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

General Ekstra Sterk Portion snus, a suprisingly strong snus review!

Welcome back Snustopians!
I must first admit that, I’ve been a bit nervous about reviewing General Ekstra Sterk snus! As you all know, I do quite a bit of research before and during a review and, before actually tasting this snus, I went to a few forums, just to see what was being said about it.

Overall, the consensus was that General Ekstra Sterk was really, really strong! Since we began our journey thru snus and Snustopia, I’ve felt my tolerance to nicotine actually fall a little so, I worried what the “Strongest snus in the world” would do to me and, would I be able to give the same unbiased reviews you all have come accustomed to reading from me!

The answer……..you’ll have to read on to find out!

General Ekstra Sterk portion snus is another fine offering from the folks at Swedish Match. Ekstra Sterk was first launched in Norway at the end of October 2008 and is advertised as “The strongest snus in the world” for a good reason! Each original portion contains 15 mg. of Nicotine!

I know what you’re thinking; “now that’s ALOT of Nicotine, Snus Guy!” It is but, it’s not what you think. There are some snus manufacturers out there whose only goal was purely to see how high they can get the Nicotine level to in their snus, no matter what it did to the taste. That’s not the case with Ekstra Sterk. Swedish Match not only raised the Nicotine level but, enhanced the flavor as well!

“Snus Guy…..You’re starting to sound like an advertisement for General! Less praise, more review!” Sorry, I got off track so, on to the taste!

I’ve heard that some snus lovers liken the taste to a mix of General Sterk and Onyx. I, on the other hand, get a completely different one! While Ekstra Sterk does maintain the salt and peppery citrus taste that we’ve all come to associate with most of the General portion brands, this snus has something different. “What could it be?” you may ask. A smoky component that really brings out the tobacco flavor! This is from a “Smoke food flavoring” that has been added to the recipe.

“Smoky flavor? Do you mean like actual smoke?” No. I guess the best way to explain it would be like this; if you remember back to my review on General Onyx, I had compared the taste of it to, a grilled Lemon with salt and pepper. Take that same analogy and, add hickory smoke and, a light, pure tobacco flavor to it and, you have the taste of Ekstra Sterk! It’s quite good actually.

The portions are a bit unique as well. While most General portions are 1 gram of snus each, Ekstra Sterk’s portions are a little more than 1 gram. This means instead of the usual 24 portions in a can, there are 22 in a can of Ekstra Sterk. As I said in the beginning, General Ekstra Sterk Portions are “Large, original” type portions. The material used is the same material that is used in General Original portions and, pretty easy on the gums.

I said in the Claq Qui review, higher Nicotine snus tend to leave a slight burn in the back of the throat and, can be bitter so, you would think Ekstra Sterk would have more than a slight burn since it has 15 mg. of Nicotine and, be quite bitter. Not so with Ekstra Sterk. Actually, there’s very little burn and, only gets bitter after about two hours of being in.

You’re probably sitting there saying “great taste review Snus Guy but, how about the Nicotine?” Well, it’s surprising really! One would think that there would be an immediate kick that would send your head spinning but, in my experience, not so! While you can definitely feel there is more Nicotine in Ekstra Sterk, it’s not what you would expect. Since the Nicotine in snus is released over time, the immediate kick one would expect is not there. What you get is a bigger release over time which, if you’re a new snus lover here in Snustopia, can feel like the first cigarette in the morning but, lasting about 30 minutes.

As for the length of time for a portion, I’ve had a portion in for over 2 hours with very little flavor loss but, can get a little bitter at the two and a half hours mark. For the new snus lover, I’d recommend General Ekstra Sterk portions as the first thing in the morning snus but, would take care until you get used to the higher Nicotine amount!

What to drink, you may ask? Look at pairings this way. Since Ekstra Sterk has a smoky flavor, drinks that go with smoky foods, go well with Ekstra Sterk. As you all know, Diet Coke is the first thing I try with ANY snus! It’s ok but, Southern Style Sweet Tea really goes well! Ekstra Sterk’s taste reminds me of barbeques we used to have when we lived down south. Sweet tea was always at every one. Lemonade is another great drink that pairs well.

If I could still drink beer, Guinness or another dark beer would go great! The smokiness and tobacco flavor would really come out with them. A nice Weiss bier would bring the citrus out as well!

Overall, General Ekstra Sterk Portion snus is a definite “must try” snus for all Snustopians! I really do recommend you try a can and experience the World’s Strongest Snus for yourselves. The average cost for a can is $3.75 USD at most online shops and, worth the purchase!

As always, I welcome your questions and comments and, will do my best to reply to them all!

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