Help request - PV veteran, but Snus newbie

[tescela]

Hello all!

I've read the sticky, and now I'm hoping some kind souls here can help me translate my findings into some specific recommendations about:

- what to try
- where to buy it in the U.S. online
- estimated cost now that PACT is in force, etc.
- how I can test my experience with Swedish snus most cost-effectively

Here is what I gleaned about my preferences from the sticky:

Pouches or Loose: Pouches

Size: Mini

Strength: Purified (maybe step up to Portion if necessary, but I would prefer to start off low)

Finish or Style: Purified (apparently, this is good for quick results); maybe some White for times when I plan to use the pouch for a longer, more gradual effect (if I understood the sticky correctly, that is where the White excels)

Color: Irrelevant (that is the conclusion from the sticky, correct?)

Flavor: this is not from the sticky, but the only snus I've tried was the low-grade Americanized snus (e.g., Camel Snus), and I preferred the "Spice" flavor (Camel "Frost" was a distant second). However, I enjoyed the "berry" and plain tobacco flavor of Oliver Twist in the distant past. I don't think I liked their citrus version.

Any help that you Snus veterans can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[hittman]

Well don't take my advice as gospel but here's what I think. You should probably order from getsnus.com. Shipping will start at $12 thanks to the pact act and will increase slightly with weight. I know it's tough to put together a good size order when just starting out. If you want mini size portions then that will limit your selection. I've never tried the spice flavor you spoke of but have tried the camel frost. I would probably suggest the general mini mints and thunder frost minis. Some people like the fellini minis but I didn't care for them at all. If you are determined to stick with minis then I would say that you would be pretty safe ordering the two that I mentioned as chances are that if for some reason you don't like them then someone here would probably buy them from you. As far as the purified portions, I have tried the Oomph 3mg portions in a couple different flavors and they aren't bad at all. They are so small, no one could ever tell you had anything in your mouth. The purified are faster nicotine release than the minis or standard portions. I don't know if I have or not but hopefully this info will help a little.

 

[Stubby]

One thing you may not know is that even though the purified snus is low on the nicotine scale even the 3 mg purified has a good kick to it. Likely as much as an 8 mg standard portion and a good deal more then the 4 mg minis. The purified release their nicotine a good deal faster then other snus so it hits a lot harder then the slower release type. I use standard 8 mg snus almost exclusively and I wouldn't touch the 6 mg purified. Don't be fooled by the low nicotine numbers. The purified is only distributed by Northerner and have recently changed the name to Northerner snus.

You're on the right track by starting off with low nicotine levels. I would advise to throw in at least a few standard 8 mg portion cans with the first order.

As for flavors nothing from Sweden is going to be as sweet as the camel. I've never tried the spice by have had the mellow... very sweet indeed. I wouldn't worry about it as you will get used to the salty swedish snus within a week or two. Like nearly everyone you will very likely come to prefer it to the sweet american snus. How much tax you pay depends on what state you live in. You don't show your state so you will have to check that out

Snus Information

Scroll down to the bottom and you will see the chart

Can't help you much as far as flavors as I don't do minis or much in the way of flavored snus. Hopefully other can help you with that

Here is where to order

Northerner. Buy Swedish Snus & Snuff Online. The Healthy Smokeless Tobacco Alternative
Get Snus at GetSnus.com. The US based online snus store
The above two are actually the same warehouse, just a different name. It's the only US based warehouse

Buy Snus, Order Swedish snus online world wide - BuySnus.com
Ships from Sweden

 

[tescela]

hittman and Stubby: thank you for the guidance.

Quick question for now: what are the pros/cons of ordering directly from Sweden vs. ordering from the U.S. outlets?

 

[hittman]

Ordering from Sweden will obviously take longer in shipping time and from the test orders I have run, the shipping is quite a bit more. However, there may be a brand or two that might be available at some retailers and not others. I think with the pact act going now that there are only certain brands that can be sold to U.S. citizens any way.

Stubby, thanks for jumping in. You are a little better at explaining things than I am.

 

[Katya]

Tescela, what they said ^. If I may add, Oomph is not your day-long go-to snus. It's nice to have in your arsenal, but it's a different animal. Just get a little and see how it works for you. It acts a bit faster, but doesn't last as long as regular snus. It has baking soda added, BTW.

You can't go wrong with General mini mint, it seems to be everybody's fav. Thunder Frost mini is very potent, even though it's a mini portion, as it contains 8 mg of nic vs. 3-6 of other minis. Just make sure you don't order the Thunder Frost extra strong mini--16 mg. I like Fellini mints and mint/eucalyptus. The fruity flavors I tried are Mocca Pomegranate and Catch Rhubarb, not half bad. If you like tobacco flavors, General mini white is an option, or Lab 1, but Lab 1 is a regular portion. But snus is forgiving. When a portion is too strong for me, I just take it out of my mouth for a while, store it in the little pouch on top of the can and go back to it later.

Snus is fun. Good luck and let us know what you're ordering. The taste is very different from American snus, but once you feel how it works, you'll learn to love that taste...

 

[Andtyler2]

Tescela,

All the folks who post a lot on the smokeless thread are far more experienced with snus than I am. I just started adding snus this spring after finding that, while I enjoy vaping a lot, it doesn't give me the calming effects that cigarettes used to provide. I sure didn't want to go back to burning tobacco, so I gave snus a try. Sure enough, it seems to do the trick. I still use my PVs because I really enjoy the flavors and the act of vaping itself. But since I started using snus a few times a day, I tend to prefer a lower mg nic juice (12mg or less).

One additional suggestion if you're just starting out, is to see if you live near a retail supplier of General snus. The selection is limited but it will allow you to try out a few flavors initially and give you a basis for comparison. Most of the snus retailers also hand out free samples (or at least they used to). You can get samples of General regular portion, wintergreen, white mini mint, and regular white mint. If you're concerned about nicotine content, and you think you'd prefer a mini, by all means pick up a can of general mini mints. I liked the flavor and size but found the 4 mg nic content wasn't quite what I needed. I always ended up putting in two. Eventually I switched to Thunder Frosted mini mints, which have the full 8 mg. Everyone is different so you might find that the General mini's are fine for you. You just have to experiment for a while.

Here is a link to the General store locator. (They might make you register in order to access the link but you can opt out of getting emails etc.) Note: If you do buy from a tobacco shop, make sure you check the expiration dates before you purchase a can. I've visited 2 stores on the General list that weren't particularly conscientious about their storage methods and the freshness of their stock.

http://www.generalsnus.com/Locator/WhereToBuy

As others have stated, if you want to branch out into other brands/flavors, you'll have to go with the online shops. There are LOTS of options.

Snus is a totally different animal. Have fun exploring the possibilities!

AT

 

[JDSupreme]

Here is a link to the General store locator. (They might make you register in order to access the link but you can opt out of getting emails etc.) Note: If you do buy from a tobacco shop, make sure you check the expiration dates before you purchase a can. I've visited 2 stores on the General list that weren't particularly conscientious about their storage methods and the freshness of their stock.

Log On

Also, make sure to give the tobacco shop a call to see if the still have General in stock. About half of the tobacco shops in my area had an empty General fridge. The Dry Mint Mini's are a great starter.

Since Northerner has been having trouble getting Thunder Frost Mini's, i've since "manned up" and ordered 10 cans of full size Thunder Frost extra strong portions. They are still a nice kick in the face, even now that im used to them. I've got a few cans of the mini's and the long portion Thunder Frost's on backorder now. Out of a 10 can order that was "green light" in stock when I ordered 3 weeks ago, i've got a package with 3 cans, and a package with 1 can. Still waiting on the rest. I love the Frost flavor so much, any size or shape