New to the real stuff (and dissing Skoal)

[aika]

Hello everyone. 8 year chain smoker here switching to snus for harm reduction. Prior to discovering northerner I was using the vile Skoal Bandit Wintergreen for +/- 3 weeks. Oh man, how much difference the real thing makes. So far I just have the sample Swedish Match pack and am enjoying Tre Ankare, going to go for Gutenbergs Rape next.

As a rookie, are all Swedish snus products dry rather than sickly moist like Skoal Bandits? Those things gave me heartburn like a mother. I joyfully threw the rest of them in the garbage.

[Zero]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of Swedish Snus 8)

To answer your question, no not all Swedish portions are dry.

White Portion = Dry Portion
Regular Portion = Moist portion
lös = loose snus

I've never seen a Skoal Bandit, so I can't say how they compare in moisture content to a Regular portion, but regular portions are noticeably damp although not soaking wet. The tobacco in the regular portions is the same as the white portions, mind you, and not the same rubbish you'd no doubt have found in the Bandits - I'm certain that even the regular portions would not make you feel ill like the Skoal portions would have.

[Xobeloot]

An original portion is just as moist as a bandit. The main differences between an original and a bandit is what is inside, and the lip you put it in.

Bandits are nothing more than a mini portion of skoal (which has to be spit unless you are hardcore). I am assuming you were bottom-lipping the skoal. Using the snus in your upper lip (even original portions) will create a fraction of the saliva flow that the skoal in the bottom lip did.

The original portion will, however, run (flow juice) almost immediately. Snus juice is 100x less irritating on the throat/stomach (which i'm sure you've realized by now).

Anyways, welcome to Snuson!

[aika]

Yeah, ops: on Skoal, on Swedish Match. Thanks for the information and the welcome guys! Even upper-lipping one of those Bandits creates a massive surge of juice. Just tried one of the original portions and this is far better. I could grow to get used to it. Living in Texas the downside of the Skoal at least was that when you'd open the tin up a humid muggy blah would hit you right away. Maybe in summertime the white pouches would be best.

[Zero]

White portions will certainly keep better in hot summer weather. If you moisten them up on your tongue a bit before you pop them in I find they kick in a bit more like a regular portion - at least compared to just putting it under your lip dry and letting it slowly absorb moisture.

[KarlvB]

aika I agree with Zero that white portions would work best in summer, but they do still take a battering....I would recommend that you don't carry around a full tin with you in summer...I was in Cape Town in January and the heat killed my GR#1

http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=1283&highlight=

The best advice I got was to take as many portions as I may need for the day in a spare tin and leave the full tin in the fridge....

The other option would be CatchDry portions but they are only available in minis and don't seem to hold up that much better in heat in excess of 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius)...

[Zero]

Gap in the market here for an icetool snusbox type of thing, but with a thermos type of deal - maybe an inner blue-liquid ice pack lining, a vacuum wall, and a sturdy outer shell. Keep the tin in the freezer over night, transfer your portions in the morning, and they stay cool and fresh all day long 8)

[KarlvB]

Zero, that is an awesome idea...and it may be just the right size to double as a cold coaster for a beer

I agree on the hard outer shell....I would love some super hard plastic outer shell so I can take it to Namibia on my 4x4 safaris...

[Soft Morning, City!]

If Zero's invention were ever created, I'd most definitely buy one. The idea of having cold snus all day long would be too fantastic to pass up on.

I don't mind room temperature snus at all. I use it all day long. But when it gets warm it's a different story. Blah.

[aika]

I would buy it too. Another cheaper alternative that may be DIY is to freeze soapstone (of course youd need a good saw to shape it to fit properly) and set it in the bottom of the can with your snus on top of it. I know there are soapstone 'ice cubes' on the market for those of us who like Whiskey on the rocks but hate the taste of watered down product.

**EDIT**

Wow, soapstone is more costly than the blue ice!

Anyhow, after doing some reading on the forum:

I was worried I was a heritic for not caring for General yet, but thankfully I am not the only one. Given, I have only tried General, Göteborgs Rapé which I find to be mearly decent but is growing on my each try, and Röda Lacket which has a flavor that reminds me of Djarum Black clove cigs my old favorite (and a shock because it seems to be a love/hate relationship), and Tre Ankare, which has a rich tobacco flavor with hints of smoky campfire, my favorite so far.

Perhaps it is because I have yet to discover a distinct flavor with General. Sometimes I get a peppery lemon, and sometimes I get a salty flavor with hints of earl grey tea, and sometimes I get no flavor at all. Could it be that General is just more complex flavorwise than the other brands I have tried? I think that may be the problem with Göteborgs Rapé as well as the fact that they are mini portions. From the snus opinions thread since I seem to be a Tre Ankare man, once I finish my open tins I am going to try either Ettan or Grovsnus. What would you guys recommend first when it comes to a hearty tobacco flavor? Not discounting the flavored stuff but as an ex-smoker it is easier for me to adapt to the more neutral flavors so far.

Thanks for reading this long-winded post. This forum is a godsend.