Kronan snus. The first review of "lower priced" snus brand families!

Greetings fellow Snustopians!

While I was sitting in my study this past weekend watching SSNN (Snustopia Satellite News Network) to see how the economy was doing, (yes, my friends, Snustopia is in the same boat as the rest of the world when it comes to the economy) something hit me!

I’ve been reviewing a lot of very popular snus this year that can be a bit pricy if that’s all that you’re ordering! Grant it; even a can of Nick & Johnny West is still cheaper than a pack of cigarettes in most places! So I decided that I would do my next review on an entire brand of lower priced snus and the brand we’ll be reviewing today is Kronan.

I know what you’re saying, “Hey Snus Guy! You’ve reviewed value snus before! Remember the Phantom Blue and Offroad reviews? Why pick Kronan?” You’re right, we did do some reviews of lower priced snus but, I want all Snustopians to know that there are other low priced snus brands available out there besides Offroad and Phantom! Throughout the next few months, we’ll review other low priced snus brands but, Kronan is the one that most snus shops include as a free or “Mystery” can with larger orders and is in most sample boxes. So, with that information in hand, let’s begin our review of the Kronan family of snus!

First, I want to reiterate something before we begin. Like I said in the Offroad Cranberry review, low price does not mean low quality. All Swedish snus must pass a strict and controlled process that’s overseen by the Swedish equivalent of the U.S. FDA. Since snus is an oral product, it must pass the same quality and safety standards that food in Sweden does! In essence, a can of Kronan or any other lower priced snus will have passed the same quality and safety standards as a can of General Onyx. I only say this because in the beginning, there was some concern about it. Now that we have that out of the way, On to the review!

Kronan is another snus manufactured by the folks at Swedish Match and comes in 3 different types; loose (lös), regular portions and white portions. Kronan is actually a pretty unique snus in a couple of different ways! First, most snus brands that come in different types tend to have different tastes between them. Offroad Cranberry comes to mind as an example. There is a distinct taste difference between the loose and the portions. Kronan’s taste really doesn’t vary throughout the different types. The only variant would be the intensity of the flavor.

“Well, don’t keep us waiting Snus Guy! What’s Kronan taste like?” Swedish Match describes the taste as “A traditional tobacco taste with mild citrus and flowers”. I, on the other hand, taste something completely different. While there is a distinct, full tobacco flavor along with a slight lemony taste, flowers I don’t taste. This is not a bad thing though.

The flowery flavor I get from Kronan is of Dill! “Dill, Snus Guy? You mean like a Dill Pickle?” Well, yes and no. I mean fresh Dill. It’s not strong though, just a hint. Here’s the overall flavor I get, in laymen’s terms. Imagine a slice of roasted lemon sprinkled with salt and dill then add the earthy flavor of quality tobacco and you have the taste of Kronan! Where’s the Dill pickle reference come in, you ask? The scent from the can!

The scent I get from Kronan is not like the smell from a jar of dill pickles with the famous talking Stork on the label! More like the smell you get from a fresh kosher dill pickle from a true delicatessen. A distinct, earthy tobacco scent, with a bit of sourness and a hint of dill. Pretty unique I think! So, let’s go to mouth feel, beginning with the portions.

Since the portion material in both the regular and the white types are the same material as used in other Swedish Match portion snus I won’t go into the makeup of it and just focus on the flavor release and mouth feel.

Both portions have a really comfortable feel under the lip. I’ve had both portion types in, not at the same time, for over 2 hours with no irritation at all. The regular type will get your inner lip a bit wrinkly due to the added moisture but, no pain is associated with it. The white portion’s flavor lasts a bit longer than the regular portion does though. I’ve had a white portion’s flavor last for about 2 ½ hours while the regular will usually go flat at the 2 hour mark. The trade off though is that the regular portion will give you flavor in an instant where the white portion takes about 10 minutes to get going.

Kronan loose (lös) is a mid-coarse grain loose snus. Coarse refers to the cut of the tobacco. The really good part about Kronan loose is that it’s really easy to hand bake! As you all know, I’m hand bake challenged and for me to say that a loose snus is easy to hand bake, it really is! Coarse cut tobacco is usually the easiest to do this with but, the amount of moisture plays a role in it as well.

I know mid-coarse really doesn’t explain the cut so, let’s use a comparison snus. Skruf Stark loose is a fine grain snus. Phantom Blue loose is a coarse grain. Kronan lös’ grain falls in the middle. Coarse enough to hold a pris well but not as fine as to cause immediate mudslide!

Lip feel is really comfortable and the flavor lasts a good long time but the flavor is a bit more subdued than the portions! I’ve had a pris in for over 2 ½ hours with the flavor still going strong! Depending on which method you use to make the pris, mudslide times vary. With my 3 ml Icetool and medium compression, I’ve had a pris last over 2 ½ hours with very little mudslide. Hand baking a pris yielded only about 1 ½ hours before complete mudslide. Like I said, I really can’t hand bake so, those Snustopians that have that skill down pat, will more than likely get a pris to last much longer!

Now, on to the drinks! I really had a hard time trying to pair drinks with Kronan. The flavor is really unique and I wanted something that wouldn’t mask the flavor. Diet Coke did well but it just didn’t have what I wanted. The acidity in the Diet Coke kind of killed the slight sourness but, did bring out the tobacco a bit more. Coffee was a disaster! Coffee and the dill flavor just didn’t work. Iced Earl Grey did a bit better but the best thing I have had with it was lemonade!

No, I didn’t slip on a spent pris of Kronan loose and bang my head! Lemonade brings out the citrus flavor and enhances the dill a bit more. The sweet and sour of the lemonade along with the slight sourness of the snus helped to bring the tobacco to the front as well! If you haven’t thought to try lemonade with snus that has citrus and tobacco flavors, you really have to try it! Trust me, you won’t be sorry!

My recommendations for the overall Kronan brand, Snustopians, are this; Kronan is a uniquely flavored, family of snus at a great price. Snustopians that are new to the world of Swedish snus and want to add a can of a lower priced snus to their order won’t be disappointed with a can of Kronan white. If you’re new at using loose and want to try your hand baking while still getting a great mild flavor, Kronan loose is a good choice. For new Snustopians, I recommend sticking with the white portions at first and move to the regular portions simply because the flavor is a bit more subdued in the white. Experienced Snustopians looking for something less pricy but still has a great flavor should give each type a try!

Kronan’s prices range as follows; Kronan white portion snus averages around $3.70 USD a can, Kronan regular portion snus and Loose (lös) snus run about $3.30 USD each so, you really can’t go wrong by giving it a try! You can even save more by clicking The Northerner banner to the right. If this will be your first order, just enter the code on the banner and save 10%!

Well Snustopians, I hope you all have enjoyed our review of the Kronan family of snus. As always, I look forward to hearing your questions and comments and will try to answer them as soon as I can!

Until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus, a simple review of a complex snus!

Welcome back Snustopians!

While I was wondering around the Snustopian National indoor Gardens this week, the smell of the flowers and Apple Blossoms reminded me of the flavor of Gotlands Fläder and all the confusion there was with the name. That’s when I decided that a proper review needed to be done so other Snustopians wouldn’t have to go thru what I did.

You may be wondering why I named this review “a simple review of a complex snus”. It wasn’t because Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green/ its self was complex to use or the can was complex to open. It was because of the name and the flavor! Before I created Snustopia, I would always get confused on the names of certain snus because they were in Swedish and sometimes the translations were a bit off. This was the case with Gotlandssnus Green.

You see, the official name of this snus is Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green according to Gotlandssnus. Fläder translates from Swedish to English into Elderflower. Some snus shops call it Gotlandssnus Grönsnus which translates to Green snuff. When I was searching for information on Gotlandssnus Green, as it’s commonly called in American forums, either Fläder or Grönsnus would come up. Then I found out why it’s called Gotlands Green!


It’s simple really. Take a look at the can to the left. The label is, well……green! Gotlandssnus also has an original flavor that is also known by its label color, Yellow. We’ll get into that in another review! So, for all intents and purposes, and in this review, Gotlandssnus Fläder is Gotlandssnus Green! I know I went a bit long on the name description but, I didn’t want anyone to be confused like I was in the beginning. Now, with that out of the way, let’s move on to the snus review!

Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green/ portion snus is another snus made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB, the same company that makes the original Julesnus. Gotlands Green comes in a plastic can with a plastic, snap on lid which seals the can tightly so you don’t have to worry about the lid accidently slipping off! The lid does not have a used portion compartment but is engraved with the Gotlands Sheep and the year of inception, in Roman numerals. Each can comes with 24, 1 gram portions and 9 mg of Nicotine in each portion.

The portion material is pretty soft and sits comfortably under the lip. I’ve had a portion in for an average of 2 hours with the longest time being 3 ½ hours with no discomfort what so ever. Be aware, Snustopians, that there is salt in Gotlands Green and the inside of your lip will get a little wrinkly if you keep a portion in for over 2 hours! Not to worry though, no pain associated with it but I felt it should be said.

When you get your can of Gotlands Green, you’ll notice the label doesn’t cover the edge of the lid like most Swedish Snus labels do. Not to worry, this was done by design so; don’t think that the can was tampered with like I did at first!

Gotlandssnus describes Green as a snus that tastes of lush green plants and Elderflowers. I know what you’re saying, “Sounds like it tastes like grass and a flower garden Snus Guy! Is that true?” Not at all, but the flavor is pretty interesting!

