Snus Order / Snus Review # 8 .....

Just this minute ordered my next load of Snus. And this being my eighth 'Review' posting on the stuff is interesting in itself - to me, anyway.

(All those of ye still out there sucking fags and droning on about how ye've tried all the ways of giving up smoking? Carry on. Fuck yeselves. We're not listening to each other, are we? What ever .....)

What I'm finding interesting though is that this is about my eighth post on the subject. And I last smoked a fag eight, or more, months ago.

Crunch the numbers; I'm consistently buying in 'Swedish Snus'. I have been, since bought some ~ for the craic ~ over eight months ago. And stopped smoking the day it arrived. (I clock my exact date a bit later, eight rather than nine months, because I ran out of snus and smoked a few roll ups to get me through)

Fact is though, I was smoking baccy at a tenner a day. My latest figures prove I'm now using snus at less tham a tenner a week! And it's having a negligible impact on my health. In fact, considering what we all know smoking does to us? I'm improving my health harm ratio, no end. I most definitely feel better and fitter these days, since jacking the fags.

But, anyway; I didn't start this post with a pious sermon in mind ~ sorry. I just wanted to record my latest preferences. Eight months into snus:


Nick & Johnny, Strong Portion 4
General, Portion 2
02 Original Strong Portion 2
General Sterk, Strong Portion 1
Montecristo, Portion 1



See? I love my General, Portion. That's my after dinner, along with the Jameson ration treat.

But, Nick & Johnny, Strong? Oh, baby! That's the one I like to take in my pocket. Ready for anything / any time. Tastes great and will Always fill that need.

General Sterk, Portion? Another one I had to try. I like it. It can last ages, without any overt sign, once one gets over the initial 'acidity'. My sort of second of the day job. Not a last thing at night snus: It'll give ye nightmares. Just like people complain of with those stupid Patches. Fuck of a dose of nicotine.

02 Original Strong Portion? Dunno. I just seem to remember that too was a goodie!

Montecristo? No idea. Just have to try some! :D

Like a well stocked and kept 'Ale Pub' this stuff, see? Spoiled for choice!

Offroad Coffee Vanilla (Snus Review 7)

I put in another Snus order, with Northerner last weekend. Mostly my favoured General ~ Portion, of course. Plus a couple of General ~ Sterk (Strong, for the unknowing). Couple of Nick and Johnny ~ Strong (I like that one too, a Lot). And, because I like the tastes of Coffee and Vanilla, I thought I'd try out this one, from OffRoad.

I'd seen reviews of it. Glanced over them. Opinions varied from 'The best thing since sliced bread' to 'Disgusting!'. I wasn't too sure then. But, I thought I'd risk it and chance a tub.

As ever, Northerner blew me away with how fast they processed my order. I hit Send, some time Saturday night. It was waiting for me, in the pub, on Thursday. Could've arrived on Wednesday, for all I know. Full marks to Northerner and the Swedish postal service then. Our own An Phoist can be pretty sweet too ;-)

But, enough of the back slapping. What about the snus ....?

One of the light brown ones. Open the tub and ye'll see that. And ye'll Smell the stuff! Like vanilla mixed with ..... what is that? Diarrhoea or something?! Roasted diarrhoea? Shut that tub! Get over it. Ye going to be putting this stuff in ye mouth, for fuck sake.

And there it is. Now ye looking at it. The lid. There's no 'ash tray'! (I don't know what else to call the little lid within the lid ye normally get with a snus tub. The little place to discreetly pop ye used portions) This one doesn't provide one.

Bummer. But, a very minor bummer though. Because no one would go out without at least two 'flavours' of snus in their pocket. We're talking Choices with this stuff. It's not like cigarettes. Think more like wines. So, as I'd always have a Nick and Johnny, or a General tub along too, I'll likely always have a 'bin top' too.

Shall we reopen the tub now? We've seen it. Had a sniff at it. Hang all that; Let's pop one in our mouths .....

