Göteborgs Rapè White Large Lime portion snus by Swedish Match. Reviewing the boldest flavor in the Göteborgs family!

Greetings Snustopians!

I know, I know, it's been quite a long time since we've been together and actually reviewed snus. The past year has been a pretty hectic one here in Snustopia and I must apologize for not being here to bring the new Snustopians reviews on all of the new snus flavors that are out there today. As I sit here, it's hard to believe that in only 2 short years we've seen such a huge influx of new flavors from so many different manufacturers! I can remember back to a time when Swedish Match only had 45 types of snus in their portfolio and ..."Hey Snus Guy, as much as we'd love to hear about your walk down memory lane, we want to hear about Göteborgs Rapè Lime!". Well, as you can see I'm still the same Snus Guy and I still ramble on so, without any further delay, sit back, pop in a portion and let's get started on our review of Göteborgs Rapè White Lime portion snus!

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

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

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

http://www.snustest.com/

Mr. Snus Guy goes to Sweden! Reviewing the “Land of snus” and the way snus is made!

Greetings Snustopians!

Yes, it’s true! I’m leaving for Sweden, the “Land of snus”, on June 10th 2009! Why you ask? Well, as you all know, I’ve been scouting a spot for our next field trip ever since we ventured into Snuffland last year. I finally settled on Sweden for a couple of reasons. One, since I began reviewing snus back in October of 2008, I’ve always wanted to take the review process to the next level and actually see how Swedish snus was made. Not from You Tube videos but really be on a snus factory floor and physically experience the entire process from start to finish. I also wanted to see how the Swedish actually used snus and what the shops really look like. So, after a lot of negotiations, my good friend and colleague, Larry Waters from SnusCENTRAL.org, and myself will be touring the city of Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden and visiting some of the snus manufacturers!

“Hey Snus Guy, are you taking ALL of us with you?” Well, in a way, yes! While I wish I could afford to take all of you there, I will however, be posting pictures and videos of the trip here on Snustopia for all of you to see! In the upper left column, I’ll be posting pictures each day and below that will be a video of the day’s activities! We’ve also set up a Twitter feed as both Larry and I will be tweeting live from the factory floors, reporting what we see and information about the people we meet! I know it’s not the same as being there but, it’s close!

This is a pretty historic event since it’s not very often that Americans get to see just what makes Swedish snus so special! Both Larry and I will do our best to represent SnusCENTRAL and Snustopia in the best possible light and we both encourage you all to become members of SnusCENTRAL.org (if you’re not already) for a more in depth accounting of our trip. Larry will be interviewing some very important people and the videos will only be available at SnusCENTRAL.org!

We also ask you to follow us on Twitter so you can tweet questions to us and we can get you answers! I think it will be pretty cool since I know both new Snustopians and seasoned ones have a lot of questions and what better way to get the answers than to get them from the experts, in real time!

I hope you’ll join us for this wonderful event and like I said, check back each day (or more) for updated pictures and answers to any questions you post in the comments section below! Also, be sure to become a member of SnusCENTRAL.org so you can see the exclusive interviews!

As always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy!

Ettan snus, a review on one of the oldest snus family names in Sweden!

Welcome back Snustopians!

This weekend, I took advantage of the beautiful weather here in Snustopia and decided to take a walk in the gardens here at the Ministry of Information and figure out which snus we should discuss next. While I was taking my constitutional, a colleague of mine had asked why I hadn’t reviewed a loose snus lately. As I reflected on the question, I realized not only haven’t we discussed a loose snus brand in a couple of months, we also haven’t discussed a brand family in a while either! If memory serves me correctly, the last true family we reviewed was Kronan back in February!

So I asked myself, which family should I review? Since it had been quite some time since we’ve done a family review, I wanted a snus that not only had all three varieties, loose (lös), white and original portion, I wanted it to be a snus that not a lot of Snustopians had heard of or tried and one that had a bit of history behind it. That’s when I thought of the Ettan family of snus.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Snus Guy! All Swedish snus has some history behind it! After all, snus was invented in Sweden over 200 years ago. What makes Ettan so special?” I’m glad you asked. Let’s get into the review and you’ll see what makes the Ettan family of snus so special!



