Industry News
Djarum Clove Cigars in 2026: The Kretek That Outlived a Cigarette Ban
Few products on a tobacco shelf have a backstory like Djarum's. The Indonesian clove brand — famous for the soft crackle and sweet-spice aroma of a kretek — was effectively reborn as a cigar after the U.S. outlawed flavored cigarettes. In 2026, it is navigating a new round of state flavor bans that decide, ZIP code by ZIP code, whether shoppers can buy it at all.
How a clove cigarette became a clove cigar
Djarum is a kretek: tobacco blended with clove and finished with the eugenol "spice" that gives the category its signature taste and faint throat-numbing tingle. That flavor is exactly what put it in regulators' sights. The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned characterizing-flavored cigarettes, including cloves, pulling Djarum's original product off U.S. shelves.
The brand's workaround became one of the better-known maneuvers in tobacco retail. As reported at the time by NBC News and Convenience Store News, the product was reformulated and re-rolled to qualify as a cigar rather than a cigarette. By using a heavier weight and a tobacco-leaf-based wrapper, the product remained legal to sell because the 2009 federal flavor ban applied strictly to cigarettes.
That's why today you find Djarum sold as filtered clove cigars in lines like Black, Special, and Bali Hai, rather than as cigarettes.
The 2026 squeeze: state flavor bans
The cigarette-versus-cigar distinction that saved Djarum federally doesn't help against the newer wave of state laws, which ban flavored tobacco across product types. This shift mirrors broader trends discussed in recent reports on state tobacco laws in 2026.
California is the clearest case. Under SB 793 — passed in 2020 and upheld by voters in 2022 — retailers may not sell most flavored tobacco products. The California Department of Public Health lists flavored little cigars and cigarillos among the prohibited categories. The law carves out only flavored loose-leaf pipe tobacco and premium cigars with a wholesale price of $12 or more. A clove cigar like Djarum, flavored and well under that premium threshold, doesn't make the cut.
California isn't alone. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, as of March 31, 2026, some 435 jurisdictions and three tribes restricted flavored tobacco sales in some form, with 173 enforcing fully comprehensive bans across all flavors and product types. Massachusetts enacted an early statewide flavored-tobacco ban that sweeps in flavored cigars, and a patchwork of cities and counties elsewhere does the same.
What it means for shoppers
The practical takeaway for a Djarum buyer is simple: availability is now a map, not a yes/no. The product remains federally legal and is still sold across much of the country, but it is effectively unavailable in California, in Massachusetts, and in the growing list of localities with comprehensive flavor bans.
Because online orders are governed by the destination's rules, an out-of-stock or "can't ship to your state" message usually reflects local law rather than supply. This regulatory environment is similar to the challenges faced by other flavored products, such as Cheyenne Filtered Cigars or Swisher Sweets BLK. Many shoppers are also exploring alternatives like hookah tobacco or tobacco wraps in regions where they remain accessible.
Clove cigars are still combustible tobacco — they are not a reduced-risk product. The eugenol that softens the smoke can also mask its harshness, which is part of why flavored products draw regulatory scrutiny.
The bottom line
Djarum's two-decade survival is a case study in how tobacco rules shape what reaches the shelf: a clove cigarette became a clove cigar to clear one ban, and now faces a different kind of ban built to close that gap. If you're a fan, the Djarum brand is still out there in much of the U.S. — just check your state and local law first, and treat it as the adult indulgence it is. For those interested in how these products compare to others, you might read about filtered cigars vs cigarettes to understand the ongoing market shift.