01 Original & 02 Strong portion snus, reviewing the flavors of a new snus brand!

Welcome back Snustopians!

Like I promised in the pre-review of 0102 portion snus, I can now bring you a full taste review of this completely new brand to Swedish Match, 01 Original portion and 02 Strong portion snus. I know what you are all saying, “Snus Guy, how can you give us a taste review when the snus isn’t due to be released until October?” Well, remember how I first received the information on 01 and 02 portion snus? I was out taking another constitutional last week and was met by the same person, the one in the white lab coat and dark glasses, only instead of just dropping an envelope in my path, he actually handed me a small package and asked me to give my usual, unbiased opinion and to spread the word throughout all Snustopia! So, I rushed back to my office and immediately opened both cans and, well, let’s begin the review of 01 Original and 02 Strong portion snus and we’ll discover this new brand of snus from Swedish Match together!


Like we discussed in the pre-release review of 01 & 02, this snus brand is completely new to Swedish Match and was created with quite a lot of input from snus users. “Snus Guy, if Swedish Match wanted to make a new brand, why are the cans so plain looking?” Great question! The answer is pretty simple. This is what the snus using world wanted. The panelists basically told them that they were tired of seeing brand names on everything from snus cans to clothing and wanted a snus that was just, well, snus! No intricately designed logos or catchy names. They wanted simple in the snus and the name so, Swedish Match delivered with a gray plastic can that looks metallic, a clear plastic label with icons to explain what the snus is and gave each a simple, yet memorable, name, 01 & 02. The name came from the test cans which they marked simply, test 01 and test 02. But the cans and the labels aren’t the only thing that makes 01 & 02 unique to the snus world; the portion changes themselves are a first for Swedish match as well!

If you’ve read most of the reviews here in Snustopia, you’ll probably already know that there are basically 3 sizes of portions; Mini, regular and maxi and all three have been pretty much the same shape which is kind of a short rectangle. The feedback that Swedish Match was getting included the shape of the portions. Snus users said that the shape of the portions caused them to move around and become visible when you would smile. What Swedish Match did was to create a longer, thinner portion that would stay in place better and become virtually invisible when it was in the lip. As you can see in this picture, the 01 & 02 portion is a bit longer and thinner than the portion of General Ekstra Sterk. 01 & 02’s portion is of the original type which means that each one does go thru the final step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more moisture to them. As you all know, this helps the flavors marry together better and release flavor faster when it’s in your lip. Each portion still contains 1 gram of snus and there are 24 portions in each can. The Nicotine content for 01 portion is 8 mg each and for 02 portion its 13 mg each. “That’s great and all Snus Guy but, how do they feel?” Let’s take a closer look at the portions and find out!

The material that 01 & 02 portions are made of the same soft material that Swedish Match uses in all their portion snus and, with the longer shape, is pretty comfortable in the lip. I’ve had a portion of each in for over 2 hours with no discomfort whatsoever. The new longer portion did stay put better and also was easier to keep up and added to the comfort in the lip. The other thing that helped with comfort was another innovation in 01 & 02 portion snus, the “No Drip” formula. “Hey Snus Guy, what does “No Drip” mean?” Well, we know it as how much a portion runs or the amount of juice it gives off. This was another thing that the panel of snus users was looking for, a portion that runs less. While I had each portion in, there was basically much less juice that came out of each one. Mind you, I keep a portion in for up to 2 ½ when I’m reviewing a snus but, remember; Swedish snus, as you may or may not know, is designed with Swedish snus users in mind. I bring this up because most Swedish snusers keep a portion in for between 15 and 45 minutes before discarding it. In my time reviewing 01 & 02, each portion remained drip free for about 1 ½ hours. After that time, they did begin to drip but, much less than any other portion I’ve reviewed. My recommendation for length of time is about 1 ½ hours max. While 01 & 02 portion snus is pretty much “No Drip”, this brings up an interesting question; what does 01 & 02 portion snus taste like?

One would think that a portion that doesn’t run or “drip” would be either dry or pretty tasteless. Well, we do know that the portions are not dry. In actuality, 01 & 02’s portions feel just as moist as most regular or original type portions that Swedish Match makes so, that just leaves the tasteless theory. “So Snus Guy, you’re saying they are tasteless?” Not at all. Like I said in the beginning, 01 & 02 are probably the most unique portion snus to date. Let me explain a bit; Both 01 & 02 have the same flavor first off. Swedish Match explains the flavor as having a “New fresh and natural tobacco taste” which is true but what does “Fresh and Natural” tobacco taste like? What I taste is the typical earthy, peaty flavor of the hand selected tobaccos from all over the world along with a touch of salt. What was missing was the citrus! Don’t get me wrong Snustopians, this is not a bad thing and also answers another request from the snus panel which was a snus that was just pure tobacco flavor with nothing else.

