cigarette reviews

so, ive had my share of squares and i thought i would share my thoughts on them. im no menthol chomping negro for the sake of filling a stereo type... and there is no real reason behind any of this... but this is my cigarette pallete according to my own tastes and wants. but if you've never had one and want to know the lay of the land before you head down that road, this might help you pick a winner on your first go:

first of all, 100s vs regulars vs 72.

100s are more smoke. if you want a cig but no two then have a 100. if you want a cig but not a whole one then have a 72. if you want a cig but dont want to feel like a smoker have a regular.

light versus regular. no difference in taste. if you want to reduce the guilt of future health implications go light. otherwise regular. regular tends to smoke better. its got better body and for me at least part of the satisfaction of smoking is the quality of the plume upon exhalation. body.

marlboro red: hard edged. difficult on the throat. easy to pull, but very pungent. more a symbol than a smoke.
marlboro menthol: too minty. difficult on the throat in its crispness, but the smoke smell is easy on the clothes.
marlboro smooth: good blend. easy on the throat. the smell can be mistaken for cloves after the fact. balanced... kinda nice. as refreshing as a cigarette can be refreshing.
marlboro lights: the only cigarette to actually make me feel sick to my head. easy to pull but poor body and taste.
marlboro 27s: very tasty. a very nice menthol free blend with great body. Should be the flagship brand of marlboro in my opinion.
marlboro 72s, all brands: good for the short budget, but not much else. Not enough to satisfy the casual smoker with one square and awkwardly clipped so that there's no real way to say two is the same as a regular or three is a 100. too troublesome to buy on anything near a reguar basis.

camel turkish gold: difficult to pull. pleasantly harsh. but the taste is rather one dimensional. good body though. once in a blue moon purchase, but not much else.
camel blend #9: very light menthol blend. and dissatisfying because of it. not enough mint punch to be memorable or enough blended tobacco to make the flavor interesting. easy to pull, easy on the throat.
camel wides all brands: too much of a pedestrian thing does not a worthwhile purchase make. difficult to pull and difficult to finish with any kind of satisfaction. more symbol than smoke.
camel lights: if a cigarette could be limp wristed this one would be it. poor body. difficult to pull. the taste is forgetable.
camel menthol: good mint infusion but very poor body and difficult on the throat.
camel crush: novelty at its best, but not much else to enjoy. the capsule is difficult to operate and even more difficult to taste the difference.

pall mall menthol: solid cheap alternative to the packs that usually cost 1-2 dollars more. easy to pull, good body, but the taste is flat, much like kool-aid versus carbonated beverages.
pall mall lights: in a word, terrible.

L&M menthol: easy to pull, poor body. Mediocre taste entirely over powered by mint to the point of being too harsh to enjoy. Not worth the money.

USA Gold: terrible. do not buy unless there's nothing else available.

Maverick: reasonably well flavored. The taste makes you think someone was paying attention to what a cigarette should taste like. mediocre body, but easy to pull.
Maverick menthol: only comes in 100s. In a dead heat with pall mall menthol. the taste is better but the body suffers. definitely a matter of preference between pall mall and maverick.

Kool: more symbol than smoke. Poor taste, good body and easy to pull. But not worth it at the price point.
Kool XL: too much of a mediocre thing at too high a price.

Salem: more symbol than smoke again. Fair taste. Its a well balanced blend, but wears easily. Cigarettes always diminish in return from one cigarette to the next per smoke session, and this one has the sharpest drop off for me.

Parliament: difficult to pull, but very well proportioned in flavor, body, and harshness. very simple taste that doesnt disappoint in its simplicity.

Winston: if the old west had a taste, this would be it. very bold taste with good body and an easy pull. complex in the sense that clint eastwood or dirty harry was complex. which is to say it is as complex as you care to notice, but unpretentious.

Dunhill: usually costs a little more, but possesses an after taste that is markedly more enjoyable than many other brands. the box is unfortunately gawdy and novel in its packaging, but dont let that stop you from buying at least one pack at some point.

Newport: over powering mint, for people who want to smoke but cant stand the taste of tobacco. painfully minty like mouthwash with a flat tobacco base and a low price point more attributable to the target audience than anything else.

American Spirit: very difficult to pull, poor body, and a taste that is difficult to pin down. Not worth the purchase. dont know about the validity of the claim of all natural ingredients. Does not light easily either.

Rolling Tobaccos. worth trying vs not worth trying

rolling a cigarette is a good skill to have for when premade squares are not available.

worth trying: bugler, zig zag, bali shag

not worth trying: midnight train, top

just remember when you roll a cigarette put less tobacco in then you think is in a premade cigarette. it'll burn, pull, and taste better with less heat at the tip being funneled into your throat. roll it tightly from tip to stern and never double up papers. if it fractures, takeit apart and try again. bugler, zig zag, and bali are all good blends and taste great. easily better than any premade square. but understand that you pay for the taste with the fact that there is no mediating filter to absorb heat and some toxins. avoid chain smoking bali shag. it is very potent and does not take kindly to abuse.

midnight train and top are poor quality tobaccos not worth the pittance they cost. avoid at every opportunity unless there is nothing better to purchase or otherwise available.

and thats about it. when it comes down to it, its all a matter of preference... but this is just to show you the lay of the land through my eyes in case you've never seen smoke country before.