1001 Ways To Enjoy Kretek

For some, enjoying kretek cigarettes is a daily ritual that should not be missed. Some are enjoying kretek to create a relaxing atmosphere, and some use kretek as an ice-breaker in the social scene. Others enjoy kretek to celebrate special moments like birthday celebrations etc. In tune with the many variants of kretek cigarettes in the market, there are also many ways you can do to enjoy kretek.

Djarum Black Cigarettes

DJARUM BLACK Clove Cigarettes

Djarum Black Cigarettes

Sophistication, modernity and boldness. Djarum Black is made of the finest natural-grown cloves and tobacco, with a spicy aromatic taste.

Djarum Black is a filtered kretek cigarette known for its spicy, bold taste and aroma. The finest natural-grown tobacco and cloves are combined with a specially designed concoction of additional enhancements to create its distinctive spicy punch. Djarum Black Regular was the first kretek cigarette to feature a black paper wrapper.

Since launching in 2001, the Djarum Black series has become synonymous with innovation. The product series, which began with the Djarum Black Regular, has since launched several other popular variants. Its reputation as a smart, unique and creative brand swiftly gained in popularity among the modern crowd. 

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Djarum Super 16's

The Djarum icon. Djarum Super is a blend of Superfine Clove™ and tobacco, with a fruity aromatic flavor. Evoking a sense of pride.

A machine-rolled kretek cigarette in the Regular Premium class, Djarum Super is made from top-grade Javanese and Madurese tobacco, blended together with premium quality cloves that have been rendered extremely fine through Djarum’s Superfine Clove™ process. The finished product is distinguished by its fruity, aromatic flavor.The distinctly masculine red-and-black packaging bears a gold accent that represents the premium quality of the Djarum Super cigarettes. 

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Djarum BLACK MENTHOLS

Djarum Black Menthol 16's

Djarum Black Menthol incorporates a richer, more powerful menthol for a more refreshing smoking experience.

A new innovation on the Djarum Black experience, Djarum Black Menthol is infused with a special, more powerful menthol for a menthol smoking experience that truly fits your lifestyle.

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DJARUM Black CAPPUCCINO

Djarum Black Cappuccino

Slowly savored for lasting pleasure. Djarum Black Cappuccino is made of selected cloves and tobacco, enhanced with Cappuccino flavor for a rich taste.

Djarum Black Cappuccino was the very first cappuccino-flavored kretek cigarette to be invented. This filtered, machine-rolled cigarette was launched in 2004 to a warm reception. The rich, warm cappuccino element complements the tobacco and clove components perfectly, yielding an unusual and memorable product to be slowly savored.

Djarum Black Cappuccino continues the Djarum Black tradition of a smart, unique and innovative brand: a cigarette for the creative, sophisticated crowd. 

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The Art Of Creating Kretek

As a unique product, the manufacture of kretek clove cigarettes involves a more complicated process than other types of cigarettes. In addition to the right composition of chopped tobacco and cloves, the taste of kretek is also influenced by the sauce that is added in the middle of the production process.

A mixture of kretek can use more than 30 different types of tobaccos to create a balance of taste. The sauce used is also made ​​from up to 100 different ingredients to produce a particular flavor. The age of tobacco leaves used will determine the kretek taste, as well as the proportional balance of tobacco leaves and cloves in the kretek mixture. Finally, to give a sweet taste, saccharin was added to the kretek cigarette wrapping paper.

Gudang Garam Kreteks

Tobacco, Cloves, and The Secret Sauce

Tobacco

Indonesians began to know tobacco in the 17th century by the Europeans. Today, Indonesia is famous as one of the best quality tobacco producers in the world . There are more than 100 varieties of tobacco grown in Indonesia, on more than 250 thousand hectares of land which majority are located in Sumatera, Java, Bali, and Lombok. There are many factors that affect the flavor and the nicotine content in tobacco leaves, which is the type and height of the land on which the plant is grown, rainfall, weather, and the farmers planting tradition.

Tobacco planting is usually done in April. It took about six months to harvest tobacco. Once harvested, the tobacco leaves then torn by hand and dried under the hot sun for two days. Then, the tobacco leaves are sorted based on quality and sold to the cigarette factories. In the factories, some tobacco are directly for use, but some are kept for years, according to the recipe needed to make a particular brand of kretek.

Clove

Same as tobacco, clove plant is also thrives in Indonesia. Part of the clove plant used is the unbloomed flowers. Although used for various purposes by many peoples of the world - from India to Europe, clove trees previously only grew in the “spice island”, Maluku. That is why cloves are highly rewarded and sought after by many people.

This valuable spice is also indirectly contribute to form the Indonesian state as it is today. The Dutch, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, used to fight to control and dominate the clove trade in Indonesia.

Although now cloves are cultivated in other countries, Indonesia remains the world's largest producer of cloves. It is a blessing, because the kretek industry need a large supply of cloves annually, or about 95% of the global cloves production.

Clove tree takes at least five years to mature and ready for harvest. Clove flowers plucked by hand by workers, then dried in the sun. After that, the cloves is weighed, sold, and chopped by machine before added to the tobacco mix to make kretek.

The Secret Sauce

The last component in the kretek manufacture is the sauce, which is made from various herbs and fruit extracts to create a specific aroma and flavor. In addition to the composition of tobacco and cloves mixture, the sauce is the differential factor among each brand and kretek variants.

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Sampoerna A Mild

Sampoerna A Mild was launched in 1989. A Mild is a the pioneer of low tar low nicotine cigarette in Indonesia. Currently, A Mild is being produced in Karawang and Sukorejo factory. In 2011, the A Mild cigarette brand maintained its position as the most popular brand with largest market share in Indonesia*.

*Based on Nielsen Retail Audit Full Year 2011 Results

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Buy DJARUM BLACK Cigarettes Online Only $2.99 Tax-Free

DJARUM BLACK 16's

1 Carton, 10 Packs, 160 Kretek Cigarettes

Only $29.95

Sophistication, modernity and boldness. Djarum Black is made of the finest natural-grown cloves and tobacco, with a spicy aromatic taste.

Since launching in 2001, the Djarum Black series has become synonymous with innovation. The product series, which began with the Djarum Black Regular, has since launched several other popular variants. Its reputation as a smart, unique and creative brand swiftly gained in popularity among the modern crowd. 

25 MG TAR  1,6 MG NICOTINE 

The History of Kreteks

Kretek, the clove-infused cigarette of Indonesia, was created in the town of Kudus,  Central Java, in the late nineteenth century. What was once a small-scale cottage  industry has grown over the course of more than 100 years to become one of the  largest contributors to the Indonesian economy, second only to oil and gas.

The history of the clove, the key ingredient in kretek, is interwoven with the history of Indonesia itself. Cloves were once highly prized for their medicinal  properties. Even in Roman times, cloves demanded high prices. It is little wonder  then that many a merchant became rich through the buying and selling of cloves.  The highly sought—after spice originally grew only on five tiny islands east of  Sulawesi and west of Papua. In order to control the buying and selling of the  spice from its source, the Dutch and English East India companies were formed  at the beginning of the 17th century. Thus began an era of colonization and  foreign intervention in Asia.

It was not until the 19th century that people began adding cloves to their kretek. The trend caught on quickly, and within a few years kretek were being produced  on a commercial scale and the beginnings of a new industry were been born.

Apache Clove Cigarettes

Who Invented Clove Cigarettes?

Tobacco was first introduced to Indonesia at the beginning of the 17th century.  Cigarettes of that time were homemade, hand-rolled and wrapped in cornhusk. It  was not until the late 19th century that cloves were added to the tobacco.

It is believed that the first person to add cloves to his cigarette was a man called H. Jamhari, a resident of the town of Kudus, the birthplace of kretek. During the  1880s he suffered from mild asthma, and found that rubbing clove oil on his  chest could offer some relief. He then thought of a way to bring the healing  properties of the clove closer to his lungs - if he sprinkled some cloves into his  cigarette and then smoked it, would this not be even better?  Miraculously, H. Jamhari was cured. He began to produce and market his invention, extolling its medicinal properties - the first kretek were sold through  pharmacies. As the popularity of kretek grew. so cottage industries began to  spring up. all producing hand-rolled clove cigarettes.

