Different types of Snus and Göteborg's Rapé Lös

Today, we will not be visited by any part of Snustopia's ministries! Hurrah!! Instead, we are going to go forward with the difference between Lös snus and Portion snus. We will also review one of the staple snus here in Snustopia, Göteborgs Rapé Lössnus.

You may be asking yourself by now "It seems like we took the long way around the lake instead of taking the bridge!". In fact, we did. I took you this way because there may be some in the group that don't know the basics of snus and, it's important to know the basics in order to to enjoy your time here! Without knowing where snus comes from, you wouldn't know that it takes up to 7 days to get it. If you didn't know that snus can last up to a year in the freezer, you wouldn't know that you can save money by buying in bulk and, If we didn't explain how to read the Best Before date on the can, you would be throwing away good snus (which is frowned upon here in Snustopia!). Now that you know the reason for going the long way, let's move on to the 2 different types of snus.

Lössnus or, Loose snus in english, is the original snus that dates back over 200 years. it is basically the way it sounds, loose tobacco. Depending on the cut or grind, (Fine, Medium Fine, Coarse and Long) the appearance can range from wet mud to "American Dip". The picture to the right shows an open can or lös snus. In a way, the snus resembles the American snuff "Copenhagen". It should! Copenhagen's origins are in Sweden (meaning that Swedes that immigrated to the US in the 1800's brought the idea with them NOT that Cope is made in Sweden) so, the two are relatives if you will. The noticeable difference is, the Swedish Lössnus has more moisture than Copenhagen and is a bit finer of a grind. There are some snus brands that look identical to Copenhagen (Offroad Long cut) but that's where the similarities end. Since Swedish lössnus has more moisture, it will hold a shape better which means it's cleaner in the mouth amd, in my opinion, easier on the gums. The grind has a lot to do with mouth feel but, moisture is just as important. I mention moisture alot with lössnus simply because it plays a very large role in the overall enjoyment of the snus and, as a way to tell your snus is aging. As lössnus sits out, it will tend to dry out. As I mentioned in one of the previous chapters, you can rescue it with a couple of drops of the liquid of your choice to bring it back. Most residents of Snustopia will add a bit of liquor while others will use water. use whatever you prefer.

So, how do I use lössnus? Easy!!! There are 3 basic ways to use lös. Bonde or "Hillbilly" method, Hand Baking and using a portion tool (which is what I do). The Bonde method (which translates loosly to Farmer from Swedish but, I don't suggest using this word around Swedes since it is a deragetory word and will offend our friends to the North East) is basically the preferred method of "Dipping" only placing the portion in the upper lip instead of the lower lip. It is here where we need to intorduce a new word into your vocabulary, "Prilla" or "Pris". Pris (pronounced "Price") is the old world translation of "Portion". It is not used too often anymore. It has been replaced by "Prilla" which has the same meaning. In Snustopia we believe in tradition so, we will refer to a portion of lössnus as a "Pris". Outside the country, feel free to use either. :>).

The "Hand Baking" or "Hand Rolling" method is an art of taking a portion of snus and forming it into a cylinder shape by manipulating it with the fingers and the palm of your hand. When I began using Lös, I had a hard time getting it right. Even with the help of a video, I could not get the technique down just right. There is a video available at a very informative forum called SnusOn.com by a member named Zobeloot that shows the Hand Baking method. I am a member there and learned much of what I know about snus there. Please visit sometime and view the video.

The last method and, in my opinion the easiest is, Using a tool!! To the right, is a picture of an Icetool. This is the best tool to form the pris and, the official portion tool of Snustopia! There are cheaper tools out there but, in my opinion, the portions they make are not the correct shape and become flimsy over time. At about $2.00 USD, Prismaster is available at most online snus shops. For the beginner, they are a great training tool to see if you like lössnus. When you do make the decision and it's to use lös, I'd highly recommend purchasing an Icetool. Starting at around $40.00 USD they come in either Stainless Steel (The picture is of this model) or High grade Aluminum and assorted colors. They also come in two diameters. 3 ml and 5 ml. (3 ml is pictured) The way to deceide on the size of an Icetool is, Hand Bake first, decied on wheather a thick cylinder is more comfortable or a thin cylinder. Then purchase the size. If your like me, you purchase both. Sometimes I like a fatter cylinder over the thin one. I know your saying "Let me just go pick $90 off the money tree out back and be like you!! NOT!!". Let me just say, I didn't buy them at the same time. I bought the 3 ml first then, the 5 ml about a month later. Just remember, It's not necessary to buy an Icetool to use lös. The cheap Portionmaster will work until you make the decision. The Icetool will last long enough to pass down to your grandkids so, it's up to you but, all reviews on lössnus will use the 3 mi Icetool.

The method for the Icetool and the Portionmaster are the same. You just set the plunger to the desired length of the pris, push the tool down repeatedly to fill it, press the bottom of the tool against the can top to pack the

pris to the tightness desired, place the tool in your upper lip, just to the left or right of the piece of skin in the middle of your upper lip and press the plunger while moving the tool back and, enjoy the pris for as long as you desire! that's it! No messy hands like Hand Baking, and a neat pris in your lip with little or no mudslide. (as long as you leave it alone! the more you play with the pris with your tongue, the more you run the risk of a mudslide!) The picture to the left shows the tool and the finished pris using the 3ml tool. I promiss you, you will not be disapointed if you get an Icetool! So now, you've seen how we make a pris with lössnus and, what lössnus looks like. Let's go into our first taste review!

The first snus we will reviewing is Göteborgs Rapé Lös. Since we used this snus in the method piece above as an example, please refer to the pictures above for the look of the snus can and contents. This snus is made by Swedish Match and is one of the staple snus in it's line. The grind of this snus is Fine and the moisture level is perfect for either one of the 3 usage methods. Göteborg's Rapé has a medium nicotine level with a mild tobacco taste. Other tastes are of Juniper and herbs along with the ever present saltiness although not pronounced, just in the background. In my opinion, this can be used as an everyday snus and enjoyed with a variety of drinks. For those here in Snustopia that, like to kick back after a long day with a cup of coffee or Iced Tea, this is a great combination for relaxing. Since it has Juniper notes, Gin and Tonic made with either Bombay gin or Tangueray would be a great to enhance that flavor. For those of us that don't drink, Coffee and Tea will bring out the Tobacco and Herbal flavors quite well. I have this snus in my regular rotation and place it in my top 5 favorite snus. Depending on the method used to make the pris, the flavor lasts for up to 2 hours without going sour or bitter. I recommend keeping this snus in for around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours although the nicotine will have gone out within 45 minutes. Since it's not an Extra FIne grind, mudslides are at a minimum when keeping it in under 1 hr. Snustopia rates this snus an overall 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the lowest.

See. As I promissed, we have just posted our first review of a great Lössnus. I encourage you to try this snus and reply with what your opinion is and, we'll add it to the knowledge base here in Snustopia. Please remember, the reviews given are MY opinion of what I taste. You may taste other flavors that some won't. That's the great thing about Snus and Snustopia. Everyone's tastes are different and we want to know what you taste! I know I didn't explain the Portion snus but, I figured it's easier to give you the differences using a Portion snus rather than a lös so, tomorrow, we will explain the portion side and review a portion snus.