Eladio Diaz is a highly respected figure in the world of premium cigars, known for his exceptional skills as a master blender. His contributions to the industry are unrivalled and recognised by cigar aficionados across the world
Eladio Antonio Diaz
Santiago was born in May 28th 1953, son of Francisco Diaz and Maria
Santiago.
Since a young age he
used to hum a song by Julio Jaramillo “de cigarro en cigarro” and one day he
told his mother: “Mum, that’s how I’m going to live my life, from cigar to
cigar”.
At the age of 6 years, his mother took him to an old friend (Francisco Viloria) who
owned a cigar factory called “La Diana”. Eladio’s labors were really diverse,
he would pick up the scrap of the tobacco, provide tobacco material to the tobacco
rollers etc….
By
the age of 10, he was already helping out the tobacco rollers to finish the
rolling of a handmade cigar.
By the age of 12 he had started to learn how to strip tobacco, classify wrappers and binders by colors and sizes, place cigar bands and cellophane onto the cigar, and besides all of this he also sold cigars (on his bike) to different small shops in order to get money so the tobacco rollers could receive their salaries.
In 1968, Diaz moved to
Tamboril to work as tobacco roller at a famous factory called “La V de la
Victoria”, his skill was so advanced that he could make up to 1,000 cigars per
day. In 1974, he moved back to Santiago to join the cigar factory “Dos Gonzalez
cigars” owned by Efrain Gonzalez, and began his masters course in the
elaboration of handmade premium cigars.
In 1977, Diaz was
involved with a factory called Manufactura de Tabaco SA (Matasa) owned by
Manuel Quesada until 1979 when he received an offer to be the factory manager
at COTASA, where his responsibilities included the operations and quality
control of every handmade cigar.
This moment of his
life was crucial because it is when he learnt the art of making different
blends with tobacco from many parts of Cibao Valley in Dominican Republic. (Canca, Licey, Moca, Jacagua, Navarrete, Villa Gonzalez, La Canela, Amina and
Guatapanal) besides other countries such as Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua,
Honduras and Peru.
By 1984, Diaz joined a
cigar factory located in Villa Gonzalez called Tabadom Holding (Tabacos
Dominicanos) in Santiago along with 5 other shareholders with the main
shareholder being the now famous Hendrik “Henke” Kelner.
He
spent 37 years of his life in this company achieving the master blender status
whilst also being in charge of buying all the tobacco from different parts of
the world (including the Dominican Republic), quality control, training and
supervising the galera and educating them all to appreciate a handmade cigar.
As a master blender, Eladio Diaz is celebrated for balancing tradition with innovation, ensuring that each cigar maintains a connection to its historical roots while also appealing to contemporary tastes. Diaz's blends are known for their complexity, smoothness, and unique flavour profiles, qualities that have earned him a loyal following among cigar aficionados.
During this time working at Tabadom Holding (Tabacos Dominicanos), Diaz was responsible for making over 3,400 different blends, including the Davidoff Oro Blanco together with all the other lines of Davidoff, Chinese New Year, Avo, Camacho, Cusano, Griffin, Paul Garmirian, Zino and more…
Eladio Diaz's influence extends beyond the cigars he blends. He is also known for mentoring the next generation of blenders, passing on his knowledge and skills to ensure the continued excellence of the industry. His commitment to quality and his passion for tobacco have made him a respected figure among his peers.
Tabacalera
Diaz Cabrera represents the pinnacle of premium cigar production and is the chosen
home of Kiskeya Cigars. This factory, established and overseen by Eladio Diaz,
showcases the rich heritage of Dominican tobacco and the meticulous
craftsmanship that goes into creating high-quality cigars.
The Diaz and Kiskeya partnership, through a shared passion for innovation, quality and excellence, will facilitate an unrivalled smoking experience, defined in the roots of traditional cigar manufacture and a deep love for the craft of cigar making.