Unfortunately. H. Jamhari died before he could make his fortune out of kretek.  This task was taken up by another Kudus resident by the name of Nitisemito. He  transformed a cottage industry into a mass-production industry in two ways:  firstly. by creating his own brand (Bal Tiga) and image. Nitisemito introduced  marketing campaigns the likes of which Indonesia had not seen before. Beautiful  labels were printed in Japan and free gifts were offered to loyal smokers in return  for empty packs. Secondly, he began to subcontract work. A middleman handled  the labor. while Nitisemito provided the tobacco. cloves and sauce.

This practice was quickly adopted by other kretek companies and continued up  until mid-90th century when companies began to hire their own employees as a  way of ensuring quality and loyalty. The Bal Tiga company did not recover after  the second world war and was declared bankrupt in 1955.

Wismilak Kretek Cigarettes

Where to buy Djarum Black in the US?

A federal law passed in the United States in 2009 has made it illegal for tobacco shops and stores to carry cigarettes that contain flavors other than menthol. The law affects the Djarum Black cigarette brand, and has made it unavailable for purchase within the United States.

However, people can still order Djarum Black online directly from its origin in Indonesia. There are so many online vendor today, but only a few have valid licenses to ship cigarettes legally. Among the best in the business are clovedepot.com and unitedkreteks.com.

Only licensed vendor can handle your order professionally and guarantee successful delivery up to your door, tax-free.

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Types of Kretek Cigarettes

Today, what is it that makes kretek so special, so different from other kinds of cigarettes? The traditional clove-tobacco flavor and the 'kretek-kretek' sound of the cloves as they bum are certainly unique, but there Is more to the cigarette's allure than this alone. Firstly, the manufacture is far more complex than other kinds of cigarettes - besides tobacco, kretek also has two additional Ingredients: cloves and sauce. Secondly, Indonesian tobaccos are some of the most complex in the world in terms of quality and variety.

With such diversity of tobacco on offer, some kretek brands may Include over 30 kinds of tobacco. Add to this as many as 100 flavors in the sauce and a saccharine flavor added to the tip of the rolling paper for extra sweetness, and it Is easy to understand why the flavor of a kretek can be so complex.



Rokok Klobot Kretek

The first type of kretek ever produced, rokok klobot kretek are manufactured by hand and often have a cornhusk wrapper. Although rare today, rokok klobot kretek can still be found in rural and east Java. The rollers are generally elderly women, while the consumers are usually elderly male peasant farmers.

Gudang Garam Klobot

Sigaret Kretek Tangan

Introduced in around 1913, sigaret kretek tangan was the first paper-wrapped, hand-rolled commercially produced clove cigarette. The workers sat on the floor and used hand-rolling machines until 1970, when government legislation required companies to provide tables and benches for their staff. Sigaret kretek tangan, which do not have a filter, are still manufactured to this day.



Sigaret Kretek Mesin

Launched in 1974, the sigaret kretek mesin prompted a boom in the kretek industry. These cigarettes have filters and are similar in appearance to Western cigarettes, except for the blotchy stains on the wrapper caused by seeping clove oil.

Djarum Black Cigarettes

The Kretek Revolution

 By the 1960s. it looked as though kretek was a dying breed. Western cigarettes  had become more popular, especially the international brands, which lent the  smoker a certain prestige. However, the 1970s saw a revolution in the kretek  industry, which ensured its success until the present day.  In the mid-1970s. an oil boom attracted foreign investment to Indonesia.  President Suharto invested this money in the development of indigenous  industries. and offered low-interest loans to kretek makers, thus fueling the  industry.

Furthermore, licenses were issued to companies to allow them to begin  automated production of kretek. The uniform si7e and shape of this new breed of  clove cigarette became a favorite with upper classes, and by the late 1970s  kretek was competing directly with foreign brands. The clove cigarette was  reborn as a sophisticated smoke, an indulgence for the middle and upper  classes. High-end packaging designs and advertising campaigns transformed the  kretek from a peasants pleasure to a sought-after luxury.

Finally, the governments policy of compulsory transmigration in the 1970s  ensured that kretek spread to every corner of the Indonesian archipelago. This  attempt to relieve overpopulation in Java by forcibly uprooting families and  moving them to other parts of the country encouraged kretek companies to  expand their distribution to cover the whole of Indonesia.

