Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus, reviewing a snus with a surprising twist!

Greetings Snustopians!

Today I thought we would review another fruit flavored snus that really threw me when I was beginning my foray into the wonderful world of Swedish snus, Skruf Cranberry or Tranbär. Why did it throw me, you ask? The answer is simple really. When I was doing research for my first order of Swedish snus, the descriptions that most online snus shops had back then were not very clear on what flavor the snus actually was.

The reason for this, as I have said in the past, is the fact that Americans were just beginning to discover Swedish snus and, most online shops were in Sweden. Therefore, the descriptions were just translated from Swedish to English and some of the descriptors would be lost or, not really make sense. Skruf Cranberry was, in some shops, a victim of this. So, I decided that it was time that this snus had a proper review so all Snustopians could make an informed decision when making their purchases! So, without further delay, let’s review Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus.

Skruf Cranberry is another snus made by the folks at Skruf AB. It is a regular portion type snus which, as you remember, goes thru the additional wetting step to add a bit more moisture and flavor. “Hey Snus Guy, I thought that Skruf portion snus is a bit less wet when it comes to the portions?” You’re correct! Skruf’s additional wetting process does add less additional moisture because the snus inside is a bit more moist than most. It’s a pretty unique process which makes the portion material a bit more comfortable in the lip and lets the flavor last quite a bit longer! The portion material is the same tea bag type material that Skruf uses in all of its portion snus and also adds to the comfortable feel. I’ve had a portion in for over 3 hours with very little discomfort. Skruf Cranberry also has 9 mg of Nicotine per portion and there are 24, one gram portions in each can.

The can its self is also the same white plastic can that Skruf uses for all its portion snus and also has a compartment on the main lid for used portions. The label is clear and covers the gap between the can and the lid to keep air out. You may notice that the word “Tranbär” actually translates into “Cranberries” unlike other snus that describes the flavor as “cranberry” but has another word on the label. There is a really cool thing with all Skruf labels though! “Are you about to go into story telling mode Snus Guy?” Actually, yes I am because this is a trick that I learned from another Snustopian and I promised I’d let everyone know about it!

If you’re like me, I seem to have a fetish about making sure the top and bottom of my snus cans are lined up. I think it’s due to the fact that most labels on snus cans have either graphics or lettering that extend over the point where the lid meets the can. For example, General Snus cans have their logo extend past the top and up the edge of the lid and it bugs me when they are not aligned. Skruf, on the other hand, doesn’t. But it does have an alignment point! If you look at the barcode, at the upper right, you’ll see an arrow. On the stripe that’s on the edge of the lid, you’ll see a white arrow. Just align the two tips and presto, the lid and the can are in perfect alignment! I know, my OCD is beginning to show so, let’s continue on with the flavor of Skruf Cranberry!

Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) really does taste like cranberries. In actuality, it has the taste of Cranberry juice. If you have ever had fresh cranberries straight from the field, you know that they are pretty sour and bitter tasting. So, to say that Skruf Cranberry tastes just like fresh cranberries would not be completely accurate. On the other hand, to say that it tastes like cranberries that grandma serves at Thanksgiving would be just as inaccurate. I don’t know about you Snustopians but, my grandma was a staunch believer in the “canned” variety and Skruf Cranberry tastes nothing like that! “So, what are you driving at Snus Guy? What does Skruf Cranberry taste like?” Like I said, Cranberry juice would be the most accurate taste I can give.

I say cranberry juice because I believe this would be the midpoint of what everyone would think cranberries taste like. Not overly tart and lightly sweet. Not everyone has had the opportunity to taste a “fresh from the field” cranberry and I know that, at least once in your lives, you have had the canned cranberry glop. Almost everyone has had Cranberry Juice in one form or another and the taste of Skruf Cranberry is pretty close to it. What I get is a cranberry juice flavor with some peppery notes which I attribute to the tobacco. It’s not an “in your face” cranberry flavor like Offroad Cranberry, it’s a mild flavor that works really well with the tobacco. The flavor also lasts a pretty long time as well. I’ve had a portion in for about 3 hours before the flavor went a bit off. I’d recommend a 2 hour max for the best feel and flavor enjoyment. The really unique thing I found with Skruf Cranberry though, is the smell!

No, I don’t mean that Skruf Cranberry stinks or smells bad. On the contrary, it smells pretty good but there are some unique qualities in it. For example, when I first opened a can of Skruf Cranberry straight from the fridge, I got a pretty pleasant cranberry smell with very little of the tobacco or ammonia smell that’s typical of Swedish snus in general. As the can sat out at room temperature for a few hours, the scent changed to cranberry with a hint of a banana. “Snus Guy, have you been chain snusing Oden’s ES again? Banana smells in a cranberry flavored snus?” I know it sounds a bit weird but, there is a banana type scent that comes out after the snus sits out for a couple of hours. It doesn’t change the flavor in any way and, the combination of the two scents is actually quite nice. What I didn’t smell, even after leaving the can out for 24 hours, was Ammonia! Now that you know the flavor and scents of Skruf Cranberry portion snus, let’s take a look at what to drink with it.

Since we all know that I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I tried Skruf Cranberry with my usual staple drinks, Diet Coke, Monster Energy Drink and Iced Tea. All three went really well, with the Monster taking first place but, I did want to see how the snus would fare with a couple of alcoholic beverages so; I enlisted the help of a few members of the Ministry Of Information to lend a hand or, a tongue! First up was a drink known as “Sex on the Beach” but I’ve known it as a Vodka and cranberry. According to the members of MOI, it was the perfect pairing! The snus helped to add another peppery dimension to the drink and the Vodka helped to enhance the true flavor of the snus. I also had them try Skruf Cranberry with beer.

Since it’s one of the most commonly consumed alcoholic drinks, I wanted to see how Skruf Cranberry would do with certain beers so, I had them try a plain IPA and it did well but it didn’t do too well with darker beers like porters or stouts, like Guinness. The lighter beers like IPA’s let the cranberry shine thru and enhance the flowery notes in the beer while with the stronger beers like Guinness, it completely overpowered the snus. My recommendations for drinks go to Monster Energy, iced tea, Vodka and Cranberry and lighter beers like IPA’s and ales.

So, my overall recommendation for Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) Snustopians is this; New Snustopians looking for a cranberry snus to add to their first order will enjoy Skruf Cranberry due to its mild taste and 9 mg of Nicotine. Snustopians that are looking for a snus to add to their current rotation that has a true cranberry flavor but not overly sweet or synthetic tasting will like Skruf Cranberry as well. Fans of the Extra Strong/Sterk/Stark race will probably like the flavor but will miss the Nicotine kick since Skruf Cranberry is not like Skruf Stark in its Nicotine levels but, I will leave the decision up to you. At approximately $3.72 USD at Snustopia’s favorite place to buy snus, The Northerner, you really can’t go wrong by adding a can or two to your order. And remember, if you’re a first time customer, you can get 10% off by clicking on the banner to the right! Just tell em’ That Snus Guy sent you!

Well my fellow Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour thru Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus and found it fun and informative. I look forward to reading and answering any questions, comments or suggestions you may have. I will try to answer them as quickly as I can!

As always, Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy