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

Nick & Johnny East and West portion snus. A review of a unique pair of Swedish snus!

Greetings Snustopians!

You all may be asking yourselves why I picked Nick & Johnny East and West portion snus to do a review on today. Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, Nick & Johnny East and West are truly very unique, from their Nicotine contents to their tastes to their cans! Second, I’ve been meaning to review them for a while now but the last reason is the most important one! I’ll explain later about the last one but let’s get right into the review of Nick & Johnny East and West portion snus!

I know what you’re thinking, “Snus Guy! Why are you doing a review on just two of the Nick & Johnny family when there are a total of three? ” True, there are three in the Nick & Johnny family but, like I said in the beginning, there is a big reason why I want to only focus on these two for now. I promise it’ll all become clear towards the end! So, on to the review!

Both Nick & Johnny flavors are made by the folks at Swedish Match and are white portion snus types. As you remember, white portion snus do not go thru the additional wetting step and the portion material is white. Both have portions that have about .84 grams of snus per portion and 24 portions in each can. The material is the same soft, tea bag type material that Swedish Match uses in all of its white portions and has a pretty comfortable feel under the lip, even after 3 hours but, I recommend about a 2 hour max!

The cans that Nick & Johnny come in is the first unique thing about them, the cans are often referred to as “Coffin” cans due to their shape. Take a look at the cans to the left. You can see that the cans do indeed resemble coffins but that’s not really what Swedish Match had in mind when they designed them.

You see, Swedish Match developed Nick & Johnny East and West to be a snus that would cater to Snustopians that were in their 20’s and 30’s or “The Hip Crowd” so, they started with the can. The can was actually made to resemble a cell phone! If you take another look at the cans, they succeeded in doing just that! The cans even have a used portion compartment under the trendy graphic on top. Speaking of the graphic, it too is unique in the fact that they differ not only between East and West but, differ within each brand! By the way, Nick & Johnny are, in fact, real guys according to Swedish Match! I know…..”Enough about the cans Snus Guy! What kind of Nicotine punch do Nick & Johnny East and West pack?” I’m glad you asked that actually.

Another unique, albeit disappointing, thing about Nick & Johnny East and West is their Nicotine contents. The Nick & Johnny family is pretty interesting in the fact that 2 of the 3 snus varieties are strong portions. East is the black sheep! West has a Nicotine content of 11 mg. per portion while East has 8 mg. per portion. The disappointing thing is that it can be confusing to new Snustopians. In the beginning, it was to me! So, remember Snustopians, N & J East has a lower amount of Nicotine that West does and you won’t be disappointed like I was at first! So, let’s go on to tastes.

East and West have two very different tastes. Although they look the same, they taste completely different from one another! Let’s start with Nick & Johnny West. West’s flavor is described by Swedish Match as ”A strong snus with a higher level of nicotine, classic and full tobacco taste” but, there’s more to it than just tobacco flavor! Tobacco does play the lead in West but, lemon and just a bit of a peppery note are there as well. I liken it to a dulled down Onyx taste with less pepper. There is a slight burn in the back of the throat from the higher Nicotine level but it’s pretty subtle.

Nick & Johnny West’s flavor lasts a pretty respectable amount of time as well! I’ve had a portion in for about 2 ½ hours before the flavor went a bit flat so, I recommend about a 2 hour max. Now that you know about Nick & Johnny West, let’s meet his little brother, Nick & Johnny East! The difference will surprise you!

Nick & Johnny East is a complete 180° from Nick & Johnny West, flavor wise. Swedish Match describes Nick & Johnny East as “A snus with full tobacco taste and an oriental influence with hints of cardamom and citrus”. Here, I believe, Swedish Match’s description is good but, some Snustopians may not really know what cardamom tastes like so, I’ll do my best to describe the taste. The taste of East is really close to same flavor of a fruit flavored gum called Juicy Fruit. “Snus Guy! Nick & Johnny tastes like Juicy Fruit?” Well, yes and no.

The juicy fruit flavor is a background flavor. East’s flavor is a mild tobacco in the front and a lightly sweet, fruity flavor in the background along with a bit of spices. Cardamom is a sweet, Far Eastern spice that’s used mostly in baking and exotic dishes. Swedish Match wanted East to have an exotic, Far East flavor but, I feel they created a snus with an exotic, tropical flavor when they added the citrus taste to it. To be honest, Nick & Johnny East could be a close replacement for Camel SNUS Spice, in the flavor department and the Nicotine department!

Nick & Johnny East’s flavor lasts just as long as West’s flavor does and, I recommend the same time of 2 hours max with East as well!

