Dubai Day 10 (Fri 24th Sept)

This has been written about a week after, so its going to be a little short. But here goes.

Players – Gold Leaf

[/ Now im a Nottingham lad, Nottingham is known for a few things, Boots Raleigh Bikes and Players Cigarettes. One of the most popular Players brands out there is Gold Leaf, and would you believe you cant buy them in the UK anymore. Not sure how long they have been off the market, but I don’t recall ever seeing them on gantries in the 14 years I have been smoking. So I figured hey, if I can find em, I’ll smoke em!

The local supermarket stocked a great range of Cigars and Cigarettes so I headed in there on the Friday and grabed my self a pack. First thing I noticed was who distributes the brand, No not Gallahers……No not Imperial Tobacco but BAT (British American Tobacco!) Not only that, they are made in Turkey. So here goes with the Turkish version of Gold Leaf so through the company that (helped to) cause a lot of the UK manufactures to come together under the Brand “Imperial Tobacco”

But less of that, the proof is in the pudding! On opening the packet you an smell what can only be described as a slightly chemically blend of Virginia tobacco, yes I can smell the Virginia! The cigartettes feel a little loose and on smoking them you can tell! If you’re a frenzied tapper, then expect to relight a few times. The cigarettes out in Dubai are very light, Full flavour to them is a smooth “lights” in the UK, 7mg Tar and 0.7mg to Nicotine. So very smooth and easy to smoke, not always a good thing, everyone in Dubai is a chain smoker! I was expecting the typical English Blend taste, a bit harsh with a nasty taste and after taste (sorry I cant smoke Lambet or B&H and more). But the Gold Leaf was supprisingly tasty, rich and sweet roasted Virginia taste. I actually enoyed these cigarettes as much as I did with American Spirit & First Nation (where did they go??) The more I smoked the Gold Leaf the more I enjoyed them. Towards the end of the ciggy, a slight saw dusty flavour and then a chemically aftertaste. The lower nicotine count was noticeable, I found my self smoking two almost every time. A great smoke, still a little too light, but taste wise outstanding. I cant understand why English cigarettes in the UK taste like straw and gun powder, while English blends sold outside the UK taste divine! A pack of twenty cost 4.5 dh (about 90p)

Next I treated my self to a pack of Kent, not knowing what each brand is I chose one at ramdom. Luckilly this time it wasn’t menthol! I made that mistake a day or two before, Phillip Morris’s 100 in a greenish pack, believe it or not are MENTHOL!!!! (Yeah yeah stop laughing) This time I grabbed Blue, it could be Full or Lights!

Kent – Blue (Tripple Filter)

The cigarettes ultise a triple filter system. A standard foam filter, filled with small chips of Charcoal and then a Silk Cut style row of holes in the Filter! The cigarettes have a typical American roasted aroma in the pack. I wasn’t expecting much other than a biscuit harshness at the back of my throat! The strength was the same as the Gold Leaf. Tar 7mg & Nicotine 0.7mg. When my dads, step dad gave me one of his Silk Cuts I always covered the holes with Rizla. Wasted Smoke! So for my first try I left the filter with its air holes. Well I shouldn’t have done that! I lit the cigarette and drew, NOTHING! Exhaled a cloud of smoke and still Nothing! So it is like Silk Cut! The cigarette was very smooth but totally tastleless! I tried again with rizla on the filter and again nothing. So this Full Flavoured (By UAE standards) cigarette was so light and smooth I neither filled the hole Lady N leaves after her visits and my taste buds where crying out for more tobacco goodness!

If you like to both taste and fell your smoke, I wouldn’t suggest trying these. If on the other hand you like your smokes bland, ultra smooth and tasteless then this is one for you. But not for me. Tripple filter, why bother give me a biro! And at 7dh a pack (£1.50) there not that cheap!

I couldn’t go get smokes without buying at least another pack of little mini’s! So again I found myself at the cigar counter playing, Tried, Tried, Got Em, Tried, Ner, Ner, Got em, Tried Em and then I saw Café Crème Vanilla! Sorry French Vanilla! I will admit I do like the Café Crème Filter Aroma, its just the filter that lets them down, I like my cigars with balls and little power atleast! So the filter doesn’t cut the mustard for me! So I was looking forward to trying these!

Café Crème – French Vanilla

When you open the tin, its like opening a mature tin of Vanilla pipe tobacco! Such a strong Vanilla taste, no wonder these cigars contain to many flavourings for the UK market. The cigars seem to be good health, nice and fresh. When you light them that aroma has almost gone. They start out tasting like a standard, smooth blue café crème! A dry and sweet Dutch taste, very smooth and to be honest a great start. I did feel a little cheated, but this is only the first half! Towards the middle I was beginning to get the Vanilla, not a natural more an artifical Vanilla flavour! With this increase in flavour came a rise in body, more power but also alittle more bitter. This rise in strength and bitterness didn’t stop there! It continued into the second half. The bitterness subsided giving way for a sweeter smoke and little more Vanilla. The bitterness while being reduced in the inatial flavour soon came back in the form of the aftertaste! Towards the end this little Dutch number became a little too tary and hot to burn your lips with. So leaving a stub longer than I would with a mini, I put this little number out

The Vanilla Café crèmes are a nice smoke, nothing to jump up and down about. From what people around me commented on, they smell so strongly of Vanilla everyone wanted a whiff! But from the smokers point of view, a little plain at the start with a bitterness coming into play around the middle. The Vanilla flavour wasn’t that tasty, nothing like you get with some of the pipe tobaccos. Towards the end it picked up, but that bitterness wouldn’t let go! If you like sweet, over the top flavouring then any of the flavoured Café Crème’s would suit, but if you like the “Aromatic” style of Vanilla flavouring stick to Meharis or even the Café Crème Filter Aroma!

Ratings

Construction .. 9/10
Burn .. 7/10
Flavour (1/2) .. 8/10
Flavour (2/2) .. 6/10

Overall .. 7.5/10