Camel Robust and Winterchill have arrived in my area

[lxskllr]

I think I only bought 1 tin of the Original, and that was right after the national roll out. Frost was my favorite, with Spice a close second. They're on the right track with their snus. I recently got a tin of the Mellow, and it's better than I remember the older Mellow. Less sweet, and not as much (artificial)flavor. I'll try the Robust when I see it, and I agree that a Camel natural would be a good addition. Maybe if it really takes off they'll start catering to a more refined taste, but I'm not holding my breath :^D

[tom502]

Turkish Blend.

[snusgetter]

The best thing that can be said for Camel is that they are introducing the concept of snus to the American public in a big way, nationally, and right out front.

From there, if the Swedes are on the ball, the next step would be to get Swedish snus into the mix.

Let it be know there are choices available, as with most other products, tobacco- and otherwise.


Now, Marlboro --- that's a different camel's dung!!

[tom502]

It seems to have sparked an interest, which many self-inquiring people became interested in, and looked up more on in, leading them to real snus. Though I suspect many, if not more, are not the research types, and still only know of Camel, and Marlboro snus, which in some instances may turn people off to the snus idea as well.

[snusgetter]

It seems to have sparked an interest, which many self-inquiring people became interested in, and looked up more on in, leading them to real snus. Though I suspect many, if not more, are not the research types, and still only know of Camel, and Marlboro snus, which in some instances may turn people off to the snus idea as well.

Marlboro certainly would (or should) turn people off to snus but I think Camel is on to something...

And one of their biggest advantages right now is that they are in no way trying to sell snus as a smoke reduction aid. There's absolutely no hint of that in their campaigns, which would turn off a lot of smokers; but a product that will help them get through the no-smoking parts of their days sounds appealing to them.

Eventually, if they decide to quit smoking, they may know enough about Swedish snus to bend in that direction. And succeed in their endeavor.


The best thing we can do right now for those who are leery of Swedish snus is to turn them on to Camel.

[jamesstew]

Horrible, Horrible! Tried the Robust and it's like a wad of half-chewed, artificially sweetened iced tea flavored chewing gum stuffed inside a miniture maxi pad. Really nasty aftertaste from the artificial sweetener that I associate with Extra Sugarfree Gum. When you chew with Extra the extra fresh flavor lasts and extra, extra, extra long time.

[chadizzy1]

I just did a big ol' article on the stuff, thought I'd share it.

----

Camel SNUS Robust & Winterchill National Release - Reviews. 17 August 2010.


A few months ago, I wrote an article reviewing Camel SNUS: Robust & Winterchill as they were testing the two new flavors. My comments then weren't positive. And between then and now, my opinion hasn't changed. I've also been very vocal about my opinions on Swedish Snus vs American "SNUS". I still don't view Camel SNUS as real snus, however, in the interests of fairness I wanted to review the new offerings again with the new packaging/national release just in case anything had changed.


The new line has quite a few differences from the old line. Some RJR's choosing, some government mandated. First, the tin has changed in design from the old, simple can to this newer, shinier can. The government mandated warning has been incorporated into the can design and placed at the bottom and taking up the appropriate amount of space as the government has told the tobacco companies they must. As in our last review, "Large Pouches" has remained on the can as well.


Several interesting things about the back of the cans. First, the expiration date is being put on the can as a year. I picked up these cans in August, so it's actually about 10 or so months, but that's quite a while for an American "SNUS" product, and to be honest I don't completely trust it. It remains to be seen if the TSNA levels will remain the same and due to inconsistencies in how Camel "SNUS" is sold (some stores with non working refrigeration units), and lack of good information about the production of Camel "SNUS". Also, the "Break Free" campaign seems to be spilling over into the packaging.


Camel "SNUS" is hitting the "Break Free" campaign hard and riding it out. Just like the old ads (remember "Your flight got cancelled-friendly."?), Camel "SNUS" is being toted as a cigarette supplement, not a cigarette replacement - which, in my mind, is what seperates this from REAL Swedish Snus. In an article I wrote last week defending Swedish Snus from the "Dual User" stereotype, I can't say the same about Camel "SNUS". Camel "SNUS" is marketed as a dual use product. Swedish Snus IS NOT. How can I make such outrageous claims, you may be asking? Two things. One - Camel "SNUS" advertising makes it clear - that's what they're going for. Giving you something to use when you can't smoke. Second, the nicotine content is so low that it makes nicotine replacement with Camel "SNUS" absolutely impossible. Camel "SNUS" has around 2mg - 3mg of usable or "free" nicotine, which is so completely and utterly low that this product as a standalone, nicotine replacement product is laughable. And rightly so, it's not designed to do that. Swedish Snus, however, has nicotine levels as high as 19mg, with the average portion being somewhere around 8mg - which is why Swedish Snus is a nicotine replacement product which is very successful in helping people quit smoking.

[chadizzy1]

Part 2 of my review/article
(SnusOn only lets you do 4 images per post, so I had to break it up)


When comparing the sizes of the old Camel "SNUS" and the new product, it's insane to see how big these are. I mean - these portions are huge. When they say "Large" on the can, they aren't even scratching the surface. I'm not sure why exactly RJR went with such big portions - but I bet it's to cater to the American ideal that "BIGGER IS BETTER!", even if these huge portions fail to deliver any nicotine content at all. It may be to fool people into thinking that these deliver a punch, when in fact, they deliver a flutter of a butterfly wing, in terms of nicotine content.


