Lyft Summer Beat (Nicotine Pouches) - Review. 3 July 2020.

The folks at Fiedler and Lundgrens have released a new limited edition nicotine pouch product for the Summer of 2020: Lyft Summer Beat!  This snus comes in a slick can with a new flavor for the summer:  orange!  The flavor description for this one says, "A fresh taste of orange, citrus and floral tones. For this snus, orange flower is used, which gives a slightly rounder taste with a lighter sweetness than from traditional orange".  Each can weighs 16.8g and has 24 portions for 0.7g portions. The nicotine content is 8mg/g (0.8%), or 5.6mg/portion.  But that's not the only cool new thing with this product.

This product actually has NFC.  On the lid of the can you'll see this neat little "Tap The Can" box. The description for this addition says: “The can has an NFC chip that provides access to digital content. When you tap your NFC-compatible smartphone against the box lid, the digital experience begins. Since LYFT is only for consumers over 18, Bank ID is required at login. Works with iPhone 7/8/X/XR/XS/11 as well as most Android models with NFC support.”

If you're not familiar with nicotine pouches, I'll explain. These are products that contain nicotine, but no tobacco. In the case of Lyft, these have eucalyptus and pine fiber in them instead of tobacco. These are a good alternative for people who may want to quit smoking, or tobacco in general, but not nicotine. This picture shows a look at what is inside the pouch itself. Here you see the cans, portions, and even what is inside the pouch, and can see that it looks similar to regular snus, except the portions and the material inside the portions are all white. Everything else about the experience is similar to regular snus.

When you open the can, the aroma that greets you is a nice, summery smell. It’s fresh orange, lightly sweet, with some floral notes in the background. The portions are slim, soft, and feel great in the lip! The flavor is a mild, natural, lightly sweet taste of orange. In the background, there’s a subtle floral sweetness that adds a nice compliment to the orange. The nicotine strength on this one feels to b right about the regular level, and the flavor lasts about 40-45 minutes on average!  I really enjoyed the flavor of this one, and it's going to get a lot of usage around here during the warm summer!

NIXS Smokey Tobacco & Bergamot Tobacco (Nicotine Pouches) - Review. 2 July 2020.

Back in April, I reviewed NIXS Nicotine Pouches, a new product line sold on Niqopods.online. Now, they have two new flavors out - Smokey Tobacco and Bergamot Tobacco. These interest me because as of now, only one company has attempted to make a nicotine pouch with the flavor of tobacco - Shiro Nicotine Pouches: Virginia Classic.  Nicotine pouches don't contain tobacco, they have nicotine and plant fiber, so that's where it gets interesting.  There are some who may want to quit tobacco, but not nicotine, but still get that tobacco flavor.  So I imagine more products like this will be coming in the future as each company attempts their own spin on what non-tobacco tobacco tastes like.

NIXS Smokey Tobacco: Contents

When it comes to this one, the flavor description says, "NIXS Nicotine Pouches: Smokey Tobacco has a smokier tobacco flavor to resemble snus such as Ettan and Grov". Each can weighs 16g and has 18 portions, for 0.89g portions.  The nicotine content is 8mg/g (0.8%), or 7.12mg/portion.

NIXS Smokey Tobacco: Review

When you open the can, there’s a present aroma of pepper, and a hint of smoke. The portions are plump, and don’t come in the usual slim size most nicotine pouches due. They’re moderately soft to the touch, and are pretty comfortable under the lip. There also seems to be a mild tingle when you put one under the lip. Now, as far as the flavor goes, does it taste like tobacco? No. But you can’t really make something that isn’t tobacco taste like tobacco. It is, however, reminiscent of tobacco. It has the qualities that I taste in a tobacco snus. There’s a pretty present mixing of smoke and black pepper in the taste. These are things I notice in a tobacco snus. As far as the nicotine strength goes, it feels to be about regular strength. The flavor, on average, lasts about 40-50 minutes.

NIXS Bergamot Tobacco: Contents

When it comes to this one, the flavor description says, "NIXS Nicotine Pouches: Bergamot Tobacco is lightly seasoned with bergamot to resemble traditional snus". Each can weighs 16g and has 18 portions, for 0.89g portions.  The nicotine content is 8mg/g (0.8%), or 7.12mg/portion.

NIXS Bergamot Tobacco: Review

When you open the can, a mild, tart bergamot aroma greets you along with a little hint of smoke. The portions are plump, and don’t come in the usual slim size most nicotine pouches come in. They’re moderately soft, and pretty comfortable under the lip. I also notice a light tingle when I put one in the lip. As far as the flavor goes, it doesn’t taste like tobacco, but it doesn’t have tobacco in it. It is, however, reminiscent of tobacco. There’s a light smoky taste in the beginning, accompanied by a light bergamot taste, and then a slight hint of black pepper in the background. The nicotine strength feels to be about the regular strength level, and the flavor lasts about 45-55 minutes on average.

