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

Montecristo Portion snus, our first “Cuban” snus review!

Greetings Snustopians!

This week, I was sitting here in my office at the Ministry of Information trying to brief my colleagues on the wonderful things that I saw and learned during my trip to Sweden. While we were talking, I decided to grab a can of snus out of my mini fridge and I saw a snus that I had completely forgot about, Montecristo portion snus! You see, when Larry, from SnusCENTRAL, and I first arrived at our hotel in Gothenburg, we decided to find a snus store in the train station below our hotel. We found a small gift shop that had a snus cooler (almost every shop in Gothenburg has a snus cooler of some sort) and decided to take a look. What we saw was all different brands of snus but the Cuban snus is what caught my eye! So, I decided to buy a couple of cans of each brand and try them all! I thought I used all the Montecristo I bought in Sweden but I had inadvertently put one in my checked bag. I pulled it out of the fridge and remembered a quote I had read in an ad that described Montecristo portions snus as the “Champagne of snus”. That’s when I adjourned the briefing and decided we were going to find out why Montecristo portion snus is known as the “Champagne of snus”! So, if you’re ready, let’s begin our review Montecristo portion snus by Taboca AS.



“Hey Snus Guy, isn’t Montecristo a cigar company?” Well, no actually. Montecristo, in the cigar world, is a very famous brand name. The cigars are produced by a manufacturer for the Montecristo brand. The same is true of Montecristo snus. The manufacturer of the Montecristo brand is Taboca AS and the snus is manufactured in Sweden. “But Snus Guy, you said that Montecristo is a Cuban snus! How can a snus be Cuban but, made in Sweden?” Hold on, you’re getting ahead of me! Let me explain a bit. Montecristo snus actually has 3 countries to thank for its taste! The first country is, obviously, Cuba because the tobacco used for the snus is 100% hand selected tobacco from all over the island. The second country is Norway. Taboca AS uses only pure mountain water from Norway to manufacture Montecristo and the last country we have to thank for Montecristo is Sweden! Taboca takes both of these elements and manufacturers Montecristo to the same high standards that all Swedish snus is made so, now you know how a Cuban snus can be a Swedish snus as well and we’ve uncovered one of the reasons that Montecristo portion snus is called the “Champagne of snus”. Now, let’s take a look at the portions themselves!

The material that Taboca uses for Montecristo is the same kind that they use in all of their portion snus and is pretty comfortable under the lip for over two hours. They are also classified as regular portions meaning that they go thru the extra step in the manufacturing process that adds a bit more moisture to each portion but, not just any moisture! This is where more of the pure Norwegian mountain water is used that also adds another flavor element to the snus, how quick the flavor is released in the lip! It only takes a minute or two to taste the flavors and once you do, the flavor lasts for over two hours! Each can of Montecristo has 24, one gram portions as well! “Ok Snus Guy, but what about the Nicotine?” The Nicotine level in Montecristo is another reason to call it the “Champagne of snus” in the fact that there is 11 mg of Nicotine per portion but there isn’t the kick you would expect with a snus that has that higher Nicotine content. While some new Snustopians that are used to 8 mg of Nicotine in snus may feel it more, most Snustopians don’t.

The can that Montecristo comes in is unique as well. It has a metal can that’s painted in the famous Montecristo color scheme that is on their cigar boxes, with the Montecristo logo on the lid and the gold and black chasing around the outside of the lid but, that’s not the only thing making it unique. The paint that Taboca uses almost has a rubberized feel to it that allows you to keep a firm grip on the can even if it were to get wet! Montecristo’s lid also makes a great seal with the bottom of the can that really keeps the moisture in. The only down side to the can is the absence of a used portion compartment. “Snus Guy, you’re obsessing about the can again! We want to know how it tastes already!” Sorry, the can is pretty cool though! Ok, enough about the can, let’s go to the taste.

In the past, whenever I’ve heard the words Montecristo and tobacco together, I would automatically think great cigars. Actually, this is pretty much the norm in the states since Montecristo snus is relatively new in the tobacco world. While the Montecristo brand has been on fine Cuban cigars since the 1930’s and on Dominican cigars since the 50’s, Montecristo snus was launched in 2008. Just like the cigars that share its name, the taste is unmistakably unique! Taboca describes Montecristo as having a rich tobacco taste and flavors of lemon and bergamot. The rich tobacco taste comes from the Cuban tobacco. If you have ever experienced smoking a Montecristo Cuban cigar, you’ll be able to tell the distinct flavor of Cuban tobacco. For those Snustopians that have never smoked a Cuban cigar or, are living in America, Cuban tobacco has a unique flavor that distinguishes it from its cousin Dominican tobacco. Cuban tobaccos tend to have a peppery flavor with earthy, leathery undertones and a touch of flowers that almost give it a black tea flavor while Dominican tobaccos have just the opposite.