To do a quick size comparison I'll throw in some Swedish Snus as well. Left to Right: Old Camel "Mellow", New Camel "Robust", Lab Series 0102 (Swedish Match), General Sterk (Swedish Match). You can tell that the Camel dwarfs all other snus sizes. That's not a good thing!. The portion is so large it's uncomfortable. The term "mouth feel" is thrown around a lot in snus reviews, and rightfully so. If I'm putting something in my lip I want it to feel right. Not huge and dry. The new Camel "SNUS" is a little more moist than the old line, but not by much. When we're talking moisture, Marlboro Snus has between 11%-12% moisture, while Camel "SNUS" has 33%, and Swedish is between 50%-55% (from reported sources months ago), and I believe those figures to still remain accurate.


All that being said, what do I think about the snus itself? Not a lot. In the case of Camel roBUST (interesting to note the correct spelling on the cans), it has a sweet but musty smell. The flavor takes a while to come around, it's nothing special. When it does kick in it's overly sweet, with the strong presence of "blah", and "meh". The flavoring is a little citrus-y with a little tobacco flavor. It doesn't last long, and after around 15-20 minutes I'm searching for a trash can because it quickly turns into a very unpleasant, bitter taste. In the case of WiNTeRCHiLL (again, noting correct spelling and capitalization of random letters on the can), it has changed a bit since the release in November. The Wintergreen aroma is MUCH stronger when you crack the seal. The taste is a sweet, wintergreen/spearmint flavor. This is much more sweet than traditional Wintergreen, and I'm not sure if this is what RJR was going for or if the massive amounts of sugar in this snus just blended in a way to make it taste like this, but it's very sweet. As with Robust, the flavor doesn't last very long and quickly turns bitter.


As I noted in my article on American "SNUS" vs Swedish Snus", "It's been said so many different ways - but the comparisons remain. It's like a Waffle House steak vs a 5 Star Restaurant steak. It's like a fine bordeaux vs a bottle of Boone's Farm. It's like a cheap White Owl cigar vs a superior Cuban cigar, such as Romeo Y Julieta. The differences speak for themselves, and in the end it is Swedish Snus that comes out on top. Do not be fooled by knockoff American "snus" products that attempt to bastardize real Swedish Snus. It's important to know there is a difference, and the difference is big." RJR did something right with snus, they awakened a lot of us to the smokeless alternatives, and helped many of us find our way to REAL Swedish Snus. One of the reasons I write these articles to review American "SNUS" is in hopes that people will find REAL Swedish Snus through my website and other articles. If you're new to snus and reading this - welcome to a brand new world, and you owe it to yourself to try the real thing.

[snusgetter]

... I received an email from the PR folks at RJ Reynolds. They're actually open to answering questions and possibly meeting in regards to an article I wanted to write about Camel. It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of this.

Chad, have you had occasion to question RJR?

I'm assuming that since you've published the mentioned
article, you have new info you might also be posting?

[chadizzy1]

Chad, have you had occasion to question RJR?

I'm assuming that since you've published the mentioned
article, you have new info you might also be posting?

The fella who contacted me is on vacation this week, but next week I'll be having a full chat with him. He said he'd answer any questions, so it should be productive. It will be a seperate/interview article.

[snusgetter]

The fella who contacted me is on vacation this week, but next week I'll be having a full chat with him. He said he'd answer any questions, so it should be productive. It will be a seperate/interview article.

Good to know. Should be interesting.

Looking forward to the article.

[Snussles]

I got to try the Winterchill flavor today, 15 pouches for $1.84(The price I paid after a $1 off coupon for it). I would say, compared to the Camel Snus line so far, it is a major improvement. The smell was okay, but not as over powering as before. Definitely lacked the strong ammonia odor. There is a hint of wintergreen scent, but falls short compared to Grizzly's Wintergreen dip and General's Wintergreen snus.

As for the flavor...what flavor? I honestly, can't taste anything resembling wintergreen, that is comparing to the products I mentioned above. Come to think of it, there is not much flavor at all. There is some sweetness seeping through, but that is a bout it. In terms of flavor, it is pretty much a fail. But I will give it a plus, since it is better than having a shit flavor as that of the original Frost and Mellow flavors. So with that, it's a win...haha

The nicotine kick, meh. After experience "true snus", the General's 8mg nicotine or so, I am left unimpressed. It's okay, I guess. It's still there, and seems to have the psychoactive effect, so at least that is a plus.

Overall, for $1.84, I guess I am pretty satisfied, and will have no problem finishing this can off.

It's an improvement, but has a lot more work ahead of it to really compare to the real snus, or even the dip that is sold along side.

[Langdell]

As I noted in my article on American "SNUS" vs Swedish Snus", [i]"It's been said so many different ways - but the comparisons remain. It's like a Waffle House steak vs a 5 Star Restaurant steak.

Chad, gotta take exception to your diss of Waffle House. Granted, I go there more for the waffles than the steaks, but still. Waffle House rules!

[tom502]

Well, I do know when I tried my 1st ever snus, it was Camel Frost and Mellow, it's low nic about knocked me out. General mini mint did that too. I at that time was only occasionally smoking, and had never used oral tobacco. So, it does have some nic, especially to one not used to it. Of course now, having used Swed snus, starks etc, as well as dip and chew, and nasal, it doesn't knock me out anymore, but that 1st time, whew, I was gonna pass out and hurl at the same time.

Gonna get gas today after work, and the gas station has a Camel fridge, last time, maybe a month ago, they only had Frost and Mellow, so, I guess, why not, I'll see if they have these new ones, and might as well, get a can of each, I suspect they'll suck, but at least I can say I know.

[tom502]

Yep, stopped in the gas station after work, and there they were, all 4 kinds. I pondered, and decided not to get the winterchill, at least at this time, because I kinda don't think I'd like it. But, I did go on and get the Robust, or roBUST, and haven't tried it yet. But I did open it, and wow! they are BIG. I'll try one later after dinner.