Smoking is dangerous. No one should smoke. This has been the disclaimer for this article.

For those who choose to indulge, D.D.N.T. Tobacco, located on SW 59th and May Ave., may be an excellent solution to getting quality tobacco without paying through the nose. The shop offers a unique deal: any carton of cigarettes in the shop, for only $25. How is this deal possible?

Customers select the blend of tobacco they like, and are handed a tub of that blend, a carton of cigarette tubes, and shown to a rolling station.

If that sounds unpleasant, reassurances are in order: The rolling machines are electric-hopper types, capable of turning out a carton in 30 minutes or less, even in the hands of a novice.

Further, the proprietors will take the time to work through the various blends of tobacco and tubes to ensure that the cigarette is customized to taste as close to the customer’s brand of choice as possible.

As to the tobacco, it, too, is unusual. It’s obtained directly from the growers, with none of the additives or processing that make commercial cigarettes so much worse for a smoker’s health than plain tobacco would be. The lack of those additives has two primary effects.

First, the tobacco’s flavor is remarkable. Clean and untainted. The purity of the taste caught this author off guard with the first few puffs. However, one of the missing additives is the sweetener that takes the kick out of tobacco.

Which is the second effect: These smokes, while full flavored and enjoyable, kick like a mule on the back end. The smoke is rough towards the end of the cigarette, as the untreated tobacco puts out a dryer, harsher smoke. One other flaw in the offering is the “one-size-fits-all” model. The shop only sells king-sized tubes.

Again, though, this is not without merit. The rolling machines allow the consumer to choose how densely the cigarettes are filled. A cigarette packed at the highest density producible actually lasts longer than a 100 will, puff for puff.

So, to recap: on the upside, incredibly cheap, somewhat healthier, blended to custom request, and longer lasting than most commercially available cigarettes.

On the downside, not as sweet, one size only, and it takes longer than grabbing a carton on the fly . Still, for the money and time, this author highly recommends this shop to any smoker looking to keep on puffing without emptying wallet or purse to do it.

Rating: B+

Disclosure: D.D.N.T. Tobacco offers a free carton for every ten recommendations. Jeremy Cloud will not accept any free products generated by this article.

To contact Jeremy Cloud, email editor@occc.edu.