Those of you who know me surely know about my love of the clove cigarette by now. While I am not a daily smoker of any cigarette, and exercise extreme moderation in my enjoyment of cloves for health reasons (enjoying them on the weekends and social situations, as some enjoy cigars), it is an occassional indulgence that I have come to enjoy over the years.
The clove is a specialty cigarette made with a roughly 60%/40% mixture of Indonesian tobacco and fresh crushed cloves. Indonesian tobacco is generally much stronger than the varieties found in most cigarettes, with a fuller, richer flavor and is higher in both tar and nicotine. The cloves give off a sweet, mellow, spicy flavor as they burn and enhance the buzz from the nicotine. Cloves also burn much slower than regular cigarettes, since they are packed tighter and lack the chemical additives found in most cigarettes that cause them to burn faster. The resulting combination is a strong but very sweet and tasty cigarette with a pleasantly spicy aroma, leaving a sweet taste on your lips. They go wonderfully with coffee and dry red wine. They are completely legal provided you're at least 18 and you can generally smoke them wherever smoking is allowed (some friends who forbid smoking in their house may even allow you to smoke cloves, as they have a sweet, incense-like smell when smoked) however if you're in a restaurant or cigar bar you should ask, as there are some folks with poor taste (just kidding!) who don't enjoy the smell.
I had my first experience with the clove when I was 17 (I know, underage, tsk tsk) at Lilith Fair in Charlotte. One of my friends brought a pack of Djarum Blacks and I tried one, enjoying it immensely. Since then I have sampled most of the common styles of clove cigarettes and, failing to find many good resource online, decided to post my reviews here.
As far as health and liability go, smoking anything is bad for you. Personally I enjoy smoking and have never become addicted to nicotine, so I moderate the dangers by enjoying cloves socially and infrequently (not even a pack every two months), and not smoking any type of regular cigarette. Many people believe that cloves are far worse for you than regular cigarettes, however this seems to be an exaggeration of the truth. Cloves do have slightly more tar than regular cigarettes, and have about the same amount of nicotine (although they have less tobacco, the tobacco is stronger, so the nicotine content is generally about the same), and some people are especially sensitive to clove oil (causing them to cough up blood if they chain smoke them long enough). Overall, however, they aren't really much worse for you than a regular cigarette. In a study I read, a group of rather unfortunate monkeys were subjected to clove cigarette smoke continually piped in for about a month (we're talking much more than simply second hand here) and compared with a group of even less fortunate monkeys who had been exposed to regular cigarette smoke, on average the clove monkeys were no worse off. So if you like to smoke socially, I reccomend you try them--just have some moderation! If you're underage or don't smoke, then of course I don't reccomend you start, but that's your decision to make, not mine.
The Reviews...
Djarum Blacks: These are fairly strong with a moderately sweet taste. Overall the tobacco taste is predominant, but the clove taste is quite strong and the aftertaste is also nice. Each cigarette is wrapped in handsome black paper and the box is black with white and red lettering. I choose Blacks when I want something strong to puff lightly on, but don't want something as strong as the Sampoerna X-Tras.
Djarum Regulars: Regulars are sort of a "standard" clove. The tobacco flavor dominates, with the clove as a noticeable but comparatively weak accenting flavor. It falls in the middle of the mild/strong range. I have no strong feelings about these one way or the other, if someone offers me one I'll enjoy it, but I wouldn't pick them for myself. They are packaged in a red crush-proof metal tin, however, which is convenient.
Djarum Bali Hai's: These are the mildest clove I have found that is not actually a "light". They have a sweet, fruity flavor which is just slightly stronger than the tobacco flavor. They are wrapped in regular paper, but have a sweet flavor added to the filters. The box is light blue and yellow with pictures of fish and coral on it. I enjoy these a lot; when I'm in the mood for something mild and light, these are what I pick.
Djarum Specials: These are somewhere between the Blacks and the Regulars. They are slightly sweeter and stronger than the Regulars, with the tobacco flavor still dominating, but are not as strong as the Blacks. They are wrapped in attractive cherry-wood colored papers. The box is dark red and brown. Several of my friends enjoy these, and I think they're OK, but the clove taste is not strong enough for me personally.