“But Snus Guy, there are snus brands out there that have only tobacco flavors. What makes 01 & 02 so special or different?” It’s in the intensity of the flavor that makes 01 & 02 different from the others. 01 & 02’s pure tobacco flavor is a fresh change to what was previously out there due to its tobacco flavor being pretty subtle. Brands like Ettan, for example, are pure tobacco flavor but it comes on strong due to the amount of juice that can come from it. 01 & 02’s tobacco flavor is pretty light but, it can be tasted after about 10 minutes in the lip but really doesn’t juice, unless you want it to. In order for me to really taste it, I had to make it run but, I think it’s due to me being used to running portions. There was only one difference between 01 & 02’s flavor and its 02 that has it. Due to 02’s higher Nicotine content, there is a slight burn in the lip and, if you want it to, in the back of the throat. There is a dark side to 01 & 02’s flavor though and this comes to play after the portion is in for longer than 1 ½ hours. The flavor tends to get a bit weird. What I got after about 1 ½ hours was an oatmeal type flavor. Not the Apple and Cinnamon type but the same taste as the brand that comes in the cardboard can with the picture of the old Quaker gentleman on the front but, again, 01 & 02 was designed to be used for a maximum use time of 45 minutes! I still recommend a maximum time of 1 ½ hours for complete enjoyment. So, what drinks go well with 01 & 02 portion snus? Let’s take a look!

As you all know, my staple drinks are Diet Coke and Monster Energy Drinks but, as one brave Snustopian kindly told me, sometimes drinking a Diet Coke with a snus can be a good way to ruin a good tasting snus so, I decided to forgo them both and tried a few other types of drinks. Unfortunately, I can’t drink alcoholic drinks anymore so, I’ll leave these pairings up to you but the first non alcoholic drink I tried was iced tea. I tried both sweetened and unsweetened and the unsweetened iced tea was a really good match. Since 01 & 02’s flavors are pretty light, the unsweetened iced tea helped to bring the tobacco flavor out while adding a bit more earthiness to the overall flavor. The sweetened tea seemed to add too much sweet to the mix and basically drowned out the tobacco taste all together. I tried iced coffee with 01 & 02 as well but the coffee proved to be too strong a flavor for the snus and completely overpowered it. But the drink that really went well with 01 & 02 was suggested to me by a fellow snusers friend of mine, Italian Soda!

Italian Soda, for those of you that have never tried it, is basically sparkling water with flavored syrup added. The lemon flavored soda was the best because it actually enhanced the snus’ flavor but didn’t completely overpower it. If you haven’t tried Italian Sodas before, you can usually find them in Espresso cafes or Gelato shops and I really recommend trying it with 01 & 02 portion snus.

My overall recommendations for 01 & 02 portion snus by Swedish Match, Snustopians, is this; Swedish Match set out to create a brand new snus brand that would be made with a tremendous amount of input from its customers. They pretty much asked the snus world what they didn’t care for and created a snus brand around removing them. New Snustopians will really like 01 & 02 simply due to its light taste and comfortable mouth feel. Seasoned Snustopians will find that the “No Drip” formula takes a bit of getting used to since we’re accustomed to an original type portion being runny but, after a few portions, will enjoy it’s light flavors but, I’ll leave the final decision up to you.

Swedish Match plans to release 01 & 02 portion snus in the beginning of October 2009 and what better place to get it than at Snustopia’s best place for Swedish snus, The Northerner. If this is your first time ordering with them, simply click on the banner to the left and get 10% off at checkout! Just tell em’ That Snus Guy sent you!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru 01 & 02 portion snus by Swedish Match and found it fun and informative. As always, I encourage you to leave any questions, comments or suggestions you may have below and I’ll answer them as soon as I can!

So, until our next review Snustopians, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

0102 portion snus, a pre-review of a new snus family from Swedish Match!

Greetings fellow Snustopians!

It’s been a pretty exciting day here at the Ministry of Information and everyone here is filled with anticipation on the release of Swedish Match Lab’s newest brand creation, 0102 portion snus! Before I go on about this totally new brand of snus, actually, it’s a brand new way of looking at Swedish snus as a whole; let me tell you how I came to find out about it.