Ettan snus is another snus brand made by the fine folks at Swedish Match and comes in 3 varieties, Loose (lös), Original portion and White portion. The first thing that makes Ettan so special is the fact that the Ettan brand is one of the oldest brand names in Sweden! Ettan loose has been around since 1822 so it’s also one of the oldest snus brands as well. Ettan Original portion was introduced to the snus world in 1990 and the White portion variety was launched in 2006.

The Loose portion variety has about 8 mg of Nicotine per gram and there is 45 grams of snus in each can. The loose version’s can is the typical laminated paper type with a plastic lid that’s embossed with the brand’s coat of arms. In the portion varieties, both versions also have approximately 8 mg of Nicotine per portion and each have 24 portions per can. These cans are made of plastic with the label covering the seam between the top and bottom of the can. The lids also have the used portion compartment that’s embossed with the brand’s coat of arms. “Snus Guy, your can obsession is showing again! Get on with the review already!” I know I do go on when it comes to the cans so; let’s go to mouth feel and on to the other reason why Ettan is so special, the taste!

Ettan loose is a coarse grind snus that is similar in grind and texture to most of Swedish Match’s loose snus. This means that the texture and moisture level in Ettan loose makes it a great beginner’s loose snus. I’ve actually used Ettan to better hone my Hand Baking skills since the moisture level is perfect to be able to mold a pris and it holds up pretty well once it’s in the lip. Although I did get better in making a handmade pris, I still recommend a tool for maximum durability of it. I’ve had a “tool made” pris last for well over 2 hours with little mudslide. A hand baked pris only lasted about 1 hour but, like I said, I still have some work to do in this department! The texture of the grind was also pretty comfortable for the 2 hours but I recommend using a lighter compression in a tool. If it’s compressed too much, the pris can be a bit hard and uncomfortable so, just use a bit less pressure and you’ll be fine!

The portion varieties both use the standard material that Swedish Match uses in all their portion snus which is pretty soft to the touch and really comfortable in the lip. The original portions go thru the extra step of adding moisture which lets the flavors come out pretty quickly but adds no discomfort to the portion. I had an original portion in for over 2 hours with no discomfort but your lip can get a bit wrinkly. No discomfort but it can be a bit weird feeling for new Snustopians. The White portions have the same feel and comfort level but last a bit longer. Since they do not go thru the additional wetting step, the flavor seems to last a bit longer but can take a little longer for it to start coming out. For comfort, I recommend a 2 hour max! “Ok Snus Guy, we want to hear about the other thing that makes Ettan so special!” Alright then, let’s discuss the flavor! That’s the other special thing about Ettan.

“But why does the flavor of Ettan make it so special Snus Guy? Isn’t all Swedish snus special when it comes to flavor?” Well, you’re right in the sense that all Swedish snus flavors are special, especially to Americans and others that cannot get Swedish snus in their local store. But Ettan’s flavor is special within Swedish snus flavors because of its ingredients. The ingredients in Ettan are simple: Tobacco, water and salt. They have been this way since 1822 which means that Ettan’s flavor has remained the same since then! There are not too many other snus brands that can say this and this is why Ettan is so special. But, how does it taste?

One would think that simple flavors and simple ingredients would normally taste…. well…..simple! But that’s not the case with Ettan. There is a difference in taste between the loose and portion varieties but the difference is minimal. In the loose variety, pure tobacco and salt are pretty much predominant. There is a smoky element in the loose but it seems to play in the background and is barely noticeable. In the portions, there really is no smoky taste but the portions do have a saltier taste. In the Original portions, the saltiness is much more predominant and in the White portions it not as strong but both do have the same pure tobacco taste.

