Swedish Match pushes into the US market this summer...two new varieties

[chadizzy1]

I've not tried the Nordic Mint but the Classic Blend still tastes pretty close to "real" General, but it has clearly been tweaked for the US market. It's not very salty, and the citrus has been cranked up quite a bit. Not bad, in my opinion. Not sweet at all, but not as salty and bitter as many Americans claim that General White tastes at first blush. (Their ultimate goal, from what I gather, was to "Americanize" General White).

This was the key thing I was curious about. If they would go for a straight tobacco/slightly sweet taste like Marlboro Rich, or make a classic, simple tobacco flavor, or tweak General for the US taste. It's interesting to note they kept the citrus, as that's one thing I've heard a lot of folks (myself when I started included) new to snus say that turns them off.

Is the aroma a Swedish Snus aroma that we adjusted to when we first started and grew to love, or is it an easily approachable aroma?

[lxskllr]

Hmm... So it's neutered snus. While chicks in Norway are snusing Lucky Strike, men in America are snusing ball-less snus. Sounds about right :^/

[truthwolf1]

guess I will be sticking with the round cans and wait for more options from Northerner at the b/m stores..
7mg nic just seems odd and I am not even a sterk user.
I know they have some saccharin or whatever also added to the mint/wg flavors currently but they probably added that to this new classic blend for America's sweet tooth.

no thanks.

[Jwalker]

Well whatever gets swedish snus available at 7-11 works for me.

[Ephemeris]

This was the key thing I was curious about. If they would go for a straight tobacco/slightly sweet taste like Marlboro Rich, or make a classic, simple tobacco flavor, or tweak General for the US taste. It's interesting to note they kept the citrus, as that's one thing I've heard a lot of folks (myself when I started included) new to snus say that turns them off.

Is the aroma a Swedish Snus aroma that we adjusted to when we first started and grew to love, or is it an easily approachable aroma?

The aroma is strange to me, because I've come to expect a slightly bitter barnyard/ammonia smell from most snus, whether it's balls to the wall (Phantom) or hiding in the background (most bergamot flavored snus). They have completely eliminated any trace of ammonia from the portions- it just smells like spicy citrus. Apparently the biggest complaint about General White from the focus groups (besides "too salty" and "portions are uncomfortable") was that the ammonia smell was too pungent. So they eliminated it completely, some kind of way.

I agree that this is a neutered snus. It's not for us. It's for them- the Camel and Marlboro snusers. As hard as it is for us to fathom, the facts presented to us at the summit were disheartening. A lot of people are buying Camel snus, and when these same people are given General or Ettan, they hate the flavor. Why? Too salty, not sweet enough. Not minty enough. (For crap's sake, Skoal Snus is outselling General in the US!)

So what does Swedish Match do? Hope that Americans change their mind and start favoring General over Camel? (Not happening anytime soon). Or try and come out with a blend that is both true to its roots while still trying to appeal to our candyass American snusers? I think for being stuck between a rock and a hard place, they've reached a good compromise.

[lxskllr]

So what does Swedish Match do? Hope that Americans change their mind and start favoring General over Camel? (Not happening anytime soon). Or try and come out with a blend that is both true to its roots while still trying to appeal to our candyass American snusers? I think for being stuck between a rock and a hard place, they've reached a good compromise.

I'm no fan of General, but at least it's(the original product) real snus. I have a couple problems with their campaign. First is the dilution of the General brand. There shouldn't be any mint, wintergreen, creamy doucheberry, or anything else that isn't General lös, original portion, or (begrudgingly)white portion. General is spicy bergamot. AFAIC, anything that isn't spicy bergamot isn't General.

People need to be educated, and told their preferred taste is dog shit. If scotch distillers asked Americans what scotch should taste like, it would taste like sour apple schnapps. Yet people still drink real scotch. Real beer has taken off over the last 20 years or so, but if you asked Americans 25 years ago what beer should taste like, you'd have gotten Miller Lite.

I'd stress the authenticity of real snus, and strongly imply that anything else isn't snus. I wouldn't mind seeing a Scandinavian snus council that dictated what snus was, and anything that didn't follow their narrow guidelines couldn't be called snus.

[BrianC]

I really don't ever use sm products anymore, but honestly I would give about anything to have their products redily available to me. Things happen when you are on a tight budget like delayed shipments and whatnot (me badly craving a decent nic fix right now), and if these products were available I would take them over camel any day. I would much prefer seeing thunder of jaks available around me but I don't see that happening in the forseeable future, so if this is what I can get I will take it. The good news is that I will be getting some good snus on monday, bad news is that I have to deal with the weekend and try to not lash out at anybody. If these products were available, yeah it wouldn't be ideal for me, but it would be much much better than the alternative. I just hope that someone can cover some ground at getting good snus available locally for all of us before too long, it would be a benefit to a lot of people I think.

Edit: Let me add that I would be more than happy to see odens available as well (sorry I left you out there gn). That just seems even more in the distant future than thunder or jaks, but if odens were to suddenly appear locally I would be perfectly happy as well!!

[Mawdryn]

Real beer has taken off over the last 20 years or so, but if you asked Americans 25 years ago what beer should taste like, you'd have gotten Miller Lite.

I fear if you asked Americans to vote today, you would get the same results...but unlike with snus currently, I have import choices when it comes to beer (as I sip my Stella Artois and thank God it's friday)!

[Jwalker]

I'm no fan of General, but at least it's(the original product) real snus. I have a couple problems with their campaign. First is the dilution of the General brand. There shouldn't be any mint, wintergreen, creamy doucheberry, or anything else that isn't General lös, original portion, or (begrudgingly)white portion. General is spicy bergamot. AFAIC, anything that isn't spicy bergamot isn't General.

People need to be educated, and told their preferred taste is dog shit. If scotch distillers asked Americans what scotch should taste like, it would taste like sour apple schnapps. Yet people still drink real scotch. Real beer has taken off over the last 20 years or so, but if you asked Americans 25 years ago what beer should taste like, you'd have gotten Miller Lite.

I'd stress the authenticity of real snus, and strongly imply that anything else isn't snus. I wouldn't mind seeing a Scandinavian snus council that dictated what snus was, and anything that didn't follow their narrow guidelines couldn't be called snus.

Let me be kind of rude and honest Swedish Match doesn't care about changing america's taste buds! I don't think having general wg and mint exist changes the taste of original, white, or loose. Swedish match is really paranoid because they had a failed snus product in 2003 called Exalt, the fact it's not selling more cans than camel tells me that either a. Americans prefer the taste of camel or b. Advertising works, I'm guessing it's a mix of the two but mostly b. Imo they should have focused on creating a Nick and Johnny type snus with a little more nicotine than general and a basic good flavor.

[Jwalker]

I fear if you asked Americans to vote today, you would get the same results...but unlike with snus currently, I have import choices when it comes to beer (as I sip my Stella Artois and thank God it's friday)!

Ironically the company making Stella Artois bought Budweiser.

[Mawdryn]

Ironically the company making Stella Artois bought Budweiser.

Which is probably the only reason I get to drink Stella...I remember right after that merger, I saw Boddingtons hit my grocery store shelves for the first time...yum yum...

[lxskllr]

I don't think having general wg and mint exist changes the taste of original, white, or loose.

It doesn't matter if it changes the taste or not, it dilutes the brand name, and creates confusion.

... the fact it's not selling more cans than camel tells me that either a. Americans prefer the taste of camel or b. Advertising works, I'm guessing it's a mix of the two but mostly b.

They aren't selling better than Camel because they aren't competing. Lxssnus isn't selling as well as Camel either; Wonder why. If you're gonna compete with the big boys, you need to compete. I've NEVER seen a can of General anywhere. No flyers in WaWa, no displays, no nothing. If it weren't for SnusOn, I wouldn't have even known they sold snus in the USA

Imo they should have focused on creating a Nick and Johnny type snus with a little more nicotine than general and a basic good flavor.

That's not a bad idea, and N&J is a good platform for experimental flavors, and is already SM's export brand.

[Nate5700]

People need to be educated, and told their preferred taste is dog shit. If scotch distillers asked Americans what scotch should taste like, it would taste like sour apple schnapps. Yet people still drink real scotch. Real beer has taken off over the last 20 years or so, but if you asked Americans 25 years ago what beer should taste like, you'd have gotten Miller Lite.

I'd stress the authenticity of real snus, and strongly imply that anything else isn't snus. I wouldn't mind seeing a Scandinavian snus council that dictated what snus was, and anything that didn't follow their narrow guidelines couldn't be called snus.

I think if you educate Americans and tell them that their preferred tastes are dog shit, they'll respond by continuing to smoke and dip, and snus won't ever become more than a niche product.

I want to be able to get traditional Swedish products for a good price at a store near me. But what I want more is for Americans to put out their cigarettes for a safer alternative. I want my 55 year old father who's smoked since he was 16 and never dreamed of quitting to use snus. That's who these products are for, and that's a good thing. I have no doubt that the new General stuff will blow Camel out of the water if people just try it.

[lxskllr]

I think if you educate Americans and tell them that their preferred tastes are dog shit, they'll respond by continuing to smoke and dip, and snus won't ever become more than a niche product.

Anyone can be a follower. It takes vision, and belief in what you do/sell to be a leader. Coming into the middle of someone else's game, and trying to compete with them on their terms just about ensures defeat. A leader comes to the game, kicks their board over, and shows them how to do it right.

But what I want more is for Americans to put out their cigarettes for a safer alternative. I want my 55 year old father who's smoked since he was 16 and never dreamed of quitting to use snus. That's who these products are for, and that's a good thing. I have no doubt that the new General stuff will blow Camel out of the water if people just try it.

I have no interest in snus as a smoking alternative. Snus is it's own product, and if people find a use in that to quit smoking, then great, but I don't want to see it setup as some kind of new Nicorette. Snus has a long and honorable history as quality tobacco product, and I want to see it sold on those terms.

[timoteo]

my p*nis just moved alittle.. this article of General brand in my Philadelphia, Swedish Match now please bring my Ettan lös, Röda Lacket lös, Göteborgs Prima Fint lös, Grov Lössnus Kronan Lös Göteborgs Ra´pe LÖS, LÖS General... LÖS... please, tack.