Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario Prelight
Eladio Díaz is a titan in the premium cigar world. He began working with tobacco at a very young age and, by the time he was 15, had become a skilled cigar roller capable of rolling over 1,000 cigars a day. Díaz 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. Díaz left Davidoff in 2021 to establish his own factory, Tabacalera Díaz 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 fortunate enough to be the recipient of his generosity. It wasn’t until his 70th birthday that the Eladio Díaz 70 was publicly released. In early 2025, Eladio Díaz continued the tradition by releasing the Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario North and South. The release is available in a single vitola, a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro. The cigars are rolled at Tabacalera Díaz Cabrera under the watchful eye of Eladio Díaz and his family. As the name implies, Díaz blended the cigar to showcase tobaccos from the northern and southern regions of the Dominican Republic’s tobacco-growing regions. The wrapper is a 4-year-aged Dominican Corojo over a Dominican MSA binder, with filler tobaccos including Criollo ’98, Corojo ’99, HVA, Piloto Cubano, and Negrito.
The wrapper is a slightly mottled, earthy brown with an intense oily sheen and numerous small veins. The aromas from the foot and wrapper are of barnyard and cinnamon. The draw is perfectly snug with notes of brown sugar.
Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario First Third
The Eladio Díaz 72 comes out swinging with some excellent smoke output. The palate notes are toasted wheat, fresh cedar, hay, and a hint of light earth. The retrohale is showing a mix of bright and lively baking spices, oak, vanilla, and sweet cream. The strength of flavor is medium-full. The finish is soft with notes of cedar and baking spices. The overall profile is bright, sweet, and exciting. The ash, burn, and construction are stellar so far.
Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario Second Third
I’m getting crusty bread, almond, hay, and a slightly more robust earthy note on the palate. The notes on the retrohale are light roast coffee bean, oak, vanilla, cinnamon, and mace. The strength of flavor remains at medium-full. The smoke output remains excellent. The finish has progressed to medium with notes of oak and hay. The baking spices have taken a significant step backwards, revealing more nutty and toasty tones. The ash, burn, and construction remain flawless.
Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario Final Third
The palate has tones of toasted bread, rich earth, leather, and hay. The retorhale is showing dark chocolate, espresso, and clove. The strength of flavor remains at medium-full. The smoke output remains excellent. The finish is long with notes of rich earth and cinnamon. The profile has taken another dramatic turn, shifting towards darker, toasty flavors. The burn line got a touch wavy, but the ash and construction remain fantastic. Past the band, the flavors were very consistent. I put this one down with just under an inch left.
Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario Conclusions
In a market full of yearly releases, anniversary cigars, and limited editions, the Eladio Díaz Aniversario stands out. It’s no secret I’m a massive fan of Eladio Díaz’s work, and his Aniversario series is my favorite yearly release. What was most impressive to me about the 72 North and South was its drastic transitions from third to third – it often felt like I was smoking an entirely different cigar. The flavors transitioned from Díaz’s signature bright baking spices to dark chocolate, then to hay and leather. While the first third was the most enjoyable to me, each third was delicious and unique. At $25, these are a bit pricey, but they are very special cigars that are well worth the price of admission. If your palate is anything like mine, you’ll absolutely love the Eladio Díaz 72 Aniversario North and South.