When you open the can of Gotlands Green, you immediately get the scent of an herbal tea with a bit of apple and, unbelievably, a subtle banana scent! Overall, the scent is not overpowering but rather pleasant. Since I haven’t tasted Elderflowers (yes, they are an edible flower), I have no base to go off of but, there is a definite sweet, flowery taste to Gotlands Green!

The dominate flavors of Gotlands Green are a sweet, flowery, herbal flavor with a slight apple taste! I know, I know, there is no description stating that Apple was intended to be a flavor, but it is there. It’s the subtle apple flavor that really makes Gotlands Green unique. The sweetness in Gotlands Green is not a sugary sweet; it’s a natural sweetness like a piece of fruit would have. The other flavors are tobacco and salt. The saltiness adds another layer to the flavor the longer it’s in and helps the tobacco taste shine thru!

“So how long does the flavor last Snus Guy?” As I said earlier, I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with 3 ½ hours being the max. I did this for a comfort test but, the flavor doesn’t last that long. I’ve had a portion of Gotlands Green flavor last about 1 ½ hours before it becomes bitter. This is a trait with Gotlands’ snus in general. Between 1 ½ and 2 hours, they do go bitter but, as I said in our review of Julesnus, in Sweden, folks only keep portions in for between 15 minutes and 45 minutes so, that’s what most snus flavor was designed for. If you get flavor after 45 minutes, it’s a bonus! I recommend a 1 ½ hour max.

On to what to drink with Gotlandssnus Fläder (Green) portion snus! All Snustopians know by now what my staples are, I hope! Diet Coke didn’t fare so well with Gotlands Green. It tended to be a bit too acidic for the snus and increased the speed that the snus went bitter. Monster Energy Drinks did a bit better. The snus brought out the Ginseng flavor in the drink and the drink brought out a little more of the herbal essence.

Coffee had the same effect as the Diet Coke did but tea, hot or iced, really did well! Herbal tea was the best of the hot teas. The slight flowery taste of the Herbal tea enhanced the herbal notes in the snus and the tea flavor really brought out the apple and tobacco. Orange Pekoe or Green tea won the iced. Earl Grey was a bit too powerful of a flavor. It tended to drown out the herbal and Apple flavors.

My overall recommendation for Gotlandssnus Fläder/Green) portion snus is this. Snustopians looking for a Swedish snus that has an apple flavor that’s not too overpowering should really add this to their next order. Seasoned Snustopians that are looking for a snus with a bit more complexity or a change from the norm should give Gotlands Green a try. New Snustopians definitely should add this to their first order! It’s a great snus to use as a starter snus due to the pleasant smell and great taste.

You can get Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus at The Northerner for $3.55 USD a can and, if this is your first order, you can get 10% off your first order when you click on the banner to the right of this page!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found our trip thru Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus helpful and informative. As always, I look forward to your comments and questions and will answer them as soon as I can!

As always, until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

Snus Accessories 101. Icetools and Prismasters and snus boxes, oh my!

Greetings Snustopians!

Today I thought we would do something a little different. Rather than do a review on a particular snus, I thought we would go over some of the things you can use to enhance your enjoyment of snus. Some of them are essential to that enjoyment and some are just plain cool to have! So, with that information in hand, let’s begin our lesson in Snus Accessories.

You may be asking why I would do a review on snus accessories. One of the reasons is the amount of questions I’ve been getting about the differences between the Prismaster and the Icetool! While I was doing research on these two portioning tools, I came across a few other accessories that looked really cool! I figured that if I’m going to do a review on tools, let’s do a review on all the things available!

Let’s start with the portioning tools. There are basically two types of portioning tools, the Prismaster and the Icetool. Although they do the same basic thing, portion out lös (loose) snus, there are a lot of differences between them. One thing is the look!

We’ll begin with the Prismaster. Why the Prismaster, you ask? Easy, it’s the least expensive first off. Almost every Snustopian that’s new to lös (loose) snus and has tried to hand bake a pris, to no success, has bought a Prismaster. Even I have one because, as you all know, I’m hand bake challenged! The Prismaster is great for beginners because it’s easy to use as well. All you have to do is push the open part of the Prismaster into the snus a few times, pack it lightly on the lid of the can, put the Prismaster under your top lip and slide the lever. You’ll get a perfect sized and shaped pris each time. It’s that easy!

It’s also a great tool for beginners to decide if you like the lössnus variety. Since its cost is under $2, you really haven’t lost anything if you decide that loose snus is not for you! I recommend the Prismaster for new Snustopians that want to try lössnus. You really can’t go wrong with the price! If you do decide that loose snus is for you, you’ll find that there are drawbacks to the Prismaster.

