General! At my local tobacco shop!

[Janner]

Walked into my local tobacco shop the other day and there, at the end of the counter, was a little General refrigerator! Thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

My first impulse was to buy one can of everything to try out. But since I'm still in the "experimenting with snuss to see if this is for me" phase, I thought better of it and just bought one of the sample packs that was sitting on top - $1.89 - and just one can of the Whites which was $4 and change. The total was about $6.28 with tax. Any by the way, if you like all the flavors in the General sampler pack, what a deal, no? Sixteen pieces of snuss for only $1.89!

About a month or so ago, this shop had started to carry the Camels - I had bought some of the Mellow which is way too sweet. I like sweet, but this is ridiculous and, even worse, it's some artificial sweetner which is gross. Still I figure any time I have some snuss in my mouth, I'm not smoking, so for that, it's a good thing.

Up until now I have had some Offroad mini mints and Thunder mints, generously sent to me by a forum member to try out. I'm not a fan of mint anything but those Offroads really kept me evened out. It was a good three hours before I felt myself wanting a cigarette with those.

The General dry whites are okay. To me, the citrus flavor is palatable but it's boring. The salt doesn't bother me at all, but the pepper taste when you swallow, ick! But I don't get the same nicotine satisfaction from them that I got from the Offroads.

I've got a General mini mint under my lip right now and the mint is okay, not too burny. In fact, I just got a hit of sweet from it, which was totally unexpected - not bad! But again, I'm not getting the satisfaction like I did from the Offroads. The pouch size is great, however. I'm a woman with a small mouth and this fits really nice under my lip - barely feels like there's anything in my mouth! Realize this is only 4mg vs. 8mg on the Offroads. Have yet to try the full General mint from the sampler package.

But the General wintergreen - just awful! Overpowering mint flavor, couldn't keep it in my mouth for more than 5 minutes and by then I was also getting sick to my stomach! So glad I did NOT buy a whole can of that!

Wish I liked the Whites more, it would be great not to have to order by mail - not to mention cheaper! Haven't made the switch from cigarettes to snuss full time yet - really need to find some brands that I truly enjoy having in my mouth. Think I would like the more tobacco flavors like Ettans and Tre Ankara from what I've read and from what I've now experienced.

In any event, wanted everyone to know - don't give up, there's hope! If my little tobacco shop has gotten a General refrigerator in, chances are there's one coming to your shop soon. Doesn't hurt to ask when you go in. I've been asking my place every week if they could get some real Swedish snuss in and they kept telling me it was coming and this week, it finally did!

Jan

 

[Skrymr]

Congrats Jan. And welcome to the smokeless subforum. I can get some General locally too, but it is cost prohibitive, about $7 a can. My favorite flavors are plain tobacco (Thunder Original) and Thunder Coffee Supreme. Chocomint isn't bad for a change of pace. It is a lot less sweet than other mints with a barely detectable chocolate taste. I agree about the Camel snus. some are ok in a pinch, but overall way too sweet with a bad aftertaste.

You might want to try a long portion snus as they are more discreet. Lab 01 is a plain tobacco flavor, as all Lab are, I believe. The difference in the numbers being the strength of the nic in them.

The peppery taste settles down once you get used to the flavor, it did for me at least. Also, once you have been snusing for a few weeks flavors seem to change and some snus you didn't like before suddenly taste much better. So don't give up on too many that just don't do it for you right off the bat. Try them again in a few weeks and see if you might like them again.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[SimplySnus]

On General Snus' website they have a store locator thing, so you can find local stores that sell their products.

The only real snus I can get locally(have to drive into PA) is the General Nordic Mint and Classic Blend , all they had when I went was trial cans, each containing only 10 portions each ( I have a BUNCH of these trial cans, if anyone would like to trade or just try a can, let me know), I bought all they had so hopefully they will extend the product line in the near future.

@ Skymr , I too agree with the camel snus... in a jam it will work but it leaves a horrible aftertaste that lasts a long time, it seems. Last week I forgot too bring another roll into work so had to go to a gas station and ended up getting the Camel Winterchill , it was horrible. I didnt get a "tingle" as they put it, or a burn. I guess it is because im used to ES portions, however better too use the imitation snus than buy a pack of smokes. I have a bunch of the Thunder Coffee Supreme too if you or anyone else wants to do a trade.

