Kampala just got her first Cigar Lounge located at the Village Mall, Kisementi. The lounge is a beautiful and luxurious space where customers can buy the best cigar brands and huff away in luxury. There is a large walk-in humidor, with optimal conditions to control humidity and temperature for storing cigars.
According to Eve Njoroge, Manager of the Lounge, “When we were designing the Cuban Exclusive, we wanted a beautiful luxurious space where customers would buy and enjoy the best Cuban cigar brands.”
The condition in which you store your cigars is very important, to preserve their texture and flavour profile. Knowing this, the Cigar Lounge has a humidor room that keeps cigars in optimum humidity and temperature. Cuban Exclusive also offers a comfortable lounge where cigar aficionados can enjoy their cigars paired with a drink of their choice with like minded patrons. The lounge is fitted with a special smoke extractor that filters out smoke.
What to expect
The Cuban Exclusive is a Habanos SA stockist and exclusively stocks Cuban cigars. Habanos SA is a Cuban manufacturing company that controls the promotion, distribution and export of premium cigars worldwide. Habanos means ‘something from Havana’. Some of the brands of Habanos SA stocked by Cuban Exclusive are;
Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Cohiba, Bolivar, Trinidad, H.Upman, Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas, Jose L. Piedra, El Rey del Mundo, Ramon Allones, Vegureros, Diplomaticos.
The lounge also stocks a variety of accessories; ashtrays, pouches, lighters, humidors, that you can have at home and also make excellent gifts. The staff are well trained on flavour profiles and are always on hand to advise or guide.
Features
In Uganda, the Cuban Exclusive has been granted the status of Habanos Specialist and Habanos Lounge.
Habanos Specialists are independent cigar retailers who support the unique quality and prestige of Habanos. One of the requirements is a walk- in humidor, housing an assortment of Habanos from the most emblematic brands. Specialists also get an allocation of the annual Edicion Limitada releases from Habanos and Edicion Regional for their territory. Habanos S.A. describes the responsibilities of the Specialist thus:
Beauvais “Buve” Retreat Centre: The Calm, Beautiful Space Where Teams Find Clarity Again“Habanos Specialist are independent cigar retailers who support the unique quality and prestige of Habanos by having both excellent service and a wide assortment of Habanos. Each one meets the standards set by Habanos S.A and its local distributors for their ability to keep cigars in perfect condition and their knowledge about the product.”
Habanos Lounge is an indoor cigar lounge that merits a certain level of distinction due to the level of service, offering of spirits and beverages for pairing. At Cuban Exclusive, you can pair your cigar with the finest cognacs and whiskeys of your choice.
The Lounge’s clientele ranges from corporates, to business people, expatriates and tourists alike most of whom are well travelled, have enjoyed cigar shops and lounges abroad and long for a similar experience here.
Despite the lockdown, Cuban Exclusive continues to serve clients by delivering to their doorstep and they can enjoy their cigars in the comfort of their homes.
Cigar Lounge Guide
If you are new to cigars but would like to test the waters, here is some guiding info. Cigar lounges have long been a place for members of the cigar community to sit together, relax, and bond over their shared passion for the cigars. A cigar lounge is a welcome place for any and all who wish to enjoy a fine cigar and sit with like-minded individuals. If you are new to cigars, and are eager to check out the lounge,here is some three cigar lounge rules culled from various internet sources that newcomers should abide by;
The First Rule. First and foremost, cigar etiquette dictates that you should be smoking a cigar in the cigar lounge. Make sure you are in fact smoking cigars if you want to be a proper member of the cigar lounge. It is a sign of disrespect for the people who pay lounge fees and buy expensive premium cigars for someone to just walk in and blow cigarette smoke clouds in their face, so try and stick to cigars only.
Pay Respects to the Lounge. It is proper cigar etiquette to purchase at least one or two cigars from the lounge. It would be such a waste to go to a Cigar Lounge to just chill and it is respectful to show a little love to the shop that is hosting you.
Stick To Your Own Cigar. The cigar lounge is not the place to ask for a puff of someone else’s cigar. Besides being disgusting and a potential health issue with Covid 19 going around, it ruins the intended experience of the cigar for both parties, so make sure you are just sticking to your own cigars.