For one, they’re made of plastic and can be broken easily with a lot of use. That’s not the biggest drawback though. The biggest drawback to the Prismaster is that there is no way to control the size of the pris without doing a modification to it. Each pris will come out the same size but, the pris the Prismaster makes can be a bit wide and long for some Snustopians. “So Snus Guy, what options do we have outside the Prismaster?” Well, you can learn how to hand bake a pris or, get an Icetool!

The Icetool is a portion tool that is more flexible than the Prismaster in the fact that you can control the size of the pris. To the right is a picture of an Icetool. As you can see, it’s much different than the Prismaster in a couple of ways.

The first difference is that the Icetool is made of metal instead of plastic which means that the Icetool will last virtually a lifetime! The Icetool is made in either Aluminum or Stainless Steel and comes in 5 ml or 3 ml sizes. The Aluminum Icetools come in an array of different colors while the Stainless Steel ones come in a high buffed finish or black. “What? Snus Guy, what do you mean 5 ml and 3 ml! We don’t get it!” In the beginning, I didn’t either but what I found out is that 3 ml and 5 ml basically tell you the diameter of the Icetool’s barrel.

Take a look at the picture again. The Icetool looks like a syringe without the needle, right? In actuality, the diameter of the barrels is an exact replica of one, only in metal. The 3 ml Icetool will yield a thinner diameter pris while the 5 ml will give you a wider one. The other difference between the Icetool and the Prismaster is the fact that you can control the length of the pris.

Unlike the Prismaster, the Icetool has an adjustable plunger that will let you choose how long you want the pris! Only have time for a small pris? Move the plunger to the first notch and load the Icetool the same way you load a Prismaster! Feel daring? Move the barrel out to its last notch! Once you’re ready, put the end of the tool in your upper lip, push the plunger in and you’re done! It’s as simple as that! The Icetool also allows you to control the feel of the pris by letting you control the compaction in the tool.

The only drawback to the Icetool is the price. Prices range from around $42 USD for the 3 ml, in either metal, $ 47 for the Aluminum 5 ml and $ 51 for the Stainless Steel 5 ml. I personally prefer the 3 ml over the 5 ml but, if you like a fatter pris, go with the 5 ml. I recommend that all Snustopians, that have lössnus in their regular rotation, should have an Icetool. They are easy to use, last a lifetime and are pretty cool as well!

The last snus accessory we will review is the ultimate in snus “Bling”, Stainless Steel snus boxes! These snus boxes are made of high grade Stainless Steel and come in two variations, one for loose snus and one for portion snus. The portion snus model comes with a hinged compartment on the lid for used portions and a lift off lid to place the snus in. The loose snus model has a lift off lid for placing your favorite lössnus in!

Two companies make snus boxes and, depending on which snus shop you buy them from, are made by either Icetool, the same company that makes the portion tools we just reviewed, or Slimcase.se, which are pictured to the left. I purchased my snus boxes from swedishsnus.com for one reason. They offer free Diamond engraving on the bottom of the can so; to see what the quality of the engraving would be, I had one engraved with my name. The quality of the engraving is excellent and matched the font on the top. The top of the boxes have the swedishsnus.com logo Diamond engraved on them as well.

Other online stores (like The Northerner) carry the Icetool brand of snus boxes. These are pretty much identical to the Slimcase brand of snus boxes with both being made of Stainless Steel and both portion boxes have the hinged lid. They don’t, however, offer the free engraving. The thing that makes the Icetool boxes special is that their boxes are Laser engraved with the unique Icetool logo on the lids!

Prices for the snus boxes range quite a bit! The ones at The Northerner are are Icetool boxes and are priced at $36 USD for the loose snus version and $40 USD for the portion version.

I know your saying “Snus Guy! Why would we pay that for a box when the snus comes is a pretty sturdy can already?” Good question! A good reason for getting the loose box is that most lössnus comes in a cardboard can with a plastic lid. If you’re a Snustopian that uses loose snus while you’re out and about, the snus box will keep the can from getting destroyed in your pocket!

While the snus boxes don’t really do anything to enhance the actual snus, they do add a certain kind of elegance when you use them! I keep my boxes in the fridge at night and, keep them on my desk throughout the day. When I take out a portion or, offer one to tourists visiting Snustopia, it becomes a conversation piece, giving me another opportunity to talk about the land I love, Snustopia!

My recommendation for the snus boxes is this; if you enjoy snus enough to tell everyone at the pub or the office, these snus boxes will create that opportunity. Even though they are a bit pricy, they would be a great thing to suggest to people if you’re the kind of person that’s hard to buy for!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found this lesson in snus accessories helpful and informative. I also hope I cleared up some of the mysteries regarding the Prismaster and the Icetools as well! As always, I welcome your questions and comments and look forward to answering them!

Until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

General Dry Mint Mini white portion snus. A review of a Swedish snus made for America!