I also agree about the flavors changing, you can try a snus and not like it, then a month or two goes by, and you try it again and fall in love with it. I think it has to do with just getting used to the product, the saltiness, ect. I used to hate General ES portions, now it is my go to snus. Same thing with Los , The first time I tried los snus I hated it, it got everywhere and made me gag. However, later on down the road after I got used too the portions I tried los again and love it.

 

[Janner]

Thanks, Skrmyr, for the suggestions and the warm welcome! The coffee and chocolate snus are definitely more the kinds of flavors I think I would like, especially with the 3 or 4 cups of coffee I have every morning! I'm just going to put in a "sampler" order, regardless of the cost, so I can get more of a variety to try out.

With the little bit of snusing I've done, I have already learned that (1) it takes time to get used to the whole snus experience - e.g., at first, I couldn't keep a portion in my mouth for more than 5 minutes, then I'd have to take it out for 5, then put it back in for 5, and so on. Now, I can pretty much just put it in and keep it there. And (2) that the taste changes, literally with every piece. My first two General dry whites were good, the 3rd one seemed fatter and I got too much juice from it and way too much pepper for the first 20 minutes, before it settled down. The General dry mini whites, so far, I don't even need to have a drink on hand to sip to help wash things down, which is great.

I really like those mini portions, but I had some Thunder mint which is the long portions, I think, and I like their fit in my mouth as well. Even the Camel Mellows fit my mouth just fine. It's just the regular sized portions that I find to be too big. I wish all the manufacturers made all their flavors in all the different portions, that would be great!

Thanks again, for all the help!
Jan

 

[Janner]

Hi Simply Snus,
Thanks about the General locator, I'll look into that as well. I just thought when I saw my little cigarette and lottery shop was now stocking some real Swedish snus, that it was a good sign that the local availability is slowing becoming more widespread. I would love to be able to just drive to some local shop and purchase just about any brand that's sold vs. having to order on-line.

$7 a can is ouch! I'm in NC and so far a can of General is about the same as a pack of cigarettes here - in the neighborhood of $4.40. But, on the other hand, a can of snus would last me a lot longer than a pack of cigarettes would, even if it did cost $7 or more.

I would like to try the General Classic blend that you can buy, but my smoke shop isn't carrying that (or the Nordic Mint either). They just have the little refrigerator with Mint, Mini Mint, White, Original, Wintergreen and Loose - and a few sampler packs sitting on top.

But at least I know the General supplier is now in the area and maybe I can ask my smoke shop to get him to stock the Classic and Nordics as well. I can already see myself buying some cans of the Mini mints from them - like you, I want to buy from this local shop in the hopes they'll continue to stock and hopefully expand their line as well.

I'm just thinking it can't hurt if all snus users kept going into their local tobacco shops and kept asking if they could please carry some Swedish snus. When I started with my shop, who at the time had some Klondike, some snuff and a few other items, the first response I got was "I'd like to throw out that whole section". Next time I asked, I got told the Camel snus was coming. Once that was in, I got told the Swedish snus was coming and now this week, it finally showed up. I just think for the most part if a store knows it's going to be able to sell the stuff, they'll carry it. The General salesman is out there, he wants the accounts, let your shop know you want the product.

Thanks, SS, for your help!
Jan

 

[hittman]

Jan it sounds like you are doing well and have received some good advice. The Lab series has good straight tobacco flavor if that's what you are looking for. Thunder is strong but the portions are small. They must use a stronger part of the plant or something to get the strength out of the little bit of tobacco they put in.

I too can buy general locally. All of the local Quiktrip stations are carrying it in refrigerators. I like the regular mint quite a bit and the white isn't too bad.

 

[rothenbj]

Hi Janner, welcome to the underground. I'll have to recheck at my local tobacco shop. Last time they looked at me like I was crazy. Come on over to the What's under your lip thread. We all hang out there on a fairly regular basis.

 

[nikk4s]

All the tobacco shops here also looked at me like I was crazy. Even the one I found an hour and a half away using the General store locator. Shoulda called first, but I hate phones. Maybe someday they will get it locally, although the price will probably be upwards of $7/can with tax.

 

[VapApe]

If you go to the General site you can down load coupons for 2.50 off the price of a can.
My last two cans cost me a whole $1.97

 

[hittman]

I got one of those coupons in the mail Saturday. I'll definitely use it.