---> LASZLO'S LENGTHLY LIST OF LUXURY SMOKES <--- "This is a work-free smoke place. Thank you for not working." Cigaret Brands Subjectively Rated: *1 = mundane; good for curiosity value. *2 = quality; a cut above the ordinary. *3 = standout; character sets it at least somewhat apart. *4 = impressive; distinctive & high-quality, but not quite superlative. *5 = astonishing; unique & well-rounded, you *feel* the luxury. *?!= too damn weird to even *try* rating. no "*"= a probably-defunct brand, at least in the U.S. market. (Tell me if you discover a highly-rated "defunct" brand anywhere!) + = merit for impressive/elegant packaging. - = demerit for bland/cheezy packaging. "n-f" = non-filter. "oval"= non-filter which has been flattened to better conform to the shape of one's lips. [name]= the cigarets' manufacturer, included for instances where the maker's name could be construed as being part of the brand-name. Flavour Impressions: - Virginia = "high notes"; generally bright, tangy, sweet, hay-like. - Oriental = "middle notes"; a vegetabley-sweet mellowness. - Kentucky = "low notes"; dark, earthy, toasted. - Turkish = piquant (hard to describe, perhaps "mesquite barbecued"?). - "mellow" = a creamy, plush, "round" quality. - "rich" = full-bodied and -flavoured; hearty, substantial. - "mild" = tame and subtle; light, gossamer. NOTE: For brands offered in degrees of "lightness", assume I've only tried the full-flavour version unless otherwise noted. --> REGULAR IMPORT / LUXURY BRANDS <-- FLAVOUR IMPRESSIONS *3 American Spirit (filter & n-f) ................ clean, leafy, strong *3 American Spirit Menthol ........... ditto, with a mint-spiked filter *3++Andron Gold+ Black 102s [Georgopulo] ...... "green", piquant Turkish *4++Andron (oval) [Georgopulo] ..................... ditto, but smoother 5 +Balkan Sobranie Turkish Ovals ................... very smooth; nutty *1 Benson & Hedges DeLuxe .............. ordinary recessed-filter light 5 +Black & Gold [Charles Fairmorn] .......... very mellow; spicy, nutty *2 Black Death ...................................... nutty, a bit thin *4 +Black Russian [Sobranie] .............. strong, spicy; Turkish notes 2 Botschafter [Dimitrino] ....................... dry, austere Turkish *3 -Born Free ..................... odd character; sweet, leafy Virginia 2 +Bush Campaign '88 (?!) ...................................... mellow *3 Canadian Expres s Light ......................... very mild Virginia 3 Carillos [Sobranie] ........................ dark, spicy, cigar-like *3 -Carroll's Number 1 ................................... mild Virginia *1++Cartier Vendome ................... BORING Philip Morris ultra-light *4 +Cocktail [Sobranie] ............... Black Russian w/ coloured papers 1 -Collorys ............................ weird flavour; coloured papers *2 -Craven "A" ........................................... mild Virginia *4++Davidoff Classic ......................... sweet, smooth, rich, mild *3++Davidoff Magnums ................................... bright Virginia *3 +Delicados (ovalados) ................. rich; sweet, nutty aftertaste *2 Ducados ................ dark, rich, cigar-like; a SMOOTH Gauloises! *3 Ducados Rubio ................................ fairly sweet Virginia *2 duMaurier *3 duMaurier Special Milds ............................ mellow Virginia *2 +Dunhill International *2 Dunhill Lights *2 English Ovals ...................................... strong Virginia *2 Ernte 23 *3 Export "A" [MacDonald's] *3 -Free Spirit ...................................... same as Born Free *1 Gauloises (filter) ...................... HARSH, very nutty, pungent *2 Gauloises Blondes .................................... nutty, mellow *2 Gitane (filter) ......................... like Gauloises, but kinder *3 Gitane Blondes ............................. subtle chocolatey hints 2 +Gorbatchow ................................ strong, peculiar flavour *2 Go To Hell! ............................. the cigaret with a message *3 HB [House of Bergmann] .................... just all-around pleasant *3 +JBR [James B. Russell] ...................... mellow, sweet Virginia *2 +John Player Specials .......................... strong, nutty, spicy 1 -Johnny Filter .............................. weird low-grade Turkish *2 Lambert & Butler ...................... boring businessman's cigaret *3 Major Extra Size [Carroll's] ......................... mild Virginia *2 Matinee ......................... like smoking in a woodworking shop *1 Matinee Extra Mild ............. bah! too damn light for me to taste *4 Mild Seven International ...................... very smooth Virginia *4 +Peter Stokkebye ........................... rich Virginia & Oriental 1 Peter Stuyvesant *2 Piccadilly ................................................ Virginia 2 Pierre Cardin ....................................... Turkish notes? *2 Player's Navy Cut (n-f) [John Player & Sons] .............. Virginia *3 Player's Navy Cut (n-f) [Philip Morris] ................... Virginia *1 -Prince of Blends 5 Rainbow [Charles Fairmorn] ........ Black & Golds w/ coloured papers *3 +Rameses II (filter & n-f) ......... tangy Turkish mimicking Virginia *1-+Rave [Sampoerna(!)] .......................... strong, tangy, potent *2-+Rave Lights ....................................... mild (Virginia?) *2 Regal ..................................................... Virginia *3 Rothman's ........................................... salty Virginia *3 Samsun International ............. Turkish better-mimicking Virginia 3 Senior Service (n-f) .......................... nutty, mild Virginia *3 -Seven Stars .................................. a stronger Mild Seven 4 +Shepheard's Hotel [Dimitrino] ............ sweet Oriental & Virginia 3 Sherman's Casinos .................................. strong Virginia *4++ Classic .............................. sweet, smooth, rich *3 Fantasia (164mm!) ............... medium-dark, nutty, mild *4 Havana Ovals (n-f) ...... strong, rich, sweet, dark, spicy 3 Hint of Mint ............. smoke passed thru mint crystals *4 MCD ................... rich, sweet, spicy, Turkish hints? *3 +Silk Cut ............................................. mild Virginia 5 Silver Brown Rounds-paperless, rich, mellow, sweet, tangy, cigarlike 3 +Sobranie Virginia ...................... tangy, sweet, bold Virginia *2 St. Moritz ................................ fairly mellow and bright *2 State Express 555 ............................................ nutty *2 +Superkings *5 +Sweet Afton [Carroll's] ................. super-mild smooth Virginia 1 -Texas Lights ........................................ like cardboard *4 +Turkish Special (filter, n-f, & oval) .......... rich, nutty Turkish *3 Vernon (filter & n-f) .............................. bright Virginia 1 YSL Ritz .......................... ordinary Philip Morris light 100 --> FLAVOURED NOVELTIES <-- *2 -Djarum (orange pack) (n-f) ................................... clove 5 Bravo .............................. clove; sweet, chocolatey *4 + International (n-f) ................... FAT clove; very sweet 2 Lights .................................... clove; oxymoronic *3 Special .................................. clove; sweet, rich *3 Splash ................................. clove; sweet, milder *5 + Super ............................. clove; sweet, rich, heady 1 Free (non-tobacco) ................... like campfire-roasted weenies *2 Gudang Garam Kretek .......................... clove; rather austere *4 Gudang Garam Professional ........................ clove; very sweet *3 Honeyrose Ginseng ........... sweet, very mellow; odd earthy flavour *3 Honeyrose Herbal ................................ sweet, very mellow *3 Ginseng [Hsiang Yang] ................................ cirtusy-sweet *3 Jakarta Kretek (filter & n-f) .. clove; subtle, mellow, sugary-sweet 3 +Jasmine [Sobranie] .................. perfumed; feminine & different *3 +Jezebel Gardenia .................... perfumed; vaguely talcum-esque 1 Jin Jian .............................. nasty tobacco-herbal mixture *?! Kailas Strawberry Bidis .................... very strange, love-hate *2 Kickum (herbal) .................... sweet, smooth, illegal-smelling 3 Krakatoa Kretek Slims (n-f) .................................. clove *3 Kuta Kretek ................................ clove; bold and austere *?!-Mint Bidis ..................... piney bidi flavour, but w/o tobacco 3 Rothschilds Brandy ........................... dark, not much brandy 4 Rothschilds Rose ................................. very rosey, sweet *2 Sampoerna Tegar (n-f) ................... clove; short, fat, austere *3 + Mild .................................... clove; less kick *3 + Menthol ........... clove; unexpectedly neat flavour combo *3 + Exclusive ............................. clove; a bit bland *3 + International ............................... clove; ditto *5 + 45 Patma .................. clove; chocolatey, rich, sweet *4 + X-Tra ................................ clove; heady, sweet *4 + 234 Filter .................................. clove; ditto *4 234 Handrolled (n-f) ........................ clove; ditto *?! Sher Bidi (filter & n-f) ........................ like a pine forest 3 Terong Kretek ................................................ clove --> HANDROLLING TOBACCOS <-- *4 American Spirit ............................... clean, leafy, strong *?! American Spirit Pow-Wow Blend ............. chunky, minty-herby, odd *2 Bali Shag Golden ........................... mild, hay-like Virginia *3 Bali Shag Half-Zware ................... toasty Kentucky w/ Virginia *3 Bosse's Premium Handrolling ............ sweet, zesty, rich Virginia *1 Bugler .......................... Turkish blend, metallic aftertaste 2 Bull Brand ........................... austere, very toasty Kentucky 5 +Casablanca[Poschl's] .................. tangy, sweet, zesty Virginia *3 Drum ............................................. rich, honey-nutty *2 Drum Light............................ like decaf; something missing *1 Edward's RYO ....................................... harsh but sweet *1 Gauloises ......... super-dark and -rich, very nutty; HARSH if stale *4 Holland House ............................. dark, mellow, chocolatey *3 Jester ........... well-balanced Virginia & Kentucky; rich and sweet *3 Kinni-Kinnick Ceremonial ...... honey Virginia w/ Native Amer. herbs 4 LightHouse ....................... sweet, mellow Virginia & Oriental 1 LLF [L Lacroix Fils] ....................... weird low-grade Turkish *3 Lotzbeck Mild ......................... very mild Virginia; like hay *2 Lotzbeck Wurzig ............................. austere, dark Kentucky *2 McClintock [Stokkebye] ............................ austere Virginia *3 Norwegian Shag [TinderBox] ........................... fairly mellow *5 Old Holborn ............................. sweet, dark, molasses-like 5 +Prawda ............................ sweet, potent, dark, zesty, rich *1 Roll Rich ................... devoid of flavour, alkaline aftertaste *3 Samson ................. good, simple balance of Kentucky & Virginia *3 [Stokkebye Medium (bulk)] ............... zestier Drum with Oriental *1 Super-Value ............................... you get what you pay for *5 +Three Castles ......................... delicate, mild, appley-sweet *3 The Turner .......................... mellow, peppery Kentucky blend *4 Uhle's Cigarette Blend ........................ fairly mellow, sweet *2 Van Nelle Zware .................. brusque-yet-light toasty Kentucky *0 Zig-Zag ................... flavourless, claws your throat to shreds