GUDANG GARAM Kreteks

Gudang Garam cigarette company is one of the leading companies within the cigarette industry in Indonesia that has been established since 1958 in the town of Kediri, East Java. Until now, Gudang Garam has widely known both domestically and abroad as a producer of high quality kretek clove cigarettes. Gudang Garam products can be found in many varieties, ranging from SKL (sigaret kretek klobot or corn husk-wrapped clove cigarettes), SKT (sigaret kretek linting tangan or hand-rolled clove cigarettes, up to SKM (sigaret kretek linting mesin or machine-rolled clove cigarettes). For the true clove cigarettes lovers, we are committed to provide an outstanding experience in enjoying kretek clove cigarettes made ​​from high-quality materials.

Products

Gudang Garam

• Gudang Garam International
• Gudang Garam Signature
• Gudang Garam Signature Mild

Surya Brand

• Surya 12
• Surya 16
• Surya 12 Premium
• Surya 16 Exclusive
• Surya Pro
• Surya Pro Mild
• Surya Signature
• Surya Slims
• Surya Exclusive

Gudang Garam Merah

Djaja

• Sriwedari Lurik
• Sriwedari Biru Lurik
• Nusa
• Gudang Garam Klobot

GG Mild

• GG Mild Shiver

DJARUM Kreteks

Djarum has been supplying the Indonesian and international market for over half a century, since its establishment in 1951. Over time, Djarum has come up with many new brands and kretek products that have shaped the nation's tastes. Djarum continues to be dedicated in the search for new and better products, in order to stay at the forefront of kretek development in keeping with its historical legacy.

Products

• Djarum Special
• Clavo Premio Filter
• Djarum Black
• Djarum Black Cappuccino
• Djarum Black Menthol
• Djarum Black Mild
• Djarum Cigarillos
• Djarum Coklat
• Djarum Coklat Extra
• Djarum Coklat Filter
• Clavo
• Djarum Istimewa Filter
• Djarum 76
• Djarum 76 Filter Gold
• Djarum Super
• Djarum Super Mild
• Dos Hermanos
• Gold Seal
• L.A. Lights
• L.A. Lights Menthol
• L.A. Ice

SAMPOERNA Kreteks

Sampoerna is one of the leading cigarette manufacturer in Indonesia. They produce widely known brands of cigarettes such as Sampoerna Kretek, Avolution, and A Mild.

Products

• A Mild (since 1988)
• A Mild Menthol (since 1997)
• Avolution (since 2007)
• Avolution Menthol (since 2007)
• U Mild (since 2005)
• U Mild Cool (since 2014)
• Dji Sam Soe (since 1913)
• Dji Sam Soe Filter (since 1990)
• Dji Sam Soe Super Premium (since 2004)
• Dji Sam Soe Magnum Filter (since 2005)
• Dji Sam Soe Gold (since 2009)
• Dji Sam Soe Magnum Blue (since 2014)
• Sampoerna Kretek (since 1968)
• Sampoerna Pas (since 2010)
• Panamas 1 (since 1971)
• Trend Mild (since 2007)
• Vegas Mild (since 2012)

About Kretek Cigarettes

The story of kretek begins in the city of Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia. It was here in the 1880s that Haji Jamhari, a local resident, first invented the kretek cigarette, mixing locally-grown cloves with tobacco to invent a cigarette to ease his chest pains.

This fortuitous discovery was taken a step further by M. Nitisemito, another savvy Kudus resident who, seeing an opponunity, took it upon himself to  market and begin mass-producing the unique new cigarette. In doing so, he  created what would eventually become an enormous industry with a worldwide  reach. Such is the scale of the kretek industry today that 95 percent of the  world supply of cloves goes to kretek manufacturing.  Sadly, Nitisemito‘s  company, Bal Tiga, is long gone, but a road bearing his name still exists in  Kudus, testimony to his legacy.

Today, Kudus continues to occupy a focal point on the kretek landscape, maintaining its tradition of kretek manufacturing. Of an estimated 600 kretek  manufacturers in Indonesia, the majority are based in Kudus.

Kretek Cigarettes