The other flavor element in Montecristo is the citrus. While the description states that there are Lemon/bergamot flavors, I can only taste lemon. But that’s not a bad thing. Since there is a smaller amount of salt in Montecristo than other Swedish snus, you can really taste the tobacco and lemon. These flavors combined with the hint of salt and slight flowery elements give Montecristo the taste of a fine Black tea and another reason to be called the “Champagne of snus”. Now what to drink with Montecristo portion snus? This may surprise you.

“Couldn’t we just drink the same things we would with a fine Cuban cigar Snus Guy?” Well, yes and no actually. While the flavor of Montecristo portion snus is unmistakably Cuban, it’s not as strong as it is in the cigars. That and the fact of being able to taste not only the tobacco from the end of the cigar but the flavor of the smoke as well so, drinks that have strong flavors like dark beers, strong liquors and energy drinks will drown out the delicate flavors in the snus. What I did try was my staple Diet Coke first. The Diet Coke’s flavor went well but the artificial sweetener made the snus bitter. Iced Black teas like Earl Grey did extremely well in bringing out the tea flavor in Montecristo. The bergamot in Earl Grey helped to enhance the lemon flavor and the tea complements the tobacco taste and brings the peppery taste to the front more. “But what about drinks like brandy and other aperitifs Snus Guy? Are they too strong?” Not really. I had to enlist my typical band of Guinea Pigs for this part of the review!

I had them try a few different after dinner drinks; one would have with a fine cigar, with Montecristo portion snus and asked them what they thought. The first one we tried was Hennessy Cognac and they all felt that the cognac was much too strong a flavor for Montecristo snus. The next one was rum. While we really wanted to try it with a Cuban rum, we couldn’t get our hands on some so we picked a close match which was a fine Puerto Rican rum, Bacardi Superior. Some sipped it straight while the others chose to drink a Mojito. Both were good but, the Bacardi Superior straight fared better. The last, and best according to my Guinea Pigs, was Grand Marnier! The light orange flavor mixed with the lemon flavor in the snus and the Cuban tobacco to create a taste that is a perfect match. The sweetness in the Grand Marnier also created another depth and helped to round everything out. So, for non-alcoholic drinks, Iced Earl Grey tea is the favorite and for after dinner drinks, Grand Marnier wins out!

My overall recommendation for Montecristo portion snus by Taboca AS Snustopians is this; Montecristo is definitely the “Champagne of snus” in design and taste. For Snustopians that are looking to try a snus that’s truly unique, Montecristo is the one to try. New Snustopians that want to experience a higher Nicotine snus with a smoother flavor than most will do well with Montecristo as well. The downside is that Montecristo is not available to U.S. residents at this time but, if you find yourself traveling to Sweden or other countries in Europe, I really recommend you give Montecristo a try.

For you Snustopians that live outside the U.S., the best place to get Montecristo portion snus is at Northerner.com. They have Montecristo portion snus at a great price and deliver almost anywhere!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour thru Montecristo portion snus and found in fun and informative. I invite you to ask any questions or leave comments about our tour by clicking the comments link at the bottom of this article. I look forward to reading them and will answer them all as soon as I can.

So Snustopians, until our next review, as always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

Oden’s Extra Stark Original portion snus, reviewing the second flavor in the “Strongest snus in the world” line!

Greetings Snustopians!

I was sitting in my office this weekend here in beautiful Skruf Square, pouring over some of the past reviews we’ve done together, when I had realized that we haven’t reviewed an Extra Strong / Sterk / Stark portion snus brand in quite awhile! If memory serves me correctly, the last one we reviewed was Oden’s Cinnamon or Kanel so I thought to myself, there’s been a lot of talk out there on the other Oden’s Extra Strong portion flavors but not too much on Extra Strong Original portion! Until today!

Today we’ll be touring thru the third flavor in the Oden’s Extra Strong portion line, Original. I know what you’re thinking. “Hey Snus Guy, how could a relatively new brand of snus have an original flavor? Wasn’t Cinnamon the first flavor out?” Well, while I’m not entirely sure that Cinnamon was indeed the first flavor Gajane introduced in the Extra Strong portion line, I can shed a little light on the whole “Original” flavor name.

You see, in the beginning, snus manufacturers introduced snus as simply “snus”. Everyone knew that the flavor would inherently be of tobacco, salt and possibly bergamot. For example, Ettan, one of the oldest snus brands, first introduced snus back in 1822 and was flavored with just tobacco, salt and water. As snus began to evolve into the flavor assortment it is today, many manufacturers that began to add flavoring to their original recipes, needed to make a distinction between the “Original” flavor and its new flavor mixes. Thus, the “Original” flavor moniker was born. So, “original” on some cans of snus simply means plain tobacco flavor with a bit of salt. This is the case with Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus! I know, I took the long way to answer the question but, I hope this clears any confusion up. Back to the review!

As I said in the beginning Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus is another Extra Strong snus made by the folks at Gajane. The portions are made with the same tea bag material that Gajane uses in all its portion snus but the Original portions are a bit different than the Cinnamon portions. While the Cinnamon and Licorice portions seem to be overly wet, the Original portions are not. They are all classed as regular type portions which, as you all remember, go thru the additional wetting step to add a bit more moisture and flavor to the snus but, unlike its brothers, are not as wet. This makes Original’s portions stay in place longer but, delays the flavor release. Each portion of Extra Strong Original has a little less than 1 gram of snus and there are 24 portions in each can.

The Nicotine content in Extra Strong Original is the typical 17 mg per portion that all of Oden’s Extra Strong portions have making it still, to date, the strongest snus in the world! As I explained in the Oden’s Extra Strong Cinnamon, although there is a high amount of Nicotine in the Oden’s Extra Strong line, I really didn’t get the woozy, head spinning feeling one would expect with a high Nicotine snus. Rather, I got a real sense of calming with it! Although I still don’t recommend chain snusing it!

The can that Oden’s Extra Strong Original comes in is the same black plastic can that Cinnamon comes in with the Oden’s logo engraved on the lid. Unfortunately, there is no used portion compartment in the lid but, the engraving is pretty cool looking! I have noticed that the portions in Oden’s Original do tend to be inconsistently filled. What I mean is that some of the portions seem to have less snus in them. If I had to estimate a percentage of portions that are smaller, I’d guess probably around 10%. It may not be an issue with most Snustopians but, I figured I let everyone know!

The mouth feel with the portions are pretty comfortable no matter how they are filled. I’ve had a portion in for over 2 ½ hours with very little discomfort. Unlike Extra Strong Cinnamon, there is virtually no sliding or excess dripping of the snus with Original! Next up, the flavor!

I was actually pretty surprised with the flavor in Oden’s Extra Strong Original! “Surprised Snus Guy, you? We don’t believe it!” Yes, I know there is not too much that can surprise me but, Original did just that! But not like you would expect. While the flavor of Extra Strong Original is just as one would expect a snus that’s flavor is labeled “Original” would be, which is plainly tobacco and salt, it was the intensity of the flavor that actually surprised me!

The flavor is basic. By basic I mean just pure tobacco flavor with a salty element and a hint of black pepper but, unlike the Cinnamon, or even Licorice, where the flavor is immediate and intense, the flavor of Original is subtle and quite mellow. But just because the flavor is subtle, doesn’t mean it its short lived! The flavor seems to last for a long time! I’ve let a portion sit for over 3 ½ hours before the flavor died out. I still recommend the 2 ½ hour max for the best experience with flavor and comfort! So, what would go well to drink with Extra Strong Original? Let’s take a look.

As you may remember from our trip thru Oden’s Extra Strong Cinnamon (Kanel), I was a bit timid in trying one of my staple drinks, Monster Energy drink, so I decided to give it another go with the Original. While it still seemed to raise my heart rate a bit, the flavor was too strong for the snus. It seemed to drown out the subtle tobacco flavor. I got the same thing with my other staple, Diet Coke. I next tried a Black iced tea and it seemed to do the same thing! Here’s where I got confused. In all my time reviewing snus, one of these three drinks would always prevail against a lightly flavored snus. I gave one more thing a shot.

I normally drink coffee hot with a bit of sugar. I tried it with Original and I did taste a bit more of the tobacco flavor but, it’s beginning to turn warm outside here in Snustopia so, I tried it with an iced coffee. Wow! What a difference! The iced coffee I tried it with was just a plain Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee with a bit of sugar but it really brought out the tobacco flavor and the bit of sugar helped to balance out the salt. If you’ve never tried an iced coffee with a tobacco flavored snus, I highly recommend you try it, especially with Extra Strong Original.

Another great pairing I found with Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus was iced Green tea. Not the flavored Green Teas that are out there, like Sobe or Arizona, just plain iced green tea. Since the tobacco flavor is light in Oden’s Extra Strong Original and the tea flavor is light in the green tea, both helped to enhance each other’s flavors.

So what’s my overall recommendation for Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus, you may ask? Well Snustopians, my overall recommendation is this: Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus is indeed just as strong as its siblings and has the same Nicotine effects as they do as well. There’s no head spins like you would expect from a snus with the highest Nicotine content on the market. Knowing this, I recommend that Snustopians who are big fans of the Extra Strong / Sterk / Stark snus give Oden’s Extra Strong Original a try but be warned, unlike it’s flavored siblings, Original’s flavor is pretty subtle.

Snustopians that want to try their hand at the Extra Strong / Sterk / Stark snus, but are a bit standoffish due to the effects, will like Oden’s Extra Strong Original because the Nicotine effects are not that strong. First time Snustopians, or Snustopians that have not yet strayed into snus with Nicotine contents over 9 mg, may want to consider starting off gradually and may find Oden’s Extra Strong Original much too strong to start the next level in the snus saga!

Speaking of which, like I did in the Oden’s Extra Strong Cinnamon review, I strongly advise against chain snusing Oden’s Extra Strong Original! As I did in the Cinnamon review, I sacrificed myself for all Snustopians and can tell you first hand; this is not a good idea! Even though there are no head spins, there can be some stomach issues related to using a high Nicotine snus back to back for a day so, please exercise caution when using Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion as well as any high Nicotine snus! I know, I know, that sounded like a public service message but, my Ministry of Information insisted on making sure we keep our fellow Snustopians informed!

Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus averages around $3.42 USD at Snustopia’s favorite place to buy snus, The Northerner. The Northerner carries all of Gajane’s brands along with all your other favorites and offer fast delivery and great customer service! If it’s your first time purchasing snus from them, just click on the banner to the right, and get 10% off your order! Just tell ‘em That Snus Guy sent you!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour of Oden’s Extra Strong Original portion snus and found it fun and informative. I look forward to hearing your comments and questions and look forward to answering them as soon as I can!

As always Snustopians, until our next review,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

General Ekstra Sterk Loose snus, a review of General’s newest “available in America” snus!

Greetings my fellow Snustopians!

Today, I thought we would journey into the world of General Ekstra Sterk loose snus. Why, you may ask? Simple really, I know I’ve already done a review on General Ekstra Sterk portion snus so, you would think that the loose version couldn’t be much different. In all actuality, they are pretty close in the taste department with a few subtle differences. We’ll get into those in a bit but the main reason I wanted to get a review out for it is the fact that Ekstra Sterk loose will be released for sale in snus shops on the web soon! I’ll explain towards the end but, without further ado, let’s get into the review of General’s newest loose offering, General Ekstra Stark loose snus!

You’re probably asking yourselves, “Snus Guy, what’s with all these recent snus varieties being released for Americans?” Well, it looks like Swedish snus is becoming more and more popular in the states. Swedish Match, the makers of the General brand, is seeing this and, bringing Swedish snus to American snus lovers! I’m sure there is more to it than that but, SSNN (Snustopian Satellite News Network) really has been out of the loop on this one! Guess I’ll have to have a talk with them! Anyhow, I do have a Field Trip planned for us soon that will get these answers. More about that in another review but, let’s get back to Ekstra Sterk loose!

As I said before, General Ekstra Sterk loose is another offering by the folks at Swedish Match. Ekstra Sterk loose is a medium grind snus meaning that it packs pretty well and the pris holds its shape longer than a finer ground snus like Skruf Stark loose. Hand baking is relatively easy with Ekstra Stark loose provided you know how to do it. As you all know, I am hand bake challenged so, for this review, I used an Icetool to give you how the pris feels. Knowing this, making a pris by hand will yield a completely different type of feel as well as a different length of time the pris lasts before mudslide. Ok, enough about methods. Let’s get back to the snus!

The pris can get a bit hard if compressed too tightly with the tools so, I recommend a medium pressure on the plunger prior to putting the pris under the lip. Ekstra Sterk loose also has higher moisture content which, among other things, makes the pris last as well as making it comfortable. I got a pris to last about 3 hours before mudslide but, like I said before, hand baking will yield about 1 ½ hours to 2 hours before this happens. I recommend a 2 hour max with the tool and about 1 ½ hours with a hand baked pris. “Hey Snus Guy! Are you holding out on the Nicotine content? Is it the same level as the portions?” I’m glad you brought that up actually! The answer will surprise you.

When I got my can of General Ekstra Stark loose, I automatically assumed it would be just like the portion version in every way. I was really wrong. Like I said in the beginning, there are subtle differences in taste but, the Nicotine level is different as well. Where General Ekstra Sterk portions have 15 mgs of Nicotine per portion, Ekstra Sterk loose has 13 mgs of Nicotine per gram. Now don’t assume the worst like I did, let me explain a few things first. If you go off total weight, there are 22 portions in a can of Ekstra Sterk portions and there is 45 grams of snus in a can of loose. Each portion has a little over 1 gram of snus in them but, when you make a pris of loose, you typically use about 1.3 to 1.5 grams of snus. I know I do! So, when you look at it that way, you’re getting the same Nicotine content with the loose as you would with the portions but there’s another difference, the release!

Loose snus, as we have discussed before, does release Nicotine faster than portions do. Why, you ask? Really simple, the tobacco makes direct contact with your gums in the loose type. With portions, the material acts as a bit of a barrier so; it takes a little longer for the Nicotine to hit the gums. That’s also the reason why there is a saltier taste in portions over loose. The salt interacts with the tobacco to allow the Nicotine to release. That’s the way I look at it anyway so, don’t fret Snustopians, just remember that you can control the amount of Nicotine you get with any loose snus just by adjusting the size of the pris! So, on to the taste!

