REVIEW: Skruf (No. 19) Tranbär

I (kinda) formally reviewed this one in 2013.  A bit of an injustice considering it's been a regular in my rotation, something I buy by the roll, since the very first time I tried it.  Moreso considering it's one of only a handful of snus offerings I would call a 10.  So, let's remedy that shit. 

Appearance: 10/10

In my estimation, Skruf sets the bar for appearance.  Tranbär is no exception.  Grey matte metallic label, embossed glossy cranberry print, super minimalist, so classy.  I look at it and immediately think, "this is a whole different level of smokeless tobacco".

Aroma: 10/10

Once the ammonia clears, tart, natural cranberry and robust tobacco are what hits my nose.  I want to emphasize "natural" here... with Thanksgiving a recent memory and real cranberries available for comparison, this is the embodiment of the real thing.

Mouth Feel: 10/10

So impressed with how far Skruf (and the industry at large) has come with their portion material.  Gone are the days of dry, irritating white portions... now they're soft, sleek, and oh so comfy.

Flavor: 10/10

The taste delivers all the promise found in the aroma.  Robust tobacco and tart fresh cranberries.  The two flavors compliment one another perfectly.  There's a strong salt note, bitter/sour robust tobacco and that natural cranberry.  I'm making it point to honor the "natural"  character, because I'm so averse to artificial flavor (think grape, strawberry or blueberry candy)... that shit is intolerable for me.

Nic Hit: 10/10

Regular strength, perhaps the high side of regular (at 12mg), but this portion doesn't have me tweaking.  Lasts upwards of an hour... smooth/steady delivery.

Drip: 10/10

It's white, if well positioned/maintained completely drip resistant for the first 20-30 min.  Perfect for instances where tobacco isn't socially acceptable.

Overall: 10/10

Yeah, I'm gushing on this product.  I really love everything about it.  If you've followed my content over the years, you know I'm not a fan of sour (specifically bergamot) mint (mouthwash) or most flavored (kool aid tasting) shit... but this one doesn't offend my palette at all.  It's flavored snus done right. Natural, tasteful and complements the tobacco.  My only gripe is that I can't get it in lös.

REVIEW: Icetool Tin Can

Frugal as I may be, I am subject to the occasional impulse buy.  Not that I really blew the bank at €30.00 ($32.65 USD), but as a self-proclaimed minimalist, a can for my already canned snus seems extraneous (superfluous?), to be sure.  

Somehow, I found myself the owner of this thing regardless.  

My primary motivation was aesthetics. I tend to lean towards Swedish Match lös products (i.e. Prima Fint and Roda Lacket) and while they're not necessarily ugly, the packaging (looking at those faux gold plastic lids) isn't exactly attractive either.  The composite/paperboard cans are subject to crushing, I suppose, but it's only happened a handful of times in my near two decades of use.  In short, I'm generally pretty careful with my shit... but I guess if I squint really hard and turn my head sideways, I can kinda see a functional justification, for me, to get the Icetool Tin Can.  

Regardless of the motivation (form or function), this thing meets or exceeds expectations.  It looks great on my desk (dead sexy really) and I certainly haven't crushed or lost any snus.  

Care is simple.  I wipe it down with a paper towel between cans (of the same product) and give it a quick hand wash when I switch brands.  

I guess what I'm saying is, for about $30, and having spent 90 days with it, the Icetool Tin Can is hard not to recommend (even as a miserly, minimalist bastard).  If you like the look, I'd say it's well worth ponying up the cash.  Doubly so, if you're an "adventure time", outdoorsy or otherwise clumsy fuck that's subject to squashing cans.

Happy Snusing!

REVIEW: Kronan Lös

I've been on the fence about posting this.  Under the old adage "If you can't say something nice..." but fuck it, this a place for my opinion... so, here's my opinion on Kronan: 

Omg, this shit. Let me just open with... tastes like Pickle Rick took a piss in my snus. 

In all my years using (since '04), this has the distinct honor of being the first I threw directly in the fucking garbage after tasting. One (1) farmer's pinch was enough to know this ain't for me. I realize Kronan has it's fans (sorry guys)... but goddamn, gag a maggot. Having said that, it's probably fair to say this will not be an unbiased review.  Still if there weren't a few good things to say, I wouldn't bother posting.

Appearance:  8/10
Green and gold composite can, gold plastic lid.  Even got a crown on it for you king!  See, I said something nice.
Aroma:   3/10
Fucking dill.  Dill. Dill.  A little tobacco in the back.  Who thought this was a good idea?     
Mouth Feel: 7/10
It's a lös, I do love that, but it's a bit grainy.  The grind is somewhere between Grov and Ettan... but that grainy texture translates to abrasive/irritating with regular use (as if I'd ever have that problem with this one).
Flavor:  2/10
It's a deservedly abysmal score for an abysmal taste.  Fucking dill.  Pickle snus.  
Nic Hit: 10/10
Regular strength, my preference. Suspect it would last upwards of an hour (if I could tolerate that long).
Drip: 7/10
Subject to mudslide, but with a skilled bake, I imagine it's manageable.
Overall: 4/10
I think I've accurately conveyed my lack of appreciation for Kronan.  What merits I do find are near universal for Swedish Match lös products (which can be found without the damn dill).  

SNUS 101: Snusonomics

Let me preface by saying I'm writing this from a 'Merican perspective.  It assumes buying from an e-store and the (considerable) costs of shipping (UPS) from Sweden to the states. Coming up on the holidays, inflation, yada, yada... figured it would be timely to muse on the economics of this stuff.  I've spent the last 20 years as a procurement professional (miserly fuck) and snus enthusiast (evangelist?), and would like to think I'm uniquely situated to offer perspective and/or advices here.  Read: I'm about to talk out of my ass, for my own amusement.

I guess a good starting point would be my ordering habits:

I just pulled the trigger on my latest order, 40 cans for $138.30, or $3.46 per can.   Roughly half the cost of a can of (that bergamot or mouthwash bomb, and everyone's favorite) General in my area (central Ohio).  

Through trial and error, I've found 3-4 rolls to be my economic order quantity, for my rate of consumption (1 can every 2-3 days).  This is a good balance of shipping costs, storage space and shelf life for me.  All those fancy italics indicate, that this might very well be different for you.  Generally speaking, the bigger you buy, the more you save. 

Let's circle back to cost, now I get that ~$150 isn't necessarily cheap.  Here's some of the things that can be done to help mitigate snus costs.

As a procurement professional, I'm all about competition.  I will price shop multiple sources (usually 3) before ordering.  My experience with buysnus, snuscentral and snusme has been consistently solid, they're my go-to's for this shit.  I've signed up for their newsletters, leverage sales, specials (roll discounts) and discount codes (snubie10 FTW!). Gaming these factors saves me roughly the cost of shipping with every order. Of course, that means sales/specials sometimes (often?) dictate what rolls I end up with.  That said, I'm an often ridged, cantankerous, creature of habit... a little novelty here and there is probably a good thing for me. 

Another consideration is lös/loose.  You get nearly 2x the product for your buck.  Using Ettan as an example, a can of lös comes in at 42g, whereas a can of original portions are only 24g and white 21.6g--all three cost the same per can.  Since I'm a fucking math nerd, using my most recent $3.46 per can cost... that looks like $0.08/g lös vs. $0.14-0.16/g for portions. Won't pretend there isn't a learning curve for lös, it's not always as convenient (especially unloading) but it is undoubtedly the most economic (not to mention tasty) option.  

I'll admit I've lost touch with the cost of cigarettes (last bought my wife a pack of American Spirits, $10) and zero clue what vape or those nasty nicotine pouches run... but my habit comes out to around $1.50 per day, $50/month, $600 per year.  

Anyway, hope this helpful and happy snusing!

NEWS: General Harvest Special Blend

 

 

Aside from the slightly butched up (improved?) label, this appears to be virtually identical to the previous iteration... which I couldn't be happier about (having procured 3 rolls).  

REVIEW: Knox karaktär Purple White

 

I was really excited for this one. Of the precious few (added) flavors I'm able to tolerate in tobacco, licorice ranks among the top. This one is billed as licorice and black currant. It's a Skruf product, so no doubt, the quality will be top notch. And with that, let's dive in!    

Appearance: 10/10 One of the best looking snus cans I've ever seen. If I was 5 and had a favorite color, it would be this shade of purple right here. In typical Skruf fashion, the packaging is on point. Matte label with gloss embossed text, minimalist design... appearance strongly suggests quality.  
Aroma: 10/10  Licorice and tobacco hit the nose first. Exactly what I'm looking for in a licorice snus. Then some surprising complexity... there's something fruity behind it (we'll call it currants) and a hint of a sweet flowers (honeysuckle?) in the finish. Extremely pleasing to my nose.  
Mouth Feel: 10/10 Again, so impressed with how far Skruf has come with their portion material. Gone are the days of dry and irritating white portions... now they're soft and sleek. Oh, so comfortable.
Flavor: 8/10 Virtually all the experience with the nose is shared with the tongue. Licorice, tobacco, currant, flowers... the taste is phenomenal. You notice I give it a eight despite this... which I can most easily explain by saying, it wears thin on me. The first can was pure love... but the second or third? I found the licorice a little too loud. Still, to get an 8 as a flavored product is high praise from me.    
Nic Hit: 10/10 Regular strength, which is my preference these days. Lasts upwards of an hour.
Drip: 9/10 This is a fairly drip resistant pouch. That said, once it gets moist enough it will allow some (mud)slide.
Overall: 9.5/10 Licorice snus feels underrepresented of late, glad to see Knox filling the gap. Looks, smells and tastes amazing... if you're a fan of black licorice, I think you're going to love it.

SNUS 101: Life expectancy, care and handling of Snus

Let's start with best by dates.  They are an indication of quality, not safety (i.e. expiry or use before dates*).  Typically conservative, these are an indication of how long before it begins to dry out.  Drying being the primary quality concern for snus.  

*FoodSciencebabe does a really good job explaining if you want to more on this. 

Let me reiterate, there are virtually no food safety concerns with snus.  It's pasteurized and treated with more salt(s) than bacon.  No bacteria is growing here unless you introduce some super strain yourself.  

So, why do we freeze or refrigerate?  Quality (read: moisture loss).  The cooler it's kept, the slower the moisture evaporates off.

Safe to assume your snus will be at optimal quality up to (and often beyond) the best by date when refrigerated... and it'll keep damn near indefinitely frozen.  

Whether I freeze or refrigerate, I bag my snus before storing.  I'll buy the nicest gallon freezer bags I can find.  Why?  Odor migration.  Garlic, seafood (or any other potent smell) can make for a nasty snus experience.  

I keep a can of lös and a can of portions on me at all times.  It stays at room temp until I kill the can (2-3 days for the lös and up to 10 for the portions).    Never had any quality issues at this rate of consumption.  

Beyond that... I try not to "shock" my open cans with extreme temperature fluctuations.  i.e. leaving it in a hot car, taking a can from my pocket and putting it in the fridge.  Luckily, I'm a white collar powder puff that spends 99.8% of my life at a comfortable 69⁰ F... so it's rarely a concern for the snus in my man purse.  

Only other consideration is shipping.  In the dog days of summer if my order gets stuck in a dreaded customs loop in hot trucks/warehouses... it might lose a few weeks of "best by" to the heat.  Even then, it's barely noticable. US General is no longer even refrigerated.  So, all this thought and effort might be for naught.    

That said, this has been my practice for nearly 20 years... so even if it's baseless, it's habit (ritual?) I'm likely to maintain.  

Here's what Swedish Match has to say...

https://www.swedishmatch.ch/en/what-is-snus/qa/

Hope you find this info helpful, and... Happy Snusing!