Samsun Cigarettes

[leverhead]

I've been fortunate to get an opportunity to smoke some Samsun brand all Turkish blend cigarettes. The nicotine at 0.7mg would put it in the "light" cigarette category. To call it mild would be an understatement, most of the flavors associated with American blend cigarettes are missing. The draw might fool you into thinking the cigarette wasn't lit, the real flavor only becomes apparent with the exhale. Taking time to notice it, it makes a very pleasant "change up" from a full flavored cigarette. If you travel and get a chance to try this, take it!

 

[istanbulin]

This is my life long favorite brand. I guess it's a real experience for American smokers which never tasted an all Turkish blend.

 

[bonehead]

when my son was in little league one of his teammates parents were from turkey. i bumed a smoke off of him and he always had different cigarettes from the business trips he was always going on. some of the cigarettes were very good but some were very strong.

 

[winston-smoker]

When I visited Turkey for three weeks in 1993, I was smoking a brand called Tekel 2000, which a young tour guide recommended (actually, he had offered me one of his, as I remember). Tekel 2000 was launched in the 1980's by Tekel, the Turkish tobacco and alcohol monopoly, in an effort to stem the growing market share of Marlboro and other imports. It was (is?) essentially a "Marlboro clone," made with imported American tobaccos. I don't know if it's changed since then, but it was closer to a Marlboro than any other "Marlboro clone" I've ever tried. I wonder if Tekel somehow got hold of PM's Marlboro "recipe"?

 

[winston-smoker]

Oh, by the way, after trying the first, I just continued buying Tekel 2000 while I remained in Turkey, with one exception. I was on a one-week yacht cruise from Fethiye to Marmaris, and I ran out of cigarettes! The yacht anchored in a cove, and on shore was a little stand where cigarettes, snacks, and the like were sold. So I got my nylon toiletries bag, put some money in it, and swam to shore. Almost all of the cigarette packs were already opened, I think they must have been selling cigarettes individually. Though there was one pack of Marlboro (no Tekel 2000, oddly), it was opened, and I was reluctant to buy an open pack. There was an unopened pack of Maltepe, which I never heard of, but being desperate, I bought it, put in it the bag, and swam back to the yacht. To my dismay, Maltepe turned out to be a "light" brand!

P.S. You know you are a hard-core smoker when you're willing to swim for smokes!

 

[leverhead]

Attempts have been made, you might find this post interesting. http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?1961-Marlboro-Duplication

Istanbulin explained to me that American style blends have made such inroads to have left only a few all Turkish brands still on the market. It reduced demand for their domestic tobaccos to the point that some varieties aren't grown any more and are probably extinct.

I've been told that Maltepe is milder than Samsun, I find it hard to imagine.

How far would you swim for a Camel?

 

[winston-smoker]

I've been told that Maltepe is milder than Samsun, I find it hard to imagine.

How far would you swim for a Camel?

Maltepe was VERY mild -- ugh! At least I only had to smoke it for one day. Next day, the yacht pulled into port, and I could get some real cigarettes!

Remember the "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" ads? I suppose my answer to your question is that I'd swim a mile for a Camel! By the way, Camels were very popular in Turkey in 1993.

 

[istanbulin]

When I visited Turkey for three weeks in 1993, I was smoking a brand called Tekel 2000, which a young tour guide recommended (actually, he had offered me one of his, as I remember). Tekel 2000 was launched in the 1980's by Tekel, the Turkish tobacco and alcohol monopoly, in an effort to stem the growing market share of Marlboro and other imports. It was (is?) essentially a "Marlboro clone," made with imported American tobaccos. I don't know if it's changed since then, but it was closer to a Marlboro than any other "Marlboro clone" I've ever tried. I wonder if Tekel somehow got hold of PM's Marlboro "recipe"?

Tekel which means monopoly, was a real monopoly until '83. After that date Tekel only controlled tobacco (leaf) and alchol production since 2002. Tekel 2000 was the best American blend made in Turkey, it was launched in '89. People who were smoking American blends (especially Marlboro) shift to Tekel 2000. Tekel 2000 was consisted of 85% imported tobaccos. And after years Tekel 2000 was the best seller American blend. But something happened in mid 90s and it started to taste average for its smokers and in '94 Philsa (partnership of Philip Morris ans Sabancı) launched and built a cigarette factory in İzmir and Marlboro came back again. What a coincidence

In early years of this millennium (2004), Philsa set eye on the market share of traditional all Turkish blends/brands like Samsun and Maltepe and launched a cigarette called "Türkü" but it was totally a commercial disappointment, none of the old all Turkish smokers choose it.