I did this. First thing. Sat down at this computer. Mug of tea at the ready. Popped one in. Heaven! I genuinely got 'Coffee and Vanilla'. It was good! A richly creamy taste. It seemed to burst out in gentle waves and do me good.

As I find I'm tending to do, these days, after some six months of constant snus use, I left it in almost indefinitely. I've kicked the old habit of popping one in. Glancing at the time. Allowing myself two hours, max'. Now? Hour and a half? Four hours? Who cares? I even tend to sleep with one in. I may, or may not, just spit it over the side of the bed at some point. Pick it up in the morning.

This particular 'flavour', I'd say, isn't one of the longest lasting hits. But, it retains that taste well. It's certainly my 'First Thing' portion.

Thinking about it; What the hell am I going to do, if I use this tub up before I get another order in? General, eg. isn't exactly my idea of a snus to savour with that first tea! But, then again? At least one morning, for some reason or other, I found even this a bit much. So, I dipped it swiftly into my black tea. Came out lovely and reverted straight back to its Coffee and Vanilla after tastes.

I think it might be the salt levels that we need to get over, first thing, with this one. That and the 'novelty' of sniffing at it.

Face it; Some other things are great to get amongst, first thing when ye wake up. Doesn't mean ye want to stick ye fucking nose in there though. Ye not a Dog, are ye?!

More Snus Has Arrived ..... (Snus Review 4)

I've just received a new consignment of snus. This time, I tried using Northerner again, only I asked them to send it by Swedish Post. I ordered on line, 17:20 on Saturday evening. It was in my local, today, Wednesday! We're realistically looking at a Three Day delivery window there! Sweden to Eire? Ye just can't do better than that! I'm a Very Happy Bunny then.

And, this time, I asked for five 'flavours' which I'd not tried yet ~ as well as a load of my old friend, General ~ Portion, which I know is a big favourite of mine. I've tried three already.

I'm actually prepared to take one out of my mouth a little prematurely, because I'm eager to experience the tastes. But, I really prefer to try one a few times, if I can, before saying what I think about it.

For now though, because Adm and I just happen to have been at the same one ~ and because it's so distinctive ~ I thought I'd give ye our, totally independent of each other, opinions of .....

Ettan Original ~ Portion

I wrote;

Dry. This is the first impression I got from this one. A dry, tobacco taste. I'd have to liken it to smoking Malboro or something similar. I think I've smoked a similar rolling 'baccy. Could it have been Cutters Choice? One of the Golden Virginia clones anyway.

Either way, it's the Most 'Tobacco' tasting snus I've tried, so far. But, it's not a flavour of tobacco I'd want to keep smoking. No more than I ever became a 'Malboro Man'.



Adm says:

" This is a fairly dry portion compared to some of the others - especially the Thunder, which is positively juicy.

The aroma is straight tobacco with light peppery hints

Taste is a very pure tobacco taste. No citrus, bergamot or whatever. To me, it actually tastes a bit like good pipe tobacco smells. Kind of an "old fashioned" taste to it - reminds me of my old Granddad for some reason - he was a pipe smoker, so maybe the smell is the link. A nice simple, quality tobacco taste with pretty low salt. Smooth tasting and lasts a good while. It takes a while to really get going though. The initial taste has a bit of "cigar box" to it if you get my drift, then after 20 mins or so the proper juicy tobacco kicks in.

Definitiely a nice "all day" suns. I think this would go really well if you were walking about outside in the cold for example.

Nicotine: 8mg per Portion "


And, will ye look at that? I swear, my own review was written and committed to Note Pad before I even told Adm I had more in! Yet Dry is the first thing either of us says of this one. Adm has a couple of weeks advantage on me. But perhaps I'm starting to appreciate the subtleties myself better now?

Adm tells me he's just about to get amongst a tub of Nick and Johnny ~ Black Portion. I tried that tonight. I'll say no more. For now .....