Here I would like to explain a bit on what a “pure tobacco flavor” means when it comes to Swedish snus. When American tobacco companies describe a tobacco product as having a “Pure tobacco flavor”, as in say Copenhagen or Red Man smokeless tobacco and Camel SNUS Mellow, we taste a generally earthy, herbal and sweet flavor. In some cases, like Camel SNUS Mellow’s overly sweet taste, this is due to the sweetener that is used in the processing of most American smokeless tobacco and SNUS. In Swedish snus, the sweetener is omitted from the process leaving just the earthy, herbal tobacco flavor. I say this for two reasons. One, when I was just beginning to use Swedish snus, I would get confused and sometimes disappointed when a snus that was said to have a “pure tobacco flavor” didn’t have the sweetness I was accustomed to with the American tobacco and two, I felt that new Snustopians shouldn’t have to go thru the same thing I did in the beginning. So to recap, Swedish snus that’s described as having a “pure tobacco flavor” means just that. No sweetener, since Swedish snus manufacturers do not use sweeteners in their recipes, just true tobacco flavor! Ok, back to the snus.

Ettan’s flavors also last a good bit of time as well. They do, however, vary between the types. Ettan loose lasted the longest with a maximum time of about 2 ½ hours and this was due to the pris beginning to fall apart. Ettan Original portions seemed to last the shortest amount of time with about a 1 ½ hour max. Ettan White gave me about 2 ½ hours when the portion’s flavor just seemed to die out. The max time recommendations I give Ettan is as follows; for the loose type, I recommend a 2 hour max when the portion is made with a Prismaster or an Icetool. With a hand baked pris, I recommend the same amount of time if you’re good at making them. If not, I’d recommend a 1 ½ hour max. With the portions, I’d recommend a 1 to 1 ½ hour max and with the White I’d go with about 2 hours. Now, what to drink!

I was thinking that since Ettan has a very simplistic flavor, I would forgo my usual drinks of Diet Coke and Monster Energy Drinks. “Snus Guy! Are you sick? You’ve never reviewed Swedish snus without trying Diet Coke and Monster with it! What’s the deal?” Calm down, I’m not sick or anything. Since I’ve reviewed so many different snus brands, I’ve learned that with tobacco flavored snus Diet Coke and Monster energy drinks are way too powerful in flavor. They tend to drown out the snus’ flavor leaving just a salty flavored drink. So this time I started out with iced Earl Grey tea.

Since Earl Grey tea has a light citrus flavor, bergamot actually, and Ettan does not, the two were made for each other! Bergamot has an uncanny way of bringing out more of the tobacco flavor while mixing really well with the saltiness of Ettan. I really recommend trying iced Earl Grey with Ettan. Another great pair was Lemonade! Again, the citrus did bring out more of the tobacco flavor while mixing well with the higher salt content.

For those Snustopians that like an Alcoholic drink with their snus, I found a relatively new Vodka flavor out there I thought would go great with Ettan. Sweet Tea flavored Vodka called Sweet Carolina mixed with lemonade to make an alcoholic version of an “Arnold Palmer”. I had a member of the Ministry of Information try Ettan with it and she commented that it’s the best of both worlds! The Vodka naturally brings out the flavor of tobacco but with the Sweet tea flavoring, it mellowed it out and actually made it less salty. Since I can’t drink, I’d love to hear from other Snustopians on this combination! Now, let’s go to the overall recommendations.

My overall recommendations for the Ettan family of snus, Snustopians, are this: Ettan’s flavor is a very unique one since it has been relatively unchanged since 1822. Even though the portion version didn’t make its debut until 1990, Swedish Match left Ettan’s flavor unchanged. Snustopians that are looking for a true “Original” flavored snus can’t go wrong with Ettan. Snustopians that want to experience what snus was like back in the 1800’s will like Ettan loose as well. New Snustopians that want to try out hand baking will do well with Ettan because it’s pretty easy to mold and has a relatively mild taste. They will also do well with either portion version for the same reason. Snustopians that are fans of the strong snus brands will find that Ettan’s 8 mg of Nicotine per portion, or gram in the loose version, a bit too weak but what Ettan lacks in Nicotine, it makes up for in flavor. I recommend that all Snustopians give Ettan a try but, I’ll leave the decision up to you. At around $3.35 USD for the loose, $3.44 USD for the Original portions and the White portions at Snustopia’s favorite place for Swedish snus, The Northerner, you really can’t go wrong! If you’re a new customer, you can save 10% on your first order by clicking on the banner to the left and entering the code on the banner at checkout!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru the Ettan family of snus, by Swedish Match, and found it fun and informative. Remember, I love hearing and answering any questions or comments you may have and will try to answer them as soon as I can!