During my morning constitutional in the gardens at Skruf Square, I was approached by a man in a white lab coat and dark glasses. As he passed by me, he dropped a gray catalog envelope with the words “Top Secret, for your eyes only. 0102 Labs” and “2 TSG” typed above it. Well, “TSG” is my code name in Swedish snus circles so; I casually picked it up and raced back to my office to see what exactly it was. It was exactly what I hoped it was, pictures and a synopsis of a new family of portion snus by Swedish Match called 0102 with a note saying “Let everyone in Snustopia know about this innovative, new snus before its too late!” Since it didn’t have any samples of the snus its self, I felt it was imperative to at least let you Snustopians know what it is, when it will be available and, most importantly, why it came to be! So, without further delay, I give you a preview of 0102 Original and Strong portion snus!



Like I said, the mysterious Lab worker didn’t include any cans of 01 or 02 so, the taste review will come in due time but, he did include a bunch of pictures which, I have posted in the picture review in the upper left corner of the page. As you can see, this snus family will be pretty unique in a couple of different ways, first being that there are two different types in the family. While they are both regular type portions, there is a difference in the Nicotine levels in them. 01 will be an Original strength portion with 8 mg of Nicotine per portion and 02 will be a Strong portion with 13 mg of Nicotine per portion. The portions themselves are also unique because they will be longer in size. This will allow the portion to sit better in the lip and move less and each can will have 24, one gram portions.

The other unique thing will be that the portions are said to be “No-Drip” portions. “Snus Guy, No-Drip? Does that mean that they are dry? Well, according to the documents I’ve read, the lab guys at Swedish Match Labs have created a new formula that keeps the snus moist but, makes it drip less. Once I can get my hands on a can or two, we’ll look at this part more but for now, we’ll take them at their word! If you take a look at this picture, you can see that even the cans get a makeover with just plainly “01” or “02” on the top and a new set of icons on the side that explain exactly what you can expect the snus to be. There are used portion compartments on the lid in a configuration much like the General Ekstra Sterk cans.

I know what you all are thinking, “Snus Guy, why would they call them 01 and 02? Why not give it a more creative name?” Good question! The answer is pretty simple. 0102 was developed with a lot of input from Swedish Match customers and the snus using world in general. Researchers typically ask panels what they would like to see in new brands but Swedish Match Labs asked them something that’s rarely asked, what they didn’t like in the current brands and what needed to be changed in order to create the “Ultimate” snus brand. The results were pretty startling. The panelists basically said that they were tired of seeing logos and brands wherever they go and on everything they see from buildings to ……well…… people! They wanted something simple, effective and new. And they wanted it NOW! With this information in hand, they passed it on to their team of highly intelligent, super creative scientists, no, not these guys to the left, real scientists and asked them to create the ultimate snus based on this criteria.

They came up with the formula and the flavor but, what to call it? It needed to be really simple according to the panelists and something that would be really easy to remember. They looked at these two test cans and voile, 01 & 02 portion snus were born! Yea, I know it sounds too simple to be true but, that’s really how they came up with the name!

Swedish Match plans to release 0102 portion snus the first week of October 2009 and, when it’s released; you’ll be able to get it at Snustopia’s best shop for snus, The Northerner. If it’s your first time buying snus from them, just click on the banner to the left and get 10% off on your first order!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our pre-review of 0102 portion snus by Swedish Match and found it fun and informative. Like I said in the beginning, once the Ministry of Information gets me some cans of it, I’ll do a full taste review of it! If you have any questions about 0102 or any other snus or, any suggestions on a snus you’d like to see reviewed, feel free to leave a comment 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

Nick & Johnny Black portion snus, reviewing a new member in the Nick & Johnny snus line!

Greetings Snustopians!

Today I thought I would bring you the first taste review of a snus destined to be released this month but, for now at least, will be released first in Norway. As you all know though, Swedish Match does tend to change their minds when they feel there is a call for a new snus flavor in other places so, we’ll have to see what the future brings. As you all remember from the Nick & Johnny East and West review, there was a time that we Snustopians thought that when Swedish Match discontinued them, it would not be long before the entire line was gone so, it’s great to see that a new member of the Nick & Johnny family was born. This is also a first for Snustopia. Usually, I get new snus flavors after they have been released but, the great folks at Swedish Match have allowed us this sneak peek of Nick & Johnny Black and felt the need to share it with all Snustopians so, without any further blabbering from me, let’s take a look at the newest creation from Swedish Match, Nick & Johnny Black portion snus!

When the package first arrived at my door here at the Ministry of Information I thought I forgot about another snus order I made because there was no return address on the plain, white bubble envelope just “To: That Snus Guy” and the address here in Snustopia. The only way I knew it was snus was the Swedish postage mark in the corner. When I opened the pack, there was simply a can of Nick & Johnny Black and a note that said simply, “Please review, will be available in Norway by the middle of September!” At first glance, the can pretty much looks like a can of Nick & Johnny Stark and the label looks like the negative from the Nick & Johnny Stark label but once you really take a look at it, there’s an elegant feel to it. “Hey Snus Guy, how does a can of snus look elegant?” Well, take a look at the picture to the right and you’ll see what I mean.