Tekel 2000 was no longer same as it was in late 80s and 90s but Tekel (the monopoly) abolished in 2002 (privatization) and the tobacco section of the company sold to BAT in 2008, BAT changed the blend to its original form but people already used to smoke others brands. It's still good, I sometimes smoke lights version of it.

There're only 4 domestic brands left now from 32 !

Samsun and Maltepe are old all Turkish blends, Tekel 2000 is an American blend and Tekel 2001 is American "type" blend. It's American "type" bacuse the flue-cured and Burley varieties in it are grown in Turkey.

 

[winston-smoker]

Istanbulin,
Thanks for the added commentary, which I found interesting. I actually knew that Tekel meant "monopoly." Yeah, Tekel 2000 was a very good brand, at least back in 1993. I could have happily smoked it for the rest of my life! From what you're saying, it was initially a success -- it was stemming the rise of Marlboro's market share, for a time. It is a shame that it changed, why mess with success? BAT restored it to the original formula ... how is it's market share doing now?

 

[istanbulin]

... It is a shame that it changed, why mess with success? BAT restored it to the original formula ... how is it's market share doing now?

Why did they mess with success ? As you know it was a gov't company and there were bureaucrats directing the company. It was believed that some of that bureaucrats used to have really close realtions (!) with global tobacco companies, those times so there were a lot of conspiracy theories about it. We don't know the reality. On the other hand gov't was no longer willing to carry on this business because the company became really awkward. Tekel used to buy all the tobaccos from the growers whatever they grow, all qualities (I saw burning tobacco hills for extermination of the low quality leaves in the past) and there were plenty of farmers growing tobacco. Also there were huge amount of excess employees (most of them had a friend in the court). If the company fire them it may be a problem for the politicians because politicians put them into work in the company, they didin't want to lose vote. In this way, company was no longer profitable, it was totally corrupted. There are a lot of different factors too but it may took pages to write down here and most of them are political (fire! ).
BTW, I have no idea about the market share of Tekel 2000. Most of people quit smoking. You know; taxes, smoking bans in closed areas (actually some open areas too), health issues and policies etc. Only a decade ago there were plenty of people smoking but now it decreased dramatically. So "smoking like a Turk" is now an old saying.

 

[leverhead]

All this points out what I find interesting about this hobby. With the political and business pressures removed, I can make something that suits me. It has been a fair amount of work and allot of learning, but I'm having fun with it. Smoking a Samsun gave me a good idea of just how far mildness can be taken and still make a nice cigarette. I grew a small amount of Haskowo this year that might allow me to make a blend that would be similar, it would be fun to try at least.

 

[winston-smoker]

BTW, I have no idea about the market share of Tekel 2000. Most of people quit smoking. You know; taxes, smoking bans in closed areas (actually some open areas too), health issues and policies etc. Only a decade ago there were plenty of people smoking but now it decreased dramatically. So "smoking like a Turk" is now an old saying.

Now that is shocking news! When I was there in 1993, it seemed as though most adult men, and a good number of adult women, were smokers. I can't say whether the numbers were as great in the countryside, but in the cities it was rare indeed to find a male Turk over the age of about 15 who wasn't a smoker. Turkey must be a very different country now than it was 20 years ago. Another shame!

 

[istanbulin]

Actually, I would not call it as shame. Although I'm a smoker (but mild), I found smoking bans really successful and reasonable. For example until the beginning of the 90s it was allowed to smoke in busses and other public transport in a city. Actually I call this shame ! But I must confess that I really missed smoking a cigarette with a glass of tea at the open deck of a ferry while watching the Bosphorus.

 

[winston-smoker]

Istanbulin,
We're farther down the road in America. It starts with reasonable bans, and then it extends to unreasonable ones. I remember in 1993 smoking was allowed on public buses in Turkey. And I agree, banning smoking in confined spaces, such as public transportation and aircraft, is reasonable. But our experience shows it doesn't stop there. How would you feel if smoking were banned, for example, on a public beach, or in a park, or paradoxically, in places were there are barbecues! In such open spaces, in the open air, how can a wisp of smoke from a cigarette really be a bother to anyone, unless the reason is to ban smoking from being seen?

 

[jekylnz]

Thats how they work..slowly start with reasonable requests then slowly choke you out..I dont just mean smoking. .privacy. .etc

 

[Boboro]

I think ppl. should pick thar noses in them no smokein restrants. When folks start gagin askim if they would rather you smoke.