Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario Prelight
Eladio Diaz is a titan in the premium cigar world. He began working with tobacco when he was very young and, by age 15, was a cigar roller capable of rolling over 1,000 cigars a day. Diaz went on to earn his master blender credentials at Tabadom Holding (Tabacos Dominicanos) before settling at Davidoff. He developed over 3,400 blends for various Davidoff lines, including Avo, Camacho, Cusano, Griffin, Paul Garmirian, and Zino. Diaz left Davidoff in 2021 to establish his factory, Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera.
Beginning on his 50th birthday, Eladio established a tradition of creating a new cigar to mark each subsequent year. He would gift these cigars to friends, colleagues, and anyone lucky enough to be graced with his generosity. It wasn’t until his 70th birthday that the Eladio Diaz 70 was publically released. In 2024, Eladio followed up the 70 with another birthday release, the Eladio Diaz Aniversario 71. The Eladio Diaz 71 is offered in only one size, a 6″ x 54 Toro. The blend comprises an Ecuadorian Corojo ’99 wrapper over Mexican San Andres Binder and Dominican filler tobaccos, including Corojo, Habano ’92, and Barrel Aged HVA. The cigars are rolled in Eladio’s very own Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
The wrapper is an earthy rosado with an oily sheen and small veins. The aromas on the wrapper and foot are dark wood and black licorice. The draw is surprisingly snug given the vitola and has notes of mineral forward earth.
Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario First Third
Right off the light up, the smoke output is medium. The blend takes no time to warm up and immediately greets you with bright and sweet notes. The notes on the palate are charred oak, cocoa powder, and earth. The retrohale notes are creamy milk chocolate, espresso, and bright star anise. The strength of flavors is at medium plus. The draw opened up upon lighting. The ash, burn, and construction are spot on. The finish is soft with notes of oak and cocoa powder.
Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario Second Third
I’m getting aged oak, toast, and some soft earth on the palate. The tones on the retrohale are milk chocolate, creamy latte, bright star anise, and cinnamon. The smoke output remains at medium. The strength of flavor remains at medium plus. The ash, burn, and construction are fantastic. The finish is medium with notes of toast, star anise, and cinnamon.
Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario Final Third
The palate shows toasted wheat, oak, floral vanilla, and earth. The retrohale has notes of creamy latte, cardamom, bright star anise, and cinnamon. The smoke output is medium plus. The strength of flavor has increased to full. The ash, burn, and construction have been flawless. The finish is medium with notes of toasted wheat and cardamom. There’s a light nicotine buzz here in the final third. Past the band, the wood and earth tones took over the profile, and an almond note appeared at the end. I smoked this one down to the nub.
Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario Conclusions
The Aniversario 71 didn’t have a long list of notes, but the flavors were crystal clear, sweet, and bright. The medley of baking spices that evolved in each third was fantastic. The profile was dynamic, the flavors were lively, and the construction was flawless. All of this is to say that I loved this cigar. At $25 MSRP this is no daily driver, but I will certainly be keeping a box on hand. If you enjoy a dynamic, lively flavor profile and want to splurge on something special, I highly recommend the Eladio Diaz Aniversario 71.
