Hello snusers! Filling up my freezer, some hints where to start?

[generic mutant]

Hello,

I'm on the quit mission, been vaping for a while, and just got some WTA which seems to have finally pushed me 'over the edge'. I still occasionally want to smoke, but I can ignore it. I decided to try some snus too - it's cheap enough that there's no harm giving it a shot. I have tried friends' snus on a couple of occasions - I can't tell you what brand they were, but they were traditional portions, and tobacco flavour. I found it pretty intense, but I could tolerate it, so I think I'll be OK (hence the relatively large order for a newbie). Might have been a green tin

I certainly have no intention of using it heavily (though I realise it's very safe, I would rather not get heavily into another addictive thing if I can avoid it), but hey, we'll see what happens. I've ordered a bit of a war chest, and my plan is to freeze most of it, and have a can or two in the fridge at any one time. Maybe aim to use 1 - 3 or so portions a day, as the need hits me.

I've got the following en route:

Olde Ving 99, 18g, Portion Snus	GN-1102	1	£1.68
Olde Ving Fudge, 18g, Portion Snus	GN-1103	1	£1.69
Olde Ving Melon, 18g, Portion Snus	GN-1101	1	£1.69
Skruf Tranbär Slim, 17g, White Portion Snus	SM-9324	1	£3.08
Skruf Slim Nordic, 16.8g, White Portion Snus	SM-9321	1	£3.09
Skruf Original, 22g, Portion Snus	SM-9309	1	£2.89
Odens 59, 18g, Portion Snus	GN-1015	1	£1.68
Odens Lakrits WD, 10g, White Portion Snus	GN-1010	1	£1.68
Jakobssons Licorice, 20g, Portion Snus	GL-3407	1	£0.00
Skruf Stark Slim, 20.5g, White Portion Snus	SM-9333	1	£2.95

Jakobssons Classic, 20g, Portion Snus	GL-3400	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Fläder, 20g, Portion Snus	GL-3406	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Ice-Fruit, 20g, Portion Snus	GL-3401	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Licorice, 20g, Portion Snus	GL-3407	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Melon, 20g, Strong Portion Snus	GL-3403	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Mint, 20g, Strong Portion Snus	GL-3405	1	£2.42
Jakobssons Wintergreen, 20g, Strong Portion Snus	GL-3402	1	£2.42

I've done a bit of research, but it would help if anyone could point out anything that stands out to them: snuses that taste particularly strong, or weak, or have a high or a low nic hit relative to what's written on the label.

Anything I should look out for, basically.

Also, any others that I haven't got that stand out as a good beginner choice? I know General and Ettan are highly regarded, but Northerner didn't ship them to the UK. I've since discovered snuscentral seem to ship to us, so perhaps I'll try an order there too.

Also, anyone from the UK know the exact details of the customs rules? I've heard from some sources that you don't get charged if the order is under £25. I've heard elsewhere that all orders can be charged (or even theoretically seized), and it's a bit of a lottery...

Thanks for any help for a new snuser.

 

[hittman]

I have had skruf snus before and was fond of the skruf tranbar and es(extra strong). The only jakobssens snus I've tried was the ice fruit and thought it was horrible. Haven't tried any of the olde ving snus. It does look like you got a good mix of flavors to try. I don't know if you can order it since it's made by Swedish match but I like the lab series snus.

 

[generic mutant]

I'm nervous about going near the strong stuff (although I've ordered a couple, just to try).

I heard that Skruf raise the PH very high to increase nic absorption - in fact they're a bit controversial in the Swedish media for it, apparently - but that it's good stuff.

The Jakobbsons ice-fruit is famously one of those you love or hate... We'll see

I'm really not sure if I can get Swedish Match here at all. I *think* snuscentral will deliver it to me (and I'm not going to go nuts if I order £20 worth of snus and it disappears - it'd be annoying, but that's pretty much the cost of two packets of cigarettes these days), so I'll certainly look out for the lab if I order from them.

Cheers.

edit - one other question: is there a fairly consistent meaning of things like sterk, strong, extreme, etc. between manufacturers? E.g. Is extreme > ekstra sterk > sterk? (and I'm guessing strong and sterk are equivalent, just English / Swedish)

 

[evilfrog]

Green tin with no flavoring... I can only think of Skruf Select - a plain, organic snus.

I have heard mixed reviews of the Jakobssens (as you can see by what hittman says above). I have enjoyed the skruf and Odens I've tried. You never know what flavors will appeal to you, so a variety is a good starting point... and it looks like you did well in that area. Also bear in mind that your taste for a particular snus might change (for the better or worse), so if you hate one just chuck it in the freezer for later - don't toss it. Can you get Thunder in the UK? Or Offroad?
Sorry I can't help on the law situation, and I'm not sure if there are any Brits currently active in this corner of the forum... I'll have a peek on Snuson.com tomorrow.