So, until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

General Silver portion snus, a strong review of a mild snus brand!

Welcome fellow Snustopians!

It’s been a pretty stressful week here in Snustopia and I’ve been using mostly Extra Stark snus to try and cope with everything that’s been going on! Why do I bring this up, you may ask? It’s because of all the Extra Stark snus I’ve used throughout the day that led me to try General Silver portion snus. “Hey Snus Guy, why would high Nicotine snus make you try General Silver?” Good question! Let’s begin our trip thru General Silver portion snus and you’ll understand why and possibly a few other things you may not know about General snus overall!

General Silver portion snus is another snus made by the fine folks at Swedish Match AB and is a regular type portion snus. As you all remember, regular portions go thru the additional step in the manufacturing process which adds a bit more moisture to the portion material and initial flavor to the snus itself. The portion material is the same material that is used in all General snus brands and is comfortable in the lip. The first unique thing about General Silver is the fact that that the portions are a bit less moist that it’s other regular type siblings. The difference in moisture levels is minute so it has no effect in flavor or comfort but, I just felt it should be known. I’ve had a portion in for over 2 ½ hours with no discomfort but, the portion did begin to slide at that time mark so, I recommend a 2 hour max!

The portions have about 1 gram of snus each and there are 24 portions in each can. The cans are made of black plastic and have the compartment for used portions in the lid. You may notice something different about the lid though. Actually, there’s something new about most of the lids in the General line!

If you’re anything like me, I just can’t bring myself to throw away my empty cans! Call it OCD or being a Pack Rat but, no matter what it is, I just can’t bring myself to do it. In this case I’m glad I do keep them! If you look at the lid for the used portion compartment, you’ll see the change. In the past, all General cans had the General logo embossed in the lid. Recently, Swedish Match changed the embossing on all cans, with Onyx being the exception, to labels. While there are some Snustopians that may not like the change, I personally like it! The embossed lids, while they do give the can a bit of elegance, can be hard to see and read since the embossing is the same color as the lid. The new labels make the can stand out more and are easier to read! “Ok Professor Snus Can! Less can review, more snus review already!” Right! Back to the snus!

Since we’re still at the part of the review that deals with the portions themselves, let’s discuss the Nicotine content. As I said above, I’d been using strong snus throughout the day for the better part of the past 3 weeks to help me cope with the chaos going on here. At night, I wanted to back off the strong snus so, I reached for my General Original can and accidently grabbed the Silver. What made me check the can was that after the second portion, I really didn’t have that jittery feeling I have when I use a General Original portion after using all those Extra Stark portions throughout the day! The reason is because General Silver portion snus has 6 mg of Nicotine per portion! I know, long way around the subject but, it’ll make more sense at the end of the review!

“But Snus Guy, how could two portions that have the same amount of snus have different Nicotine contents?” Great question! The reason for this is that General Silver actually has less tobacco than say General Original. You see, the Nicotine is in the tobacco. I know everyone knows that but, in order to make a regular type portion that has less Nicotine; you need to use less tobacco. You just can’t take the Nicotine out of the tobacco like you can take the caffeine out of coffee. To maintain the same size and weight, you have to add a filler of some sort. In Swedish snus, the filler needs to be food grade in order to maintain the strict Swedish food inspections that snus must pass.

In General Silver, the filler is vegetable fiber. Now, don’t get worried that there is grated Artichoke or pulverized potatoes in it or that they are trying to pull something! In fact, most Nicotine free snus like Onico or Elixyr Free use vegetable fibers like Sugar Beet or Carrot fibers as fillers. It’s pretty common and it doesn’t change the flavor in any way. I’m on my 3rd can and I wouldn’t know it unless I read about it so, trust me, I wouldn’t steer my fellow Snustopians wrong! Now, let’s go on to the flavor!

