GetSnus.com!! First online shop based in the US!

Greetings fellow Snustopians! As you know, I created Snustopia to share Swedish Snus with the entire world. "Well," I thought "I've gone thru the why's, the what's and the how's but, I never went thru the where's very well". Today, we will discuss just that! You definitely can't try something without knowing where to get it and, get it rather quickly. GetSnus.com will take care of these issues!

If you remember from the first post, I said back then that the best places you could buy snus online were headquartered in Sweden like BuySnus.com and Northerner.com. That was then. Now, a new player in the online snus shops has emerged in the US.

GetSnus.com is a company headquartered in Pennsylvania. Although they are affiliated with the Swedish Match company (the same Swedish Match that has the General brands of snus), they carry other snus brands as well. GetSnus is a relatively new company, opened this year, and began with a limited vareity of snus. The brands they started with were General portions and General lös, Ettan and Catch Dry labels. As of the writing of this review, they now carry these brands along with the V2 brands Phantom (lös and portion) and Offroad (Lös and portions), Röda Lacket (Lös and Portion), Göteborgs Rapé White Portion, Nick & Johnny East, West and Orginal portion and Grovsnus (lös and portion). According to their reps, they will keep expanding their selection as they grow but, keep in mind that it was only a month ago that they only carried the General brands, Ettan and Catch! If they continue this rate of growth, they will become the Number One shop here in Snustopia!

One reason they are the favorite here, is the fact that their shipping is the best of all the shops I've tried. Overseas shops give you the option to ship thru other carriers but regular post is the least expensive. GetSnus ships UPS and will ship for free with orders over $50.00 USD! I placed orders with the two shops I mentioned above and with GetSnus to get a speed comparison. Obviously, GetSnus won with a time of 3 business days from PA to IL. Northerner and BuySnus were tied with 7 business days from Sweden to IL. Even though we here in Snustopia still use Northerner and BuySnus for brands not carried by GetSnus, GetSnus gets our business for the staple snus.

Customer service is top notch and, the quality of the product is great! This is great and all but, what are their prices like? Are they comparable to the other 2? Here's the funny part! In select states, you can go to your local Tobacco shop (Tobacco shop, not the local cheap smokes shop) and buy General Brand snus. In that shop, you may pay up to $5.00 USD a can for General Portion snus. Northerner charges $3.60 USD and BuySnus.com charges $3.80 USD. GetSnus charges $3.50 USD!!! This will be the same snus you buy in the Tobacconist shop here in the US for $1.50 more!!!! I know your saying "Shipping costs Snus Guy, shipping costs!" Here's an example of shipping costs, I ordered 15 cans of snus from GetSnus and paid $4.95 USD shipping by UPS! That's half the amount of the Swedish Post and, 4 days quicker!

Don't believe me? Try it yourself! This company is so confident you'll like snus and their company that, they will send you your choice of one from 5 different snus' for the cost of shipping!!! That's $1.00 to you and me! (new customers only please). You don't have to order anything else! This is your opportunity to not only try Swedish Snus, if you already haven't but, to give GetSnus a try as well. Here's some homework due the next time we get together, spend a dollar, order the free can of snus from GetSnus.com (their link is on the top right of this page) and post your experience with snus and GetSnus!

Skruf Stark Lös! Loved by ALL Snustopians!!

Yes, I love Skruf Stark Lös! In my opinion, this is the best Strong lös snus out there. Before we go on to the review, we have a new word to learn about. "Stark". Stark basically means "Strong" and, Stark isn't the only word used for strong snus. Sterk is also used by some manufacturers as well. "But Snus Guy, when you say "Strong", do you mean in flavor or nicotine content"? Sterk and Stark are used to describe the nicotine content. Now that you know the meaning of Stark, let's go on to the review!

Skruf Stark Lös is a loose weight snus like the Göteborgs Rapé we reviewed. You will need to either Hand Bake a pris or use a tool to form the pris. In texture, Skruf Stark is a coarse, wet snus that has a wonderful flavor and a good amount of Nicotine. By "Wet" I mean it has a bit more moisture than the Göteborg's but not much. The nicotine content is 12 mg/g which makes it much stronger than most. In my opinion, you'll begin to feel the nicotine after about 5 to 10 minutes after putting in the pris and, it lasts for about 45 minutes. The flavor, on the other hand is a different story!

