Cloves Cigarettes:

This site is about my personal review of cloves cigarettes. This includes: Djarum Cloves, Sampoerna Cloves, Bentoel Cloves, and Gudang Garam Cloves.

Introduction To Malaysian And Indonesian Cloves Cigarettes

Although you can find smoking products just about anywhere, cloves stand out from all of the other kinds of smoking products. The reason is that all cloves have something that separates it from the rest,... and as you can imagine, its the clove itself.

Also known as a kretek, its a tobacco product that is inidigineous to Indonesia and Malaysia. Kreteks are another word for cloves cigarettes. I once heard that the original kreteks, such as back in Indonesia, are wrapped in cornhusk, but in America, wich large brands like Djarum Cloves, or Sampoerna Cloves, they are wrapped in paper.

The one thing that stands out from cloves are its scent. If you are smoking this in a bar or a lounge, surely someone will notice, and you'll probably get someone coming up to you to bum one off of you. I know its happened to me many of times, and if its a cute girl (I'm a mid 20's guy), then I don't mind at all. Well, unless its my last few left in the pack.

A clove itself has a very distinct taste and smell. When infused into cloves cigarettes, its a wonderful experience. But I'll be honest with you, like all cigarettes it has its health concerns. If you don't already know, it has tobacco like any other product, but many are confused or mislead, since the smell of the cloves overpowers the typical smell you get with Marlboro for example. So be mindful of smoking cloves, its just like any other cigarette. It also has a product called eugenol, which acts as a numbing agent. So a lot of times, cloves cigarettes smokers tend to hold the smoke in longer since it numbs the lungs and makes the smoke more bearable. I can't say this is exactly good! I also heard that eugenol numbs the throat, so it makes the gagging reflex less noticable or almost nothing, so its likelier that you won't gag if that's the natural response. Keep this in mind, and please be a safe smoker!

Making cloves cigarettes is a complex process. In them, there are the cloves, and a sauce that may complement the aroma. Also, cloves cigarettes have locally grown tobaccos in them, which give it a distinct flavor unlike American tobacoo products. The major brands of cloves cigarettes are the following: (1) Djarum Cloves Cigarettes, started in 1951, (2) Sampoerna Cloves Cigarettes, started in 1913, (3) Bentoel Cloves Cigarettes, started in 1931, and Gudang Garam Cloves Cigarettes, started in 1958.

Cloves cigarettes, to me, are a great pasttime. To sit on my porch with a cigarette makes for a very relaxing day. A puff of the great clove aroma, and a sip of usually my scotch or whiskey is a nice way to usher in the night. They are also a rich part of Indonesian Culture. It pumps money into Indonesia's economy, and is a product that has been a part of their culture for eons. It practically becomes an essence of their culture, and the aroma is a pleasant reminder of their lifestyle.

(Pictures are taken with permission from the book "Kretek" by Mark Hanusz, Singapore: Equinox Publishing (Asia) Pte. Ltd. 2000)

About Buying Cloves Cigarettes Internationally

Is buying clove cigarettes by international mail legal?

Yes, buying clove cigarettes by international mail is legal, as long as it is carried out in accordance with international postal regulations and standards. This legislation states that the contents of the parcel must be noted for the postal and the custom authorities of the destination country. The customer must be aware of the legislation in his country.

Are imported clove cigarettes always subject to duty taxes?

No. In most countries, duty tax is not charged for buying and importing up to 200 clove cigarettes at a time. Check with your local post office for more info on quotas.

Do we know that no duty will be paid world-wide?

No. Some countries may occasionally not apply the international postal regulations and standards. Avoiding tax and duty is illegal but if they do not charge you then there should be no problem.

What should I do if I have to pay duty tax to receive the goods?

There is no guarantee that duty tax will not be charged world-wide, you may need to pay duty tax to collect your parcel.

My suggestion is to check with your post office and federal regulations before you decide to start purchasing cloves cigarettes internationally. Find out what laws there are about small orders and bulk orders, to determine whats more economical for you.