Eladio Diaz 72 Aniversario Arriving Next Week
It seems as though every birthday and anniversary in the cigar industry is worth celebrating, no matter the year. Take Eladio Diaz for example. He’s the Dominican cigarmaker who worked for many decades at the Davidoff factory before going off on his own and opening Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera (TDC) in the Dominican Republic. Last year he released a cigar for his 71st birthday, and next month, he’ll be launching one for his 72nd. It’s called Eladio Diaz 72 Aniversario North and South Edition, and is so named because it’s made with Dominican tobacco from the northern and southern parts of the country.
Diaz has been making a birthday blend every year since he turned 50, but the cigars were never commercially available until 2023, when he released his 70th anniversary blend. The cigars are different every year. This latest celebratory smoke, the 72nd, is made with all-Dominican leaf composed of a Corojo-seed wrapper from the southern region of San Juan de la Maguana; a Mexican-seed Negro San Andrés binder grown in the northern region of Navarette; and a rather varied assortment of filler tobaccos: Negrito, Corojo ’99, Criollo ’98, Havana Vuelta Abajo and Piloto Cubano. These filler leaves come from both the northern and southern parts of the Dominican Republic.
According to Diaz, tobacco hasn’t been planted in San Juan de la Maguana since the 1970s, but he sought to explore the region, believing in its potential as another legitimate Dominican appellation. These leaves also bring a unique aspect to his blends.
The cigars come in 12-count boxes, measure 6 1/2 inches by 52 ring gauge and retail for $25 apiece. Only 2,500 boxes are being released and they will start shipping on May 19.
