The Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario celebrates the 71st trip around the sun of Master Blender, Eladio Diaz. There was a time the only way you could get these cigars is when you ran into him. In the later years Davidoff would release them as a limited edition before the two parted ways. Davidoff who refuses to send this website press releases despite multiple requests has seen an exodus from the company in recent years with Eladio Diaz being one of the most notable names.
This year the blend consists of leaves grown in a region not known for tobacco San Juan de la Maguana and Las Matas de Farfan, both located in the Dominican Republic. However, these two sit closer to Haiti and are almost 1500 feet above sea level. The result is a soil with a higher pH level which according to Diaz results in a stronger tobacco.
Cigar Review: Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario
Size: 6 x 54
Wrapper: Ecuador Corojo ’99
Binder: Ecuador Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic (Corojo, Habano ’92, Barrel Aged HVA)
Factory: Tabacalera Díaz Cabrera
Release Date: November 2024
Box Count: 10
The Cigar: The Eladio Dias Aniversario 71 is an absolutely exquisite looking cigar. The brown and gold band is reminiscent of a Cuban San Cristobal. The primary band denotes the brand with the Eladio Diaz’ signature. A secondary band denotes LXXI the Roman numerals for 71 and the foot is covered in a taupe ribbon. The Corojo ’99 wrapper has a nice amount of oils and a few noteworthy veins present. In the hand the cigar feels light and fragile but there are no voids of tobacco under the fingers.
The Taste: The cold draw is very reminiscent of the factory Eladio came from with notes of earth, barnyard and cedar. The foot of the cigar has a touch more barnyard and a subtle lemongrass. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there are some notes of hay and cedar but there is a subtle mocha fighting to be tasted.
As we smoke the first third notes of mocha quickly transitions to cacao that is incredibly well defined like nothing I have ever experienced in a cigar before. As we smoke deeper into the first third some espresso notes begin to develop in the background as the cigar develops a dark roast finish. The retrohale is creamy with a touch of a wasabi taste minus the heat.
In the second third the cigar sees a coffee component that is is slightly sandy (think Turkish coffee) become the overwhelmingly dominant flavor profile. In the background there is some subtle chocolate with a nice amount of cedar and a growing sunflower seed that becomes dominant at the halfway point. The retrohale has a distinct flavor that I could only assume is the tobacco from near the Haiti border.
Moving into the final third coffee notes are dominant with a subtle mocha in the background. There is a subtle earth present as well and as as some rum which makes me if the barrel aged HVA comes from La Aurora which is known for barrel aging their tobacco and use the HVA in a few of their own blends. The only thing disappointing about the first third is each puff brings me closer to my last.
Conclusion: There is a certain flavor profile on cigars that are made in the Dominican Republic that for the most part make them easily identifiable. When I began my cigar smoking journey in 1998 the Dominican Republic was the dominant exporter of cigars, but slowly Nicaragua caught up to them and surpassed them. So as a result I say while this cigar may not be for everyone based on the numbers it is a throwback to what attracted me to cigars and the industry.
The Eladio Dias is one of the best cigars I have ever smoked. It’s smooth, luxurious and complex and a must have.
Score: 96
Price: $25.00 (Before any state or local taxes)
These are available at SmallBatchCigar.com which offers a 10% discount with the use of the coupon code THEBARRELBURNER and from now until December 31st at midnight (2024) you can get 15% off.
