Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, reviewing another snus gem from the island of Gotland!

Welcome back Snustopians!

As I was taking one of my famous long walks thru the gardens of Skruf Square last week, my trip to Sweden was still on my mind. I was remembering a small park just off the main boulevard that has canals, like the ones in Holland, meandering thru it and had been there for over 100 years. It reminded me of my own gardens here in Snustopia but not as old. That’s when it hit me. Our next review should be on a snus that not only comes from a beautiful place in the home of snus but, have a lot of history that’s tied to that place. So, this week, we’ll be reviewing a snus that comes from the island of Gotland in Sweden and that snus is Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus.

I picked Jakobsson’s Classic for a few reasons. The first one is the fact that it’s made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB on the island of Gotland and has been made there since 1897. The new plant is actually located only a few miles where Jakob Jakobsson’s family farm is and where he came up with his recipe for his snus! While the basic recipe for Jakobsson’s Classic is more than 100 years old, the version we’ll be reviewing today was launched in 2008 with only a few changes. The second reason is because Gotlandssnus uses tobacco that’s grown right there on the island. This tobacco is called Alida and is grown only on the island of Gotland. So, now that you know a bit about the history of Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, let’s get to the review!



Like we learned in the beginning, Jakobsson’s Classic is a regular type portion snus made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB. Regular portions, as you all remember, are portions that go thru an added step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more water to the portion’s material. “Water Snus Guy? Are you sure it’s water? We thought it was a type of juice made from the snus!” I thought the same thing until my trip to Gothenburg but it is just plain, filtered water. The reason we think of the liquid being a “snus juice” is the fact that while the regular portions are in the can, the bit of added water helps the flavors in the snus to marry together and release its flavor faster when it’s in your lip. The byproduct of this is the portion material turning brown and that’s where we got the whole “Snus Juice” myth! Ok, back to the review.

The material that Gotlandssnus uses for Jakobsson’s Classic portion is the same soft teabag type material that they use in all of their snus and is pretty comfortable under the lip for about 2 hours. The Nicotine content in Jakobsson’s Classic is at the same level as all Gotlandssnus brands which are 9 mg per portion. Now, I know you all really get antsy when I describe the different cans that snus come in but Jakobsson’s Classic had a pretty unique one! If you’ve read the Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit review, you pretty much know what the can looks like but, since we may have some new visitors to Snustopia, I have to give the can its due!

Jakobsson’s Classic’s can is, quite possibly, one of the most unique cans I’ve come across. While its makeup is basic black plastic with a plasticized paper label, it’s the designs in and on it that make it unique. Gotlandssnus wanted the cans for the Jakobsson’s line to reflect where the snus came from so, since Gotland is a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, they decided to give the cans a nautical look. If you take a look at the top of the can, you’ll notice that there are notches on the lid that mimic the directional points on an antique compass! There are even degree hash marks between each directional waypoint. If you lift the center of the compass, you’ll find the used portion compartment underneath it and Gotlandssnus even embellished the bottom of the compartment with an old mapmaker’s directional key. The inside bottom of the can has the same mark. “It’s a pretty cool can Snus Guy! But, does the snus taste as good as the can looks?” Well, let’s take a look!

Gotlandssnus describes Jakobsson’s Classic as having a classic, memorable taste of snus, with an undertone of citrus. I know what you’re saying “Snus Guy, what does classic and memorable taste like?” I agree that using “Classic” and “Memorable” as taste descriptions really don’t make sense to Snustopians that have never tried snus or, seasoned Snustopians that haven’t tried Jakobsson’s before so, let’s try to describe it in a language that everyone can understand! The main taste in Jakobsson’s Classic is, obviously, tobacco but Gotlandssnus uses Alida tobacco along with other hand selected tobaccos from around the world so, what you taste is the earthy, leather flavor from the other tobaccos and a light herbal, grassy flavor that Alida tobacco is known for. Alida also imparts a slight sweetness that kind of offsets the light peppery flavor the other tobaccos also have.

The citrus flavor is another unique thing in Jakobsson’s Classic because it’s more of an orange, lemon flavor rather than the typical bergamot taste that is used in most snus when referring to “citrus”. When you combine all the flavor elements in Jakobsson’s Classic, you get a portion snus that is balanced in flavor and definitely Gotlands! The downside to Jakobsson’s Classic is that it has the same characteristic that all of Gotlandssnus’ snus brands do regarding the length of time the flavor lasts. I’ve had a portion in for about 2 hours and suddenly, the flavor gets bitter. I look at it this way, The Swedish use a portion for anywhere between 15 minutes and 45 minutes and swap it out for a new one. Gotlandssnus was created for use in Sweden so; anything over 45 minutes with the flavor is a definite bonus! Now, what to drink with Jakobsson’s Classic!

