Single Barrel. The package includes two cigars and a 750ml bottle of 10-year-old bourbon bottled at 132.7 proof, limited to 66 packages sold exclusively through Bourbon Outfitter at $99.99 each.
Leadership Changes
Davidoff Names Javier González as Senior VP of Global Marketing & Innovation Oettinger Davidoff announced Javier González will be its new Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Innovation effective January 1, 2026 Cigar Coop. González joins from Avolta (formerly Dufry) where he served as Global Marketing & Digital Innovation Officer, bringing over 20 years of international experience across marketing innovation and digital transformation. Edward Simon will transition from his dual role to focus exclusively on sales as Chief Sales Officer.
Retail Expansion
Cigars International Orlando Opens Cigars International’s latest brick-and-mortar store opened at 4158 Conroy Road in Orlando’s Millenia district, about 2.5 miles east of Universal Studios Halfwheel. The 9,900 square-foot location features an 8,700 square-foot humidor, full-service bar, and indoor and outdoor lounges. This marks the company’s 15th location and fourth Florida store, with a grand opening party scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2026.
Events & Collaborations
Luxury Golf & Cigar Experiences – Casa de Campo Event Luxury Golf & Cigar Experiences announces the first in a series of curated events in partnership with Casa de Campo Resort and CigarCountry.com in La Romana CigarSnob. The event combines world-class golf on Pete Dye courses with premium cigar experiences, including private tours of Tabacalera Garcia factory, cigar and rum tastings with master blenders, and exclusive cigar selections throughout the multi-day tournament format.
Year-End Rankings
Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Countdown Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 cigars of 2025 reveal continued during this week, with positions 4, 3, and 2 announced on December 17, followed by the Cigar of the Year announcement on December 18, and positions 11-25 revealed on December 19.
The Unfiltered Truth: LeeMack912’s Best & Worst of the Year Best to the absolute Worst cigars of the year. Delivered with his signature flair and zero filters, this is the only place to find a reviewer bold enough to tell it like it is.
🔗Visit on Substack
Final Episode of the Year
Join Us for the Final Episode of the Year!
Close out 2025 with us this Sunday, December 28th at 7:15 PM ET.
We’ll be lighting up the Cavalier Project Broadleaf Robusto for our last show before our annual January break.
Don’t worry, we’ll make sure the new packs are live on the site in plenty of time for our return!
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
Thank You Famm
To our Sunday Regulars and the Meet in the Middle Family,
As we look back on 2025, the absolute highlight has been seeing you all show up every single Sunday. Whether you’re active in the chat or just enjoying a smoke along with us, your presence turns a simple broadcast into a real community. Thank you for making the Meet in the Middle Cigar Show a part of your life, we appreciate you more than you know.
Leander, Hyacinth & Mark