Swedish Match describes the flavor of General Silver as “A slightly peppery snus with hints of citrus zest and balanced tobacco notes.” I taste something different. Let’s begin with the scent of the snus right out of the can. General Silver is another snus brand which does not have a strong, ammonia type of smell. Actually, the scent I get out of the can is very similar to General Original portion which is an earthy tobacco scent. The taste, on the other hand, is almost the opposite of what Swedish Match describes.

The flavors I get are predominate tobacco taste with subtle hints of pepper and citrus. Actually, the citrus is almost nonexistent. The Tobacco, pepper and salt take center stage with General Silver. The only similar flavor I can compare it to would be a peanut shell! “Peanut shell, Snus Guy? Nobody eats peanut shells!” Actually, some folks do and prior to my allergy, I was one of them. I used to eat peanuts, shell and all! That’s the flavor of General Silver. An earthy tobacco taste with salt and a little pepper flavor. The flavor does last a good bit of time but can go bitter after 2 ½ hours so, I still recommend a 2 hour max. Ok, what drinks go well with it? Let’s take a look!

Like I said in the beginning, I used General Silver as an end of day snus since I was using Extra Sterk snus during the day so, I decided to first give General Silver a try with some decaffeinated drinks. First up was coffee. Decaf coffee went really well with Silver. The coffee helped to bring out the tobacco flavors while the snus took some of the bitterness out of the coffee. Decaf iced tea went well too and actually brought out a bit of the citrus flavor. Not much but a bit. Believe it or not, Monster Energy went really well with Silver. The two flavors complimented each other but the best thing was the low Nicotine content in the snus didn’t really give me that nervous feeling I would normally get with a snus that has a higher Nicotine content. The drink I recommend though is Decaf or caffeinated coffee. So now, let’s go to the overall recommendations!

My overall recommendation for General Silver portion snus Snustopians is this; Since General Silver is a lower Nicotine content snus in a regular sized portion, Snustopians looking for a true Swedish snus to begin with would do well in trying a can of Silver. Its lower Nicotine content will allow you to ease into Swedish snus. Snustopians that are like me, using Extra Sterk snus throughout the day and looking for a weaker snus to relax with at night that still has a true tobacco flavor, will like General Silver as well. On the other hand, Snustopians that like the kick of the standard 8 to 12 mg of Nicotine in a snus or, fans of the Extra Stark/Sterk/Strong snus brands will probably find General Silver much too weak but, I’ll leave that decision up to you!

Currently, General Silver is only available in Sweden thru online snus shops. I say this because most General snus is beginning to become available in tobacco shops in the US but General Silver remains like General Onyx and only available online. Snustopia’s favorite snus shop, The Northerner, carries General Silver for about $3.71 a can and if this is your first time purchasing from them, just click on the banner to the right and get 10% off your first order! I encourage all new Snustopians to give General Silver and The Northerner a try! Just tell them That Snus Guy sent you!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour of General Silver portion snus by Swedish Match AB and found it fun and informative. I look forward to reading and answering all your questions and comments and will answer them as soon as I can!

Until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus, reviewing a snus with a surprising twist!

Greetings Snustopians!

Today I thought we would review another fruit flavored snus that really threw me when I was beginning my foray into the wonderful world of Swedish snus, Skruf Cranberry or Tranbär. Why did it throw me, you ask? The answer is simple really. When I was doing research for my first order of Swedish snus, the descriptions that most online snus shops had back then were not very clear on what flavor the snus actually was.

The reason for this, as I have said in the past, is the fact that Americans were just beginning to discover Swedish snus and, most online shops were in Sweden. Therefore, the descriptions were just translated from Swedish to English and some of the descriptors would be lost or, not really make sense. Skruf Cranberry was, in some shops, a victim of this. So, I decided that it was time that this snus had a proper review so all Snustopians could make an informed decision when making their purchases! So, without further delay, let’s review Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus.