Well Snustopians, the snus we’ll be reviewing today is one that most of you may not have ever heard of, General Dry Mint mini portion snus. I say this because not only is it a new snus, it’s a snus that’s only available in America! How did I find it? Well, while I was out and about last week, I stopped in at a local Pipe and Tobacco shop here in Snustopia and saw something new.

My tobacconist has always carried General brand Snus but this time, there was a snus called General Dry Mint mini. I asked him about the new snus and he really couldn't tell me more than “it’s from Sweden” and “it is Mint flavored”! In reality, that’s the most common response I get from a lot of tobacconists in the states!

Since I wanted to know more about General Mint Mini than what he told me, I decided to get a couple of cans and do the research myself. What I found was pretty exciting! So now that I have your interest, let’s get started with the review of General Dry Mint Mini portion snus!

General Dry Mint Mini is a Dry, white mini portion snus manufactured in Sweden by the fine folks at Swedish Match. “Hold it, Snus Guy! Back up. Dry, white, mini snus? We need a bit of explanation on this!” You’re right! Since this is the first time we have reviewed a mini portion snus, let alone a White mini portion snus, let’s run through the basics first.

A mini portion snus is just like it sounds. A miniature version of a regular sized snus! Mini portions average between .3 and .5 grams of snus per portion and between 3.5 and 6 mg of Nicotine depending on the brand. Since mini portions are smaller, they are more discreet meaning, no bulge in the lip and you really can’t see them when talking or smiling so they can be used anywhere without worry! There is a trade off though with discreetness and that’s the low amount of Nicotine in each portion.


The White classification in mini portions has the same meaning as in the regular portions but the Dry classification, really needs to be defined! In Swedish snus, Dry doesn’t mean that there is dried tobacco, like cigarette tobacco, in the portion. Don’t laugh; some Snustopians really thought this was the case but it’s not.

Dry simply means there is less moisture in the snus than in regular snus. Look at it this way. Cigarette tobacco has almost zero moisture in it. Regular portion snus has an average of 50% water. Dry on the other hand, has an average of 25% water making it dryer than regular portion snus! Now you have a basic idea of what a dry, mini white portion is. Ok then, on to the review.

General Dry Mint Mini comes in 6 gram cans with 20 portions per can. That makes the portions about 0.33 grams each. The portion material in Mini Mint is very soft from beginning to end. One would think that a snus with a moisture content of 25% would be really rough on the gums but with General Mint Mini, that’s not the case at all. I’ve had a portion under my lip for about an hour with no gum irritation at all! Each portion of General Mint Mini also has 4 mg of Nicotine. “Ok Snus Guy, we want to know about the taste already!” Alright then, let’s go on to the taste.

The taste of General Dry Mint Mini is pretty interesting. The flavor in my opinion is an Icy Peppermint-Wintergreen combination with the Wintergreen flavor being very subtle. Kind of like "I know that flavor but, I can't make it out!" I liken the flavor to a Starlight Mint minus some of the sugary taste or, Dentyne Artic Blast gum. The kind that comes in the black pack. It’s sweeter than what we Swedish snus lovers are used to but not over sweet like Camel SNUS. As a matter of opinion, the base flavor of General Dry Mint Mini is very similar to Camel Frosts. The difference is that Mint Mini is not as sweet and, has a subtle hint of tobacco flavor as time goes on where Camel Frost doesn’t.

Another thing to point out is that General Mint Mini does have a slight burn in the gums. Not the Nicotine burn like in the higher Nicotine snus but a minty burn, like Camel Frost. To be completely honest, General Mint Mini is, in my opinion, a perfect taste replacement for Camel Frost. And a safer one at that!

General Dry Mint Mini’s flavor also lasts a lot longer than Camel Frost as well! Camel SNUS’ flavor, in general, only lasts 30 minutes max while I’ve had a portion of General Mint Mini last for about an hour before losing its flavor! I personally recommend a 45 minute max.

There is one more unique thing about General Mint Mini. It is only available in the US. Yes Snustopians, General Dry Mint Mini white portion snus was developed for the US market and only available in the US through tobacco shops that sell other General Snus products or, at the Swedish Match Snus Store online. At the end, I’ll include a link to the Swedish Match store locator so you can find a store near you!

Now, what to drink? Diet Coke is a great drink to go with General Dry Mint Mini! Unlike other mint flavored snus, Mint Mini’s flavor doesn’t get bitter with it. Sprite and 7 up go really well! Some Snustopians liken the combination to a non-alcoholic Mojito! Ice tea though, in my opinion, is probably the best. The minty flavor plays well with it and you get a Mint Julep type flavor, especially if you add a little lemon to it.

Well Snustopians, here is where I usually give my recommendations for the snus we just reviewed. I wish I could say that all Snustopians should try a can but, since General Dry Mint Mini is only available in the US, to US residents, Snustopians from Europe won’t be able to order it. So, with that in mind, I recommend that Snustopians that live in the US really should give General Dry Mint Mini a try.

To sum it all up, if you’re looking for a true Swedish snus with a flavor that’s close to Camel Frost but, longer lasting, safer and less expensive, General Dry Mint Mini portion snus is the one!

I hope you found this review of General Mint Mini white portion snus informative and I really recommend you all get a can and form you own opinions. Depending on where in the US you live, prices will vary based on your location. If you click on this link:

Edit: General Mini Mint is now available at all online shops, including Snustopia's favorite place for snus, The Northerner. If this is your first time ordering with them, just click on the banner in the upper right and get 10% at checkout!


As always, I look forward to your questions and comments and will do my best to answer them!


Until our next review,


Happy Snussing!


That Snus GuySwedish Match Store Locator you’ll be able to find a store near you that carries it.

General Sterk White Portion snus. A review of one of the first Sterk snus!

Welcome back fellow Snustopians!

I was sitting here in my office today at the Ministry of Information, going thru all the reviews we’ve done together and, something struck me. We’ve done quite a few reviews on strong/ Sterk snus brands but left one important one out!

It’s important because it could be considered the snus that started the whole strong/ Sterk/ stark campaign that is currently going on. So I decided to do it before I completely forgot about it! Today’s review will be on a snus that could also be considered General Ekstra Sterk’s weaker little brother, General Sterk White portion snus.

General Sterk White is a strong, White portion snus, made by Swedish Match. I’m going to go a little in depth on the can because there is a phrase on it that only General Sterk White and General Ekstra Sterk has and, it may be a bit confusing if we don’t explore it!

The can is made of the same plastic that all General portion cans are but, gray in color just like General White Portion. It also has the second compartment in the lid for used portions or, if you’re like me, a portion or two of another type!

Here, though, is where the confusing part is. On the label of General Sterk, you’ll see the phrase “Norwegian Edition”. Now, before you all make the assumption that this snus was made in Norway (like I did in the beginning), Sterk is made in Sweden just like ALL General snus is. The reason for the “Norwegian Edition” being on the label is this. Snus is very popular in Norway and, Norwegian smokers that are using snus to quit smoking, have asked for a portion snus with a higher Nicotine content than what was previously made by General.

Don’t get me wrong, Americans were asking the same thing but, Norway is a premier market for General and, America is still a new market for Swedish snus. In response to the requests from that market, General made both Ekstra Sterk and Sterk White a “Norwegian Edition”! I know, long way around a short explanation! So, let’s go into the snus its self.

General Sterk is a White portion snus which means that the portion material is dry. I know what you’re saying, “Snus Guy! This means the snus has not gone thru the extra step to make the material wet, right?” Absolutely correct! Even though the portions have not gone thru the extra step though, the material is still pretty comfortable under the lip.

General Sterk has 11 mg of Nicotine in each 1 gram portion. The portions are also arranged in the famous “Star” pattern like General Onyx. This makes the portions into a wedge shape that makes them even more comfortable in my opinion.

“Ok Snus Guy, enough about cans and shape! We want to know about the taste!” Oh yea, the taste! Well, the taste is basically the same as General White portion snus. With a twist! The flavors I get are Salt, a lemony, peppery taste and tobacco.

I said that Sterk’s taste is basically the same as White because, most new snus users will usually start with the General brand simply because of two reasons: One, for Americans, General White can be purchased locally in some areas of the US and two, General is the brand that is most talked about. (You can check to see if General is available near you by checking their Store Locator.)

The way the flavors play together is pretty great and, as with all strong snus, the burn from the higher Nicotine content is pretty low. Although the release of these flavors takes a bit, in my experience, the flavor comes out about five to ten minutes after the portion is in and, lasts for a good hour. Remember, the 11 mg of Nicotine will be pretty much released after about 45 minutes and, after that, it’s pretty much flavor. I’ve had a portion in for over an hour with the flavor still being released. I’d say the maximum time would be about an hour and a half and, the flavor is pretty much gone.

Now, what to drink? Well, as you have read in the last review, I pretty much keep the Diet Coke brand in business with the amount I drink in a day so; Diet Coke does go well with General Sterk! It really does enhance the lemony flavor while counteracting the saltiness. I’ve had it with Iced Tea to great success as well as, surprisingly, carbonated Mineral Water! No not soda water like, club soda, naturally carbonated Mineral water. Like the kind that is imported from Poland. The flavors, particularly the citrus, in the snus, along with the carbonation and light, salty taste of the water, make it taste like San Pellegrino limonata to me!

Well Snustopians, I hope you’ve enjoyed our excursion thru General Sterk White portion snus. I recommend that you all try a can and experience it for yourselves. The average cost for Sterk White is around $3.65 USD which, for a Sterk, is a pretty reasonable price and if you get it at Snustopia's favorite snus shop, The Northerner, you can save 10% on your first order by clicking on the banner to the right!


