Gauloises Cigarettes

Gauloises - A Rare Taste from the French Riviera

The traditional, unfiltered Gauloises cigarettes, introduced on the French market back in 1910 had a very distinctive taste and felt strong. If we were to compare them with other cigarettes, we would choose Gitanes: they have a similar feel during and after smoking the cigarette.

New varieties present on the market today are closer to other similar brands, like Kent, Camel, and Salem. However, they still preserve a characteristic taste, due to the special combination of tobacco (originally Syrian and Turkish tobacco). When talking about Gauloises, people generally refer to two specific varieties: Gauloises Legeres (red pack) and Gauloises Filtre (blue pack). Please note that this brand doesn't stick to the generally accepted distinction between red (full flavor) and blue (lights) packs and advertises the cigarettes precisely in the opposite manner.

Same goes for ultra lights. Gauloises uses yellow (instead of white) to advertise their lightest product - Gauloises Blondes Yellow, which is actually more like a light variety (tar 4 mg, nicotine 0.4) and not a real ultra light. This only proves that the manufacturers behind Gauloises don't consider the generally accepted tradition valid. This is both funny and refreshing in an industry where almost everything is guided by paradox and rules.

In 2008, the brand was purchased by Imperial Tobacco; however, this hasn't affected the quality of the cigarette and, even more significantly, the taste of the cigarettes themselves. In France there's a special tradition related to Gauloises, and French people consider them a classic variety of strong cigarettes. Modifying this reality would mean killing the brand and Imperial Tobacco has no interest in doing such a thing.

Even the small diversity of Gauloises cigarettes shows that the brand is focused on one particular taste (the "dark" taste French people talk about) instead of relying on a large offer. And one thing is certain: this brand has its followers, supporters, and advocates who all try to convince you that, if you don't smoke Gauloises, you don't know what you're missing.