I'm glad companies are starting to experiment with non-mint, non-fruit flavors for nicotine pouches.  Again, it doesn't taste like tobacco to me, but it's reminiscent of tobacco.  And I think for those moving from tobacco products to nicotine pouches, that might be enough for them.

Small Batch 15 (Tropic Colada) White Portion - Review. 30 June 2020.

Swedish Match has released another new flavor in the Small Batch series, and this one comes just in time for the summer! The 15th (well, actually 16th if you count the Chef's Edition of Small Batch) release is Tropic Colada!  If you're new to Small Batch, this is how Swedish Match describes it: "We at Swedish Match have produced thousands of products over the course of a few hundred years. Our experts are experts in the correct sense of the word. But they have not been tired of developing new ideas. In order for them to get that opportunity - and for Swedish snusers to be able to share it all - we now launch a new range of products called Small Batch, where the flavor is replaced several times a year. Each flavor is produced in a small edition."

The flavor description for this one says, "Tropic Colada has distinct tones of fresh mango and green coconut along with hints of sun-ripened citrus, air-cured tobacco and hints of resin. A clear and tangible flavor without concealing the main ingredient - tobacco."  Each can comes with 24 white portions in the star formation, weighing 1 gram each.  The nicotine content isn't published, but I'd assume it's in the regular strength to strong range.

When you open the can, a gentle aroma of coconut greets you, along with hints of chocolate and mango. There's a faint, tart citrusy hint in the background, as well. The portions are soft, plump, and feel great under the lip. I do suggest fluffing them, as usual, because it makes these star-formation portions more comfortable. The flavor is quite tasty, it's just like being on the beach with a tropical beverage! The mango and coconut flavors are in the front, and come through quite clearly. Behind it, there's a mild chocolatey character, along with subtle hints of earthy tobacco. The nicotine strength on this one isn't listed, but it feels to be around the regular strength level. The flavor lasts quite a while; usually I can enjoy this one for up to an hour on average!  Of the 15 (or 16) Small Batch products I've had so far, this one ranks at the #8 spot for me!  Below, you can find a list of all the Small Batch flavors we've had so far, and see my rankings for the entire series.

Small Batch Releases (Links to Reviews)
1/2018 - Small Batch 1 - Champagne
2/2018 - Small Batch 2 - Blood Orange
5/2018 - Small Batch 3 - Apple Mint
7/2018 - Small Batch 4 - Raspberry Licorice
9/2018 - Small Batch 5 - Coffee
10/2018 - Small Batch 6 - Svensk Skog
12/2018 - Small Batch 7 - Orange/Chocolate

3/2019 - Small Batch 8 - Gin/Pepper

5/2019 - Small Batch 9 - Banana
6/2019 - Small Batch 10 - Rosé
8/2019 - Small Batch 11 - Popcorn
11/2019 - Small Batch 12 - Grapefruit
12/2019 - Small Batch Chef's Ed. 1 - Punsch
1/2020 - Small Batch 13 - Salty and What?
4/2020 - Small Batch 14 - Citron and Lakrits
5/2020 - Small Batch 15 - Tropic Colada

My Rankings of Previous Small Batch Releases
1 - SB#2 - Blood Orange
2 - SB#4 - Raspberry / Licorice
3 - SB#14 - Citron / Lakrits
4 - SB#12 - Grapefruit
5 - SB#7 - Orange / Chocolate
6.  SB#9 - Banana
7 - SB#5 - Coffee
8.  SB#15 - Tropic Colada
9.  SB#10 - Rosé
10 - SB#1 - Champagne
11 - SB Chef's Ed. 1 - Punsch
12 - SB#11 - Popcorn
13 - SB#8 - Gin / Pepper
14 - SB#3 - Apple / Mint
15 - SB#13 - Salty and What?
16 - SB#6 - Svensk Skog

Colts Snus (Canada) - Reviews. 30 June 2020.

I've seen this snus posted a few times on the Snus Reddit, and I've had a few requests for reviews of it. Through the Snubie Network, I was able to fenagle some of these for review.  Colts Snus is produced by STG (Scandinavian Tobacco Group) which is headquartered in Denmark, and sold in Canada.  If you're not familiar with the name, Colts is a cigar brand developed for the Canadian market.  The name was applied to this snus product.  I'm not sure where STG produces this snus, but their description says, "Introducing three variants of premium quality snus. When traditional Scandinavian know how meets an established brand."

Colts Traditional (White Portion)
Flavor Description:  "A clear and strong taste of pure tobacco and a touch of bergamot".
Can Contents:  20 portions
Strength:  31mg/g

Review:
When you open the can, the aroma of bergamot greets you along with a peppery touch in the background.  The portions are quite soft to the touch, and feel nice and plump under the lip.  The pepper flavor is pretty up front, along with a mild tobacco character in the background.  The bergamot flavor is tart, and pretty mild.  In terms of nicotine strength, it has a pretty good kick; it feels to be a little below the extra strong level.  The flavor, generally, lasts about 50-55 minutes on average.

Colts Full (Original Portion)
Flavor Description:  "Large, brown, moist pouches with classic bergamot taste from the citrus fruit".
Can Contents:  24 portions
Strength:  26.4mg/g

Review:
When you open the can, the aroma is a present smell of citrus with a light touch of pepper in the background.  The portions are moist, but not overly moist.  They have a pretty quick release of flavor when you put one in.  In the flavor profile, the citrus taste is pretty present.  It has a nice peppery tinge to it.  The tobacco taste is in the background, and comes through in a mild, earthy way.  The nicotine strength on this one feels to be between strong and extra strong.  The flavor, on average, lasts about 40-45 minutes.

Colts Original (White Portion)
Flavor Description:  "Classic tobacco and bergamot taste in a white pouch for a softer release".
Can Contents:  24 portions
Strength:  25.4mg/g

Review:
When you open the can, the aroma that comes through is pretty mild.  The bergamot smell is light, and airy.  It's accompanied by a mild touch of pepper in the background.  The portion material is soft to the touch, and they feel pretty comfortable under the lip.  The taste is a gentle taste of citrus.  The tobacco flavor is pretty mild, and in the background.  There's also a light hint of pepper in the back, as well.  This one tastes like the traditional one, but it's not as peppery.  The nicotine strength feels to be a little less strong than the extra strong mark, and the flavor lasts about 45-50 minutes.

Final Thoughts

As far as these go, they weren't too bad.  They're very much your traditional Swedish Snus flavored products.  I enjoyed the original portion version the most, but the other two weren't too bad.  In Canada, the selection is very limited, and quite expensive.  If these were all I could get ahold of, I'd be okay with it.  I know I've seen people on social media talking about them and describing them as not so good, but honestly they weren't that bad.  They taste like budget Swedish Snus, but they're still enjoyable.  As far as where you can get these, I'm not sure.  I don't live in Canada.  I will also add this - I love the plain pack cans.  Some may not be a fan of these simple designs, but I think they're great.  If you like traditional flavored products, you'll probably enjoy these.

Cannadips (Mango & Zkittles) CBD Pouches - Review. 29 June 2020.

Today I'm going to be reviewing two new flavors from Cannadips: Mango and Zkittles!  Back in February, I reviewed three Cannadips products.  I noted at the time that I'm not a CBD guy, but my wife is.  After I finished my reviews, she quickly jacked my Cannadips cans and fell in love with them.  She's actually replaced using the drops and the gummies with using Cannadips instead.  So, you can probably imagine, she's been eyeballing these cans ever since I got them.  However, I had a positive response to the last CBD pouch reviews I did, and people have been asking me to review these, so I'll take another stab at talking about CBD pouches.

For those not familiar with Cannadips, or CBD, I'll do a quick background.

This is how Cannadips describes this product: "We utilize a proprietary process that preserves the valuable terpene and flavonoid compounds found in our American grown hemp, which in turn increases CBD bio-availability and allows for quick mucosal absorption directly in the mouth. We then extract any residual THC so you can be sure you're getting a quality THC-free, Broad Spectrum Hemp product in the end. Cannadips provides a truly elevated CBD experience."

Via the Cannadips website, CBD is "short for cannabidiol, and is one of the many plant-produced cannabinoid compounds and found within the hemp plant. You can source CBD from many different types of cannabis."  Drugs.com says CBD is "effective at relieving anxiety, depression, pain, inflammation, and improving sleep".  Inside each Cannadips pouch you'll find a proprietary fiber blend (coconut fiber, roasted chicory root), vegetable glycerin, cane sugar, organic palm oil, hemp CBD flakes (acacia tree gum, hemp concentrate, potato maltodextrin), natural flavors, and xanthan gum.

Product Details

Mango Flavor Description:  "Cannadips CBD Tropical Mango Pouches are a fruity, refreshing blend of bold tropical flavor."
Zkittles Flavor Description:  "Zkittles is a mix of Grape Ape, and Grapefruit that is crossed with another undisclosed strain bred by 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz."
Weight/Contents:  8.25g, 15 pouches, 0.55g each.
CBD Content:  10mg of CBD per pouch.

Mango Review

When you open the can, an herbal smell greets you along with a juicy, fresh presence of mango. The portions are moderately soft to the touch, and feel pretty comfortable under the lip.  The melon flavor is gentle, but natural.  It's a juicy, fresh melon flavor!  The flavor lasts quite a while; I've kept them in for up to an hour, but Mrs. Snubie told me she's kept them in for up to 2 hours.  As far as the CBD effect, like with the last ones we reviewed, Mrs. Snubie said they have a steady absorption, but release quicker for her than the gummies and the oil do.  She also noted that they seem to have more effect for her than her usual methods of CBD usage.

