Camel lights tasted different than Marlboro Lights, IMO, and tended to leave a different residual smell on me, and for a longer time. Back when I smoked, even I disliked that smell. USA Gold, for some reason, er…gave me the shits. I think it was a cheaper tobacco or a different filler.
Well, I sure can, anyway (I’ve been a smoker for three-plus decades, shifting between roll-ups and nonfilters for the most part (having smoked filters --Marlboro Reds or 100s by preference --in my teens to mid-twenties) and I can tell the difference between my brand of choice and other straights easily. I smoked Camel straights until about six months ago; now it’s Pall Mall reds; Camels have a sort of spicier or sourer taste while PMs seem fuller-tasting somehow, and have a more intense “smoky” flavor. They both have a good “hit” to them, but the Reds’ hit is better in my estimation anyway. Lucky Strikes, on the other hand, taste hot and dusty and too sharp for my liking; I can’t stand the things. Somebody mentioned bargain brands; I can say in this context that the taste of a name-brand cig (PM Red or Camel straight) is preferable – Basics and GPCs are somehow bland and have an inferior “hit” to them, while both USA Gold and Wildhorse are so sharp and “hot” tasting that if I’ can only afford to buy those brands I usually settle for roll-ups instead (if you’ve never heard iof those last two brands, I suspect that they might only be available in California) .
Marlboro Reds are the only filter cigs that even approach the bare-ass variety both in taste and strong hit. Winstons have a bit of that sharp/hot flavor, and as for Camel filters, I personally can’t distinguish between Regulars and Lights. Marlboro Lights taste insipid to me, which I guess is the whole point of a light cigarette.
When I’m smoking roll-ups, my preference is Top, far and away --the more expensive “higher-grade” brands of rolluing tobacco aren’t as strong or as flavorful as I like, and besides, it’s harder to roll a proper cig with Drum, say, or Bali Shag and to take a drag off that cig once you’ve rolled it. Top’s nearest match is Bugler – again, too hot and sharp to taste; also too dry and with more “lumber”, woody bits that might be chips of tobacco stem. The cheapest brand of rolling tobacco I’m experienced with --Midnight Express-- is flat-out nasty in my opinion.
“I talk to Planets, baby.”
el deluxo
PS: Hello, everybody! I’m as new here as daybreak in January 
. I’ve been reading the SDMB for a long time and been frequently tempted to register and post --but the chance to hold forth on this particular topic was what made me finally break down and do it.