“Well Snus Guy, you’ve told us about most of the unique things about Nick & Johnny East and West but, you’re not forgetting the big reason why you wanted to review it, are you?” Nope! Let’s go into that now and I’ll give you my recommendations after.

Nick & Johnny East and West were among the first snus brands I purchased back when I started using Swedish snus. Both were launched early in 2008 which makes them relatively new snus varieties but, sometimes a snus variety will be discontinued by the manufacturer for many reasons but the most common reasons are popularity and sales. Unfortunately Snustopians, this will happen to Nick & Johnny East and West in May 2009.

As you all know Snustopians, I try my best to write unbiased reviews and basically stick to giving you an honest and accurate account of whatever snus we happen to be reviewing. So, in knowing this, I must say this one time, that I, my fellow Snustopians, will be saddened to see Nick & Johnny East and West go! So, now that I have that off my chest, let’s look at what to drink!

As you all probably know by now, my staple drinks are Diet Coke and Monster energy drinks so, let’s start with them! Diet coke did do well with Nick & Johnny West but, didn’t fare well with East. The Diet Coke made the flavors in the snus go a bit weird. Monster had the same effect with East. The best thing I have tried so far was iced tea, Green tea to be exact. The light flavor of the tea helped to bring out the tobacco flavor in both but not to the point of being overpowering. In Nick & Johnny East, it actually enhanced the cardamom flavor as well!

My overall recommendations for Nick & Johnny West and East Snustopians, is this; For Nick & Johnny West, this snus would be great for the new Snustopian that wants to begin to explore the world of strong snus. With 11 grams of Nicotine per portion, it’s basically the ground floor! Experienced Snustopians can’t go wrong with a can or two as a mid level Nicotine snus as well!

For Nick & Johnny East, Snustopians looking for a snus that has a bit of sweetness with a little spice flavor will really like Nick & Johnny East! On the other hand, Snustopians that are fans of higher Nicotine snus varieties or the Extra Sterk/Extra Strong/Extra Stark snus types, will find Nick & Johnny East a bit too weak.
In any event, if you have never tried Nick & Johnny East or West, I recommend you try, at least one can of each before it becomes discontinued! Prices for Both Nick & Johnny East and West average between $3.00 USD and $4.00 USD depending on which shop you buy it from but, if you click on The Northerner banner at the top of the page, and it’s your first order,  you’ll get 10% off the entire order!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found this review of Nick & Johnny East and West helpful and informative! I look forward to reading, and answering, any questions or comments you may have. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving a comment or, have a question you don’t want to leave in the comment section, just click “Ask That Snus Guy”! I’ll do my best to answer them all!

So, until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

General Wintergreen portion snus. Review of a Swedish snus for American tastes!

Welcome back Snustopians!

This past weekend I decided to take a walk around my favorite part of Snustopia, Skruf Square, to relax and decide which snus we should review this week. As always, I stopped by my tobacconist to see what new snus came in and, lo and behold, I found a snus that Snustopians from America will really be interested in reading a review about, General Wintergreen white portion snus!

I know what you’re all thinking! “Snus Guy! Why would Americans be so interested in General Wintergreen? Is it made there?” No, it’s made in Sweden by Swedish Match. It’s the taste that Americans will really like and most will identify with. Identify how, you ask? Let’s get into the review of General Wintergreen white portion snus and you’ll see!

General Wintergreen white portion snus is another fine snus manufactured by the folks at Swedish Match, the same people who make General Mini Mint! You may be asking yourselves why I mentioned Mini Mint. I did this because General Wintergreen, like General Mini Mint, was created specifically for the American market meaning, to date, it’s only available in American tobacco shops or, from the Swedish Match snus store online. As I did in the General Mini Mint review, I’ll include a link to the Swedish Match store locator at the end of the review! “Ok, enough history already Snus Guy, get back to the review!” Sorry, got a bit wrapped up but it is important to know this! Now, back to the review!

General Wintergreen is a white type portion snus. As you all remember, white portions are white in color and get this way because they do not go thru the additional wetting step that regular portions do. They have 1 gram of snus per portion and there are 24 portions in each can with 8 mg of Nicotine per portion.

The portion material is the same soft tea bag type material that Swedish Match uses in all its white portion snus and sits really comfortably under the lip. I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with hardly any discomfort from the material. My time recommendation is about 2 hours max. I also offer this observation about it though. Even after an hour, the snus will wrinkle the inside of your lip. I’ve found that most snus that contains any kind of mint will do this. Although not irritating, some Snustopians have questioned me about it. If this bothers you, try doing what I do. I alternate sides when using mint flavored snus after each portion and this seems to not wrinkle my inner lip as much! Just some food for thought.

The can that General Wintergreen comes in is the exact same one that General Sterk comes in, complete with the used portion compartment in the lid. The only difference is the label. You’re probably thinking that the can is really not that special and, you would be right. The taste is what makes General Wintergreen special. “Special how, Snus Guy?” I’m glad you asked that Snustopians!

General Wintergreen’s taste is pretty unique. When most people think Wintergreen, the first thing that jumps to mind is Wintergreen Life Savers. I asked a few Snustopians here to smell an open can of General Wintergreen just to get their opinion on what they smelled. 3 of the 4 did indeed smell Wintergreen Life Savers but the 4th Snustopian smelled the exact same thing I did, the American Smokeless brand, Skoal Wintergreen! But this is not a bad thing and next you’ll see why!

While the scent is very close to Skoal Wintergreen, the taste has its differences. The first thing you taste in General Wintergreen is, indeed Wintergreen Life Savers but the more you have a portion in, the more it develops the flavors reminiscent of Skoal Wintergreen. General Wintergreen has the same burn in the lip as Skoal does as well! Wintergreen though, is not the only flavor I taste in General Wintergreen. I can actually taste the tobacco and salt in it as well! In Skoal Wintergreen, all I could taste is Wintergreen. The hint of tobacco and the slight saltiness really plays well with the Wintergreen and helps to eliminate the bitterness you typically get with Skoal Wintergreen. I’ve had the flavor last about 2 hours when the taste is pretty much gone. I recommend an overall max of about 2 hours in regards to feel and flavor.

“Snus Guy! You’re making a lot of connections with Skoal Wintergreen here! What exactly are you driving at?” Well, here’s where I explain the whole “taste that most Americans will identify with” thing! Since the flavor of General Wintergreen is really close to the flavor of Skoal Wintergreen, it would be very easy for new Snustopians that were using a wintergreen flavored American smokeless tobacco product, to easily switch over to General Wintergreen. In addition to that, Snustopians that used to smoke menthol cigarettes seem to like the Wintergreen taste as well!

So, what drinks go well with General Wintergreen? “We know Snus Guy, Diet Coke and Monsters do well!” :) Actually, Diet Coke and General Wintergreen created a taste I never thought it would! The two together tastes very similar to a Diet Coke with lime! Monster Energy Drinks really didn’t do well actually. The Monster made the snus taste bitter and gave the drink an off taste. The best drink was a true Southern Style sweet tea! The sweetness in the tea enhanced the wintergreen flavor and helped to bring the tobacco flavor out. Sweet tea Snustopians, I really recommend!

Before I give you my overall recommendations for General Wintergreen white portion snus Snustopians, I have to admit something to you. I had my reservations about General Wintergreen when I first smelled the can. The reason I don’t really care for Skoal Wintergreen is the fact that Skoal Wintergreen was really over flavored to the point it made me sick. After I smelled General Wintergreen, all the memories of that incident came flooding back. Being the sacrificing soul for my fellow Snustopians, I gathered all my courage and tried it. It was then I learned that I had nothing to be concerned about!

My overall recommendation for General Wintergreen white portion snus Snustopians, is this; New Snustopians who currently use an American Smokeless tobacco product and want to transition to a safer, cleaner way to use smokeless tobacco but still want a familiar flavor, can’t go wrong with a couple of cans of General Wintergreen! Seasoned Snustopians that like wintergreen flavors can’t go wrong either! If you really don’t care for wintergreen flavors, you may not want to try General Wintergreen but, I leave this decision up to you!

As I said in the beginning, as of the writing of this review, General Wintergreen is only available at American tobacco shops and Swedish Match’s Snus Shop. Today, General Wintergreen is now available online and at Snustopia's favorite snus shop, The Northerner, for about $3.72 USD a can and, if your a first time customer, simply click on the banner to the right and get 10% off so, you really can't go wrong by trying a can or two!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru Swedish Match’s General Wintergreen white portion snus and found it useful and informative. As always, I welcome your questions and comments and will do my best to answer them all as soon as I can!

Until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

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

Phantom Classic Blue, a much needed snus review!

Greetings my fellow Snustopians!

I’ve been pacing around my office here in The Ministry of Information, trying to figure out which snus I should review for the first post of 2009. I knew this review had to be memorable and, the snus needed to be one that has very little in the way of true taste descriptions. Then it hit me! In the various forums I’ve read, V2’s Phantom Classic Blue has become almost controversial amongst snus lovers. From what I’ve read, this snus is on the top of the list of “I love it!” or “I can’t stand it!” posts. There really is no detailed, unbiased taste reviews, just biased. That’s the reason for Phantom Classic Blue being the first review. Snustopians, old and new, need an unbiased review of this snus so, without further ramblings from me, I give you, V2’s Phantom Classic Blue!

Phantom Classic Blue is a snus made by V2 Tobacco, the same company that makes Offroad Cranberry and Nordströmmen Julesnus. Phantom Classic Blue comes in two versions, Portion snus and lössnus. Although they share the same name and, same core flavor, the intensity of this flavor is different between the two! Because of this, I will separate the two versions and do a review on both! So, let’s start with the portion version!

Phantom Classic Blue Portion is a large, original portion snus. Portions come in three sizes; Mini, Large and Maxi. This refers to the physical size of the portion. Minis hold approximately 0.3 g of tobacco, large portions hold 1.0 g of tobacco and Maxi’s hold around 1.7 g of tobacco. Within the sizes there are subcategories that refer to finishing and, sometimes, amount of Nicotine.

Original portions generally have one last step added to the process. This step rinses the portion in a “snus juice” that adds more moisture to the snus. Original portions, in my opinion, have the most flavors right off the bat! This is due to the extra step. White portions get their name because they do not go thru the extra step. Some Snustopians refer to them as dry portions. This can get confusing when a portion made of black material is called a “White” portion. Grovsnus Svart would be a perfect example. The final portion is a strong portion. These portions can be in original or white form but, are always high in Nicotine! So, you can see it can get quite confusing but, just remember, I’ll do my best to let you know what kind we’re talking about.

Now, since Phantom Blue is a large, original portion snus, its flavor comes out immediately. When you open the can, you’re immediately hit with a very recognizable smell first off. Let me tell you what the flavors are before we get to that though! The flavors I get are very strong, bright citrus and Juniper with some flowery notes and salt. What’s common with most of V2’s flavored portion snus is, the tobacco flavor doesn’t come out for almost 45 minutes. I believe this has to do with the flavoring added to the additional step. Again, this is my theory. The lös version has the same flavoring base and smell to it as the portions do but, in a different way. I’ll get to that in a bit. Some will say that the Juniper takes center stage but, I believe the citrus does! It almost tastes like Bergamot. As I said before, the intense flavor lasts about 30 minutes then the salt and tobacco flavors mix in, this is when a whole other flavor experience comes in! Overall, I’ve had a portion in for about 1½ hours when the portion began to get bitter. I recommend about 1 hour as a max. The material that the portion is made of is very soft in the lip and easy on the gums.

The lös version is a medium cut snus which is good for hand baking of pris’ but, in my experience, it’s better to use a Prismaster or Icetool. The moisture content in Blue lös is pretty high. I’m not saying its dripping wet but, if you hand bake, have a way to wipe your hands. Like I said earlier, the flavor is pretty much the same but, the release is reversed. The lös version is lightly flavored in the beginning and, takes about 15 to 20 minutes to really get going! I’ve had a pris in for up to 2 hours with little flavor loss. Keep this in mind with Phantom Blue; both versions have 8 mg of Nicotine. The Nicotine is pretty much released after 30 to 45 minutes so, if you’re feeling like “hey, I’ve had this in for 1½ hours and I’m having a nic fit!” this is why! The lip feel for the lös version is very comfortable provided you don’t compress it too much with the tools. The pris its self, will start to degrade after an hour hence, the 1 hour use recommendation.

So, now you know the taste of Phantom Classic Blue snus! “Aren’t you forgetting something Snus Guy? You mentioned something about the smell in the beginning of the review. You’re not holding out on us….are you?” Not at all! When you open the can of either Phantom Blue, there is a very familiar smell that comes out. After using both for a week straight, I figured out that it’s the mix of Bergamot and Juniper but, in the beginning, the smell reminded me of a famous blue window cleaner! Don’t be alarmed! V2 isn’t trying to sell a W****X flavored snus; it’s just the mix of Bergamot, Juniper and, the tobacco that is giving it the smell!

I usually like to pair drinks with different snus and, since I can’t drink Alcohol, I first try every snus with Diet Coke. Phantom Blue is great with it. Basically, you get a Diet Coke with Lemon! The best thing I’ve had with it though is, Iced Tea, especially Earl Grey. You’ll notice the Bergamot more in the Earl Grey with Phantom Blue!

I recommend all snustopians should experience at least one can of each type of Phantom Classic Blue snus and form your own opinion. With the average price of $1.84 USD for either version, you really have nothing to lose! You never know, it may become a new addition to your rotation or, like me, another addition to a long list of “likes”. As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments and questions and, will do my best to answer them all!

Happy Snussing!
That Snus Guy