Gotländs Julesnus, The original Christmas snus!

Well, my dear Snustopians, There's only 2 days left before Christmas and, I figured now would be the perfect time to review the original Julesnus, Gotländs Julesnus. You may be wondering why I waited this long after reviewing V2's Nordströmmen's Julesnus to do the review on Gotländs. I did this for three reasons. First off, V2 released their version first so, once I received it, I was excited to tell you about it. Second, I wanted to really spend time with Gotländs' so I could give an accurate review of it without getting it confused with V2's. Third, what better time to review a snus that was specifically created for Christmas than, as close to the holiday as I could! I know what you saying, "Jeeze SnusGuy, you waited until the end of the season to review this one and we may not be able to get any!" Not to worry Snustopians, Julesnus is not like Kardus. Both versions will be available until the end of the year and, it's not a limited run. They simply stop producing at the end of the year. You'll have a chance to get it if, you already haven't! So, Let's get right into the review of Gotländs Julesnus!


If you guys are anything like me, Christmastime holds alot of great memories for me. It's a time for being with friends and family, Christmas Carols and great feasts with Turkey, glazed ham, cookies of all kinds, Gingerbread and spiced ciders! And, of course, presents! I personally, like giving presents more than receiving but, every once in a while, I get a present that totally blows me away! This year, Gotländssnus gave the snus world a very special present, Julesnus!


Gotländssnus was the first to create a Julesnus in 2003 and has been producing it ever since. Like V2's, Gotländs Julesnus comes in both lös and portion versions. The portions are a white portion snus and, have a great feel in the lip. As I've said in previous reviews, white portions are dry and, can have a bit of a rough feel in the lip due to them being dry. Gotlands Julesnus, in my opinion, doesn't have that rough texture. The portions are soft to the touch. Even after an hour, there's no irritation to speak of.


The lös version is a fine cut snus with a great mouth feel as well. Although handbaking would be traditional, I recommend using an Icetool or Prismaster with Gotlands Julesnus unless, you have perfected your handbaking skills! Why, you ask? Simple. Because the cut is a bit fine and, the moisture level is lower, it takes a bit of working to get a pris that will keep it's shape longer than 15 minutes. Since my handbaking skills are not the best, The tools give me the best pris with Julesnus but, feel free to to try it either way! The cans in both versions are made of plastic, as is all Gotlandssnus, with the lid being embossed with the company's mascot and the year in Roman numerals. Now, on to the taste.

You may be wondering why I spoke earlier about the memories that Christmastime brings me. No, it's not because I over-researched General Ekstra Sterk tonight! It's because Gotlands Julesnus tastes just like Christmas. Gotlands describes their Julesnus to taste of Glögg (Mulled Wine), Gingerbread and Cinnamon. The Gingerbread and Cinnamon you all know of but, Glögg you may not. Glögg is a red wine, flavored with mulling spices like Clove, Cinnamon and other sweet spices. If you remember the review of V2's Julesnus, you'll remember that the predominant flavor in their Julesnus was Glögg. With Gotlands version, the Glögg takes a subtle backseat to the Gingerbread and Cinnamon. The best part is, the base flavors are not different in the portions. The only difference here is, flavor strength. In my opinion, the portions have a bit more flavor initially and, is gone within an hour. The lös, has a subtle flavor in the beginning and, gets a bit stronger after 20 minutes and lasts up to 1½ hours. Every time I put in a portion or pris, fond memories of Christmases past come flooding in. I guess the best way to describe the taste of Gotlands Julesnus is, the scent of a Christmas Candle and the taste of a Gingerbread cookie! The way I remember my Grandma's kitchen smelling at Christmas!

So, what to drink with Julesnus. Well, in my opinion, Gotlands Julesnus would be considered a "dessert" snus. Due to it's complex flavors, it tends to be subtly sweet. I'd pair it with a good, after dinner brandy, a mildly dry, red wine or, in my case, a mild, unsweetened, tea. I've had it with black coffee and honestly, it made the snus and the coffee bitter. My staple Diet Coke goes well too but, the best thing I've had with Gotlands Julesnus is, Spiced cider! The sweetness of the apples in the cider and the reinforcement of the same spices in both really plays well to bring out the gingerbread flavor and, ironically, the light flavor of the tobacco!

There is a slight dark side to this snus though that I feel you all should know. The portion version can get bitter when left in for more than 45 minutes. Unfortunately, this is a trait with most of Gotlands' portions. This doesn't mean that the snus is bad or, on my list of snus I don't care for. It's just that you can't leave the portion in for more than 45 minutes! I look at it this way. Most Swedes only keep snus in for anywhere between 15 minutes and a half an hour. Me keeping snus in for longer than that, without flavor loss, is a bonus!

My recommendation for Gotlands Julesnus is outstanding! I highly recommend you get yourselves at least a few cans and experience the tradition from the company that began it. So, to end where we began, meaning, why I talked about memories, Christmas really does bring back the best memories! I have a roll of each in the freezer so, during those hot, summer months, I can break out a can or two and, relive those memories created when it was cooler!

Well Snustopians, I want to take the opportunity, here in the end, to wish all of you, and your families, a safe and joyous Christmas! May all your Christmas wishes come true!

Happy Snussing!