As always, I welcome your questions and comments and will do my best to answer them as soon as I can. If you do try General Sterk White, please post your opinion! I'd be curious to see what your thoughts are!

Until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

V2's Offroad Icemint lössnus. A "Very cool" snus review!

Greetings fellow Snustopians!

This week we will be reviewing Offroad Icemint lössnus. I’ve wanted to do a review on Icemint for a long time and for a lot of reasons but mainly because of all the questions Snustopians have been asking about it. I’ve also seen the taste compared to Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion as well and that’s when I said to myself “Snus Guy, you know the tastes are completely different! Maybe you should let the people know and do the review already!” So with that being said, let’s go and review V2’s Offroad Icemint Lös!

Offroad Icemint Lös is another loose snus varietV2's y made by V2 Tobacco, the same company that makes Phantom Classic Blue, Nordströmmen snus and the new Thunder Snus. Even though V2 manufactures their snus in Denmark, they adhere to the same vigorous Swedish standards as the manufacturers in Sweden do! Offroad Icemint comes in both lös and portions but today, we will focus on the lös variety.

Each can of Icemint Lös has 45 grams of quality snus with a Nicotine content of 8 mg per gram and 56% water content. The can is made entirely out of plastic which makes it durable enough to keep in your pocket!

Icemint lös’ texture is a medium grind just like Phantom Blue lös and the same moisture content which makes it pretty easy to hand bake but, I do recommend using a tool like a Prismaster or Icetool simply due to it being so moist. “Hey Snus Guy, why do you always recommend tools to make pris’?” Well, to be honest, this Snustopian is Hand Bake challenged (otherwise referred to as Baketarded) and in order to give you proper reviews on mouth feel I use the tools for consistency. There, I said it! Now you know my little secret. ;>)

Sorry for getting off topic a little there. Let’s get back to the snus! The texture of Icemint lös makes for a pretty comfortable pris. Due to its cut and moisture content, the pris stays together for a pretty long time. I’ve had a pris in for over an hour with very little movement or the pris coming apart! You may ask if there’s any mud slide with Icemint and the answer would be no. Since Offroad Icemint is a medium grind, the pieces are not as fine as a fine grind snus like Skruf or Röda Lacket.

You may find after an hour that small bits of tobacco begin to flake away from the pris but, the mudslide associated with finer grind snus is nonexistent. Overall, the mouth feel with Icemint is easy on the gums and, the pris is very manageable. Now that you know about the mouth feel, on to the taste!

Like I said earlier, Offroad Icemint’s taste has been compared to Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit. While the icy component is very similar, Icemint does not have a fruity undertone which makes Offroad Icemint very unique in my opinion.

Some say that Icemint is a Peppermint type flavor but, while I do taste some of the Peppermint notes, there are hints of wintergreen in it as well. There is a flavor, not snus related, called Wintermint out there and that’s the flavor of Icemint. If you haven’t heard of Wintermint or, haven’t tasted it, think of Dentyne Ice Arctic Blast gum in the black package. It’s that flavor minus the sweet component.

Another unique thing with Offroad Icemint is the fact that after about 45 minutes, a hint of the tobacco flavor will begin to mix in. I say it’s unique because out of all of Offroad’s flavored snus, Icemint is the only one I’ve been able to taste the tobacco in no matter how long I’ve had it in my lip!

I must say that for a value priced snus, V2’s Offroad Icemint lössnus really surprised me in a lot of aspects. From the quality of the tobacco used to the manufacturing process and the unique taste, Offroad Icemint lös is just as good as it’s higher priced cousins.

As I always do, I like to recommend drinks with snus and Offroad Icemint really posed a challenge for me! The icy, Wintermint flavor works really well with a strong Iced Tea but, my beloved Diet Coke on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. The Diet Coke skews the flavor and gives off a bitter taste. Energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull and another dimension of flavor to both.

As I’m writing this review, I’m drinking a Monster and have a pris of Icemint in. The Monster brings the wintergreen flavor out of the snus while the Icemint brings the sweetness of the Monster out. Pretty surprising!

To sum it all up, I highly recommend trying a can or two of V2’s Offroad Icemint Lös. Even if this is your first time using a lössnus, at $3.07 USD a can at The Northerner, you really can’t go wrong! If this is your first order with them, click on the banner to the right of this review and get 10% off. That’s an even better reason to give it a try!

Well my fellow snus lovers, I hope you found this review of Offroad Icemint lössnus informative and remember; I welcome your questions and comments and will do my best to answer them all!

Until my next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

Catch Chill Mint Vanilla Mini, a review of the first snus in a collecton of four!

