PCA 2025: Zino

At the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Davidoff made a notable return, and one brand that stood out with a fresh look was Zino. Davidoff had not participated in the PCA (formerly IPCPR) Trade Show since 2019. For many years, the company’s primary focus has been on its flagship brands: Davidoff, AVO, and Camacho. Although Zino has always been included in Davidoff’s exhibits, it was generally considered a secondary brand. However, this year, Zino took its place alongside the other three major brands, and the difference was quite noticeable.

During its time away from PCA, the Zino brand experienced significant changes. In 2021, Zino underwent a major transformation. For many years, it had been positioned as an ultra-premium brand. But the introduction of a new line called Zino Nicaragua marked a shift. In this case, it would be the first regular production release since 2011’s Zino Platinum Z-Class Series. Zino Nicaragua would be different. It would be positioned as a value-priced cigar, and at the same time, it would not be targeted just for premium tobacconists, but also for convenience stores. This was a somewhat controversial change, but it has been widely commercially successful. In fact, in 2024, the most-read review on Cigar Coop was a 2022 review of the Zino Nicaragua Robusto.

The Zino Roadshow at PCA 2025

During the past few years, Zino has had a trailer that it has taken around the country and has brought to various events. This is something similar to what Camacho has been doing the past few years. Most recently, I saw the Zino trailer at The Great Smoke. This year, the trailer was in the Davidoff booth at PCA. It was the centerpiece attraction at the Davidoff booth.

The trailer had a barista making coffees for attendees.

There was a nice assortment of coffees and specials. The coffee was quite good, and my latte was served with the Zino logo on the froth.

Zino Nicaragua

Zino Nicaragua was the product center stage. This year, Davidoff added the Zino Nicaragua Uncut Half Corona. This joined the Half Corona, which had a pre-cut cap. In addition, Davidoff introduced a new five-count carton option for the Zino Nicaragua Robusto and Toro.

The display for Zino included a hidden feature, often referred to as an “Easter Egg.” On display was a carton of Zino Red Cigarillos. Zino Red is not currently offered in the U.S. market, but it will be a focus for Zino in the U.S. next year.

Brand Leadership

Last year, Law Ream joined Davidoff as the Zino brand ambassador. Law came from the cigar media, where he was a part of the Republic of Debauchery. Last year, in my PCA 2024 Post-Game Report, I noted that Law’s video, “15 Game-Changing Products from the Super Bowl of Cigars: PCA 2024,” was possibly the best PCA product recap video I had ever seen.

More recently, Tom Zbyrd joined Davidoff from Drew Estate as the new brand manager for Zino.