Welcome back Snustopians!I was sitting in my office this week looking over all the reviews we’ve done so far when I realized that my 1 year anniversary with Swedish snus was last Sunday! Well, I actually didn’t remember it until the guys from my Ministry of Information presented me with an anniversary gift while they were singing the Snustopian National Anthem. It is a beautiful tune and sounds a bit like the theme song from Sanford and Son! At least that’s how the guys played it. Anyway, the gift they presented me with was a roll of a snus we’ve mentioned in a previous review but, never really did a proper review of. That snus is Nick & Johnny Stark portion snus.
If you remember back to the review of its siblings, Nick & Johnny East and West, we only mentioned Stark in passing but it’s the only one of the past Nick & Johnny family to avoid being discontinued. So, I figured if this flavor made it, we need to find out why it did and what makes it so special. Now, if you’re all ready, grab a comfortable seat, your favorite snus and a cold drink and get ready to discover Nick & Johnny Stark portion snus!
I know what you’re all saying, “Snus Guy, why would your Ministry of Information give you Nick & Johnny
Stark as an anniversary present? We all know your favorite is Skruf!” Well, I think it’s because either they really like Nick & Johnny Stark or, I’ve been working them too hard lately and they were trying to make a point! Either way, I’ve been meaning to do a review on it for some time now. Nick & Johnny Stark was introduced to the snus world by Swedish Match in 2007 and, at that time, was the second strongest snus in the Swedish Match line behind General Onyx. It was also released as a totally new flavor with a focus on the younger crowd.“Hey Snus Guy, why did they decide to call it Nick & Johnny?” That may surprise you! According to Swedish Match, Nick & Johnny were actually real guys and the snus was named after them. The sketch on the used portion compartment cap is of one of them! Whether or not this is the actual way Nick & Johnny was named, Nick & Johnny Stark is a unique snus in its flavor and Nicotine content so, let’s find out why! But first, let’s take a look at the basics of it then we’ll get to the flavors.
Nick & Johnny Stark is classified as a regular type portion since it goes thru the final step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more water to each portion which helps the flavors marry and release its flavor faster when it’s in your lip. The material that Swedish Match uses for Nick & Johnny Stark is the same soft, teabag type material that they use in all their portion snus and stays pretty comfortable in the lip. I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with no discomfort to speak of just a bit of wrinkling. Each can of Nick & Johnny Stark has 24 portions that have 1 gram of snus in each one. The Nicotine level in them is 11 mg each which is why this version is named Stark or Strong.
The can that Nick & Johnny Stark comes in is pretty cool in the fact that it’s made of a white pearlescent plastic with a plasticized paper label. The lid is where the used portion compartment is and its cap has a sketch of one of the guys on its label. The can is round which is unique because the other two Nick & Johnny flavors, that have been discontinued, were square and part of the reason they were cut but, I’m letting my can obsession get the best of me so, before you all say anything, let’s go on to the flavor!
Like I said in the beginning, Nick & Johnny Stark’s flavor is pretty unique for a couple of reasons. The first being that it’s a pure tobacco flavored snus
with very little added to it. The flavor of pure tobacco may not be something that all Snustopians have tasted, let alone understand when used in descriptions on Swedish snus flavors so, let’s explain it now so everyone understands! Tobacco has a very similar scent of Fall leaves. “Hey Snus Guy, why Fall leaves?” well, they are leaves and dried like leaves get in the Fall and, have the same scent as a pile of them when they are not processed. They do have their subtle differences in taste though. Tobaccos from Honduras and Cuba for example, have peppery notes in them while tobacco from America has a bit of a leathery flavor. There are even some tobaccos grown in Sweden that have a flowery, herbal taste and smell. In Nick & Johnny Stark, the tobacco flavor is of fall leaves and leather with a slight pepperyness. I hope this cleared up the pure tobacco flavor description a bit but remember, different people taste things that other people don’t so, what I taste in a snus may not be what you taste. Ok, let’s get back to the flavor review!Along with the tobacco flavor, there are other elements in Nick & Johnny stark like licorice and a smoky flavor. While these elements are very subtle, they give the snus its unique character. The licorice flavor actually gives Nick & Johnny a bit of sweetness while the smokiness enhances the tobacco flavor while adding a bit of mellowness and depth. Tying everything together is the salty taste that, not only helps to raise the Ph level so the Nicotine comes out, brings the flavors together to make a well rounded snus flavor with the added Nicotine level that Swedish match was aiming for. The flavor also lasts for a pretty long time as well! I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours when the flavor began to die out. So, now that you know what Nick & Johnny Stark tastes like, let’s see what drinks go best with it!
As you seasoned Snustopians know, my staple drinks are Diet Coke and Monster Energy Drinks and I try both with every snus I review. The Diet Coke did pretty well in bringing the smokiness out a bit more, it also took some of the saltiness away so the tobacco flavor could shine thru. Monster on the other hand made the snus a bit bitter but did bring the smokiness out as well. The best drinks I think that went well with Nick & Johnny Stark were iced black tea and iced coffee! Both drinks really complimented the snus for different reasons. The iced black tea enhanced the tobacco’s flavor while adding another depth in the earthy flavor. It also brought out the smokiness to add an element of sweetness as well. The iced coffee brought out the tobacco flavor as well but dimmed out the smokiness. This was not a bad thing though. Coffee tends to have a bitterness that mixes well with tobacco and intensifies it making the flavor of Nick & Johnny Stark even more unique.
My overall recommendations for Nick & Johnny Stark, Snustopians, is this; new Snustopians looking to explore the higher Nicotine brands will like Nick & Johnny Stark because it is strong but, not the mind numbing strong of the Extra Starks. Seasoned Snustopians will like the pure tobacco flavor and the higher Nicotine content plus the fact that it will make a great morning coffee snus but, this is my take, I’ll let you decide. At around $3.30 a can at stores like The Northerner, You really can’t go wrong with adding a can or two to your next order!
Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru Nick & Johnny Stark and found it fun and informative! I encourage you to leave any comments or questions you may have about it or any snus in general and I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as I can.
So until our next review Snustopians, as always,
Happy Snusing!
That Snus Guy
http://www.snustest.com/
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