My staple drinks of Diet Coke and Monster Energy drink were the first I tried and I have to tell you that Diet Coke and Jakobsson’s Classic went really well together. This was due to the lemony notes in the snus that actually made a taste close to a Diet Coke with Lemon. The acidity in the Diet Coke also helped to bring out the tobacco flavor as well. The Monster didn’t do that well since its flavor was a bit too strong for the snus but the one thing that did go well with Jakobsson’s Classic was an Arnold Palmer! “Hey Snus Guy, how could a golf pro go well with a snus?” No, no, not that Arnold Palmer, the drink! For those of you that don’t know what an Arnold Palmer is, it’s made with half sweet iced tea and half lemonade. It’s named after its creator, Arnold Palmer, and really goes well with Jakobsson’s Classic. The iced tea flavor helped to enhance the tobaccos and the lemonade brought out the citrus. It’s really the best combination!

My overall recommendation for Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, Snustopians, is this; Jakobsson’s Classic is truly an historic snus that’s unique to Sweden due to the Alida tobacco. Snustopians that want to experience a snus that has the classic flavors of tobacco and citrus but, like a portion that’s a bit lighter in flavor, Jakobsson’s Classic is the snus for you. Seasoned Snustopians will find Jakobsson’s Classic’s orange and lemon mix a refreshing change from the normal bergamot as well but, I’ll let you decide! At approximately $3.19 USD a can at Snustopia’s favorite snus shop, Northerner.com, you really can’t go wrong by adding a can or two to your next order! Just be sure to tell them That Snus Guy sent you and get 10% off if you're a first time customer!
Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour of Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus and found it informative and fun and encourage you to leave any questions, comments or suggestions you may have about Jakobsson’s Classic or any snus! I look forward to reading and answering them as soon as I can.

So, until our next review Snustopians, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

http://www.snustest.com/

Montecristo Portion snus, our first “Cuban” snus review!

Greetings Snustopians!

This week, I was sitting here in my office at the Ministry of Information trying to brief my colleagues on the wonderful things that I saw and learned during my trip to Sweden. While we were talking, I decided to grab a can of snus out of my mini fridge and I saw a snus that I had completely forgot about, Montecristo portion snus! You see, when Larry, from SnusCENTRAL, and I first arrived at our hotel in Gothenburg, we decided to find a snus store in the train station below our hotel. We found a small gift shop that had a snus cooler (almost every shop in Gothenburg has a snus cooler of some sort) and decided to take a look. What we saw was all different brands of snus but the Cuban snus is what caught my eye! So, I decided to buy a couple of cans of each brand and try them all! I thought I used all the Montecristo I bought in Sweden but I had inadvertently put one in my checked bag. I pulled it out of the fridge and remembered a quote I had read in an ad that described Montecristo portions snus as the “Champagne of snus”. That’s when I adjourned the briefing and decided we were going to find out why Montecristo portion snus is known as the “Champagne of snus”! So, if you’re ready, let’s begin our review Montecristo portion snus by Taboca AS.



“Hey Snus Guy, isn’t Montecristo a cigar company?” Well, no actually. Montecristo, in the cigar world, is a very famous brand name. The cigars are produced by a manufacturer for the Montecristo brand. The same is true of Montecristo snus. The manufacturer of the Montecristo brand is Taboca AS and the snus is manufactured in Sweden. “But Snus Guy, you said that Montecristo is a Cuban snus! How can a snus be Cuban but, made in Sweden?” Hold on, you’re getting ahead of me! Let me explain a bit. Montecristo snus actually has 3 countries to thank for its taste! The first country is, obviously, Cuba because the tobacco used for the snus is 100% hand selected tobacco from all over the island. The second country is Norway. Taboca AS uses only pure mountain water from Norway to manufacture Montecristo and the last country we have to thank for Montecristo is Sweden! Taboca takes both of these elements and manufacturers Montecristo to the same high standards that all Swedish snus is made so, now you know how a Cuban snus can be a Swedish snus as well and we’ve uncovered one of the reasons that Montecristo portion snus is called the “Champagne of snus”. Now, let’s take a look at the portions themselves!

The material that Taboca uses for Montecristo is the same kind that they use in all of their portion snus and is pretty comfortable under the lip for over two hours. They are also classified as regular portions meaning that they go thru the extra step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more moisture to each portion but, not just any moisture! This is where more of the pure Norwegian mountain water is used that also adds another flavor element to the snus, how quick the flavor is released in the lip! It only takes a minute or two to taste the flavors and once you do, the flavor lasts for over two hours! Each can of Montecristo has 24, one gram portions as well! “Ok Snus Guy, but what about the Nicotine?” The Nicotine level in Montecristo is another reason to call it the “Champagne of snus” in the fact that there is 11 mg of Nicotine per portion but there isn’t the kick you would expect with a snus that has that higher Nicotine content. While some new Snustopians that are used to 8 mg of Nicotine in snus may feel it more, most Snustopians don’t.