One would think that Ekstra Stark loose and portion would taste exactly the same. If you think that, like I did at first, you would be wrong but not entirely wrong. While other snus flavors, like V2’s Phantom blue for example, do have a distinct difference in taste between the portion variety and the loose, this is not the case with Ekstra Sterk. An overview of Ekstra Sterk portion’s flavor would be pure tobacco with a lemony, not citrusy, background and slightly salty with peppery notes and a bit of smoky flavor, the only thing that would be different in the loose variety would be the absence of the salty taste, less smoke flavoring and a more defined tobacco flavor! “Snus Guy, this is not your normal rambling on flavors! What gives?” Well, I forgot that some Snustopians may not have read the original Ekstra Stark portion review so, if you click on this link "General Ekstra Sterk Portion snus review", it will take you to the review and you can get a better understanding.

Another thing about the flavor difference is the length of time it lasts between the two. I said in the portion review that I got about 2 ½ hours from a portion before it began to get bitter. With the loose, I got 3 hours before mudslide began to take over but, there was still flavor and, no bitterness. I still recommend a 2 hour max with Ekstra Stark loose for full enjoyment! Now, what to drink with Ekstra Stark loose?

Loose snus always proves to be a challenge to drink with for new Snustopians! It takes a bit of practice to be able to take a drink without either completely destroying the pris or, swallowing half of it but, there are a few tricks you can use! The first one is pretty obvious, using a straw! The biggest complaint I hear, and have experienced in the beginning, is drinking from a glass.

Be it a cup of coffee, A glass of iced tea or a pint of Guinness, it can be a challenge to learn how to drink from a glass with a pris of loose under your lip! The only method I can offer is this; when going to take a drink, don’t suck the drink from the glass or cup, just raise the vessel and tip out the drink in your mouth. Doing this will allow the upper lip to relax and thus keeping it from crushing the pris! As you use loose more, you’ll find better ways but, this is the method I use and I use loose almost 40% of the time! “Hey! Professor Snus Guy! We appreciate the how-to-use-a-glass sermon but, you’re going off topic again!” Oops, sorry! I just wanted to hit this topic a little so I don’t get angry emails from new Snustopians. Ok, back to actual drinks!

I’m not going to bore you with the Diet Coke test because I think it goes well with General Ekstra Sterk Loose. Monster on the other hand, overpowered the taste of the snus. I prefer iced tea with Ekstra Sterk. Southern Style Sweet tea pairs well with it but, I did have iced Earl Gray as well and it tended to be a bit too strong. As I said in the taste review, Ekstra Sterk looses’ flavor isn’t quite as strong as it’s portioned brother so, stronger flavored drinks tended to bury the snus’ flavor. Stick with lighter flavored drinks and you’ll be able to enjoy both!

My overall recommendation for General Ekstra Sterk loose snus my fellow Snustopians is this; Those Snustopians that like the portion version of Ekstra Sterk, will find the loose version just as likeable. Snustopians that are fans of strong snus and loose snus will really enjoy it as well. New Snustopians that are currently using Copenhagen or, a tobacco flavored Smokeless will immediately fall for Ekstra Sterk loose as well. Since both versions are getting ready to be released in the states, I do recommend Cope users give it a shot!

Like I said, General Ekstra Sterk loose, or lös, will be available soon at snus shops like The Northerner with other new General brands. The average cost for General Ekstra Stark loose runs about $3.49 a can depending on where you buy it but remember Snustopians, if you click on The Northerner banner at the top of the page and it's your first order, you can get 10% off!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our tour of General Ekstra Sterk loose snus by Swedish Match and found it helpful. Please leave any questions, comments or suggestions in the comments area. I look forward to reading and answering them as soon as I can.

As always,

Happy Snusing!

That Snus Guy

Skruf Stark Portion and White portion. Reviewing the original Stark portion snus brands!

Welcome back Snustopians!

You may be asking yourselves why I chose to do a review on both Skruf Stark Portion snus and Skruf Stark White portion snus this week. The reason why is pretty simple actually! Skruf Stark portion has always been on my list of snus to review and just when I was getting ready to introduce it to you, Skruf came out with Skruf Stark White! So I figured, instead of reviewing them separately, why not review them together and point out the differences!

“Snus Guy, we’ve heard that the only difference between Skruf Stark regular portion and White portion was the color of the portions!” It’s the main difference but not the only one. I have found a few more that you may be interested in! So, let’s get started reviewing them, beginning with Skruf Stark portion snus!

Skruf Stark portion snus and Skruf Stark White portion snus are the product of the folks at Skruf AB. Skruf Stark portion really has a pretty good story to tell due to the fact that it was the first strong portion snus to go over the 11 mgs of Nicotine per portion hurdle! “But Snus Guy, doesn’t General Maxi portion have 14 mgs of Nicotine per portion? Since it came out in 2004, wouldn’t that make it the first strong portion?” Great question! While General Maxi does have 14 mgs of Nicotine per portion, it is actually a Maxi portion meaning that it has almost double the amount of snus per portion than Skruf Stark portion. That’s why there is a high amount of Nicotine in General Maxi and what makes Skruf Stark portion’s story so good!

Skruf Stark portion was introduced into the snus world back in 2005 so, it’s really is the first of the high Nicotine, regular sized portion snus! Each portion has 1 gram of snus and there are 24 portions in each can. The portions in Skruf Stark portions are regular type portions which, as you all remember, go thru an additional wetting process towards the end of manufacturing but this is another hitch in the story of Skruf Stark portion!

Most regular type portions are wet. Not the kind of wet like they’re soaking in liquid but, have a moist look and feel in the lip from the start. Skruf Stark portions really don’t have that. They do have the trademark immediate flavor that other regular portions do but run less. Why, you ask? It’s because the snus inside the portion material is more moist that in other portions. This is what gives them the immediate flavor release while not being as prone to running as other regular portions! “Sounds pretty good Snus Guy but, how do they feel under your lip?”

Well, the portion material is pretty soft to the touch but has the same feel as most other regular portion snus. One would think that since the portion material isn’t as moist as a normal regular portion, Skruf Stark’s portions would be a little irritating but, that’s not the case! I’ve had a portion in for up to 3 hours with only a bit of wrinkling under the lip but, no discomfort to speak of. As I’ve said before, the Nicotine is pretty much gone after about 30 to 45 minutes but the flavor lasts much longer! Now, let’s talk about Skruf Stark White portion’s history and feel!

Skruf Stark White portion snus was released in February 2009 as a true “White” type portion snus. I feel that the reason for Skruf to release Skruf Stark in a White type was the fact that, at the time of its release, the majority of the Extra Stark/Extra Sterk/Extra Strong snus brands were produced as white types. So, in order to bring Skruf Stark into the race for the Strongest Snus around, Skruf released a White version of its strongest snus!

While most of the characteristics of Skruf Stark White are the same as Skruf Stark’s, the portion material seems to be a bit softer in White. It’s basically due to the portions not going thru the extra step. The other differences are when the flavor is released and how long it lasts.

With Skruf Stark White, the flavor takes a bit go get going unlike the regular. Let me explain a bit. Where the flavor in the regular Skruf Stark pretty much comes on within a minute or two, Skruf Stark White takes about 10 minutes to begin flowing but, that’s not a bad thing. The flavor in White lasts about 2 ½ hours where with the regular, the flavor lasts about 2 hours. A common thing in both is that when they hit their maximum time limits for flavor, the portions get bitter. It’s almost like a timer for me that says “Hey! Snus Guy! You’re not getting any more flavor out of us! It’s time to change us out!” Knowing this, I recommend a 2 hour max for both for full enjoyment!

“Ok Snus Guy, how about taste already?” Ok, let me say this about the can first and we’ll get to the flavor! The cans in all Skruf products are pretty much the same, no matter if its loose snus or portion snus, with exception of the lids. They all are made of white plastic and both Skruf Stark and Skruf Stark White have used portion compartments in the lid. The design of the labels is the same as well. The only difference is the color of the band and the marking on the top. The band for Skruf Stark is red and the band for White is black. Also, the top of White has a label where the top on Skruf Stark portion is embossed. I know you probably didn’t really need to know that but, I find it easier when I grab for them in the morning. I just look for the color of the band! Ok, enough about the can and my weird way of finding them, on to the taste!

One would think the flavors in Skruf Stark portion and Skruf Stark White portions would be pretty much identical but this is not the case. Skruf describes them to taste of Rose Oil and Bergamot. For those Snustopians that don’t know what a Bergamot tastes like, it tastes like a cross between an orange, a lemon and a grapefruit. Most Snustopians describe it as a citrus flavor but have a hard time pinpointing which one of the three. I liken it to a bitter orange taste but, in both Skruf Starks, it’s more of a red grapefruit taste. A little sour, a little sweet and just the right amount of the bitter grapefruit taste in the background. What I didn’t really taste in the regular type was the Rose Oil!

“Snus Guy! What does Rose Oil taste like?” Glad you asked. It’s really not a taste you can sense with your taste buds. It’s more of a flavor you pickup in the back of your mouth, almost like a scent. If you read the Skruf Stark Lös review, I can sense the Rose Oil in the loose version. In the regular portions, it’s pretty much nonexistent. It’s not a total loss though. The trade off is the slight peppery taste that enhances the Bergamot flavor. In the White version, the Rose Oil scent is pretty much the same as in the loose. It’s not a “Wow, I smell Roses when I have a White portion in” type of flavor, it’s more of a flowery taste much like tea has. In all honesty, imagine a cup of black tea with lemon and you’d be pretty close to Skruf Stark White’s flavor. Sadly though, as I said above, the flavor only lasts about 2 to 2 ½ hours and the portions get bitter so, for maximum enjoyment, I still stick to the 2 hour max! Now, let’s talk drinks!