While the can its self is the same white, pearlescent plastic can that Nick & Johnny Stark has it’s the label that has the elegant feel. It’s the opposite of the Nick & Johnny Stark label with a black background and the lettering in gold. The word “Black” is in a white cartouche that has the look of a single paintbrush swipe and the word “Strong” in white along the side. They have even changed the label on top of the used portion compartment cap to match the label on the side. “Snus Guy, your can OCD is coming out again! Let’s hear about the snus already!” Sorry, it is a pretty cool can though.

Let’s start with the portions themselves. Nick & Johnny Black is classified as a White type, black portion which, as you all may remember, do not go thru the final step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more moisture to them like Regular type ones. While this can leave the material a bit dry, Swedish Match uses the same soft material they use in all their black portions and stayed pretty comfortable in the lip for over 2 hours. The portions are also arranged in the unique “Star” pattern that Swedish Match uses for only the most special portion snus. Not only does this look pretty cool in the can, it gives the portions a wedge shape and adds to the comfort in the lip. “Sounds pretty good so far Snus Guy but, what about the Nicotine?” Well, let take a look at that!

Swedish Match describes Nick & Johnny Black as being pretty similar to Nick & Johnny Strong in every way with the exception of the portion color and Star pattern. The Nicotine level in Nick & Johnny Black is the same 11 mg per portion that Nick & Johnny Stark has but this is where the similarities end. The taste is where we need to look next!

Like I said, Swedish Match describes Nick & Johnny Black as being similar to its Stark sibling in taste but I taste a few differences and think the flavor is closer to another snus in the Swedish Match line, General Onyx! “Snus Guy, Onyx? It can’t be!” Well, there are quite a few similarities in the taste of the two. They both have a mild tobacco flavor and hints of citrus with a salty background but where Onyx has a Lemon flavor, Nick & Johnny has a bergamot taste. I know what you’re saying, “Snus Guy, what’s a bergamot?” Bergamot is a citrus fruit that’s grown in Italy and Spain and has the flavor that’s a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit. Its ability to blend well with the earthy, peaty flavor that tobacco has is truly unique and is the major taste difference between Nick & Johnny Black and Onyx. It’s also the common thread between both Nick & Johnny flavors and then there’s the saltiness. Nick & Johnny Stark has a light saltiness and the flavor of the tobacco takes center stage but in Nick & Johnny Black, the bergamot and salt are more predominant and mixes well with the hand selected tobaccos giving Nick & Johnny Black a taste that is pretty different from Nick & Johnny Stark! So, what drinks would go well with Nick & Johnny Black? Let’s take a look!

I thought I’d forgo my staple drinks of Diet Coke and Monster Energy Drinks and first start with the drink that went really well with Onyx, Lemonade. I figured since I tasted similar flavors in Nick & Johnny Black, it should go really well but, I was half right. The lemonade did go well with Nick & Johnny Black but it added a slight bitterness to it. I tried an iced green tea which also went well but my favorite was iced Earl Grey! Why Earl Grey, you ask? It’s because of the bergamot. You see, the thing that gives Earl Grey its distinct flavor is the addition of dried bergamot peel in the tea. That bergamot flavor along with the light bergamot flavor in Nick & Johnny Black helped to bring the tobacco flavor to the front as well as dimming down some of the saltiness. Overall, I really liked the flavor combination! Just as a side note, my staple drinks didn’t do too badly either with the Diet Coke being a neutral and the Monster adding a bit of sweetness.

My overall recommendations for Nick & Johnny Black portion snus Snustopians, is this; fans of the Nick & Johnny line will not be disappointed with this new addition. Fans of strong snus brands will find that Nick & Johnny Black’s 11 mg of Nicotine is perfect for an all day snus while beginners who want to try a stronger snus will find it’s a great higher Nicotine starter snus but alas, like I said in the beginning, Nick & Johnny Black will only be available in Norway for the time being. If Swedish Match does decide to release it to all Snustopians, you can be sure that Snustopia’s first shop for all things Swedish snus, The Northerner, will carry it! Until then, give them a try with your next order and, if it’s your first time ordering thru them, just click on the banner and get 10% off at checkout!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed this trip thru Nick & Johnny Black portion snus and found it fun and informative. Know that if Nick & Johnny Black does become available to the entire snus world, I will make sure I let each and every Snustopian know as soon as I do. I invite you all to leave any questions or suggestions you may have in the comments section below and I’ll try to answer them as soon as I can!

So Snustopians, until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy