I guess its time for me to quit.
I so enjoyed smoking at first, but now it tastes like I've got a stick of burning plastic in my mouth every time I light one up.
Has anyone else ever had this problem? Does it go away?
In addition to the Vitamins and Nutrients contained in most tobaccos, "
They" put some sort of "preservative" (
read other addictive substances than nicotine) chemicals in most brands of tobacco.
Nautical Shore if you can find these in SA:
American Spirit. They do not have that awful chemical taste, I have been smoking them for years. Now if I smoke just about ANY other brand the nasty chemical taste is fully obvious. Yech.
First found out about them in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a wayward youth. Amusingly, it was some local Indians (
feather not dot) that told me about them. At the time they were a local (Santa Fe, NM) company and the only "flavor" available was the light blue (or turquoise) Full Flavor. They were even cheaper than the Camels I smoked at the time...
At some point in the late 90s R.J. Reynolds bought them and they began to get national distribution: I was really excited when I saw them being sold at the neighborhood 7-Eleven, but dismayed when I found out that the price per pack was higher than the Camel/Marlboro "standard."
Now they are unfortunately "hipster douche" smokes, and command a premium price (~$8.00/pack, ~$65.00/carton @ CostCo). They quality hasn't changed really, although after RJ Reynolds bought them they started using the FSC (Fire Safe Cigarette) paper which imparts a slight chemical taste that I no longer notice. I think that is due to Federal Regulations... You can buy loose-leaf American Spirit Blue (full flavor) tobacco and roll your own with non FSC papers if that bothers you.
Funny thing about the FSC thing, prior to the FSC implementation an individual lit cigarette would extinguish itself if you stopped actively smoking it (put in an ashtray, stop puffing it, etc) which was due to the fact that they put WAY more tobacco per cigarette than other brands (they claim 25% more). But
after the FSC implementation I began to notice that a lit cigarette left in an ashtray would continue to burn down to the filter. Leaving that dreaded "forgotten cigarette" ash trail.
So the implementation of FSC in the American Spirit has technically made the product MORE unsafe than it was in its original configuration.
Hah!
Also, recently an acquaintance has introduced me to Aura (~$4.00/pack & ~$35.00/carton)
Which is an imitation American Spirit knock-off, they don't taste quite as good as American Spirits but do not have that awful chemical taste as they are also an "additive-free" brand. They are generally about half the price of American Spirits, but I do not think they put in the "25% more tobacco."
I notice that I smoke more Aura cigarettes in a day than I would American Spirits. I have not run the numbers on that (or even really tracked them other than a general observation) but I suspect were I to do so I would find that I smoke around 25% more Aura cigarettes than American Spirits.
Good luck on finding Aura in S.A. though, they are difficult to find in my town, while the American Spirits are nearly ubiquitous.
If you like, my old friend, I can attempt to send you some sample packs of both. PM me for all that unless you want to doxx yourself here with your mailing addy &c.
I don't know that they would make it to you due to stupid tobacco regulations, and it might be super illegal to the point of mandatory jail thyme &c. But for you, old fiend I would make the attempt!