Snus Review 3

I've edited this post to announce that my mate and fellow snus man has agreed to join us and offer his own opinions of the snus's we try. From here on in, " Adm " will be sending me his own reviews and I'll be adding those to my own, once we both produce a review of the same ones.

I'll Not be reading what Adm has to say before writing my own. That way, we'll both be speaking completely independently and unbiased by each others words. We hope, this way, ye'll get a far better picture :-)

And, to kick off, I've slotted in the reviews he's already sent me. Check out my first posting about snus too, to see what Adm made of " Thunder ~ Frosted ".



I'm really finding my feet now. What? Two weeks solid since I had a fag? I don't even think about them now. Nor do I get the split second 'Flash Back' ideas to smoke one. Now I simply feel that I fancy a fresh bit of snus ..... In fact, I fancy one now! :D

There. That was a real toss up between my firm old favourite, General ~ Portion or Claq Qui ~ Portion. I seem to prefer the strength of Taste I get with General. Though Claq Qui is a stronger yielder of nicotine.




No. I don't know if " Claq Qui " means anything, in any language, either. Nor do I know who Roda Lacket might be. But, this stuff's grown on me. I find it agreeable at most any time of the day. But, with my Jameson Irish Whiskey, like right now, I tend to favour the complimentary taste of General.

And that fine point, I suspect, about sums up my view of Claq Qui; It hasn't got a particular flavour to it. Not as I've been able to pin down yet. But, that's no bad thing. It doesn't strike me as 'Citrus' / acidic on the lip. And it's definitely in the higher bracket of nicotine. So, a good one for smokers to try, perhaps?


Adm Says:

" Claq Qui
Personally, I love this snus. I think it's got a really rich taste of dried berries - maybe cranberry??? that comes through after a while. Although the can design shouldn't impact on the actual snus I just think it's cool. It's pure white, with marks that look like spatters of blood. OK - maybe I'm a bit strange! I think Roda Lackett just means "Red Lacquer" in Swedish. Not sure if there's any significance here though.

There's a good strong hit of nicotine here, and it keeps on coming. The flavour is strong and stays strong. I've really got nothing bad to say about this snus....apart from maybe that it's distinctive and if you were to do it all the time you'd grow used to it's unique flavour. It's a very complex flavour and great after a meal, or with a good beer or whiskey. "



Another one I'll certainly be buying again is 02 Strong ~ Portion. This one surprised me. I was surprised at how much I liked it! In fact, I'm sorry to say; A quick check has just shown me that I've bloody nearly enjoyed the lot! :o I may well have been using that one more than any other then, without even realising it? Goes to show.

There's still a pattern emerging here though. I'm well aware that I've been tending to reserve my General for after dinner, with my whiskey. As one might a fine cigar. 02 Strong I've probably been popping in my mouth through the days. Casually and unconsciously choosing that one from my small stash of favoured regulars.

It's certainly a goody. A hint 'Drier' of taste than many I've sampled, thus far. Nice nicotine hit. Puts me in mind of somewhere between a tailor made fag and a slightly drier 'baccy. Comparable to " Gold Leaf " 'baccy, perhaps?


Adm Says

" 02 Lab Series
Another interesting snus here. The can is minimalist but modern looking. The smell is very mellow with unique hints of nuts wood, and herbs.

The flavour is very subtle at first and slowly seeps out the signature saltiness of snus. The herbal, nutty taste balances out the mellow tobacco flavor flawlessly.

The most unique features of 02 are the longer, slimmer portion length and the non-drip formula. The portions fit snug in the upper lip and don't make your lip bulge too much. If you had a "customer facing" job, you could get away with using this all day and nobody would know you had it in. The non-drip formula works just as stated on the can. There is no drip, yet the moist flavor of the snus assaults the palate through the entire duration of use. Jazz......smokin'

Dosage-wise, this is another strong snus that hits fast and stays strong. Good for those of us giving up the fags! "




General Onyx ~ Portion was a wake up call! The portion bags are almost Black! They also come, packed in their tub, in a neatly presented rosette. Really quite something to open and gaze in upon. I'll take a photo of my next lot, before I use any and break up the effect.

