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Bongani Cigars
Bongani is the first African cigar brand. It was born in 2016 thanks to the impetus of Kamal Moukheiber, a former investment banker.
Africa is ideally placed to produce excellent cigars, with its rich soils, plenty of water and sunshine, and a long history of tobacco cultivation.
To launch production of Bongani cigars, Kamal first travelled to the Dominican Republic to recruit the talent he needed to produce the first African cigars.
From then on, Anthony Padilla, who had never left his native land, brought in a team of cigar rollers to train the Mozambican cigar rolling team to the same level of expertise as in the Dominican Republic.
That's how the first team of accomplished cigar rollers graduated in 2017.
The company's factory, located in the Baixa district of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, now produces 10,000 cigars a month, divided into three vitolas: Bongani Robusto (50 x 130 mm), Bongani 458 Short (58 x 100 mm) and Bongani 458 Long (58 x 145 mm).
The tobacco used to make Bongani cigars is mainly grown in the Manica province in Mozambique and Nigeria. A little Dominican tobacco is added to the filler to improve combustion.
The whole thing is covered in an African cape, grown in Cameroon, whose expertise in this field is well established.
The result is cigars ranging from medium to full strength, with excellent draw and regular combustion!
Particularly oily and shiny, this Cameroonian cape is of the finest effect. The tirage a cru starts with woody, earthy notes. Very quickly, spicier flavors enter the scene. Bongani delivers a magnificent volume of fatty, silky smoke.
Power remains restrained despite steady growth. Halfway through the smoke, the African cigar retains its earthy notes, while the woody notes evolve into a more animalic register.
The last is marked by an intensification of aromas, leading to a spicy, cocoa-flavored finish. A magnificent blend, generous and aromatic. Thank you African terroir!