I use snus as a supplement to vaping, like you are planning to do - for me around four portions/day is doing the trick nicely.

Cheers!

 

[evilfrog]

10 quid for a pack? Wow, that's brutal!

Nicotine levels vary between manufacturers, as does the method of increasing the nicotine (changing the ph for a quicker hit, or using different tobacco for a smoother dose). If you look at the descriptions on SnusCentral you can see the mg nicotine/gram snus listed. Around 8mg for regular, 12-14mg for strong/sterk, 18+ for extra strong/extreme/ultra/raw/etc

SnusCentral will probably not even try to deliver Swedish Match snus if it is illegal. You can always email them and ask about it.

 

[generic mutant]

I know, it is savage isn't it?

Around £8.50 is the normal price, but close to £10 isn't unusual in a railway station or something. I had some friends who went to Sweden recently, and they said it's worse there. Oh, well, snus it is

I think the legal situation is pretty ill-defined at the moment - I wasn't thinking they'd deliberately break the law, I just think sometimes companies will post stuff, and it'll get seized anyway (though I'm not 100% sure that has happened recently). It isn't legal to sell snus in the non-Scandinavian EU, or to market snus directly to other EU residents. It is accepted, AFAIK, that you can sell snus remotely to us, but I don't know whether that is a codified accepted thing, or just a grey area they're letting slide.

There are a few companies that just won't deliver to the EU, and some that only deliver from some manufacturers. All rather confusing, really...

Yes, I can get Thunder and Offroad. Thunder looks strong, and I've been warned off Offroad portions by some, but I'll probably try both at some point. Was going to 'warm up' on the stuff more tailored to a non-Swedish palette, e.g. the Jakobbsons.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[hittman]

Those prices are pretty crazy. It was a long time ago that I tried the ice fruit but I just remember it tasting like a salt lick.

 

[gotch23]

Of the ones you listed i liked the skruf sterk the best. A classic tobacco/bergamot blend with a twist
of rose oil (does not taste of roses, just rounds off the flavour).

I liked the Jacobssons stuff... intense fruit and mint flavours... pretty natural. I really LOVED their wintergreen.
Melon was great as well though. Be aware: Most of these are "sterk".

Thunder is also good imo... packs a punch though. I like frosted the best.
Haven't tried offroad, but it's from the same (danish) manufacturer. Should be okay.
Only thing that i found is that swedish snus is richer/more complex tastewise.

And yes... extreme > extra sterk > sterk > normal. Beware... already normal snus can give a smoker a nic-buzz at first.

And: Try loose snus with your next order. It may be more messy, but the mouth-feel is much nicer.
Also lasts longer and the nic doesn't burn as much. Also it is more economical.

 

[generic mutant]

Those prices are pretty crazy. It was a long time ago that I tried the ice fruit but I just remember it tasting like a salt lick.

If you meant the ciggies, yes they are If you meant the snus, Northerner are more expensive than the others... But it's so damn cheap compared to smoking, my interest was in getting a good selection. Not that fussed if it cost a bit more. If I find a few I like, I'll start thinking about that for repeat orders.

...
And: Try loose snus with your next order. It may be more messy, but the mouth-feel is much nicer.
Also lasts longer and the nic doesn't burn as much. Also it is more economical.

Thanks for the tips.

I've heard good things about los Offroad, but very mixed things about the portions.

I'm thinking about trying some los next time, though I didn't see the need for my first order. The ability to tailor the size of it to how you're feeling appeals as well.

I know you can order the portion material and make your own portions as well. Do many people bother?

 

[hittman]

Yes I was talking about the cigarettes. They are about $40 a carton here. I'm not sure what the pack price is.

 

[generic mutant]

Well if it all goes ....-up I'll get you to post me some

 

[generic mutant]

Well, first consignment arrived, so I've stuck some Olde Ving 99 and Jakobssons Licorice in the fridge (didn't realise quite how much liquorice I was ordering... Good thing I like liquorice, eh? ), and frozen everything else.

Got a Jakobssons Licorice in as we speak. It's reviewed as quite a mild flavour, so I thought it'd be a nice place to start, and I'm quite enjoying it (been about thirty minutes in) though I keep moving it around, trying to find which spot suits me best and reduce beginner's irritation.

Thank you everyone for the information.

ETA - cripes, these things really do kick, don't they. I guess I half forgot I'm just glad I mostly stuck to the normal strength...

ETA2 - and I've now tried the 99 too. I like it - very bitter, and I've heard coffee snus is a bit of a lottery, and can come out quite saccharine. It's only a fairly subtle coffee taste at the moment, though I hear your ability to discern the subtle flavours in snus improves as you use it more. I didn't find the liquorice flavour very intense either, but that was expected from reviews.