This one has an amazing flavour. Like 'Winter Mixture' sweets - for anyone who remembers those? I'm not sure what that flavour is. But it's nice. In fact, this is probably a good treat for when one has to go out in the bitter cold. It 'warms' ye breath. Certainly worth a try. If ye hate it yeself, ye sure to find someone who'll enjoy that distinctive flavour.

Adm Says:

General Onyx;
This is my other "favourite snus" right now......It's just great in terms of presentation and taste - a real "premium" product. The can is really slick looking - black and silver, the star shape arrangement of the portions looks cool and the actual shape of the portions (kind of a wedge shape) makes them easy to place.

In terms of flavour, this ones a real winner. It's got the typical "General" salty, lemony tang, but raised up a notch and purified. The nearest thing to it I can think of is almost to strong Turkish tobacco, plus roasted, salt and peppered lemon. To me, that's all good! Another strong snus... loads of nicotine and good persistence. I've used these portions for over two hours and they've still been giving up the goods when I've got rid of them to eat or whatever....




And, finally; Granit ~ Maxi Portion. Moist and powerfully Tobacco! I had the Maxi Portion (for some reason) and this had been my 'morning' hit of choice for some days. I liked the facts that it gave me that all powerful wake up call, along with my first cuppa. It then stayed with me ~ in more ways than one ~ as I'd go about my first chores. So, by the time the Dogs were walked. Birds fed. Horses fed and mucked out. My second brew in front of me; I was just about ready to settle down for a decent surf. Only by then might I be considering something else.

Sadly, it proved all too popular! That and, I suppose the bigger portions giving less to a tub? I've done the lot! Worst is, I don't think I even thought to put more on my order, which I sent in yesterday!




Never mind. I have plenty of others coming to me. Some, old favourites. Some I'm eager to try and offer ye my opinions of. And now we have Adm along to share his own views too, without us comparing notes first. So, now ye'll get truly open and unbiased reporting :D

Snus Review - 2.

Nick and Johnny ~ Strong (Portion) lived up to expectations! Comparable to my, so far, favourite of all time, which is General (Portion).

N&J has a less pronounced tobacco taste. It just lacks a certain 'In Ye Face' quality I find from General. But, so far? General and N&J ~ Strong are Ditch's Top Two! These are the ones I take out with me.

Phantom Brown (White Portion) ? Not one I'll be buying again. It's just not for me. It's got a 'Fruity' flavour to it, without the citrus. What it has instead though is the 'Opal Fruit' factor. My mouth was running with saliva. So much so that I felt I was trying to drink this thing!

It also lacked 'Power', for me. Didn't give me that all encompassing 'Tobacconess' that I ~ a strong smoker of forty years now ~ yet require. Fruity tasting. 'Wet' in the mouth. Mild in apparent nicotine rush. For you? Maybe. Not for me. I've given that tub to Dean 'O. He thought it quite ok. We'll see how he gets on.


Now, I actually got called away in the middle of all that. It's been a couple of days since and I've thus got a little bit more experience under my belt ..... Or should I say Lip?! :D


Granit (Maxi Portion) is one I've had a few hits of now. Not sure why they call it 'maxi'. The portion bag's the same as usual. The nico' hit doesn't seem tremendous, to me, either. In fact, this is what I'd currently consider a middle of the road, tobacco tasting snus. I.e It's not got any noticeably added, 'artificial' flavours ~ no citrus or what ever. But it's not strong in what it Does have. And what it does have then is a mild taste of tobacco.

One I'll probably try to keep a tub of around the place though. Could be a better day starter than N&J. It's likely also one I'd offer to a tailor made smoker, as a first try at snus. If they liked the flavour but, perhaps thought a bit more kick might be up their street? Then I feel I'd happily enough let them sample Nick and Johnny (Strong) next.