I must first admit that, I’ve been a bit nervous about reviewing General Ekstra Sterk snus! As you all know, I do quite a bit of research before and during a review and, before actually tasting this snus, I went to a few forums, just to see what was being said about it.
Overall, the consensus was that General Ekstra Sterk was really, really strong! Since we began our journey thru snus and Snustopia, I’ve felt my tolerance to nicotine actually fall a little so, I worried what the “Strongest snus in the world” would do to me and, would I be able to give the same unbiased reviews you all have come accustomed to reading from me!
The answer……..you’ll have to read on to find out!
General Ekstra Sterk portion snus is another fine offering from the folks at Swedish Match. Ekstra Sterk was first launched in Norway at the end of October 2008 and is advertised as “The strongest snus in the world” for a good reason! Each original portion contains 15 mg. of Nicotine!I know what you’re thinking; “now that’s ALOT of Nicotine, Snus Guy!” It is but, it’s not what you think. There are some snus manufacturers out there whose only goal was purely to see how high they can get the Nicotine level to in their snus, no matter what it did to the taste. That’s not the case with Ekstra Sterk. Swedish Match not only raised the Nicotine level but, enhanced the flavor as well!
“Snus Guy…..You’re starting to sound like an advertisement for General! Less praise, more review!” Sorry, I got off track so, on to the taste!
I’ve heard that some snus lovers liken the taste to a mix of General Sterk and Onyx. I, on the other hand, get a completely different one! While Ekstra Sterk does maintain the salt and peppery citrus taste that we’ve all come to associate with most of the General portion brands, this snus has something different. “What could it be?” you may ask. A smoky component that really brings out the tobacco flavor! This is from a “Smoke food flavoring” that has been added to the recipe.
“Smoky flavor? Do you mean like actual smoke?” No. I guess the best way to explain it would be like this; if you remember back to my review on General Onyx, I had compared the taste of it to, a grilled Lemon with salt and pepper. Take that same analogy and, add hickory smoke and, a light, pure tobacco flavor to it and, you have the taste of Ekstra Sterk! It’s quite good actually.
The portions are a bit unique as well. While most General portions are 1 gram of snus each, Ekstra Sterk’s portions are a little more than 1 gram. This means instead of the usual 24 portions in a can, there are 22 in a can of Ekstra Sterk. As I said in the beginning, General Ekstra Sterk Portions are “Large, original” type portions. The material used is the same material that is used in General Original portions and, pretty easy on the gums.
I said in the Claq Qui review, higher Nicotine snus tend to leave a slight burn in the back of the throat and, can be bitter so, you would think Ekstra Sterk would have more than a slight burn since it has 15 mg. of Nicotine and, be quite bitter. Not so with Ekstra Sterk. Actually, there’s very little burn and, only gets bitter after about two hours of being in.
You’re probably sitting there saying “great taste review Snus Guy but, how about the Nicotine?” Well, it’s surprising really! One would think that there would be an immediate kick that would send your head spinning but, in my experience, not so! While you can definitely feel there is more Nicotine in Ekstra Sterk, it’s not what you would expect. Since the Nicotine in snus is released over time, the immediate kick one would expect is not there. What you get is a bigger release over time which, if you’re a new snus lover here in Snustopia, can feel like the first cigarette in the morning but, lasting about 30 minutes.
As for the length of time for a portion, I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with very little flavor loss but, can get a little bitter at the two and a half hours mark. For the new snus lover, I’d recommend General Ekstra Sterk portions as the first thing in the morning snus but, would take care until you get used to the higher Nicotine amount!
What to drink, you may ask? Look at pairings this way. Since Ekstra Sterk has a smoky flavor, drinks that go with smoky foods, go well with Ekstra Sterk. As you all know, Diet Coke is the first thing I try with ANY snus! It’s ok but, Southern Style Sweet Tea really goes well! Ekstra Sterk’s taste reminds me of barbeques we used to have when we lived down south. Sweet tea was always at every one. Lemonade is another great drink that pairs well.
If I could still drink beer, Guinness or another dark beer would go great! The smokiness and tobacco flavor would really come out with them. A nice Weiss bier would bring the citrus out as well!
Overall, General Ekstra Sterk Portion snus is a definite “must try” snus for all Snustopians! I really do recommend you try a can and experience the World’s Strongest Snus for yourselves. The average cost for a can is $3.75 USD at most online shops and, worth the purchase!
As always, I welcome your questions and comments and, will do my best to reply to them all!
Happy Snussing,
That Snus Guy!
3 comments:
I'm American, and new to snussing, and am just simply looking for something that gives me the first cigarette of the day buzz without having to smoke. I heard about Camel Snus in the states, but it hasn't been released yet so I went to buysnus.com to see what kind of imports there were. I saw the advertisement 'Strongest snus in the world', and ordered some Exstra yesterday. If what you say is right, I'm looking forward to the delivery. Good review!
Thanks Max!
I'm sure that Ekstra Sterk will give you that "First cigarette in the morning" kick!
Please post back once you get it and let me know what you think.
Sincerly,
That Snus Guy
What i want to ask is this snus treated as a smoke pot.I have lot of customised bowls which are generally used as the cigarette pots.
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