 

[hittman]

If you like licorice snus, I know someone that was looking to get rid of a roll of LD Salmiak. When I was into licorice snus, I thought it was the best I had tried.

 

[generic mutant]

No guarantees I'll want it, but no harm discussing. Send them this way, or p.m. me an email address, whatever's easier.

Thanks.

 

[hittman]

He's on the forum. You can pm him. His screen name is olderthandirt. Tell him I mentioned it to you. He said just a couple days ago that he had a roll he wanted to get rid of.

 

[generic mutant]

Ha! I've just been reading the 'Are we getting it or not?' thread. Only about halfway through so far.

So yes, I'm familiar with his work, so to speak You're in there too...

Cheers for the suggestion. I've sent a p.m.

 

[hittman]

I found snus after a few months of vaping alone and was going nuts. Luckily OTD and a few others pointed me in the right direction. It was a long journey for me but I'm in a pretty good place now.

 

[generic mutant]

Good to hear. I'm really enjoying it too now, actually, having had a little while to settle in.

It's good that I'm finding it easy to use snus 'by the clock', and just vape whenever I feel like it. I could never do that with cigarettes - they were a very impulsive thing.

Currently having two snus per day, one just after breakfast, and one after dinner. Mental health is doing fine, all things considered - very happy with the result. I might add another one after lunch to my schedule - still undecided, and letting my gums get used to it. I don't think I need a third, but don't see any harm either, so we'll see...

I've put in a larger order. It turned out that snuscentral won't deliver to the UK, which does very much limit my options. Oh well, it'll certainly take me a while to try all of these. At least if the EU get ideas about not letting us buy it online, I won't have to fly to Sweden for a while... (saying that, I would love to visit Sweden...)

Little bit nervous about the Thunder Ultras, but I've had quite a few of the Jakobbson's Melon, which is pretty strong, and I like those.

Happy holidays snusers!



Thunder Berry, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0059 1 £2.24
Thunder Cool Mint White, 17.6g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0711 1 £1.82
Thunder Cool Mint, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0501 1 £2.24
Thunder Coola, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0040 1 £2.23
Thunder Frosted Longer+, 16.5g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0256 1 £2.40
Thunder Frosted White, 17.6g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0716 1 £2.22
Thunder Frosted, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0056 1 £2.24
Thunder Orange, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0502 1 £2.24
Thunder Original, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0055 1 £2.24
Thunder Ultra Brandy, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0353 1 £2.42
Thunder Ultra Frosted, 17.6g, Xtra Strong White Portion V2-0756 1 £2.41
Thunder Ultra Frosted, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0356 1 £2.42
Thunder Ultra Original, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0355 1 £2.42
Thunder Ultra Raspberry, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0354 1 £2.42
Thunder Winterg. White, 17.6g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0717 1 £2.23
Thunder Wintergreen, 19.8g, Extra Strong Portion V2-0057 1 £2.24
Offroad Coola, 16g, White Portion Snus V2-0037 1 £2.04
Offroad Eucalyptus, 16g, White Portion Snus V2-0036 1 £2.04
Offroad Frosted, 18g, Portion Snus V2-0018 1 £1.97
Offroad Licorice, 16g, White Portion Snus V2-0035 1 £2.04
Offroad Licorice, 18g, Portion Snus V2-0011 1 £1.97
Offroad Original, 18g, Portion Snus V2-0010 1 £1.97
Offroad Silver, 16g, White Portion Snus V2-0702 1 £2.04
Offroad Silver, 18g, Portion Snus V2-0602 1 £1.97
Offroad Wintergreen, 18g, Portion Snus V2-0013 1 £1.97

 

[hittman]

That's a pretty good list.

 

[generic mutant]

OK, so I've tried the Offroad Silver - didn't like it at first, it has an oddly sour taste, almost reminds me of peaty whiskey, but it's growing on me, and the Thunder Ultra Frosted White - a kick to the senses, no doubt. I wouldn't say the taste has much depth or nuance to it, it's more just burning mintyness, but it's not unpleasant.

One more question, and then I think I'm set: How long can you keep an opened packet of white portions in the fridge (I realise you don't *need* to refrigerate them, but I figure it can't hurt either)? I can't find any definitive answers, but I've read a few things that hint towards more or less indefinitely (A year or two?). I've read that you can 'refresh' a fairly old snus with a drop of water, assuming it hasn't gone mouldy (which is apparently extraordinarily rare, presumably because of the salt content), but nevertheless I'd like to avoid opening lots of packets if they're going to lose much of their flavour.

Thanks everyone for all the assistance, it's been very helpful.