Noobs First Taste of SNUS!!

[Mongrul]

Ok Noobs, I just got my first package from Northerner (5 days, Awesome!!) and I thought I'd crack three cans and try them out while on-line and give you the blow-by-blow...smell, look, taste, buzz, for the best three in the sample pack (I think...don't know yet) they are Ettan, Goteborgs Rape, and General. No Skruf, which from what I've read here is probably one of the best. Oh well. Anyway.... I haven't smoked in over an hour, so I'm feeling the need, and I've cleansed my mouth with a fine Japanese sake to further stimulate the need to feed on weed. So here it goes.... (Hold on, low on sake)...(ok I'm back)

Smell: General and Ettan are pretty similar, the Rape has a spicier smell that I really can't describe. It's a white portion, and smaller that the G or E portions. All smell good to me. Now on the the good part.

Taste: Ettan. Here it goes.
It's been about 3 min. I feel a little burn, but nothing bad at all. Makes me think I've got something good about to happen. I can't really taste it yet. Not salty at all. No urge to spit, no excess saliva. Could still use a smoke at this point.

Six minutes in: Still have very small, pleasant burn. Taste is starting to come out. Feeling a little in the back of throat. No salty taste yet. No need to spit. Starting to feel very relaxed.

10 Minutes in: Tasting it. Very mellow, not harsh. Not salty, no need to spit. Nic buzz is starting to come on. No urge to smoke at ALL!! Awesome!! :P Time for Goteborgs Rape (Saving the rest of this one in the top of the tin)

Goteborgs Rape: Stronger smell, different flavor. feeling more burn and flavor is coming through quicker though not overwhellming.

4 Minutes in: Has a little more burn than Ettan, but not bad!! Flavor is subtle, but very good and different. Still not tasting the salt. Could be Sake interference. :wink: This is nothing like any American dip or chew I've ever had. My mind it telling me to smoke, but that's 30 years of lighting up talking to me. Time for a change.

10 minutes in: I'm liking the subtle flavor and burn. Nic is flowing in nicely with no problems at all. I've not spit once, and don't feel the need too. Throat is not bothered by the slight amount of juice. And the Sake still taste great!! I'm liking this shit alot!!

On to some General

Here it goes..

4 Minutes in: I'm floored!! Taste is not overpowering at all. Only slight burn, which just lets you know it's working. No salty taste. Must be the Sake. I'm starting to think that snus and sake are a match made in heaven!! Very little, almost imperceptible, burn in throat from swallowing juice. Sake takes care of that problem. Still no urge to spit.

10 Minutes in: Nothing new to report. Flavor is subtle and very nice. Not noticing any burn. No need to spit, throat is fine, Sake taste great!! I've got a nice NIC buzz going, and I now know why so many here love SNUS.
No need to smoke.

So, what do I do with the other two portions that are now in their lids...why I POP THEM IN....Here it goes.....

Rape is starting to burn a little in the front upper lip. Ettan, not too bad. Can't feel the General at all now. Sake still taste great. No need to spit, flavor is awesome yet subtle, not too strong even with three portions in at the same time. Squeezing my lip gets more flavor to come out, and it's good.....very good.....

Six minutes in: I've got a party going on in my mouth! Very slight burn, little bit of burn in throat, but pure happiness going on in the brain!! Tasting a little salt, but not much. Allot more flavor leaking out now.

14 minutes in: Buzzing. May have overdone it. Not a problem for me after 30 years, but be careful. Taste is great, little salty now, little burn. Nothing bad at all. Still have not needed to spit.

All in all, I love it!! :lol: I can't believe it's taken this long to find out about snus! I have to thank Marlboro for producing the really seriously shitty garbage they tried to pass off as snus because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have three portions of the good stuff in right now!!

I hope this thread helps my fellow Noobs discover and enjoy snus. I can tell you, I'm now a huge fan, and I look forward to breaking my 30 year smoking habit...and saving money!

[bakerbarber]

Great post.

I really enjoyed reading it.

[sagedil]

Mongrul, my new friend,

That has to rank as one of the best noob posts I have ever read. Next assignment. For those coming to Swedish from camel, please write, from a Noobs perspective, what to expect. And what you are finding you like about Swedish compared to Camel, and what you miss about Camel if any. Again, that is just not something I could ever do, I tried Camel way after I had Swedish snus. You will help many that follow.

I am really glad you are here, and even more glad you love the snus. I have to go down now, but I did check back hoping to see this.

And btw, Ettan was my first too!!

[Starcadia]

Yeah, cool post. It was fun to re-experience my own first time, which was different but similar enough. My first was with GR too. You should look forward to lots more firsts, perhaps in diminishing excitement, but with augmented subtlety and complexity, in coming months. It seems to revolutionize a person.

[RobsanX]

Great post! My first snus was Catch Euc, and I was like whoah! this is some powerful stuff! I got about 8 different varieties with my sample pack, but it wasn't until I'd snused for about a week that I could really pick up the subtle flavors in each one...

[Avatar5150]

Good stuff...Can't wait for my first order to arrive, won't be till next week though.

Ahhhh I'm so impatient too. :lol:

[Mongrul]

I stared at my cans for an hour this morning while smoking 3 cigs knowing that once I got started on the snus, I wouldn't want to smoke again. I was right. Two portions in and no need to smoke. Nice.

[sagedil]

It's like magic, isn't it?

[Mongrul]

Yes it is, but the urge to smoke is powerful joojoo. I just got in trouble with the wife cause I smoked while reading this....due to the fact that my Grov ran out and the sake is kicking in....and I haven't had one in a LONG time....I grabbed some immediate relief and BINGO, up the stairs she comes!! :cry: :cry: oH SHIT, SHE'S HERE....GOTTA GO....

[sagedil]

LOL Mongrul.

But seriously, don't stress when you smoke. this isn't like quitting cold turkey when any nicotine just leads you righ back to cigs. smoke when you want, don't when you don't want. but over the next few weeks, you will just find that you smoke less and less, until one day, you realize that you have gone a whole month without a cigarette. I STILL smoke every blue moon, and I still buy a pack if I am on the bike all day.

It's a process of switching over to snus. Not like flipping a light switch. Let go of the idea that you need to "quit" the cgs. Just enjoy the snus, and the rest takes care of itself.

I promise. I was right about you getting the snus, I am right about this part to!! :wink:

[Mongrul]

Sage advise my friend, and thank you. Your an excellent resource for us noobs, and your advice is dead on. I just chose a potion of Skruf over a smoke knowing that in a few minutes, I'll be rewarded with a much better sense of relief than I would get from my former best friend, the smoke. I feel much better, I'm coughing less, and it's only been a few weeks. As you've said before, I don't worry about smoking now because when it makes me feel like shit, I substitute a portion or two and I'm good!!

Update, I ordered some loose Skruf and General along with the Skruf portions. Northerner got it too me quick, no problems. I like the loose, but damn what a friggen mess! Mud city in the mouth, but the flavor and ritual of preparing the pris (spell check later) not to mention the kick of Loose is awesome! I have to keep that at home though. I travel allot, and the last two trips I've wanted the loose for flavor and kick, but two portions of Rape made the trips much more enjoyable, and I can stay awake during flights, and get much more work done! For five years, I've worked on planes, and fallen asleep.....not anymore!! Two portions keep your wits sharp, awake, and feeling good.

[cocsp2002]

If you're having trouble keeping a pris together, try one of these tips:

1. Maybe you aren't packing the pris tightly enough. Give it a few more compacting pinches in your palm before you start finishing the shape with your fingers. When I put mine in my mouth, they look like one cohesive ball; you can't see the separate bits of tobacco anymore.

2. Try switching sides. I used to snus exclusively on my upper right side, and it was good, but my pris would dissolve around the edges and I'd have to swipe that away with my tongue and usually swallow it. I swallowed quite a bit of pris for some time. I tried my upper left one day just out of curiosity, and though it felt a little weird being in a different spot, no dissolving pris, no mudmouth, nothing.

3. Consider a prismaster/icetool. They pack the same shape and the same amount (if that's what you want) every time. And they pack tightly, which helps it not break up as easily.

I don't know if any of this will help you get more into lös, but I'll tell you that I was afraid to use lös anywhere but at home for some time, too, but now it's all I ever use. Once you get your technique down, lös is every bit as discreet as a portion.

[Mongrul]

I have a prismaster, and do try to pack it tighter in my palm before using it. It still dissolves around the edges. I think I'm sqeezing my lip too much, which I've started to do to extract more juice from the portions. I try not too with the los, but the yummy burst of flavor and nic is too tempting. Plus if I'm doing los, I'm probably also doing Sake :mrgreen: which doesn't help matters. I'm using Skruf los, are there better options as far as holding together is concerned?

[sagedil]

Mongrul, I tried Los. I tried to like it, I really, really did.

And it's interesting...but in the end, I simply prefer portions. They state betetr to me, I love playing with them in my mouth, they are FAR easier. Honestly, and this may sound silly....but when i open a tin of portions, I see eachone as my little friend. My nic helpers..LOL

Los, just didn't have that connection. I gave it at least tries over 2 months. Haven't ahd any more in almost 6 months. I still have a can of Ettan buried someplace in my freezer.

So more sage advice. If you like the los, great!! But do NOT feel it is something youa re supposed to like. There are other dedicated portion folks here. Like all things snus, do what makes you happiest. :lol:

[ponysoprano]

I'll give you guys a similar rundown when my 1st los order arrives. Icetools are cool, but I've spent waaayyy too much $ lately on snus and knives so I ordered Prismaaster x2 with my los, as they're like a buck fitty. I'm willing to try loose and I'm sure there's one I'll really dig [Roda L?] but portions suit my lifestyle better, at least until I get proficient with hand baking etc.