2 minute read
The Art of a Cigar
The sleepy town of Lüderitz holds a couple of secrets among its oldtimey buildings and windswept streets. One of them is hidden in a nondescript building next to the historic Krabbenhöft and Lampe building on Bismarck Street. A red metal pipe noisily squeaking in the wind is the only sign of what you might find inside.
Premium Namibian Cigars are the first and only cigar producers in the country.
For long-time cigar aficionado Brian Padwick, producing his cigars never came to mind when he and some friends started importing cases of cigars to feed their passion. His small arsenal of lovely brown fatties from all over the globe led him to open a small shop in Windhoek in 2013, called Premium Cigars for Africa. The shop not only imported and sold a variety of Cubans and non-Cubans but also acted as a local supplier to other outlets.
While his wife Paulina managed the shop in the capital, Brian ran Ôa Hera Namib Backpackers and Cultural Center in Maltahöhe. With a daughter on the way, Brian and Paulina had to reevaluate their plans. In 2016 a visit from an overseas family friend, who was also their cigar supplier, unexpectedly gave them the answer they were looking for. His demonstration on cigar production made the couple fall in love with the process and ignited a desire in Brian to become the first manufacturer of Namibian cigars. “It took us a very long time to master the rolling process. A lot of bad cigars and some loyal and brave customers took us to where we are today,” Brian says.
In 2018 the couple moved to the small harbour town primarily for family reasons. “But we quickly realised Lüderitz could be the right place to start something crazy like cigar manufacturing. We could add more colour and that special feel to the place by running our cigar business from here,” says Brian. Lüderitz was so instrumental that the cigar blends are named after places in and around the town.
But is it art?
Brian explains that the art of making cigars can be compared to winemaking. As with grapes, tobacco flavour is influenced by variety, the soil and climate, curing, fermentation and ageing. Similarly, certain palates prefer certain cultivars from certain wine regions, and again it is the same with tobacco.
What is the next project of Premium Namibian Cigars? “We want to start producing cigars from Namibian tobacco,” Brian says with a twinkle in his eye.
Visit www.premiumnamibiancigars.com for more information.
Le Roux van Schalkwyk
