Shag cigarettes is a specialty, limited distribution cigarette brand
based in the EU. It is not currently available outside of the UK, Spain
(Ibiza), Gibraltar, and South Ireland. The major distribution channels
for Shag cigarettes is the UK and I happened to stumble upon the Shag cigarette website
[shagcigarettes.com] one day and loved the advertisement campaign, so I
got Jasmine to get a carton for me before she came back.
I received the Shag cigarettes yesterday and was mildly surprised
that it made it through customs, since it does not have the requisite
watermark indicating local or duty free cigarettes. I was also more
than mildly surprised that the package was not…intercepted, shall we say; by some postal worker for their personal use since cigarettes is a valuable commodity. 😉
Here’s a look at the back of the pack of Shag cigarettes. The color
scheme of Shag cigarettes is black and there’s also a warning label on
the back of the cigarette which is about the same size as the one in
front. The whole Shag cigarette pack looks sleek and they do get
attention when you put it in your front pocket, as I’ve noticed.
There is a sign in the middle of the back of the box that has the
Shag logo and their official website. This is a very niche tobacco
product, and I was pleased that Jasmine managed to get a hold of these
and send me a Shag, as it were, as I’ve been interested in collecting
these hard-to-get cigarettes.
The top of the box is adorned by a UK Duty Paid stamp and lettering
that says “Made in the EU under the authority of Shag Tobacco Company
Ltd.”.
The side of the flip-top box has a sign indicating that Shag Cigarettes are “For Adult Use Only”, which I found to be funny.
It’s nowhere near as funny as the huge “Smoking seriously harms you
and the others around you” warning label on the front though.
Seriously? Well, no shit, Sherlock. 😉
The bottom side of the pack lists the active contents of Shag
cigarettes as having 8 mg tar, 0.6 mg nicotine and 9 mg carbon dioxide.
That’s a very low figure for a full flavored cigarette compared to
Malaysian standards which is 20 mg tar and 1.5 mg nicotine, more than
double the amount of these cigarettes.
The other side of the pack is lettered with “These cigarettes have
been manufactured from the finest quality tobaccos to give a rich,
smooth and satisfying taste”.
Opening up the pack, I found the usual foil that has the familiar “Pull” sign on it.
However, I was surprised to find some sort of script on the inside of the flip top box.
The text says “These cigarettes should reach you in perfect
condition. If you have any problem with this product please visit our
website at; www.shagcigarettes.com”. Interesting indeed…
Shag cigarettes have the “Shag” logo printed on them. I have smoked
these cigarettes yesterday and today and found them to be comparable to
Mild Seven Lights. It’s admittedly weak; this is not the “first
cigarette of the day” type of cigarette. It’s not strong enough for
that. It’s good for a fun smoke and the novelty value though. 🙂
However, I can appreciate the marketing efforts of Shag Tobacco
Company Ltd in target marketing this brand of cigarettes towards a
certain niche market that’s willing to spend for novelty value.
Care for a Shag, anyone? 😉