Skruf Cranberry is another snus made by the folks at Skruf AB. It is a regular portion type snus which, as you remember, goes thru the additional wetting step to add a bit more moisture and flavor. “Hey Snus Guy, I thought that Skruf portion snus is a bit less wet when it comes to the portions?” You’re correct! Skruf’s additional wetting process does add less additional moisture because the snus inside is a bit more moist than most. It’s a pretty unique process which makes the portion material a bit more comfortable in the lip and lets the flavor last quite a bit longer! The portion material is the same tea bag type material that Skruf uses in all of its portion snus and also adds to the comfortable feel. I’ve had a portion in for over 3 hours with very little discomfort. Skruf Cranberry also has 9 mg of Nicotine per portion and there are 24, one gram portions in each can.

The can its self is also the same white plastic can that Skruf uses for all its portion snus and also has a compartment on the main lid for used portions. The label is clear and covers the gap between the can and the lid to keep air out. You may notice that the word “Tranbär” actually translates into “Cranberries” unlike other snus that describes the flavor as “cranberry” but has another word on the label. There is a really cool thing with all Skruf labels though! “Are you about to go into story telling mode Snus Guy?” Actually, yes I am because this is a trick that I learned from another Snustopian and I promised I’d let everyone know about it!

If you’re like me, I seem to have a fetish about making sure the top and bottom of my snus cans are lined up. I think it’s due to the fact that most labels on snus cans have either graphics or lettering that extend over the point where the lid meets the can. For example, General Snus cans have their logo extend past the top and up the edge of the lid and it bugs me when they are not aligned. Skruf, on the other hand, doesn’t. But it does have an alignment point! If you look at the barcode, at the upper right, you’ll see an arrow. On the stripe that’s on the edge of the lid, you’ll see a white arrow. Just align the two tips and presto, the lid and the can are in perfect alignment! I know, my OCD is beginning to show so, let’s continue on with the flavor of Skruf Cranberry!

Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) really does taste like cranberries. In actuality, it has the taste of Cranberry juice. If you have ever had fresh cranberries straight from the field, you know that they are pretty sour and bitter tasting. So, to say that Skruf Cranberry tastes just like fresh cranberries would not be completely accurate. On the other hand, to say that it tastes like cranberries that grandma serves at Thanksgiving would be just as inaccurate. I don’t know about you Snustopians but, my grandma was a staunch believer in the “canned” variety and Skruf Cranberry tastes nothing like that! “So, what are you driving at Snus Guy? What does Skruf Cranberry taste like?” Like I said, Cranberry juice would be the most accurate taste I can give.

I say cranberry juice because I believe this would be the midpoint of what everyone would think cranberries taste like. Not overly tart and lightly sweet. Not everyone has had the opportunity to taste a “fresh from the field” cranberry and I know that, at least once in your lives, you have had the canned cranberry glop. Almost everyone has had Cranberry Juice in one form or another and the taste of Skruf Cranberry is pretty close to it. What I get is a cranberry juice flavor with some peppery notes which I attribute to the tobacco. It’s not an “in your face” cranberry flavor like Offroad Cranberry, it’s a mild flavor that works really well with the tobacco. The flavor also lasts a pretty long time as well. I’ve had a portion in for about 3 hours before the flavor went a bit off. I’d recommend a 2 hour max for the best feel and flavor enjoyment. The really unique thing I found with Skruf Cranberry though, is the smell!

No, I don’t mean that Skruf Cranberry stinks or smells bad. On the contrary, it smells pretty good but there are some unique qualities in it. For example, when I first opened a can of Skruf Cranberry straight from the fridge, I got a pretty pleasant cranberry smell with very little of the tobacco or ammonia smell that’s typical of Swedish snus in general. As the can sat out at room temperature for a few hours, the scent changed to cranberry with a hint of a banana. “Snus Guy, have you been chain snusing Oden’s ES again? Banana smells in a cranberry flavored snus?” I know it sounds a bit weird but, there is a banana type scent that comes out after the snus sits out for a couple of hours. It doesn’t change the flavor in any way and, the combination of the two scents is actually quite nice. What I didn’t smell, even after leaving the can out for 24 hours, was Ammonia! Now that you know the flavor and scents of Skruf Cranberry portion snus, let’s take a look at what to drink with it.

