Looking for suggestions for my husband...

[Karanya]

So, it looks like I have a chance to actually convert my husband over to snus. The e-cig didn't do it for him partly because of the hassle and partly because of the poor nicotine delivery. Didn't do it entirely for me, either, but that's another story for a different forum.

Anyway, here's my hubby at a glance:

--Unsophisticated palate. I mean, really unsophisticated. Soon after we met, I grilled him a filet mignon. He said it tasted like a hot dog. (After seeing the look on my face, he clarified that to "a really GOOD hot dog"!)
--Picky, picky, picky... as far as this relates to snus, I think the only flavor that stood out as something he disliked was anise/licorice but this seems to be a common flavoring.
--Little interest in trying new things, which means (at least for now) he'd probably be happiest with a mild and neutral-tasting snus that he could use full-time. That rules out mint.

That said, the hardest part is trying to nail down the right level of nicotine for him. He's used Discreet (not quite enough) and double-barreled Discreet (too much! He was hiccuping like crazy and on the verge of spewing chunks.)

FWIW, he smokes a lot less than I ever did... about a pack a day of light cigarettes.

I know Discreet is somewhere in the range of 7.4 mg, but I've also heard that it doesn't seem to deliver as much as it "should" compared to Swedish snus... probably it has a lower pH.

I'm thinking that a regular 8mg portion in the morning and minis throughout the day might work best for him. I kind of hope this is the case since most of the snus I've seen that sound like they would appeal to him are minis. Mocca macchiato or pomegranate in particular sound like snus he would like, especially if they're somewhat less sweet than Discreet but not too salty.

Thoughts?

--K, who is spending way too much time Internet-window-shopping while waiting impatiently for her orders to arrive...

[lxskllr]

Grov white
LD white
Ettan white

[Karanya]

Thank you.

I had not considered the straight up tobacco type snus because I have a sneaking suspicion he won't care for the taste of tobacco unless masked well. I could be wrong, but when I say unsophisticated tastes I don't mean like "meat-and-potatoes-manly-man", I mean he has the palate of a twelve year old.

I know, I know, I'm going to be clueless until I see how he reacts to some of the Swedish stuff but I'm feeling a little obsessive at the moment. Just refreshed tracking information on my GetSnus order for the hundredth or so time today, even though it probably won't be updated till Monday...

--K

[lxskllr]

Grov was one of my top favorites out of my first trial box. I had saved it for last because I didn't think I'd like a straight tobacco flavor. I recommended whites because it seemed like you were leaning towards muted flavors, but I prefer originals by a wide margin.

[MojoQuestor]

My first thought was "Ettan".

AFAIK, it's the oldest brand extant, and about as close as you can get to just "straight up snus".

[Karanya]

Interesting. I've been working under the assumption that he won't like tobacco flavor (he hates the taste of cigarettes and smokes the weakest-tasting cigs he can find.. and didn't care for tobacco-flavored e-cig liquid either) but I could be wrong.

Do any of the straight tobacco snus come in a white mini? As dependent on nicotine as my husband is, he doesn't seem to have much tolerance at all.

--K

[Sigg]

Chiming in with Ettan as well. It has a mild tobacco flavor and I don't think it's as salty as some of the others - it's just good. If I had it to do over again, this is the one I would have started with.

Not sure on the white mini tho..

[lxskllr]

Tre Ankre mini would be the closest to a pure tobacco taste. It's mellow and earthy with an herbal quality. It would probably be a regular for me if it came as a lös.

Otherwise, there's the citrus/General types...

General
Granit
LD

Göteborgs has some potential. It's an odd taste, so I don't know if it'll work, but it's fairly mellow.

[MojoQuestor]

Tre Ankre mini would be the closest to a pure tobacco taste. It's mellow and earthy with an herbal quality. It would probably be a regular for me if it came as a lös.

Otherwise, there's the citrus/General types...

General
Granit
LD

General is a good point. It's the big daddy, after all. In maybe a slightly different vein, Phantom/Rothbrix might even be worth a try. I found the minis quite tasty, although it took most of a can to convince me.

Göteborgs has some potential. It's an odd taste, so I don't know if it'll work, but it's fairly mellow.

If you really want something to knock his socks off, Thunder Frosted.

[Ainkor]

If your not wanting to spend a bunch right off the bat, there is always the free samples from Generalsnus.com

Snus flavors are a very personal thing so I would try and offer as many kinds as you can. You can't go wrong with a sample pack from northerner.com either.

Mocha snus's are nice too, and they have 5mg of nicotine versus the normal 4 for mini's.

Pomegranate is an odd flavor, it almost tastes like mulled wine to me.

The mint isn't bad, but minty.

Also another thought is that if he is having a problem with the discreet being too sweet, have him move the portion to the top/middle of his mouth as it will run less.

lastly, your awesome! I took your post as you are trying to get him off smokes and thats a kick ass thing for a wife to do!

[Karanya]

Thanks guys! Lots of suggestions...

I've got 10 cans of all kinds of stuff coming but those were picked out with myself in mind and I suspect most of what appeals to me will be just way too overpowering for his tastes, but we'll see.

Yup, I'm trying to help him get off the smokes. He has wanted to quit smoking for a long time but has been unable to get the job done and we've tried about every method out there. The first thing to show any real promise for my husband has been snus.

I always liked smoking -- or at least the nicotine -- but switched to a combo of the e-cig and snus because I hate spilled ashtrays and the cost was getting ridiculous. A few months ago, we were spending about $500/month on generic cigarettes. Luckily, the combination of snus (for effective nicotine delivery) and the e-cig (for the tactile sensation) has left me every bit as satisfied and a bit less broke.

Never thought I would be the one to quit first. I smoked more than twice as much as he did and for twice as many years!

--K

[Karanya]

Mocha snus's are nice too, and they have 5mg of nicotine versus the normal 4 for mini's.

Pomegranate is an odd flavor, it almost tastes like mulled wine to me.

The mint isn't bad, but minty.

Also another thought is that if he is having a problem with the discreet being too sweet, have him move the portion to the top/middle of his mouth as it will run less.

That's what got me thinking about Mocca... it's a bit more than a regular mini but not as strong as a regular portion. Plus they come in flavors that seem like they'd appeal to him.

I asked him a few minutes ago and he says he's interested in trying everything I can put in front of him, so I'll probably see how it goes with the 10 miscellaneous cans I ordered for myself. Unless it turns out that the regular 8mg portions are too much, in which case I'll have to make another online shopping trip.

He does say he's more interested in the flavored stuff (but not mint or licorice/anise) so I kind of hope the minis are closer to what he wants, at least for all day use, since it seems like the best variety in flavored snus is the minis.

Nicotine-wise, do you guys think Discreet feels more like a mini or a regular 8mg portion? I know it's 7.4mg but I've read the pH is lower and it hits more like a mini. I think Discreet would be right on target for nicotine for all day long if he was using them more frequently.

--K

[Ainkor]

Nicotine-wise, do you guys think Discreet feels more like a mini or a regular 8mg portion? I know it's 7.4mg but I've read the pH is lower and it hits more like a mini. I think Discreet would be right on target for nicotine for all day long if he was using them more frequently.

--K

Hrmm... The thing with snus is that it ramps up your nicotine blood plasma levels pretty slowly, then it holds it at that level for an extended period of time. I do not start the day off with discreet, but I do use them throughout the day. I would say that they act a bit like a maxi-mini :P I think their effective nicotine levels, based on my experience are about like a 5-6mg portion.

As far as flavored snuses, I live and die by Goteborgs #2. It has a slightly fruity flavor (nowhere even close to discreet fruity) with an herbal/juniper berry flavor. It starts to "juice" at about 15 minutes and then it goes through a few transitions before I pitch it at about 2 hours. You will find that snus can be like a fine wine or a cigar. There are subtle flavors that you won't taste at first (especially as a smoker) but over time they come out.

They are salty, as are most Swedish brands, but once you get past that, its damn good!

I think you got it right and he has a great attitude about it (willing to try anything) just don't ruin him by giving him a Rothbrix or some other crap like Level to start off with :P

Also, in regards to the smoking, just a suggestion.... even less is better. Most of the time people do not switch immediately to snus, but rather a slow progression to it and then one day they find that they are using snus and not smoking.

Like with a teenage kid, if there is a ton of pressure or expectation placed on it, there might be some rejection, just based on that. Even if you and your husband cut your smoking in half, you will still be much better off health-wise and pocket book wise!

[sagedil]

Karanya, Mocca is a straight up 4 mg mini last I looked.

I think a 8 mg regular would work great for him, and I will echo the suggestion of LD White. Good flavor, without being "too much"

Honestly, most <not all> eventually prefer a more straight up tobacco taste. I used flavored my first 4 months cause I just assumed I wouldn't like tobacco. I was wrong. Then used half and half another 18 months, until I just finally switched over to almost all straight tobacco snus.

Except for my joyful side distractions with Discreet

But LD white, strong thumbs up

[Ainkor]

Karanya, Mocca is a straight up 4 mg mini last I looked.

http://northerner.com/snus/White%20M...0Portion-1982/

I checked before I posted :P