An online review of Camel Crush Non-menthol Oasis Blue (posted Feb 17, 2023) describes it as “sweet with a vanilla undertone” adds to the evidence that RJ Reynolds’ “non-menthol” cigarettes introduced in California violate the state’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products.
As discussed in detail before, here is what the California law prohibits:
104559.5. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(a)(1) “Characterizing flavor” means a distinguishable taste or aroma, or both, other than the taste or aroma of tobacco, imparted by a tobacco product or any byproduct produced by the tobacco product. Characterizing flavors include, but are not limited to, tastes or aromas relating to any fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, menthol, mint, wintergreen, herb, or spice. A tobacco product shall not be determined to have a characterizing flavor solely because of the use of additives or flavorings or the provision of ingredient information. Rather, it is the presence of a distinguishable taste or aroma, or both, as described in the first sentence of this definition, that constitutes a characterizing flavor.
Here are some of the key comments with the time codes:
0:34 – I have no idea what this is flavored with, but I almost pick up on vanilla and what-not
Looks like standard Oasis Crush pack
0:52 – non-menthols, tropical oasis. I guess it’s supposed to be ice and some other flavor, I can’t put my finger on
1:10 – Front of pack says “Introducing Oasis Blue Non-Menthol Capsule” and “non-menthol” in small white font on black background at the bottom.
1:22 – Back of pack says “One Crush, For a smooth tropical oasis,” but does not indicate non-menthol.
2:27 – Smelling it. It has a very sweet smelling, hints of like richness coming through,
2:35 – definitely no menthol or anything coming through
2:37 – I’m pretty sure these are ice flavored, with something else, but there’s no menthol coming off the tobacco
2:43 – But it smells like a much sweeter version of a Camel Crush, even sweeter than Turkish Royals
3:30 – Right off the bat, I want to say without clicking the bead, it tastes just like a regular camel crush non-menthol to menthol.
3:58 – It’s got a very sweet, almost vanilla undertone to it, with a very sweet tobacco taste going through.
4:06 – No menthol, no mint, no nothing coming through. Just a very plain straight-forward tobacco taste.
4:34 – This is pretty light compared to the original blue Camel Crush non-menthol to menthol, which this is compared to.
4:48 – I guess they expect you to click that click-bead right away
5:34 – Clicks bead.
5:55 – Wow, that’s weird. It has a sweetness, an icy sensation when you click that bead.
6:10 – A vanilla undertone. Can’t quite put my finger on it.
6:15 – I’m picking up on something else. It’s mostly an ice sensation.
6:35 – More than a menthol flavor. I guess that’s how they got around the menthol ban by using ice.
6:43 – But it picks up on a certain flavor. Kind of like a spicy flavor.
6:52 – Kind of a spicy, sweet flavor that I can’t put my finger on.
7:07 – The throat hit kicks up when you click the bead.
7:29 – Maybe it’s just a flavor enhancer that brings out the flavor of tobacco, but it’s definitely something with ice in there.
Thanks to Lauren Lempert for the time codes.
Stanton Glantz blog 