Kardus 2008 Limited Edition, In a league of it's own

Welcome back Snustopians! I know I said in the past that, I'd try to get reviews out to you every couple of days but, this snus took some time to compile. Each time I try a new snus flavor, I usually spend a day or two using only that snus so, I can give my honest opinion about it. Every once in a while, I come across one that takes more time due to the snus' taste complexity and/or texture. This would be one of those times. Since this is a limited edition run, I realize that it may be sold out before you have the chance to purchase it but, fear not Snustopians! The best things in life are definitely worth waiting for! So, without any further ranting by me, I present to you, Kardus 2008 - Limited Edition Snus.

Industries world wide have what would be called "The best of the best" within each line. For example, the best, most luxurious car would probably be the Rolls Royce. Private jets would most likely be the Gulfstream V. Even food and common drink have their best of the best. For Steak, Kobe Beef would be the one. Even beer has it's best reserve, made by Sam Adams called Utopia so, why not snus! Here in Snustopia, Kardus fills that spot. I could cut and paste quotes and links to Swedish Match's site to complete the review but, as you guys know, I'm not like that and, neither is Snustopia. At the end of the review, I'll attach the link to their official press release site so you all can read it.

Kardus 2008 has been four years in the making starting from the ageing of the tobacco to final production. Most snus is produced, presently, by machine but, Kardus is a completely hand made lössnus which alone, makes it special. By hand made, I mean completely hand made. Even the wooden box it's presented in is hand made by Ulf Mellström, who trained at the Carl Malmsten Center for Wood Technology and Design. a picture of this beautiful and unique box is pictured to the left. The tobacco for Kardus is made from tobaccos from Hungary and India which are air cured. Then, once the tobacco has aged, it's hand cut. Not fed into a machine by hand but, a person using a cutter and hand cutting each leaf! Swedish Match wanted Kardus to taste of extremely high quality, single malt whiskey and, have done so! Upon opening the plastic can inside the box, your first smell is of a single malt whiskey. Swedish Match definately hit the nail on the head with this flavor. I know what your thinking, "why couldn't we just stick a spoonful of Makers Mark in a tin of Phantom Original lös?" Because Kardus is more than that. The flavor is very unique. SM's website states that it tastes of spicy Tropics and windswept Scottish moors. Well, in my opinion, It does have a spicy note but, since I've only seen the Scottish moors on tv and, they haven't invented Smell-o-vision yet, I get a completely different taste.

As I've told you all in past reviews, I'm not a drinker and, I was a bit standoffish when I smelled the whiskey in Kardus but, I was willing to sacrifice myself for the land I love, Snustopia, and, put in a pris and was really surprised! I thought the whiskey would be the predominant flavor but, it's not. You can defiantly taste the essence of a fine malt whiskey but, it smells more powerful than it tastes. The flavors of the fine tobaccos really shine thru! The odd thing about Kardus is, there was really no salt taste. Just pure tobaccos and fine whiskey.

My dad always said "Simple is always best" and now I know exactly what he meant. Swedish Match succeeded in doing exactly what they set out to do with Kardus. Create a special, one of a kind snus that didn't play on trying to synthesize any flavors. Just add the components that will let the pure tobacco taste shine thru with, a little single malt and salt to help it along. Ok, so now you get, I hope, the taste of Kardus. I know it wasn't as long as I normally do but, I wanted to keep it simple, just as Swedish Match kept Kardus' taste.

"So, if the snus is hand cut, wouldn't that make the pris uncomfortable or, hard to bake?" That's a really good question! As any Snustopian who has used American dip will tell you, long or rough cut tobacco will hold a pinch better than finer cuts. Since the surface area of each grain of a rougher cut of tobacco is greater, there's more space for other grains of tobacco to grab onto, making it easier to mold! This is actually the only snus I've been able to hand bake a pris and, have it stay together longer than 15 minutes. The pris I have in now has kept it's shape for over an hour! I normally recommend using an Icetool for most lös but, Kardus is different. When I first opened Kardus I instinctively grabbed my Icetool and began trying to load it up. First mistake! Since the snus is hand cut, you don't get the consistent pieces you normally get with machine cutting so, during shipment, the smaller pieces settled to the bottom. When I loaded the pris in my lip, I got a layered pris. The bottom stayed together and, the bigger pieces on top fell apart. This just added to the whole Kardus experience for me. A simply flavored snus that hearkens back to earlier times should be hand baked! Once I got the new pris in, total joy! The tobacco is very easy on the gums when hand baked. After a few more times with the Icetool, I got a good pris but, the edges are hard and makes the pris uncomfortable. I definitely recommend the hand bake method for Kardus.

As we all know, most snus is great with different beverages and, I normally give you my suggestions for what will go well with it. In the case of Kardus, nothing I'm able to drink will go well. "SnusGuy! Are you saying Kardus isn't good enough for any drink? Even Diet Coke!" No. What I'm saying is, Kardus was designed to be the world's most exclusive snus. It's also the most expensive snus on the market. A box of Kardus 2008, with 100 grams of snus, will run you around 60$ USD plus shipping. Since I can't drink anything alcoholic, all non alcoholic drinks, with exception to H2O, will ruin the taste experience. Think of Kardus as an after dinner Cognac. A snus meant to be enjoyed after a great dinner or, just relaxing after a hard day at work. If I could drink, however, A snifter of Cognac or a single malt on the rocks would only enhance the flavor and enjoyment!

Even though Kardus is expensive, it's definitely an experience everyone in Snustopia should experience at least once. I like to have a pris after the week is over whenI have the time to just sit in the study, listen to some Mozart or Bach and relax. If it is sold out, Swedish Match has been putting out a version of Kardus every December since 2006 (it may be longer but, that's as far as my research has led me). I hope all of you, resident Snustopians and tourists, get the chance to try Kardus 2008 Limited Edition. I look forward to what you have to say about it so, please post replies so other Snustopians can see what others taste!

Click here to read the press release for Kardus 2008 from Swedish Match!