Zkittles Review

When you open the can, the aroma is an earthy, herbal smell with a light floral presence to it.  The portions, like the last one, are moderately soft to the touch, and feel comfortable once put under the lip.  As far as the flavor goes, it was a pretty interesting taste.  It's an earthy base flavor, which seems to have an herbal character to it, with a light floral presence.  The flavor lasts quite a while; usually I can keep them in for up to an hour.  Mrs. Snubie uses them longer than me though, which may be why she keeps them in for a few hours at a time.  She also noted the same effect with the CBD absorption rate with this one as she noted with the mango one.  I always ask her about her thoughts on these because she's a more experienced CBD user than I am.

As far as these two go, they're a pretty solid addition to the Cannadips family.  Mrs. Snubie noted that the mango one was her favorite, and it's going to become her full time Cannadips product.  I see her already eyeballing these cans, so know she's ready to take them!

Nordic Icon #2 and #3 (Norway) All White - Reviews. 28 June 2020.

Back in 2019, I reviewed two Nordic Icon products. A friend of mine recently sent me a couple to review from Norway, so today I'm going to be talking about Nordic Icon #2 Smooth Blue and Nordic Icon #3 Intense Blue - two mint flavored Nordic Icon products. These products contain chewing gum base like Nordic Spirit, but also a small share of white tobacco as well.  So they're more of an all white product like G4 or Epok, since they actually contain white tobacco. The white tobacco is most likely refined in a water based process like Epok and G4, as well.

In Norway, snus cans come in this color, also known as Pantone 448 C, or 'opaque couché'. According to a survey, it is "the world's ugliest color". Also, cans in Norway have no graphics on them, they only have the name of the product. I personally like the cans and the color. I find the design simple, and minimalist. So their effort to make snus less attractive did not work on me.

Nordic Icon No2 Smooth Blue S3

Flavor:  "With the right amount of fresh menthol, along with a sweeter peppermint, this provides a perfectly balanced mint flavor. Anise salt and undertones add a classic Swedish snuff character."
Contents:  13g, 20 portions, 0.65g portions.
Nicotine:  14mg/g (1.4%) / 9.1mg/portion

When you open the can, a gentle, lightly sweet peppermint smell greets you along with a faint hint of menthol. The portions are soft, but a little dry. They’re still comfortable in the lip, though. Also, it comes with a mild cooling presence due to the mint flavor. The taste is a very mild mint taste. It’s a gentle peppermint flavor, with a light amount of sweetness. The strength feels to be a hair above regular, and the flavor lasts about 35-40 minutes on average.

Nordic Icon No3 Intense Blue S4

Flavor:  "For those who want a long lasting and high nicotine experience along with a wonderful taste of fresh mint."
Contents:  13g, 20 portions, 0.65g portions
Nicotine:  17mg/g (1.7%) / 11.05mg/portion

When you open the can, the aroma is a lightly sweet present peppermint smell. The portions, again, are a little on the dryer side, but they’re still comfortable under the lip. Like the last one, you’ll encounter a nice cooling presence under the lip with this one, as well. The taste is a present taste of peppermint. It’s lightly sweet, and not overdone in that aspect. The nicotine feels to be around the strong level, and the flavor lasts about 35-40 minutes on average.

Both of these were pretty decent products.  The mint taste is milder and not too in your face, so it may be more approachable to people who want something with a lighter taste.

Paz Ice Red (All White) - Review. 27 June 2020.

A few months back I reviewed Paz Ice Blue, a mint nicotine pouch product from Dholakia Tobacco in India. This one appears to be a stronger version of that one. I saw it for sale at Snuffstore.de, so thanks to a friend in Germany for picking this one up for me to review.  If you're not familiar with nicotine pouches, these are products that contain nicotine, as well as plant fiber (this one contains E460 Cellulose), but no tobacco.  They're a great alternative for people wanting to quit tobacco, but still enjoy nicotine.  The flavor description for Paz Ice Red says it has "an intense mix of menthol and mint".    Each can weighs 11g and has 20 portions, for 0.55g portions.  The nicotine content is 24mg/g (2.4%), or 13.2mg/portion.

When you open the can, a sharp peppermint smell with a hint of menthol greets you. The portions are dryer, but still soft to the touch and comfortable under the lip. When you put one in, there's a light burn under the lip, then a gentle cooling presence comes in. The flavor is a smooth, present taste of peppermint. There's also a mild menthol character in the background. When it comes to the nicotine, it's pretty strong! It feels to be right at the extra strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes.  If you like mint nicotine pouch products and are looking for one with a kick, check this one out.