My staples, Diet Coke and Monster Energy drinks, played well with both types but overall did really well with the regular portions. Black teas like Earl Grey did better with the regular portions too because of the predominant Bergamot flavor. Here’s where it gets a bit weird though. I tried Iced Earl Grey with the White version and it was a bit too strong for it. It seemed to overtake the Rose Oil flavor but, did enhance the tobacco flavor! The best thing I’ve found to go well with both was lemonade!

Yes, you heard me right, lemonade. I know, there’s only been one other snus I’ve said went well with it but, now there’s three. In the regular portion type, the lemonade enhanced the Bergamot flavor while bringing the tobacco taste to the front more. In the White portion type, the lemonade did something completely surprising! While it did the same thing as in the regular type, with the White type, it actually enhanced the Iced Tea flavor and created a flavor similar to an “Arnold Palmer”! For those Snustopians that don’t play golf, an Arnold Palmer is a drink made with half Iced Tea and half lemonade. It was really surprising!

My overall recommendations for Skruf Stark regular portion and White portion Snustopians, is this; Skruf Stark portion snus is the original strong portion snus. For those Snustopians who want to experience what it was like before the current Extra Strong/Extra Sterk/Extra Stark race at a time when 14 mgs of Nicotine was the king, then Skruf Stark portion is a definite “must try”! New Snustopians who want to start the race slowly will enjoy it as well. Current fans of Skruf Stark portions will find that Skruf Stark White portion has the same basic flavor as their favorite does, with a twist. Overall, I really do recommend that you give both a try!

Both Skruf Stark portion and Skruf Stark White portion can be found at Snustopia’s favorite snus shop, The Northerner, for around $3.72 USD each. If this is your first time placing an order with them, just click on the banner at the top of the page and get 10% off!

Well Snustopians, I hope you enjoyed our trip thru Skruf Stark portion and Skruf Stark White portion by Skruf AB. Please feel free to leave your questions, comments and suggestions! I look forward to hearing and answering them.

Until our next review, as always,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

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

Greetings Snustopians!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, until our next review,

Happy Snussing!

That Snus Guy

Oden’s Kanel (cinnamon) portion snus by Gajane. A review of the current “King of the Extra Sterk snus”!

Welcome back fellow Snustopians!

Today we’ll be reviewing the latest leader in the Extra Strong/Ekstra Sterk/Extra Stark snus race, Oden’s Kanel (Cinnamon) Extra Stark portion snus by Gajane!

While I was going thru our last few reviews, I realized that the last review of an Extra Strong snus we did was General Ekstra Sterk! So I figured that since there have been two additions to the race since Ekstra Sterk was introduced, I’d better review Oden’s Kanel before Snustopians started revolting! I also wanted to get a review out for it while it was still new to most snus lovers! There is another reason why I wanted to review Oden’s Kanel that I’ll divulge at the end and it will surprise you!

Oden’s Kanel Extra Stark portion snus is produced by a new snus company in Sweden called Gajane. The word “Kanel” means “Cinnamon” in, no, not Swedish but, Norwegian! I know what you’re saying “Snus Guy! Is this snus made in Norway?” Nope, it’s made in Sweden. Let’s review the Extra Stark/Ekstra Sterk/Extra Strong race before we go forward and you’ll see why they chose the Norwegian word for Cinnamon!

The Extra Stark/Ekstra Sterk/Extra Strong race, as you may or may not know, started with General Ekstra Sterk portion snus. The reason why General developed a “High Nicotine” snus was based purely on the demand for one! Outside of Sweden, Norway is probably the largest market for Swedish snus in the world so, when that market called for a snus with a stronger Nicotine content, some snus manufacturers answered the call by creating high Nicotine snus and labeling them as “Norwegian Editions” or, using Norwegian words to describe the snus.

General Sterk and Ekstra Sterk are “Norwegian Editions” and Gajane named Oden’s Cinnamon using the Norwegian word for cinnamon, Kanel. To my knowledge, these are the only two snus manufacturers to use this classification to date. Yes, I know that Americans were clamoring for a high Nicotine snus as well but, America is still a virgin market for Swedish snus where Norway is established. I guess we have the Norwegians to thank for the Extra Strong/Ekstra Sterk/Extra Stark lines! So, now that we’re armed with that knowledge, let’s get on to the review!

Oden’s Kanel comes in two types, a regular portion type and a loose (lös) type. Today though, we’ll be reviewing the regular portion type. As I said, Oden’s Kanel Extra Stark portion snus is a regular type snus meaning that it has gone thru the additional wetting step. The portions weigh in at just under a gram per portion and there are approximately 24 portions per can with a whopping 17 mg of Nicotine per portion, which makes it the strongest snus on the market, to date! Unfortunately, the can’s lid does not feature a used portion compartment but does have the Oden’s logo etched on it!

The material used for the portions is the typical tea bag type and is very much like the material V2 uses in their portion snus. Since these are regular type portions, the material is pre-moistened which makes them pretty comfortable under the lip. Over an extended period of time though, they can be a little irritating though. By “extended” means that I’ve had a portion in for about 3 hours when the portion began to get a bit irritating. Although the flavor doesn’t last that long, I recommend leaving a portion in about 2 hours max. Now, let’s go on to the flavor!

As you all know, I usually begin each flavor review by saying how the manufacturer describes the taste of whatever particular snus we happen to be reviewing. Knowing that, Gajane describes Oden’s Kanel as a portion snus of high quality tobacco with an exciting taste of cinnamon. When I opened the can, I was pleasantly surprised to smell a very distinct scent of cinnamon which was surprising. Why is it surprising, you ask? Because, most snus I’ve smelled will usually have a very light hint of ammonia. The only other snus I’ve smelled that didn’t have it was Gotlands Green! Ok, I went a bit off topic so; let’s get back to the flavor.

Since the cinnamon smell was so distinct, I expected the cinnamon taste to be overwhelming. I was surprisingly wrong! Although Oden’s Kanel portion’s predominant flavor is indeed cinnamon, it’s not overwhelming. The downside to this is the fact that the only flavor I can detect is cinnamon. “Snus Guy! What kind of cinnamon flavor do you taste?” I’m glad you asked!

The cinnamon flavor I taste is much like that of those little heart shaped cinnamon candies one would get for Valentine’s Day, complete with the little bit of heat that’s associated with them but with less of the sweetness. Although, I attribute the burn in the back of the throat to the high Nicotine! Oden’s Kanel portion snus flavor really doesn’t have any tobacco taste even after 2 ½ hours. Actually, after about 2 hours the flavor goes kind of flat. Knowing that, I still recommend keeping the portion in for a 2 hour max.

Now, let’s talk drinks! “Hold on a minute Snus Guy! You forgot something! What about the Nicotine feeling and the surprise you had mentioned in the beginning!” Well, I didn’t forget! I wanted to save it for the end but, since you brought it up, let’s review it now.

Oden’s Kanel portion snus has 17 mg of snus per portion which really does make it the strongest snus on the market to date but, the surprise is the most important part! If you’ve read the General Ekstra Sterk review, you’ll know that I really didn’t feel the head spin or wooziness that other Snustopians did. With Oden’s Kanel on the other hand, I did! This snus can truly be crowned “King of the Extra Sterks” when it comes to strength!
To close this part of the review, I offer this warning. I really do not recommend using Oden’s Kanel as an “all day” snus or chain snussing it. I sacrificed myself for Snustopia and tried both. After the 6th hour of chain snussing Kanel, it felt like I was kicked in the gut so, unless you like that sort of feeling, I took the hit so you don’t have to!

Now, let’s discuss drinks! My staple Diet Coke did do well to enhance the cinnamon flavor. Monster Energy Drink or any energy drink for that matter, tasted good but I could feel my heart getting ready to beat out of my chest so, I really caution snus lovers on that combo! What really did go well were drinks that had fruity flavors like Sprite, 7 up and fruit flavored iced teas. I liked it best with peach flavored White tea! The mild peach flavor in the tea went extremely well with the cinnamon taste in the snus and the light tea flavor in the drink let me taste a hint of tobacco flavor. I really recommend this drink if it’s available near you!

My overall recommendation for Oden’s Kanel Extra Stark portion snus is this fellow Snustopians. Fans of the Extra Sterk/Ekstra Stark/Extra Strong race will love Gajane’s entry. Beware though, although the description states there is tobacco flavor in Kanel, I had a hard time finding it. The cinnamon is the main player! Experienced snus lovers looking to try a higher Nicotine snus can’t go wrong with Oden’s Kanel! New snus lovers on the other hand may want to start with the first in the line of strong snus, Skruf Stark, before trying Oden’s Kanel. Once you have an idea on how your body will react to that level of Nicotine, give it a try. Again, I really don’t recommend chain snussing Oden’s Kanel but, 4 to 6 portions a day should be fine! That’s my limit!

Oden’s Kanel Extra Stark portion snus is relatively priced for an average of $3.42 USD a can, as of the writing of this review. If you click on The Northerner banner at the top of the blog, and this is your first order, and get 10% off!

Well my fellow Snustopians, I hope you found our trip thru Oden’s Kanel Extra Sterk portion snus by Gajane fun and informative. I encourage you to leave your comments and questions and I’ll do my best to 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!