The can that Montecristo comes in is unique as well. It has a metal can that’s painted in the famous Montecristo color scheme that is on their cigar boxes, with the Montecristo logo on the lid and the gold and black chasing around the outside of the lid but, that’s not the only thing making it unique. The paint that Taboca uses almost has a rubberized feel to it that allows you to keep a firm grip on the can even if it were to get wet! Montecristo’s lid also makes a great seal with the bottom of the can that really keeps the moisture in. The only down side to the can is the absence of a used portion compartment. “Snus Guy, you’re obsessing about the can again! We want to know how it tastes already!” Sorry, the can is pretty cool though! Ok, enough about the can, let’s go to the taste.

In the past, whenever I’ve heard the words Montecristo and tobacco together, I would automatically think great cigars. Actually, this is pretty much the norm in the states since Montecristo snus is relatively new in the tobacco world. While the Montecristo brand has been on fine Cuban cigars since the 1930’s and on Dominican cigars since the 50’s, Montecristo snus was launched in 2008. Just like the cigars that share its name, the taste is unmistakably unique! Taboca describes Montecristo as having a rich tobacco taste and flavors of lemon and bergamot. The rich tobacco taste comes from the Cuban tobacco. If you have ever experienced smoking a Montecristo Cuban cigar, you’ll be able to tell the distinct flavor of Cuban tobacco. For those Snustopians that have never smoked a Cuban cigar or, are living in America, Cuban tobacco has a unique flavor that distinguishes it from its cousin Dominican tobacco. Cuban tobaccos tend to have a peppery flavor with earthy, leathery undertones and a touch of flowers that almost give it a black tea flavor while Dominican tobaccos have just the opposite.

The other flavor element in Montecristo is the citrus. While the description states that there are Lemon/bergamot flavors, I can only taste lemon. But that’s not a bad thing. Since there is a smaller amount of salt in Montecristo than other Swedish snus, you can really taste the tobacco and lemon. These flavors combined with the hint of salt and slight flowery elements give Montecristo the taste of a fine Black tea and another reason to be called the “Champagne of snus”. Now what to drink with Montecristo portion snus? This may surprise you.

“Couldn’t we just drink the same things we would with a fine Cuban cigar Snus Guy?” Well, yes and no actually. While the flavor of Montecristo portion snus is unmistakably Cuban, it’s not as strong as it is in the cigars. That and the fact of being able to taste not only the tobacco from the end of the cigar but the flavor of the smoke as well so, drinks that have strong flavors like dark beers, strong liquors and energy drinks will drown out the delicate flavors in the snus. What I did try was my staple Diet Coke first. The Diet Coke’s flavor went well but the artificial sweetener made the snus bitter. Iced Black teas like Earl Grey did extremely well in bringing out the tea flavor in Montecristo. The bergamot in Earl Grey helped to enhance the lemon flavor and the tea complements the tobacco taste and brings the peppery taste to the front more. “But what about drinks like brandy and other aperitifs Snus Guy? Are they too strong?” Not really. I had to enlist my typical band of Guinea Pigs for this part of the review!

I had them try a few different after dinner drinks; one would have with a fine cigar, with Montecristo portion snus and asked them what they thought. The first one we tried was Hennessy Cognac and they all felt that the cognac was much too strong a flavor for Montecristo snus. The next one was rum. While we really wanted to try it with a Cuban rum, we couldn’t get our hands on some so we picked a close match which was a fine Puerto Rican rum, Bacardi Superior. Some sipped it straight while the others chose to drink a Mojito. Both were good but, the Bacardi Superior straight fared better. The last, and best according to my Guinea Pigs, was Grand Marnier! The light orange flavor mixed with the lemon flavor in the snus and the Cuban tobacco to create a taste that is a perfect match. The sweetness in the Grand Marnier also created another depth and helped to round everything out. So, for non-alcoholic drinks, Iced Earl Grey tea is the favorite and for after dinner drinks, Grand Marnier wins out!

My overall recommendation for Montecristo portion snus by Taboca AS Snustopians is this; Montecristo is definitely the “Champagne of snus” in design and taste. For Snustopians that are looking to try a snus that’s truly unique, Montecristo is the one to try. New Snustopians that want to experience a higher Nicotine snus with a smoother flavor than most will do well with Montecristo as well. The downside is that Montecristo is not available to U.S. residents at this time but, if you find yourself traveling to Sweden or other countries in Europe, I really recommend you give Montecristo a try.

For you Snustopians that live outside the U.S., the best place to get Montecristo portion snus is at Northerner.com. They have Montecristo portion snus at a great price and deliver almost anywhere!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour thru Montecristo portion snus and found in fun and informative. I invite you to ask any questions or leave comments about our tour by clicking the comments link at the bottom of this article. I look forward to reading them and will answer them all as soon as I can.

So Snustopians, until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy