Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, reviewing another snus gem from the island of Gotland!

Welcome back Snustopians!

As I was taking one of my famous long walks thru the gardens of Skruf Square last week, my trip to Sweden was still on my mind. I was remembering a small park just off the main boulevard that has canals, like the ones in Holland, meandering thru it and had been there for over 100 years. It reminded me of my own gardens here in Snustopia but not as old. That’s when it hit me. Our next review should be on a snus that not only comes from a beautiful place in the home of snus but, have a lot of history that’s tied to that place. So, this week, we’ll be reviewing a snus that comes from the island of Gotland in Sweden and that snus is Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus.

I picked Jakobsson’s Classic for a few reasons. The first one is the fact that it’s made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB on the island of Gotland and has been made there since 1897. The new plant is actually located only a few miles where Jakob Jakobsson’s family farm is and where he came up with his recipe for his snus! While the basic recipe for Jakobsson’s Classic is more than 100 years old, the version we’ll be reviewing today was launched in 2008 with only a few changes. The second reason is because Gotlandssnus uses tobacco that’s grown right there on the island. This tobacco is called Alida and is grown only on the island of Gotland. So, now that you know a bit about the history of Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, let’s get to the review!



Like we learned in the beginning, Jakobsson’s Classic is a regular type portion snus made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB. Regular portions, as you all remember, are portions that go thru an added step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more water to the portion’s material. “Water Snus Guy? Are you sure it’s water? We thought it was a type of juice made from the snus!” I thought the same thing until my trip to Gothenburg but it is just plain, filtered water. The reason we think of the liquid being a “snus juice” is the fact that while the regular portions are in the can, the bit of added water helps the flavors in the snus to marry together and release its flavor faster when it’s in your lip. The byproduct of this is the portion material turning brown and that’s where we got the whole “Snus Juice” myth! Ok, back to the review.

The material that Gotlandssnus uses for Jakobsson’s Classic portion is the same soft teabag type material that they use in all of their snus and is pretty comfortable under the lip for about 2 hours. The Nicotine content in Jakobsson’s Classic is at the same level as all Gotlandssnus brands which are 9 mg per portion. Now, I know you all really get antsy when I describe the different cans that snus come in but Jakobsson’s Classic had a pretty unique one! If you’ve read the Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit review, you pretty much know what the can looks like but, since we may have some new visitors to Snustopia, I have to give the can its due!

Jakobsson’s Classic’s can is, quite possibly, one of the most unique cans I’ve come across. While its makeup is basic black plastic with a plasticized paper label, it’s the designs in and on it that make it unique. Gotlandssnus wanted the cans for the Jakobsson’s line to reflect where the snus came from so, since Gotland is a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, they decided to give the cans a nautical look. If you take a look at the top of the can, you’ll notice that there are notches on the lid that mimic the directional points on an antique compass! There are even degree hash marks between each directional waypoint. If you lift the center of the compass, you’ll find the used portion compartment underneath it and Gotlandssnus even embellished the bottom of the compartment with an old mapmaker’s directional key. The inside bottom of the can has the same mark. “It’s a pretty cool can Snus Guy! But, does the snus taste as good as the can looks?” Well, let’s take a look!

Gotlandssnus describes Jakobsson’s Classic as having a classic, memorable taste of snus, with an undertone of citrus. I know what you’re saying “Snus Guy, what does classic and memorable taste like?” I agree that using “Classic” and “Memorable” as taste descriptions really don’t make sense to Snustopians that have never tried snus or, seasoned Snustopians that haven’t tried Jakobsson’s before so, let’s try to describe it in a language that everyone can understand! The main taste in Jakobsson’s Classic is, obviously, tobacco but Gotlandssnus uses Alida tobacco along with other hand selected tobaccos from around the world so, what you taste is the earthy, leather flavor from the other tobaccos and a light herbal, grassy flavor that Alida tobacco is known for. Alida also imparts a slight sweetness that kind of offsets the light peppery flavor the other tobaccos also have.

The citrus flavor is another unique thing in Jakobsson’s Classic because it’s more of an orange, lemon flavor rather than the typical bergamot taste that is used in most snus when referring to “citrus”. When you combine all the flavor elements in Jakobsson’s Classic, you get a portion snus that is balanced in flavor and definitely Gotlands! The downside to Jakobsson’s Classic is that it has the same characteristic that all of Gotlandssnus’ snus brands do regarding the length of time the flavor lasts. I’ve had a portion in for about 2 hours and suddenly, the flavor gets bitter. I look at it this way, The Swedish use a portion for anywhere between 15 minutes and 45 minutes and swap it out for a new one. Gotlandssnus was created for use in Sweden so; anything over 45 minutes with the flavor is a definite bonus! Now, what to drink with Jakobsson’s Classic!

My staple drinks of Diet Coke and Monster Energy drink were the first I tried and I have to tell you that Diet Coke and Jakobsson’s Classic went really well together. This was due to the lemony notes in the snus that actually made a taste close to a Diet Coke with Lemon. The acidity in the Diet Coke also helped to bring out the tobacco flavor as well. The Monster didn’t do that well since its flavor was a bit too strong for the snus but the one thing that did go well with Jakobsson’s Classic was an Arnold Palmer! “Hey Snus Guy, how could a golf pro go well with a snus?” No, no, not that Arnold Palmer, the drink! For those of you that don’t know what an Arnold Palmer is, it’s made with half sweet iced tea and half lemonade. It’s named after its creator, Arnold Palmer, and really goes well with Jakobsson’s Classic. The iced tea flavor helped to enhance the tobaccos and the lemonade brought out the citrus. It’s really the best combination!

My overall recommendation for Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus, Snustopians, is this; Jakobsson’s Classic is truly an historic snus that’s unique to Sweden due to the Alida tobacco. Snustopians that want to experience a snus that has the classic flavors of tobacco and citrus but, like a portion that’s a bit lighter in flavor, Jakobsson’s Classic is the snus for you. Seasoned Snustopians will find Jakobsson’s Classic’s orange and lemon mix a refreshing change from the normal bergamot as well but, I’ll let you decide! At approximately $3.19 USD a can at Snustopia’s favorite snus shop, Northerner.com, you really can’t go wrong by adding a can or two to your next order! Just be sure to tell them That Snus Guy sent you and get 10% off if you're a first time customer!
Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour of Jakobsson’s Classic portion snus and found it informative and fun and encourage you to leave any questions, comments or suggestions you may have about Jakobsson’s Classic or any snus! I look forward to reading and answering them as soon as I can.

So, until our next review Snustopians, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

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Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion snus, reviewing another beginner’s staple snus!

Greetings fellow Snustopians!

Well, it’s been a pretty weird weekend here in Snustopia my friends! We had a freak snow storm which kept me in my office most of the weekend so, I figured it was a perfect time to go thru my snus fridge. I usually have about 10 to 15 cans of snus open at any given time and while I was arranging them, I came across a snus that was one of the first that I tried! No, it hasn’t been in there since June of ’08 (although there were a few in there that have been a month past the best before date!), it is one, however, that is always in there. That snus is Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion snus!



Before we go into the review though, let’s review something about the best before dates on the bottom of snus cans.

I want to bring this up again because, even though I have a couple of cans in my fridge that are a month or two past the best before date, they are still good and, I do use them so, after reading the next paragraph remember, snus is not milk! It’s still good past the best before dates so, don’t throw them away and keep them cold! Ok, back to the review.

If you’ve read the article “Ministry of Information – Snus Type and Distinction, Reverse Yearing office” from last year, you’ll know that the dates on Swedish snus cans are a bit confusing. So, to review, the best before dates on the Swedish snus cans go as follows; DD/MM/YY or DD/MM/YYYY! “Snus Guy, we read the article! You didn’t need to explain it!” I know but, some new Snustopians just want the facts and I wanted to provide it here. Another bit of information in that article also explains that snus will last longer than the best before date. As long as it’s kept cold! That’s why I have a couple open cans of snus in my snus fridge that are a bit beyond the best before date. Ok, enough about the cans of snus in my fridge, on to the review!

You may be asking yourselves why I called this snus a “beginner’s staple snus”. If you ask most Snustopians what was in their first order, the majority of them will tell you that Ice Fruit was among them! Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion snus is another fine snus made by the folks at Gotlandssnus. The portions contain about 1 gram of snus and there are 24 portions in each can. As with all Gotlandssnus brands, Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit has 9 mg of Nicotine per portion. One thing that’s unique about Ice Fruit is the can! It’s made from plastic but that’s not the unique thing, the lid is.

The lid for Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit does have a compartment for used portions but, it’s actually made to look like a sailing ship compass from the directional notches down to the degree markings! Another neat thing is that inside some of the compartments is a small, round brochure that tells the history of the original Jakobsson’s snus brand. Although it’s printed in Swedish but you can brush up on your translator skills while enjoying a portion! Even the inside bottom of the can has embossing on it! I know, I know, enough about the can. Let’s get back to the portions.

The portions are of the regular type meaning that they do go thru the extra wetting step. The material that the portion is made from is the same type that Gotland’s uses in all their portion snus which is soft and really comfortable under the lip. I’ve had a portion in for about 3 hours with little irritation to speak of. In fact, the only reason I changed it was because the flavor ran out after about 2 hours. Knowing this, I recommend a 2 hour max per portion. That brings us to the flavor.

Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit is another snus I tried to find information on when I began snusing but unlike the others, the reviews I read were mostly “this is the best snus in the world”. While it is a good snus, I wished there was a review out there that really described the complex flavors I was getting. The other thing I was seeing was that Snustopians were confusing Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit’s taste with Offroad’s Icemint. The flavors couldn’t be more different!

Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit does have an Icy mint flavor like Offroad’s Icemint but that’s where the similarities end. Ice Fruit adds a fruity flavor to the icy mint flavor that gives Ice Fruit another depth of flavor. The fruit I get is a mix of lightly sweet berries or, to make it easier to picture, a flavor that’s similar to the fruit flavor in Juicy Fruit gum! One would think that the two flavors would not go well together but, in this snus, they really do play well together. “Snus Guy, doesn’t Ice Fruit have a salty flavor like other Swedish Snus?” Well, no. It really doesn’t. That doesn’t mean there is no salt in it though. That’s another thing that makes Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit unique! I think that Gotland’s adds just enough flavoring to Ice Fruit so to mask the typical salty taste. It’s also another thing that makes Ice Fruit great for new Snustopians to use. Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit does have a down side though.

As in all Gotlandssnus varieties, after about 2 hours, the flavor goes bitter. It’s not a subtle transition either. I don’t think it’s a bad thing though. “Snus Guy, how could a snus going bitter not be a bad thing?” Well, as I’ve said in other Gotlandssnus reviews, I look at it this way; Swedes typically keep a portion of snus in for anywhere between 10 to 45 minutes per portion. Snus manufacturers design their snus for the Swedish user. If I can get 2 hours of flavor out of a snus that was designed to be kept in for an hour max, I’m ahead of the game, so to speak! Plus, it a reminder for me to change out the portion since I stopped getting Nicotine out of it after an hour! Now, let’s talk drinks.

I was kind of torn as to which drink I preferred with Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit. My staple Diet Coke was a bit neutral with Ice Fruit which may surprise you! If you remember back to the Offroad Icemint review, I didn’t like the combination but with Ice Fruit, it did better and I believe it’s due to the less intense icy mint flavor in it. Instead of my typical Monster energy drink, I decided to try Red Bull. It went really well with Ice Fruit. Where Monster tends to turn mint flavored snus a bit bitter, Red Bull did not. But the two drinks that went the best with Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit were iced tea and San Pellegrino Limonata!

With iced tea, specifically Black teas like Earl Gray and Orange Pekoe, the mint flavor went extremely well while enhancing the fruitiness of the snus and bringing out a subtle hint of the great tobacco flavor. With the Limonata, the natural lemon flavor in the drink brought the fruit flavor to the front and made the icy mint flavor tamer. The natural carbonation and the slightly salty flavor of San Pellegrino helped to bring a bit of the tobacco flavor out as well. So, you can see why I was torn on which was best! I really recommend you try both and decide which you like best!

My overall recommendation for Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion snus Snustopians is this; If this is your first time to Snustopia and looking for that first Swedish snus experience, I really recommend that you consider adding Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit to your first order. Long time residents of Snustopia will find that a can of Ice Fruit may bring back memories of your first trip to Snustopia and the world of snus! Snustopians that are not fans of mint, specifically peppermint, may not like Ice Fruit but, like I always say, it’s your decision! At around $3.75 a can at Snustopia’s favorite place for snus, The Northerner, you really can’t go wrong, even if you find out you don’t care for it. And remember, if this is your first order, just click on the banner to the right of the page and get 10% off!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit portion snus by Gotlandssnus. I look forward to answering any questions and invite you to leave comments about it by following the link below. I’ll be happy to answer them as soon as I can!

As always Snustopians, happy snusing!

That Snus Guy

Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus, a simple review of a complex snus!

Welcome back Snustopians!

While I was wondering around the Snustopian National indoor Gardens this week, the smell of the flowers and Apple Blossoms reminded me of the flavor of Gotlands Fläder and all the confusion there was with the name. That’s when I decided that a proper review needed to be done so other Snustopians wouldn’t have to go thru what I did.

You may be wondering why I named this review “a simple review of a complex snus”. It wasn’t because Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green/ its self was complex to use or the can was complex to open. It was because of the name and the flavor! Before I created Snustopia, I would always get confused on the names of certain snus because they were in Swedish and sometimes the translations were a bit off. This was the case with Gotlandssnus Green.

You see, the official name of this snus is Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green according to Gotlandssnus. Fläder translates from Swedish to English into Elderflower. Some snus shops call it Gotlandssnus Grönsnus which translates to Green snuff. When I was searching for information on Gotlandssnus Green, as it’s commonly called in American forums, either Fläder or Grönsnus would come up. Then I found out why it’s called Gotlands Green!


It’s simple really. Take a look at the can to the left. The label is, well……green! Gotlandssnus also has an original flavor that is also known by its label color, Yellow. We’ll get into that in another review! So, for all intents and purposes, and in this review, Gotlandssnus Fläder is Gotlandssnus Green! I know I went a bit long on the name description but, I didn’t want anyone to be confused like I was in the beginning. Now, with that out of the way, let’s move on to the snus review!

Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green/ portion snus is another snus made by the folks at Gotlandssnus AB, the same company that makes the original Julesnus. Gotlands Green comes in a plastic can with a plastic, snap on lid which seals the can tightly so you don’t have to worry about the lid accidently slipping off! The lid does not have a used portion compartment but is engraved with the Gotlands Sheep and the year of inception, in Roman numerals. Each can comes with 24, 1 gram portions and 9 mg of Nicotine in each portion.

The portion material is pretty soft and sits comfortably under the lip. I’ve had a portion in for an average of 2 hours with the longest time being 3 ½ hours with no discomfort what so ever. Be aware, Snustopians, that there is salt in Gotlands Green and the inside of your lip will get a little wrinkly if you keep a portion in for over 2 hours! Not to worry though, no pain associated with it but I felt it should be said.

When you get your can of Gotlands Green, you’ll notice the label doesn’t cover the edge of the lid like most Swedish Snus labels do. Not to worry, this was done by design so; don’t think that the can was tampered with like I did at first!

Gotlandssnus describes Green as a snus that tastes of lush green plants and Elderflowers. I know what you’re saying, “Sounds like it tastes like grass and a flower garden Snus Guy! Is that true?” Not at all, but the flavor is pretty interesting!

When you open the can of Gotlands Green, you immediately get the scent of an herbal tea with a bit of apple and, unbelievably, a subtle banana scent! Overall, the scent is not overpowering but rather pleasant. Since I haven’t tasted Elderflowers (yes, they are an edible flower), I have no base to go off of but, there is a definite sweet, flowery taste to Gotlands Green!

The dominate flavors of Gotlands Green are a sweet, flowery, herbal flavor with a slight apple taste! I know, I know, there is no description stating that Apple was intended to be a flavor, but it is there. It’s the subtle apple flavor that really makes Gotlands Green unique. The sweetness in Gotlands Green is not a sugary sweet; it’s a natural sweetness like a piece of fruit would have. The other flavors are tobacco and salt. The saltiness adds another layer to the flavor the longer it’s in and helps the tobacco taste shine thru!

“So how long does the flavor last Snus Guy?” As I said earlier, I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with 3 ½ hours being the max. I did this for a comfort test but, the flavor doesn’t last that long. I’ve had a portion of Gotlands Green flavor last about 1 ½ hours before it becomes bitter. This is a trait with Gotlands’ snus in general. Between 1 ½ and 2 hours, they do go bitter but, as I said in our review of Julesnus, in Sweden, folks only keep portions in for between 15 minutes and 45 minutes so, that’s what most snus flavor was designed for. If you get flavor after 45 minutes, it’s a bonus! I recommend a 1 ½ hour max.

On to what to drink with Gotlandssnus Fläder (Green) portion snus! All Snustopians know by now what my staples are, I hope! Diet Coke didn’t fare so well with Gotlands Green. It tended to be a bit too acidic for the snus and increased the speed that the snus went bitter. Monster Energy Drinks did a bit better. The snus brought out the Ginseng flavor in the drink and the drink brought out a little more of the herbal essence.

Coffee had the same effect as the Diet Coke did but tea, hot or iced, really did well! Herbal tea was the best of the hot teas. The slight flowery taste of the Herbal tea enhanced the herbal notes in the snus and the tea flavor really brought out the apple and tobacco. Orange Pekoe or Green tea won the iced. Earl Grey was a bit too powerful of a flavor. It tended to drown out the herbal and Apple flavors.

My overall recommendation for Gotlandssnus Fläder/Green) portion snus is this. Snustopians looking for a Swedish snus that has an apple flavor that’s not too overpowering should really add this to their next order. Seasoned Snustopians that are looking for a snus with a bit more complexity or a change from the norm should give Gotlands Green a try. New Snustopians definitely should add this to their first order! It’s a great snus to use as a starter snus due to the pleasant smell and great taste.

You can get Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus at The Northerner for $3.55 USD a can and, if this is your first order, you can get 10% off your first order when you click on the banner to the right of this page!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found our trip thru Gotlandssnus Fläder/Grönsnus/Green portion snus helpful and informative. As always, I look forward to your comments and questions and will answer them as soon as I can!

As always, until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy