The Next generation of American Snus

[hippieelmo]

I'm new here. Wanted to know if anyone has tryed the Skoal Snus yet?
Have been looking for it in my area but haven't seen it yet.

[tom502]

I'm slightly curious about the "new" Marlboro snus Red, in the round can. Is this out yet? Has anyone tried it? A little curious of the Skoal snus too, just generally curious of snus development in the USA overall.

[chadizzy1]

I'm slightly curious about the "new" Marlboro snus Red, in the round can. Is this out yet? Has anyone tried it? A little curious of the Skoal snus too, just generally curious of snus development in the USA overall.

I have a call into Altria, the press agent is supposed to call me back today with info on Skoal Snus and Marlboro Snus.

[chadizzy1]

I have a call into Altria, the press agent is supposed to call me back today with info on Skoal Snus and Marlboro Snus.

Wow, that was quick. The Altria media guy contacted me with a sharp "no" about any information related to Skoal or Marlboro Snus.

It's so weird that Swedish Match opened their doors to myself and others to have all access to their methods, but Altria won't even send information.

[tom502]

It's like Obama and his birth certificate.

[Ephemeris]

Wow, that was quick. The Altria media guy contacted me with a sharp "no" about any information related to Skoal or Marlboro Snus.

It's so weird that Swedish Match opened their doors to myself and others to have all access to their methods, but Altria won't even send information.

When dealing with the American tobacco companies, it helps to not bother contacting anyone in an official capacity. Altria/PM is certainly the most secretive (and by extension, evil) of all the tobacco companies.

Big Tobacco, USA looks at us (American users of Swedish Snus) as the enemy. They don't care what we know about their products because we're not their intended market.

It doesn't help to inquire about release dates, new products, flavors, etc from Altria, because they're notorious for changing their minds at the very last minute and wrapping everything in a veil of mystery. When they discontinued the original Skoal "snus", they didn't officially announce its cancellation until months after it had been pulled from all the store shelves. Instead of saying "Skoal snus has been indefinitely pulled from general circulation" they flat out lied and claimed that it was still available for purchase at all Sheetz stores nationwide, even though it hadn't been available anywhere for almost a year.

I don't pay attention to any rumors or leaked press releases from American Big Tobacco. Until I hold the product in my hand, it might as well not exist.

[tom502]

The idea of American Snus does interest me, and I am sure you all too, because we know of real Scandinavian snus, and the idea of having a homegrown quality snus at the store is appealing(I think so).

Let's compile a list of American snus, and some comments on them.(all voluntary of course)


Discreet. These were highly flavored sweet minis. Many people liked and may still like them. I think they were well done for what they are, though I did think their "Full Flavor" was rather bad, my smoker buddy still says he liked these(the Discreet line) best. I do give credit for the maker for actually trying to make a Swede style snus, but I guess the interest amd market was not enough for him to continue.

Camel. I hate to say it, but these and Marlboro seem to be the only active selling US snus out there. Super sweet. Bigger than the standard mini, and have a nice container. Then they made Large Size, and well, I thought the Robust was not terrible, but the new Large Size was TOO large, it's like a big slug, and feels like it in the mouth.

Marlboro. Small, mini size, maybe a hair bigger than Swede mini, and again, highly sweet and artificial flavor, and a sharp sorta hard pouch material. Current container sucks, and only 6 portions make it super suck for quality. The Rich flavor to me, started kinda OK, but then was terrible, and the flavor would not leave my mouth.

Skoal. Never had these. Read nothing but bad.

Klondike. Well, portion size was very close to actual Swede style, best portion size of the list so far. But again, highly sweet, but the one I had Cherry pouches, was not as super sweet, but to me, tasted like Sucrets. I also did try their Fine Cut snus, and the Peppermint was decent flavor, and I guess the Wintegreen was OK, and the Straight I don't remember, this was before I ever tried a straight dip.

Triumph. This is hailed as the best US snus, and was made by Swedish Match. Standard portion size, good moisture, and I think they used that star pattern. Also came in standard Swede style can, and did not require refrideration. But to me, I thought these were flavored sweetly in an effort to appeal to US weet tastes. It was not over bearingly sweet, but much sweeter than standard Swede style.

Tourney/Grand Prix. Same thing as far as I can tell using two different names. Made by SnusAB in Sweden, and distributed in the US at gas stations by Lorrillad. Original, Spearmint, and Wintergreen. Portion size about the same size as a standard Swede snus, but lighter. Also rather dry like a white portion. Actually, all the US snus seem like a white portion, and non require refrigeration, except, I guess Camel, in that it's sold cold, but does it really need it? I'm probably the odd one here, but to me, this was the best attempt at a Swede style snus in the US. These were not sweet, though no where as good as the quality Swede brands, compared to the above, taste wise, I think they were more traditional.

Any others? Comments?

[lxskllr]

I haven't had an American snus yet that I'd use more than occasionally. Even Triumph was too sweet for me. If you lump the new Jakobssons in with American snus, I could probably use those. If real Swedish snus suddenly disappeared, I'd likely switch to nasal snuff 99% of the time, with the very occasional American snus use(more if you include Jakobssons).

[chadizzy1]

Klondike
The CEO of Nordic American said: "Our Klondike brand is built on the belief that traditional smokeless tobacco consumers should have access to the Swedish snus manufacturing process, which can provide low nitrosamine levels without compromising taste, quality, and overall tobacco satisfaction traditional adult smokeless consumers are accustomed to," said Nordic American's CEO Darren Quinn. "We believe the taste, quality and tobacco satisfaction is actually enhanced by our Swedish Snus Process ", Quinn added.

The flavor I'm trying is "Peppermint Blast". Comes in 20 portions, and as you can see from the picture they look as though they were just thrown together. They look like dried out Swedish Snus Original portions. To be honest, I sat there and held one in my hand for a few minutes before I decided to even put it in. Since these are American, they don't have the Swedish Snus smell. That's good and bad. Good because people new to snus don't like the smell. But bad because you can't tell it's not a quality product.

Upon putting the new portion in, I immediately noted that it was large, dry and uncomfortable. I suggest pre-wetting these portions. I'm immediately greeted with a suprise - a nice, refreshing peppermint portion. This isn't too bad. The minty taste stayed through the first 30 minutes and led into a mellow buzz. As the mint started to wear off, it does have a weird aftertaste. This isn't a swedish snus, so there isn't a salty aftertaste, but a slightly....artificial aftertaste. Like minty cardboard. However, the first 30 minutes of this snus were great. This isn't too bad, for an American product. Not too overly sweet, mildly strong. The only thing I don't like is the aftertaste, that's when it hits home and tells you that this is not a true Swedish snus.

Nordic Ice
The Nordic Ice portions are small and dry, much like I saw with the Mocca Pomegranate. They are in the white portions. Klondike portions are dry as well, but look like original Swedish portions. The Triumph snus is in a white portion, and is larger sized, much like a white portion Swedish snus, and is slightly moist. I will be reviewing them individually as I try each of them. The only can that has a "used snus saver" top is the Triumph, because it's made by Swedish Match. For some reason, American tobacco companies have yet to catch on to the fact that this is a necessity for the snuser.

"Frosted Mint". This is like a very mild Camel Frost. Small, dry portions, much like Camel Frost. The portions are about the same size as Mocca Pomegranate, if I were to compare it to a Swedish Snus. No Swedish Snus smell, just a minty aroma. To be honest, there's really no flavor to this, nothing really going on with this one. I put it in and had a little, itty bitty mint taste for a little while, but nothing exciting, nothing to write home about. The longer you have it, in the less flavor you get. I tried another portion and even pre-wet it. It's hard for me to say this, and I feel terrible (sorry Nordic), but this product is WORSE than Camel Frost. Wow. I never thought I'd say those words about a snus, but it has finally come to pass. Upon removing this one, I noticed a cardboard mint aftertaste, much like the Klondike snus. This shouldn't be called Nordic Ice. It should be Klondike Mini Mint, if we're going to be honest about the product we're selling.

Triumph - DAMMIT I miss this stuff!
The best way to describe Triumph is an American flavored Swedish Snus. This product is made by Swedish Match, and by my estimation, made for those who have had their taste buds ruined by Camel Snus. My snus of choice right now is General Mini Mint. It's a quality Swedish Snus, and the only one I frequently reorder other than Mocca Pomegranate, which I use in between every 5-10 portions of General Mini Mint.

Upon holding the Triumph can, I notice it looks like a Swedish Snus can. From the used snus compartment on top, to the way the snus is positioned inside, much like a regular General portion. The portions are white, and about the regular size, same as a white portion traditional Swedish Snus. The portions are only slightly moist, and are a better quality than Klondike or Nordic Ice.

On to the product. For Triumph being a Swedish (type) Snus, it has NO Swedish Snus smell. It's interesting. I popped in a portion and immediately was greeted with a nice, clean mint flavor. This doesn't have any cheesy names like "Peppermint Explosion" or "Icy Extravaganza", it's just straight up Triumph MINT. No games, no BS. Would you expect less from Swedish Match. That being said, this is a mild snus. Nothing too strong, overbearing, just a mild, smooth, mint taste. This would be a great step between Camel Frost and real Swedish Snus, although I still stand by General Mini Mint as the perfect transitionally snus for the average snubie.

This has a clean, mint taste all the way through. The other two had no drip, this is the first one out of the 3 I got today that has a drip. It has a strong, mint drip. Very good taste though, Swedish Match should put this as the next step up General Mini Mint and call it "General Mint" and make it just a little stronger and a little more Swedish. For people in the states not quite ready to order a Swedish Snus, I suggest trying it if you see it. It's a good product. Not as good, again, as General Mini Mint. But it was better than I expected.




Discreet

I'll be honest. When I first saw Discreet snus, I had no desire to try it. At all. The packaging looked cheap, it is an American tobacco product (made by American Smokeless Tobacco - which is a single location business in Virginia), and I just wasn't sure about it. It seemed like a mom and pop snus and was not welcome in my collection.

All that being said, boy was I wrong. The old expression, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" comes in to play heavily when talking about Discreet snus. When I received my five little packages of Discreet, it's true that good things come in small packages. Although....I don't know what they're talking about. No, of course not. Okay, back to the snus. Discreet offers 5 flavors of their regular variety - Full Flavor, Cool Mint, Emerald Ice, Strawberry and Peach.

Each Discreet package contains 10 snus portions. Each portion is roughly the size of a Swedish mini portion. You can note the size in the picture of the portions. Each individual portion is 0.4 grams and contains 7mg of Nicotine, and is made of a very comfortable material. What's cool about Discreet is the packages (although I did believe them to look cheap/tacky) are small enough to fit in your pocket/wallet (to replace that 10 year old condom you have in there) and are a good backup in case you run out of your favorite regular, or just as an extra surprise to keep with you for a nice after dinner treat.

Full Flavor - This is the only one of the batch that I couldn't get into. It had an interesting smell, not bad, but very unique. The portion was very comfortable, but the taste - average. I suppose if you want a good, non flavored tobacco product - and you can't get into Swedish Snus varities such as Ettan, Grov, etc - this may be to your liking. The taste is mild, and simple.

Emerald Ice - Upon smelling and tasting, I picked up hints of Wintergreen and Spearment. Usually, I don't go for Wintergreen snus. But this product is an exception. It's actually very good. What hints of Wintergreen I did pick up were subdued, and balanced perfectly with the hints of Spearment next to the pure flavor of the tobacco.

Cool Mint - A very good product. Fresh and minty. Not overly sweet like General Mini Mint, or the other American snus varities of mint such as Klondike and Nordic Ice, this mint is very tasty and refreshing.

Strawberry - This is when Discreet really shines. Upon opening the package, I was greeted with quite an amazing smell. Fresh, pure strawberry. Putting in the portion was even more of a suprise. This is a great snus. Tastes kind of like the old Fruit by the Foot rolls. A very clear taste of strawberries with a very mild hint of tobacco mixed in.

Peach - My favorite of the 5. Wow, this is amazing. Smelling this takes me back to the old days at Round Mountain Peach Orchard here in Arkansas. The smell of peach is strong, pure, and beautiful. The portion tastes like Peachtree, to be honest. It's VERY good. I got these last night, and I have a bunch left of the others, but I'm all out of this one. I've gone through an entire bag in little over a day! But it's okay, at only 0.99$ each, I have already ordered more. Peach was my favorite of the whole bunch.

My reflections? Discreet Snus is more than meets the eye. They did a great job, in the midst of American Snus and it's terrible reputation, to bring something new to the market that is simple, pure, and flavorful. Comfortable portions, easy to transport (fits right in your wallet), and affordable. The Full Flavor didn't exactly tickle my fancy, but the Strawberry and Peach were right up my alley, along with a flavorful Emerald Ice and Cool Mint, this first round of Discreet Snus is A+ in my book. I recommend it to both vets and those new to snus. It is sitting in my stock proudly next to Ettan, Thunder Frosted, and various other regular snus products. Although not "Swedish", I wouldn't bat an eye when trying to pick a snus to use, this would be right up there in my first picks. Great job, American Smokeless.

[Experimental Monkey]

Damn. Wish I would've tried Discreet and not done exactly what Chad said, judge a book by it's cover.

[Ephemeris]

I was upset to hear of Discreet's demise. The product wasn't my cup of tea, but Tom is a great fellow. Discreet snus had an ingredient that made the back of my throat feel like it was coated in glue. I did however get a chance to try some of the legendary wild grape-flavored Pro Snus that was never released. It was quite good. (Does anyone know for sure if the Pro brand ever made it to store shelves?)

Triumph was by far my favorite of all American snus brands. It tasted like a sweeter Roda Lacket.

Nordic Ice was strange. No discernible nicotine and a terrible artificial taste with a finish that tasted like a rag dipped in furniture polish. Nice can though.

Klondike wasn't even "real" snus, just pasteurized dip. Think Red Man Moist Snuff with less imagination.

Skoal Snus used to be Skoal Dry Pouches. They stuck the word "snus" on the package to entice early American snus adopters. These were without a doubt the most uncomfortable pieces of crap ever crapped out by a tobacco company. The portion was like a thick burlap teabag full of coarse dry coffee grounds. I would have been ashamed of my company if it was responsible for a travesty like that.

Tourney/Grand Prix was just bad. I think it had potential, but was just implemented poorly.

As much as it pains me to say it, Camel is probably the best of all the American brands. It was a much better product when it was made in Sweden.

Marlboro is just pure horrible. Nasty.

[Snusdog]

Nice summation Ephie

Pretty much spot on (except I never had the Skoal snus so I'll have to take your word on that one)

Big tobacco wants snus to be something other than the Swedes envisioned

Until that changes American snus will always be.............well...............American snus

or "snip" as someone on the forum so aptly named it

[lxskllr]

Big tobacco wants snus to be something other than the Swedes envisioned

Until that changes American snus will always be.............well...............American snus

or "snip" as someone on the forum so aptly named it

Snuser: Snus is great, I've really been digging this stuff

American tobacco: Try this. It's sweet, and you like sweet.

Snuser: I don't really like sweet that much. What else do you have?

American tobacco: Try this. We call it Busted. It tastes just like the snus you like.

Snuser: Seriously?! It tastes like lemon drops with a dollop of salt, and it's still sweet!

American tobacco: You like sweet. Here, try our new Mallow Mint. It has a great snus flavor.

Snuser: ...

[pinklungs]

Snuser: Snus is great, I've really been digging this stuff

American tobacco: Try this. It's sweet, and you like sweet.

Snuser: I don't really like sweet that much. What else do you have?

American tobacco: Try this. We call it Busted. It tastes just like the snus you like.

Snuser: Seriously?! It tastes like lemon drops with a dollop of salt, and it's still sweet!

American tobacco: You like sweet. Here, try our new Mallow Mint. It has a great snus flavor.

Snuser: ...

Snuser:.....so how is your tobacco processed?

American tobacco: hey did you see the game last night?

[tom502]

If I HAD to choose any current or past "American snus", apart from just quitting, I'd take Tourney Original. Still have a can(empty) on my desk.