I was sitting here in my office today at the Ministry of Information, going thru all the reviews we’ve done together and, something struck me. We’ve done quite a few reviews on strong/ Sterk snus brands but left one important one out!It’s important because it could be considered the snus that started the whole strong/ Sterk/ stark campaign that is currently going on. So I decided to do it before I completely forgot about it! Today’s review will be on a snus that could also be considered General Ekstra Sterk’s weaker little brother, General Sterk White portion snus.
General Sterk White is a strong, White portion snus, made by Swedish Match. I’m going to go a little in depth on the can because there is a phrase on it that only General Sterk White and General Ekstra Sterk has and, it may be a bit confusing if we don’t explore it!
The can is made of the same plastic that all General portion cans are but, gray in color just like General White Portion. It also has the second compartment in the lid for used portions or, if you’re like me, a portion or two of another type!
Here, though, is where the confusing part is. On the label of General Sterk, you’ll see the phrase “Norwegian Edition”. Now, before you all make the assumption that this snus was made in Norway (like I did in the beginning), Sterk is made in Sweden just like ALL General snus is. The reason for the “Norwegian Edition” being on the label is this. Snus is very popular in Norway and, Norwegian smokers that are using snus to quit smoking, have asked for a portion snus with a higher Nicotine content than what was previously made by General.
Don’t get me wrong, Americans were asking the same thing but, Norway is a premier market for General and, America is still a new market for Swedish snus. In response to the requests from that market, General made both Ekstra Sterk and Sterk White a “Norwegian Edition”! I know, long way around a short explanation! So, let’s go into the snus its self.
General Sterk is a White portion snus which means that the portion material is dry. I know what you’re saying, “Snus Guy! This means the snus has not gone thru the extra step to make the material wet, right?” Absolutely correct! Even though the portions have not gone thru the extra step though, the material is still pretty comfortable under the lip.
General Sterk has 11 mg of Nicotine in each 1 gram portion. The portions are also arranged in the famous “Star” pattern like General Onyx. This makes the portions into a wedge shape that makes them even more comfortable in my opinion.
“Ok Snus Guy, enough about cans and shape! We want to know about the taste!” Oh yea, the taste! Well, the taste is basically the same as General White portion snus. With a twist! The flavors I get are Salt, a lemony, peppery taste and tobacco.
I said that Sterk’s taste is basically the same as White because, most new snus users will usually start with the General brand simply because of two reasons: One, for Americans, General White can be purchased locally in some areas of the US and two, General is the brand that is most talked about. (You can check to see if General is available near you by checking their Store Locator.)
The way the flavors play together is pretty great and, as with all strong snus, the burn from the higher Nicotine content is pretty low. Although the release of these flavors takes a bit, in my experience, the flavor comes out about five to ten minutes after the portion is in and, lasts for a good hour. Remember, the 11 mg of Nicotine will be pretty much released after about 45 minutes and, after that, it’s pretty much flavor. I’ve had a portion in for over an hour with the flavor still being released. I’d say the maximum time would be about an hour and a half and, the flavor is pretty much gone.
Now, what to drink? Well, as you have read in the last review, I pretty much keep the Diet Coke brand in business with the amount I drink in a day so; Diet Coke does go well with General Sterk! It really does enhance the lemony flavor while counteracting the saltiness. I’ve had it with Iced Tea to great success as well as, surprisingly, carbonated Mineral Water! No not soda water like, club soda, naturally carbonated Mineral water. Like the kind that is imported from Poland. The flavors, particularly the citrus, in the snus, along with the carbonation and light, salty taste of the water, make it taste like San Pellegrino limonata to me!
Well Snustopians, I hope you’ve enjoyed our excursion thru General Sterk White portion snus. I recommend that you all try a can and experience it for yourselves. The average cost for Sterk White is around $3.65 USD which, for a Sterk, is a pretty reasonable price and if you get it at Snustopia's favorite snus shop, The Northerner, you can save 10% on your first order by clicking on the banner to the right!
As always, I welcome your questions and comments and will do my best to answer them as soon as I can. If you do try General Sterk White, please post your opinion! I'd be curious to see what your thoughts are!
Until our next review,
Happy Snussing!
That Snus Guy
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