Since we all know that I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I tried Skruf Cranberry with my usual staple drinks, Diet Coke, Monster Energy Drink and Iced Tea. All three went really well, with the Monster taking first place but, I did want to see how the snus would fare with a couple of alcoholic beverages so; I enlisted the help of a few members of the Ministry Of Information to lend a hand or, a tongue! First up was a drink known as “Sex on the Beach” but I’ve known it as a Vodka and cranberry. According to the members of MOI, it was the perfect pairing! The snus helped to add another peppery dimension to the drink and the Vodka helped to enhance the true flavor of the snus. I also had them try Skruf Cranberry with beer.

Since it’s one of the most commonly consumed alcoholic drinks, I wanted to see how Skruf Cranberry would do with certain beers so, I had them try a plain IPA and it did well but it didn’t do too well with darker beers like porters or stouts, like Guinness. The lighter beers like IPA’s let the cranberry shine thru and enhance the flowery notes in the beer while with the stronger beers like Guinness, it completely overpowered the snus. My recommendations for drinks go to Monster Energy, iced tea, Vodka and Cranberry and lighter beers like IPA’s and ales.

So, my overall recommendation for Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) Snustopians is this; New Snustopians looking for a cranberry snus to add to their first order will enjoy Skruf Cranberry due to its mild taste and 9 mg of Nicotine. Snustopians that are looking for a snus to add to their current rotation that has a true cranberry flavor but not overly sweet or synthetic tasting will like Skruf Cranberry as well. Fans of the Extra Strong/Sterk/Stark race will probably like the flavor but will miss the Nicotine kick since Skruf Cranberry is not like Skruf Stark in its Nicotine levels but, I will leave the decision up to you. At approximately $3.72 USD at Snustopia’s favorite place to buy snus, The Northerner, you really can’t go wrong by adding a can or two to your order. And remember, if you’re a first time customer, you can get 10% off by clicking on the banner to the right! Just tell em’ That Snus Guy sent you!

Well my fellow Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour thru Skruf Tranbär (Cranberry) portion snus and found it fun and informative. I look forward to reading and answering any questions, comments or suggestions you may have. I will try to answer them as quickly as I can!

As always, Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

Tre Ankare White and Mini White portion snus. Review of another value priced Swedish snus duo!

Welcome back Snustopians!

I thought this week we would continue our journey into “Value Priced” snus by reviewing the other low priced brand in the Swedish Match family, Tre Ankare. I know you’re all saying “Snus Guy, what’s up with the low priced snus reviews?” Basically, I wanted to review lower priced snus brands for two reasons. The first one you all may remember from our review of Kronan. Long story short, I want to make sure that Tre Ankare, as well as other value priced snus, doesn’t get the branding that value priced foods and merchandise get which is, that they are typically subpar in taste and quality.

The second reason is that Tre Ankare is a relatively unknown snus brand. I don’t mean that nobody knows that Tre Ankare is a snus brand, just that it’s not as popular as its well known siblings in the Swedish Match family like General and Röda Lacket! So, with that information in hand, let’s begin our journey into Tre Ankare White and Mini White portion snus.

Tre Ankare is, as I said above, another snus brand made by the fine folks at Swedish Match AB. Tre Ankare also comes in both a mini and a regular sized portion. Both types are white portions which, as you all remember, do not go thru the additional wetting step.

The portion material for both regular and mini is the same type that Swedish Match uses in all its white portions and, pretty soft and comfortable under the lip. Each regular White portion has 1 gram of snus and there are 24 portions per can. The Nicotine content is 8 mg per portion. With the Mini White portions, there is about .5 grams of snus per portions and 20 portions per can. Nicotine content in the Mini White portions is 4 mg per portion.

Here, I want to bring up a concern that has been brought up by some Snustopians regarding White portions. The concern is that some White portions can be a bit irritating in the beginning. While I haven’t run into this with Tre Ankare, I have come across it in a few others and the question remains why. The answer is not necessarily in the material its self, but the moisture level in the snus as well! “Ok Snus Guy, you’re going to have to explain this one!” Alright, let’s get to it, it’s pretty simple!