Although most of the online shops describe this snus having a strong tobacco flavor, I feel it isn't as overpowering as it's been described by them. Yes, you can tell it's tobacco and, the flavor's definately there but, what I have noticed with Skruf Stark, the other flavors are detectable as well. So, what are the other flavors, you ask? Well, Bergamot and Rose Oil that's what! I know that when I first started snussing, I had no idea what Bergamot was so, I obiviously didn't taste it!. I will save you the trouble of looking it up and tell you that Bergamont is a fruit.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit that looks like a cross between an Orange and a Grapefruit. Bergamot tastes fruity, sweet and spicy with a Basalmic undertone. Bergamot Oil is not only used in this snus but in all other kinds of products from foods to perfumes To the left, is a picture of a Bergamot Fruit. Kinda looks like a Pear shaped Orange outside and, a grapefruit on the inside. It basically grows in Italy. Skruf Stark has a hint of this and, I think only comes out after about 30 minutes but again, as a background flavor. The other flavoring in this snus is Rose Oil.



Rose Oil is basically what the name implies, oil made from Roses. If you really concentrate on the flavors in Stark, you'll get the hint of Roses from the snus but, if your just keeping the pris in for 20 to 30 minutes (bad form here in Snustopia since the flavors just begin to come out after 40 minutes) you'll miss it. Since the predominant flavor in this snus is the Tobacco, it will take a little time to get the other flavors.

My recommendation for pris making is, definately a medium loose to medium pack if hand baking or, slight to medium compression when loading a Prismaster or Icetool. If you make the pris too tight, it will take forever for the flavor to come thru and, if made too loose, guaranteed mudslide in 30 minutes. My preference is a medium compression in the tool. What's medium compression? Push the plunger against the lid just until you see juice begin to come out between the lid and the bottom of the tool.

Pris flavor/longevity, I have had a pris in for almost 1½ hours then the flavor kind of goes flat. Again, your pris longevity may vary depending on compression/baking and the freshness of the snus. Speaking of freshness, let's discuss storage!

Skruf Stark Lös likes cold in my opinion. I keep the open cans in the fridge at all times but, if you're taking it with you, just keep it as cool as you can. I feel when the snus gets warm or room temp, it loses some of the background flavor and gets harder to work with. any unopened cans I keep in the freezer. A fellow snuffer on SnusOn.com has come up with a trick if you like cold lös and don't use a can up in a few days. Just take the can out of the freezer, open and tap out the frozen snus puck on the lid. Break off pieces or, cut into quarters and place a quarter in an empty can. Great trick in my opinion! (Thanks Starcadia!!)

Well, I hope you will add this snus to your next order. I don't think you'll be dissapointed. As I always say, the review is my opinion on what I taste in the snus and, what I taste may not be what you taste. Also, feel free to add your review to the replies and, I'll add it to the post. Happy Snussing!!!!

Lost in Snuffland!!

Well, I've got a confession to make. We will be reviewing Skruf Stark Lös today but, I've been across the proverbial pond, in Snuffland, for the last week sampling a relatively forgotten form of smokeless tobacco, Nasal Snuff.

As you all may have guessed from reading previous posts and reviews, I tend to throw myself head first and 100% into things I want to try. With nasal snuff, I did just that! For those of you who have not heard of nasal snuff, let me give you the Cliff's notes version of what it is. Nasal Snuff is a powdered form of tobacco that is sniffed, or snuffed, thru the nose where the nicotine is absorbed by the mucous membranes. Snuffs are sometimes flavored with aromas ranging from Vanilla to Chocolate (yes Chocolate which, in my opinion, is awesome!) and and almost every flavor imaginable. Some have a mentholated component added which, if you have Sinusitis as I do, can be soothing and opens the sinuses quite well!

Nasal Snuff is as old as the hills and may just be the oldest form of tobacco use as well! Theories have its use beginning 2000 B.C.E. but, it can positively be established that snuff was gaining in popularity nearer to the 15th century, in Europe. Speaking of Europe, there are many different grinds and moisture variations as well, most of which, were developed in Europe. America also produces a few different types as well but, the grinds and moisture levels tend to be the same. We will take the field trip to Snuffland soon where I'll go in depth about Nasal Snuff and review some of the flavors but, right now, there is an up and coming snuff manufacturer in England right now that is taking the Snuff world by storm. That company is Toque Snuff.

Toque is, in my honest opinion, the most innovative snuff manufacturer operating today! The link to the right will take you to their online store where you can see the different flavors they are producing. The other thing that is appealing about using snuff is it's price. Relatively inexpensive, at an average of around $2.50 USD for a 10g can. Depending on how much you use, a can could last quite a while. I know you're sitting there saying "Snus Guy, sounds like you may be wanting to move to Snuffland! Could it be you have changed your opinion about Snus and Snustopia?". Here's where the confession comes in to play.

While I was doing my research, I had so fully engrossed myself in using nasal snuff that I had all but forgot about my first love. I literally snuffed morning, noon and night and only used about 3 pris' of snus all week. I was convinced that I was going to go with snuff as my mainstay and snus would take a backseat to the Snuff world. Then I remembered something. Skruf Stark Lös.

