Djarum Cigars vs Cigarettes
Djarum Black Cigars: The d:black cigars are 4/5ths of what a black once was. There is a slight hint that this is a mini-cigar, but only slight. They are wider than the original d:blacks, just a bit wider than the average cigarette. They most commonly come in packs of 12 and are painfully expensive. The price hike is the hardest hit personally. As a replacement, I am incredibly happy to at least have these as a legal alternative at the moment. I’ve pretty much stopped smoking but on weekends since the ban, so the price hike isn’t as painful as it could be.
Djarum Bali Hai Cigars: The Bali Hai cigars make the best transition of all the brands. On a 5-star system, they are still only 4/5ths the original Balis, but on a 10-star system they would be 9/10ths the original. The fruity traces to the Bali Hai blend coat over the hint of cigar flavor. They are the same new width as the d:black cigars and come in the same 12-pack with the same price hike. Preferable to the original? No. Acceptable alt? More than acceptable!
Djarum Black Vanillas: I do not remember their being a black vanilla before the ban. If there was, I never had it, so can make no comparison. What I can say is that this is my favorite brand from the new cigar lineup they’ve released. They are only slightly sweet, adding hints of vanilla atop the clove. Same 12-pack, same price hike, but worth the most for the money. Tasty!
Djarum Special Cigars: The worst transition, as the original cigar was so distinct. The new ones are sweeter, don’t have that same lingering burn as the original and you really feel they are lacking something. Those who smoked special lights would likely give them 3 out of 5 stars, whereas I only smoked specials every once in a while. Still, they are here, they are legal and they are not exactly dirt… they are just not as good as they once were.
In the end, I have quickly realized that America is not the country for me. I have my eye set on a few third world countries where smoking is still more than affordable and where I can set up proper shipping lines. My one requirement for income is a WiFi signal, and the smoking ban isn’t the first thing in my life to be declared illegal. The original Djarums are only a few bucks in other countries, down under a dollar in the Eastern World. A move is in order. If anyone suggests a particular country, or has stories to add, drop a comment! Much love peeps!
Until then, here is a photo to remind other Djarum smokers of the good stuff:
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February 8th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Thanks for the information. I knew there was a different taste to the Djarum Blacks but wasn’t sure what it was.
The owner of the smoke shop I went to said they only changed the name from cigarette to cigars .. what a lie.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Definitely a different taste… as well as texture. They’re “softer” in both ways. Sad about the shop owner. Can’t trust the regulators nor the companies… but the nice thing ’bout being a smoker is we are fairly close and you can at least trust the tastes of another smoker to some end. Mad ‘grats for stopping by J!
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
You are 100% on the money. The Bali Hai are the only ones so far that come close to its original. But, still no cigar. No pun intended
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:22 am
Lol, “still no cigar”. Rarely do I laugh when it comes to puns. That was good. I’ve had the laughs drained outta me from all my Jewish friends. I swear the only humor in the entire culture is the pun.
I think Bali Hai and the Black Vanillas are the only ones from the cigar line-up we’ll ever buy again. If you’re anywhere near South Florida or Tijuana, then you have some over-border options to get the originals, but it’s still laughable that there is a war on cloves. “Bring in the nukes boys, I smell a clove!”
June 16th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Personally I’m just glad Djarum has the “cigars” now, because to me they’re very similar to the cigarettes. In Louisiana, currently we still are allowed to have “head” shops (there are signs saying “Don’t mention illegal drugs!!!!”), and that’s where I find these, though one tobacco shop I know of also has the Blacks. I agree that the Bali Hais are the best (they were my favorite of the cigarettes too), but the shop has stopped stocking those, claims Djarum has discontinued them. True? Or not? Why would they, as they are the best? I do miss the clove/menthol blend, which I haven’t seen in the cigar line. Anyone know about those?
June 16th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Agreed, I’ll definitely not take for granted the fact that we have the cigars for the moment. It’s better than nothing. At the same time, I’m not one for “settling” for what you can get when you could have more without taking away from anyone else.
As far as I know, the Bali Hai cigars are still being made and imported. They’re definitely still here in Austin (as well as headshops). I’ll have to ask around about the menthols. Been a while since I’ve seen those and never yet in the cigar form.
July 15th, 2010 at 6:38 am
I smoke the Djarum Specials now as my every-day smoke. For awhile I smoked the Bali Hai cigars and still love them, but the Specials have won me over. I’m smoking a pack of Black Vanilla right now-which are very good as well. The smoke shop I frequent has Black Menthols now-which I want to try, and also Black-Cherry which sounds interesting.
Honestly I never gave the clove cigarettes a second thought, but the cigars have a great tobacco flavor and satisfaction. I don’t even think about regular cigarettes any longer.
Also: the shop stocks the Djarum “Mild” cigars which sound interesting. I’d like to try one, but my tastes run to the stronger brands rather than milds, and for the money I don’t want to drop almost six bucks on twelve cigars when I’d rather have another variety.
Jo
July 15th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Nice, so there is a menthol. Now that you’ve mentioned the cherry, however, I have to make a few calls around Austin. Mind if I ask what shop and what city? This place sounds like a real find and this article is one of the top resources for clove smokers online.
July 15th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Yeah, the shop I go to stocks the Bali Hais again now, so I guess they were just temporarily misinformed about their being discontinued. Glad to hear a menthol is being marketed; hopefully my shop will get some eventually. Yes, these are more expensive than regular cigarettes, but they burn more slowly. I’ll smoke one for 15-20 minutes, or just smoke one over several shorter periods, as they are well-suited to putting out and relighting later.
July 19th, 2010 at 5:35 am
Tiki, the shop I get them at is called Modern Age and its sister store Smoker’s Den in Athens GA. I’ve even got a local gas station that stocks black cigars, black vanilla and at my request the guy now occasionally has a carton of specials. They sell for $4.99 pack there. A cigar store nearby sells Blacks, Specials and Bali Hai but I only go there if I’m desperate because the guy gouges people for 8 bucks.
Ben-you are exactly right about how the cigars last. I smoke anywhere from 3-6 in a day and I am more satisfied than if I had smoked 10 or 20 regular cigarettes. I’ve smoked a pack of Marlboro Lights a couple of times since starting the Djarum cigars and it’s not even close in flavor and satisfaction. I’m pretty much to the point where if I can’t get my cigars I just don’t smoke-and I’ve smoked cigarettes and cigars for 35 years.
I’ve also found that they don’t have that reeking and lingering smell of cigarettes.