Welcome back Snustopians!

Today I thought we’d review a brand new snus to Snustopia, Catch Chill Collection, Mint Vanilla mini portion. I must admit though, I was a little leery about this snus because it is the first mini portion snus I’ve ever tried but then I thought “Snustopia is a place where we review snus together” so, I made the decision and we’ll review this new snus, together!

The unique thing about the Catch Chill Collection of mini snus is that it is one in a total collection of four to be released in 2009! I know what your thinking, "Snus Guy! What do you mean by a Collection?" Good question! Catch plans to release four different flavors of this snus thruout the year. As another is released, the prior will dissapear, making each flavor a Limited Edition within the collection!

For example, Mint Vanilla is the first flavor in the collection. The next will be Peppermint. Once Peppermint is released, Mint Vanilla will no longer be available and so on. I know it's a pretty short answer but, I hope it answers the Collection question a bit. We'll be trying each flavor as it's released so, as I get more information about the entire collection, you'll have a clearer idea. Just remeber this, Mint Vanilla will be available for a limited time and you'll be fine!

Before we begin the actual review, let’s review what a mini portion is. Mini portions are just what the name implies, a mini version of a regular sized portion. Mini portions tend to be about half the physical size of a regular portion. This also means there is less tobacco and nicotine in the portion as well. Mini portions tend to have between .3 grams and .5 grams of snus in each portion and, on average, 20 portions per can. The Nicotine levels vary between 3 mg and 6 mg per portion. There are even some that are classified as White Mini portions.

Since mini portion snus is smaller, they are also more discreet. They don’t leave the tell tale lump under the lip like larger portions do so they’re great for work or for Snustopians that want to conceal their love of snus! You can also smile without worrying if portion material is showing. Now that everybody has a basic idea of what a mini portion is, let’s go on to the review!

Catch Chill Mint Vanilla mini portion snus is, in fact, a “White” mini portion snus. “Hey Snus Guy, good thing you explained this in the beginning. It sounds confusing!” I know! When I first saw Mint Vanilla and the way it was described I got confused as well. So I figured I’d better simplify it so no one gets confused like I did!

First, let’s take a look at the portion. Catch Chill has 20, .5 gram, portions per can. Each portion has 4 mg of Nicotine and the portions are of the White type. White type, as you remember from the first posts, meaning it hasn’t gone thru the additional wetting process.

The portion material is pretty soft for a White portion and really easy on the gums. Since this snus has 50% moisture content, the flavor begins to flow pretty quickly and the portion actually stays put. Like I said, the portion material is pretty soft and comfortable. I’ve had a portion in for up to an hour with no irritation to speak of.

That takes us to flavor! Catch Chill Mint Vanilla is marketed as “A fresh Mint breeze and Vanilla dreams.” Catch Chill definitely has a Vanilla/Mint taste but, I compare it to a Mint M&M or a Mint flavored chocolate candy that’s commonly found on pillows in fancy hotels! Andes Mints I think they’re called. There is also a subtle hint of tobacco flavor but, it plays in the background and is just barely noticeable.

The flavor lasts quite a long time for a mini as well! I’ve had a portion in for about an hour before the flavor begins to die out. After that, the portion can become a bit weird tasting so, I recommend a 45 minute maximum time limit.

I put a picture of the can on the left so you can get a better idea of what I’m about to explain next. Even though Swedish Match doesn’t say that they created Catch Chill Mint Vanilla with women in mind. (This would make sense though since a large percentage of snus users in Sweden are women!) The design of the can and, subtle flavors make this a snus that more female Snustopians may like than male Snustopians. On a personal note, I like the flavor and I’m a guy!

Now, what to drink? With Diet Coke, you get a bit of Vanilla Coke flavor but, the Diet Coke tends to be a bit overpowering. Iced tea is pretty good but, coffee is the best! A portion of Catch Chill Mint Vanilla with your morning coffee and, you don’t need the flavored creamer! Hot tea would be good but I really recommend coffee.

Overall, Catch Chill Mint Vanilla mini portion snus is a great tasting snus. Like I said before, more female Snustopians will like Catch Chill than male Snustopians. My recommendation for Catch Chill is this. Snustopians that are looking for a replacement for Vertigo or ones that would like a refreshing new taste with a lower Nicotine content should definitely get a few cans. Snustopians that are into new flavors but are used to Nicotine contents above 8mg, may want to try a can as well.

If you’re a Snustopian that likes the Sterks, this snus may not be for you but, feel free to give it a try! Cans run around $3.75 and, if this is your first order, you can save 10% at SnusCENTRAL.com by clicking on the 10% banner to the right of this post!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found our trip thru Catch Chill Mint Vanilla mini portion informative. As always, I welcome your questions and comments and will try to answer them as soon as I can!

Happy Snussing,

That Snus Guy