Djarum Lights: These are, as the name implies, very light. You have to draw on them a bit harder to get any smoke, as with any "light" cigarette. The tobacco flavor is dominant, with a pleasant but very light clove aftertaste. They come in regular paper and a white box with red lettering. I don't personally care for these very much, as I don't feel the effect of the clove or the nicotine at all and the taste is so light.
Djarum Splashes: The splashes are light and fruity tasting, similar to the Bali Hai's but slightly stronger and fruitier. Having just tried these recently, I would say they're probably the best "balance" between clove and tobacco flavor if you're wanting something on the light side. They come in a blue box with a cute surfer boy on the front, white papers and dark cherrywood colored filters.
Sampoerna Exclusives: I find the Exclusives to be extremely similar to the Djarum Regulars. Both are essentially regular cigarettes (although with a much better flavor) with a hint of clove taste. They aren't especially mild or strong and come in regular paper and a red/brown box. Like the Regulars, they're OK but not something I would buy for myself.
Sampoerna Internationals: These are similar to the Sampoerna Exclusives, but with slightly more clove taste to them. They also come in regular paper and a red/brown box. I prefer them to the Exclusives, but still would not buy them for myself.
Sampoerna X-Tras: X-Tras are very strong and have knockout flavor. They are as strong (or slightly stronger) than Djarum Blacks, and as sweet (or slightly sweeter) than Djarum Bali Hai's - the best of both worlds! The clove taste is predominant, although the tobacco taste is also quite strong and pleasant. They are wrapped in pretty black paper and have a ring of classy gold paper around the filter. Look for them in the red, black and gold box. These are my absolute favorite clove, although if you're not in the mood for something fairly potent I would not reccomend them.
In Summary:
The Mildest Cloves: Djarum Lights, Djarum Bali Hai's, Djarum Splashes.
The Strongest Cloves: Sampoerna X-Tras, Djarum Blacks.
The Most Clove Flavor: Sampoerna X-Tras, Djarum Bali Hai's, Djarum Blacks, Djarum Splashes.
The Most Tobacco Flavor: Sampoerna Exclusives, Sampoerna Internationals, Djarum Regulars, Djarum Blacks.
Top Picks: Sampoerna X-Tras, Djarum Bali Hai's, Djarum Blacks, Djarum Splashes.
The Bottom Picks: Djarum Regulars, Sampoerna Exclusives, Sampoerna Internationals.
On Pipe Tobaccos
Over the past year I have also sampled a variety of pipe tobaccos. The pipe is perhaps the ideal method for moderate, recreational/social enjoyment of tobacco as it is generally puffed rather than inhaled (eliminating some, although certainly not all of the risk), is a slow/relaxing ritual and certainly has an aesthetic appeal. While I have only tried a few of the many pipe tobaccos out there, here are some of my reviews:
MacBaren Vanilla Cream: This is probably my favorite pipe tobacco so far. It is a blend of Virginia and Cavendish with a mild vanilla topping that does not obscure the taste of the tobaccos. The tobaccos have a pleasant, toasty and flavorful taste and the vanilla flavoring is tasty without being cloying. The aroma is extremely pleasant and overall the tobacco is quite mild.
Dunhill Light Flake: In my quest to find a British (unflavored) tobacco that is pleasant without being overwhelming, this is the definite winner so far. This is a purely Virginia tobacco blend and has a very clean, crisp taste that does not become bitter or overwhelming. Like all British tobacco blends, it lacks the aroma of the "flavored" or aromatic varieties, but the smell is not overwhelming as it is with many British pipe tobaccos.
For more information on the ritual of pipe smoking, check out this site. Or to browse an extensive database of pipe tobacco reviews, click here. A Word on Hand-Rolling...
Many people enjoy handrolling cigarettes. They often prefer the quality of the fresh rolling tobaccos and the stronger cigarette that usually results (not to mention the greatly reduced price and do-it-yourself satisfaction). You can, of course, roll your own cloves too. If you choose to do so, you should purchase the highest quality clove you can get and crush it up finely (although not into a powder!), go relatively light at first until you find the right mix for you, and spread it as evenly as possible throughout the cigarette. You might also experiment with the addition of mint, vanilla, menthol and other "herbs" ;). Have fun finding the most pleasant mixes and remember to enjoy in moderation!
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