I remembered that Skruf Stark was what sealed the deal with my love for snus and, I had not had a pris of it for a solid week. I said to myself "I'll have one last pris of my old friend and, off she'll go to the abyss of the freezer". Boy was I wrong!!! That pris brought back all the reasons why I love snus. The feel in my lip when I come home from a hard days work (hard day is dependent on who you talk to), how I loved the taste with my favorite beverages, the slow and lasting release of nicotine that calms me, all the feelings came back. It was then that I decided that there will be no replacement for my beloved snus, only an accompaniment! I will always love snuff but, my love for snus will never be replaced! This is the reason there has not been a post in sometime and, I promise, there will be more snus reviews but, we may throw a snuff review in from time to time. That's my story and, I'm sure your done listening about my snuff adventure. If your interested in trying nasal snuff, do visit Toque Snuff first. They are a great company, dedicated to making the snuff experience more enjoyable from ordering to consuming.

So now, if your ready, we'll start a new post and, it will be on the review of Skruf Stark Lös!!!

Göteborg's Rapé No. 2, Our first portion review!

Welcome back everyone!! Sorry for the length of time since our last tour. I have been outside of Snustopia scouting a field trip location. I think I found one! It's Snuffland but, I'll speak more to this land in a later tour.

Today, we will be reviewing a portion snus called Göteborg's Rapé No. 2. This snus is a large, white portion snus. If you remember back to the lesson on the differences of Portion snus, this is also a dry portion snus. Göteborg's Rapé No. 2 is one of my personal favorite portion snus for many reasons but, the number one reason is that it is Lingonberry flavored.

You maybe asking "what is Lingonberry? I've never heard of that flavor"! Well, unless you live in Norway or Sweden or, have been there, most of us have never seen a true Scandinavian Lingonberry. Lingonberries or "Cowberries", as they are sometimes called, are a berry that grows on a bush, close to the ground in cool, wet climates. The picture to the left is of Lingonberries on the bush. To me, Lingonberries have a very unique taste and, are pretty hard to describe but, they taste like a cross between a Cranberry and a Strawberry with a little citrus thrown in. This snus does have real Lingonberry flavor and, for those adventurous enough to try an exotic flavor, give this snus a shot! Well, that's enough of the Horticulture/Culinary lesson, let's get into the actual review of the snus!

Since this is our first portion snus review, we are going to first start with the can. Why the can first, you ask? because there is a unique part of the lid I need to tell you about! As in Sweden, we here in Snustopia like to keep our cities clean! Since portion snus comes in a tea bag like pouch, you obviously can't eat the portion or, just spit out the snus and expect it to return to the land where it began like lössnus can! (Lössnus pris' will biodegrade faster since it has no pouch to contain it.) Major cities in Sweden began having this problem when the "Smoking Ban" was in place and, snus became more popular. In response to snus portions being expelled in the streets, Snus manufacturers began incorporating a space in the lid of most portion can lids to put used portions in until a suitable place to throw them away could be found. The picture to the right shows a can of snus with a used portion compartment. Some have a hinged top, some just pop on and off. Either way, this is a very ingenious invention and, all Snustopians are encouraged to use it.

Most portion cans are made of either plastic or metal. The plastic ones are the ones that have the special compartment. (I haven't seen a metal one with the compartment yet). The Göteborg's Rapé No. 2 can is plastic. This is to keep excess moisture out and, plastic or metal, keeps the snus fresher longer than the conventional paper cans.

"So, how's the snus taste Proffessor"? Sorry, I can get a bit off topic when trying to explain something! As I said before, this is one of my favorite portion snus because of the Lingonberry flavor. This snus does have a subtle salt taste, like all portion snus does but, the flavor of the berries and tobacco are center stage here. There are about 24 portions in the can and, each portion has 8 mg of Nicotine. While Lingonberry is the predominate flavor, you will notice flavors like Pine, Juniper and citrus in this snus. Kind of like standing in the middle of a Swedish forest in the spring. Again, this is what I taste in this snus.

The flavor with GR #2 seems to last about 1½ hours but remember, you'll probably get all the nicotine out of it after 45 minutes. In my opinion, leaving this snus in more than 1½ hours, the snus tends to get bitter. My recommendation is to take it out after an hour or so.

I highly recommend trying Göteborg's Rapé No. 2. It's a Swedish Match product and, it has the Gothiatek seal of approval so, you know it has been produced to the highest quality standards Sweden and SM have to offer. Göteborg's Rapé No. 2 can only be purchased in the US from Swedish online shops like BuySnus.com (Link is on the top, left side of this blog) or Northerner.com. Average price for a can is around $3.75 USD. (Depending on the shop.

Once you have tried this snus, please feel free to post comments on what your experience is and, we'll get them posted! On the next tour, we'll be reviewing some of the snus shops available online including a new shop based in the US called GetSnus.com.