While the quality of the portion material is pretty important, since there is no additional wetting process with White portions, the moisture level in the snus plays a big role in the comfort of the portion too. “We get it Snus Guy but, why does the moisture level in the snus play a big role?” Good question! When the snus has a lower moisture content, it can be a bit grainy and allow the portion to slide a bit under the lip. This can cause some discomfort if the material is of a lower quality. When it has higher moisture content, the snus will stay together better and help the portion to stay put. See, pretty easy explanation! Now, back to the task at hand, Tre Ankare!

The cans with both types of Tre Ankare are made of plastic and have the compartment for used portions on the lid. Another thing about the lids is the cool engraving of a coat of arms! I know, enough about the lids!
As I said, both the regular sized portions and the minis are pretty comfortable under the lip. I had both in for about 2 ½ hours with virtually no discomfort to speak of. What does happen after the 2 ½ mark is that the portion tends to get a bit weird feeling and, can slip down a bit. No discomfort but can get a bit aggravating so, I recommend a 2 hour max with both for full enjoyment! So, what about the taste? Let’s take a look, starting with the Full sized portions!

To be honest, I couldn’t really tell any flavor difference between the full sized portions and the mini portions, only a difference between how long each lasted. I’ll divulge that bit of information later so; let’s get back to the taste.

Tre Ankare’s flavor is pretty mild compared to most of the other snus brands that Swedish Match has. Most of Swedish Match’s snus brands have a strong, predominant flavor of some kind. In General Onyx, you can really make out the citrus and salt within the first few minutes! With Kronan, the dill and tobacco are right up front as well. Tre Ankare, on the other hand, doesn’t have that “in your face” flavor up front. Rather, a very light tobacco flavor with a touch of salt.

Swedish Match describes the flavor of Tre Ankare as “A snus with full bodied and distinct flavor of dark tobacco and dried herbs”. While the taste of the tobacco is the predominant flavor with the background flavor being salt, it’s not very strong. Another very subtle background flavor is there as well but, it took me a while to figure it out. It’s pretty close to parsley or a peppery greens type flavor but like I said, it’s really faint but does go well with the overall flavor! It seems though; the longer a portion is in, the more the flavor seems to come out but the flavor still remains pretty mild. I’ve had a portion of regular white’s flavor last about 2 hours which I recommend as a max and a portion of Mini’s flavor last about an hour which I also recommend as a max. So, what to drink!

I thought that with Tre Ankare I’d skip the Diet Coke and Monster test. “Snus Guy! Are you feeling ok? You review all snus with Diet Coke and Monster energy drinks!” I know, but with the light flavor of Tre Ankare I knew that both of these would really overpower it. So, I decided to try lighter flavored drinks. I tried iced coffee with Tre Ankare and it did go well, much better than hot coffee. The coffee helped to bring the tobacco flavor out but, since coffee varies in strength depending on where you get it, stronger varieties, like Starbucks, completely overpowered the flavor. Green tea, either hot or cold, was the definite winner with Tre Ankare! The light tea flavor brought out the light tobacco flavor while combating the subtle saltiness. In actuality, the Green tea helped me to define the parsley flavor as well so; it’s my recommended drink of choice!

My overall recommendation for Tre Ankare White portion and Mini White portion snus Snustopians is this; Snustopians new to the world of Swedish snus would really like Tre Ankare. Its light salty taste and mild flavor will allow you to get used to the Nicotine and the taste of true Swedish snus. Snustopians looking for a Mini portion snus that has a basic tobacco flavor without the mint or fruitiness of other minis will find that Tre Ankare fills that need! Seasoned Snustopians that like the boldness in flavors that Swedish snus is known for, may not like Tre Ankare. You will find that Tre Ankare’s flavor may be too light but, I’ll leave that decision up to you!

Prices for Tre Ankare White portion snus average about $3.45 USD depending on the shop and the Minis average about $3.20. But, if you visit Snustopia’s number one shop for Swedish snus, The Northerner, and it’s your first time buying from them, you can save 10% at checkout on your order by clicking on the banner near the top right of this page! Just tell em’ That Snus Guy sent you!

Well Snustopians, I hope you found our tour of Tre Ankare White portion and Mini White portion snus helpful and informative. I encourage you to leave comments and any questions you may have at the bottom of this page and, I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as I can!

Until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

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

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