Today, I thought we would do something a bit different and actually, something I’ve been asking for ever since I started Snustopia, review a snus brand that one of you suggested! Since I created Snustopia to be an informative website that would hopefully answer some of the questions that users may have about a particular snus brand, I also wanted it to be a site that you could get questions answered or, get a snus brand you suggested reviewed. Well, thanks to Kikler, this review will be on the snus brand he requested, Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose by Swedish Match.
It’s kind of funny really, When Kikler posted the question as to why I hadn’t reviewed Prima Fint I actually had to think about it because I was certain I had reviewed it a few years ago but, after reading thru my reviews, I realized I hadn’t reviewed it and a wave of excitement rose over me. “Excitement over Prima Fint Snus Guy? Have you been reviewing Rooster nasal snuff again?” Well, as a matter of fact I have but that’s not the reason I got a bit excited. Let’s begin out trip thru Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose snus and you’ll see why!
There are plenty of reasons to get excited about Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose. For one, it’s one of the oldest snus brands in Sweden. Göteborg’s Prima Fint was first produced by the Swedish Tobacco Company (now Swedish Match) in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1919 and was created to rival Ettan loose snus. The name “Prima Fint” literally translates to Fine, First-Cut which is just what this snus is. Another reason is that it’s one of a few snus brands that’s only made as a loose. But what makes Prima Fint special for me is that it has always been made in Gothenburg. Why is that special to me, you may ask? If you remember back to 2009, I was in Gothenburg, Sweden and saw how Prima Fint was made from start, to finish including the way the cardboard cans were made. The entire time I was testing Prima Fint, memories of the people I met at the factory, the scents of dried tobaccos and the taste of freshly made snus came rushing back to me and that’s why this particular review made me excited. But, you guys are here to find out about Prima Fint, not my trip to Sweden, so back to the task at hand, the actual review!
Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose snus is a Fine ground snus meaning that the tobacco has been ground down to an almost wet powder-like consistency. Being ground to this level of fineness does have it’s good points but does have a few bad ones as well. Fine ground snus is really comfortable in the lip because it will conform to the inside of the lip and gums. Fine ground snus also releases a light flavor over a long period of time but there are those bad points I was talking about. One of these is that fine ground snus is really hard to hand bake. When I was testing Prima Fint, I found it was challenging to get the compression with an Icetool right because with too much compression, the prilla was really hard and didn’t release too much flavor. With too little, the prilla pretty much turned to mud within minutes. After some trial and error, I found that with a 3 click prilla and a medium amount of pressure on the plunger to the bottom of the can, the prilla was perfect, released a good amount of flavor and lasted for about an hour and a half before I started to get a bit of mudslide. Hand baking a prilla, even after reviewing loose snus for 3 years, I still can’t do but with Prima Fint I’d recommend to anyone that either an Icetool or a Prismaster is a necessity.
One of the most unique things about Göteborg’s Prima Fint is the can and I’m not just saying that because I like snus cans! “More like a snus can fetish Snus Guy!” I know, I know, I do tend to go on when it comes to the cans but with Prima Fint, I really have to. You see, most snus manufacturers now days will use plastic cans due to their durability but Swedish Match has kept Prima Fint in it’s original, wax lined cardboard can with a paper label. In fact, almost all of Swedish Match’s loose snus is packaged in these cans because it does keep the snus fresher in my opinion. Although, if you keep your snus in a back pocket, you may want to consider keeping Prima Fint in a coat pocket because the can may crush after repeated sitting. The only thing that Swedish Match has changed with Prima Fint’s can over the years is the lid. Up until the 1970’s, Prima Fint had a gold colored, metal lid with the company’s logo stamped in it. After that, they changed to a gold colored plastic lid. While I agree with the argument of using plastics for durability, I couldn’t imagine a classic snus like Göteborg’s Prima Fint in anything other than cardboard. Ok, can obsession over, on to the flavor!Göteborg’s Prima Fint’s flavor is basic but not in a bad way. You have to understand that back in the early 1900’s, Swedish snus came in only one flavor, tobacco. So when I say basic, I mean that just the flavor of the tobacco with a touch of salt is all that’s there which is a good thing. With Prima Fint, I can taste the earthy, peaty flavors that are reminiscent of all tobaccos but there are also lightly sweet notes of dark chocolate and a hint of black pepper from the specific mix of tobaccos that Swedish Match uses in Prima Fint. What I find different in Prima Fint is that even though regular table salt is used in the production, it’s barely noticeable in the final snus flavor. Some have compared Prima Fint’s flavor to Ettan loose but in my opinion, they’re pretty far apart. While they both are a purely tobacco flavored loose snus, Ettan’s flavor is a bit more salty and smoky where Prima Fint is more earthy and sweet. Another difference is the intensity of the flavor which is due mainly to the grinds. Ettan is a coarser ground snus which allows more flavor to be released quicker while fine grinds like Prima Fint have a less intense flavor that lasts longer. Overall, Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose’s flavor is light and would be perfect for the Snustopian just starting out with loose snus. So, what types of drinks would be great with Prima Fint? Let’s take a look!
For those of you that do drink, lighter beers like IPA’s or even beers brewed to the German Purity Law would be great with Prima Fint due to their lighter flavors. Maker’s Mark or Jack Daniels would also be great as well but, I’ll let you all decide!
My overall opinion of Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose Snustopians, is this; Prima Fint is only one of a few loose snus brands on the market that is still purely tobacco flavored with no other flavors like Bergamot or citrus. Even though it’s a Fine ground loose and a bit hard to hand bake, investing in a portioning tool will allow you to make the perfect prilla. Snustopians that are seasoned loose users will find Prima Fint’s traditional, light tobacco flavor unique and new Snustopians will enjoy the fact that the saltiness in Prima Fint is almost non existent. Almost every online snus shop carries Göteborg’s Prima Fint loose but Snustopia’s premier snus shop, The Northerner, always carries the freshest snus at the best price. If you’re a seasoned Snustopian, give snusbargain.com a try for the lowest prices on rolls of your favorite brands. Just click on the banner in the upper left of this page and see what great deals are available!
Well Snustopians, I hope you found this trip thru Göteborgs Prima Fint loose snus informative and fun. As always, I look forward to answering any questions, comments or brand suggestions you may have. I’ll be happy to answer them as soon as I can.
So, until our next review, as always,
Happy Snusing!
That Snus Guy
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