RITE Mint (Slim & Large) Snus - Review. 17 May 2020.

Back in November of 2018, I reviewed RITE Mint Chew Bags, which are now called RITE Polar Chew Bags. Now, it appears there is finally a snus version available for those outside of the EU who want to try out RITE products! From what I've heard, SnusMe.com is going to be stocking these soon, so folks in the US will be able to get their hands on them.  RITE is a Swedish Snus made by Ministry of Snus in Denmark.  They're a pretty legit company that is really invested in connecting with the snus (and chew bag) community.  In fact, they made my most recent snus release, Snubie x Ministry of Snus Bourbon Vanilla.  So, needless to say, I'm a fan.  Now, with all that being said, let's get into the reviews!

RITE Mint (White Large)

The flavor description for RITE Mint Large says, "A careful mix of spearmint and mint."  This product comes with a 13.2g can with 24 portions for 0.55g portions. The nicotine content is 28mg/g (2.8%), or 15.4mg/portion.

When you open the can, the aroma is a nice, lightly sweet mix of spearmint and peppermint. The portions are soft, and nicely plump! When you put a portion in the lip you'll get a mild burn, which gives way to a gentle cooling presence, as well. The nicotine on these comes on quite quickly, as does the flavor! The taste is a fresh mint taste, which comes through in a lightly sweet way. It's a gentle mix of peppermint and spearmint, and both seem to be pretty equally present. The nicotine kick on this one is quite strong, and feels to be a little above the extra strong level! The flavor also lasts quite a while, usually up to about an hour.

RITE Mint (Slim White)

The flavor description for RITE Mint Large says, "A careful mix of spearmint and mint."  This product comes with a 15g can with 20 portions for 0.75g portions. The nicotine content is 28mg/g (2.8%), or 15.4mg/portion.

This review will be easy - everything is the same except the portion and the nicotine.  The portions are slim, pretty soft, and comfortable under the lip.  I like the fit of these more than the large white.  The nicotine feels to be just a little below the extra strong, due to the lighter weight portions and less nicotine per portion.  This one is my preference of the two.

If you like mint products and want to try something new, check out the RITE line.  It's pretty solid, and has some pretty good flavors!

Zyn Espressino Strong (Mini Dry) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 17 May 2020.

Today, I'm going to be reviewing another Mini Dry product in the Zyn Nicotine Pouch series, and this one is a stronger version of one I've reviewed before! Many of you may remember, back in October of 2019 I reviewed Zyn Espressino. That one was a 2/4 strength (7.5mg/g). It appears as though it was popular, as this is a stronger version of that one! This one is a 4/4 strength, or 15mg/g. I don't usually use products like this, but I grabbed some from SnusMe.com on a recent order because I actually enjoyed the flavor of the less strong one.  The flavor description for this one says it has a "taste of freshly roasted coffee, chocolate, nougat and vanilla."  Each can weighs 8g and has 20 portions, for 0.4g portions.  The nicotine content is 15mg/g (1.5%), or 6mg/portion.  That is twice as strong as the 2/4 one, at 3mg/portion.

Now, this is a version of Zyn that is sold in Sweden. It is similar to the Zyn sold in the US, and comes in the "mini dry" format. There is also a moist version of Zyn, which is similar to other nicotine pouch products on the market, but that version isn't sold in the US. Zyn Mini Dry contains flavor, non-tobacco filler, nicotine salts and pH balancers. It looks a bit like table salt.  Products like these, which are free of tobacco, are good for people who may want to quit tobacco, but not give up nicotine.

When you open the can, a smooth, sweet smell of coffee greets you along with light hints of vanilla. The portions are pretty flat, and quite dry, so don't bother fluffing them. They do get more comfortable as they get more moist, it just takes a minute. The flavor is pretty good. It's a sweet, but mild, creamy coffee flavor. There's a mild hint of vanilla in the background that works really well with that coffee taste.  The nicotine strength feels to be about the regular strength level, and the flavor lasts about 30-40 minutes on average.  Honestly, I don't like coffee, but if this came in a regular sized version, I'd order it again.  It's a surprisingly tasty product!  I like the Zyn Coffee product sold in the US, and this one is better, in my opinion!

Epok (Mint) - Review. 16 May 2020.

I recently got ahold of some Epok products that are sold in Switzerland, and today we're going to be doing a review of Epok (Ice Cool) Strong! This one may sound familiar. It feels like I've had it a billion times.  I first had Epok Mint (white tobacco) in June of 2016.  Not much longer after, I had a nicotine pouch version, Lyft Mint, in February of 2019.  Also that month I had another white tobacco version, Epok Mint Chew Bags, which were sold in Denmark.  The following year, in January of 2020, I had a white tobacco version sold in Norway: Epok No2 Arctic Blue S2.    Needless to say, this is quite the popular flavor it seems.  The flavor description for this one says it has "a refreshing mint flavor".  Each can weighs 16.8g and has 24 portions, for 0.7g portions.  The nicotine content is 8.5mg/g (0.85%) for 5.95mg/portion.

Now, there's a lot of terms out there for the "all white" category, such as "nicotine pouches", and "white tobacco".  This can get confusing!  Looking at this photo, Lyft and Epok don't look that much different.  However, I wanted to differentiate.  Lyft is a nicotine pouch product, meaning it doesn't contain tobacco.  Epok actually contains white tobacco.  This is how they describe it's production:  "Before the treatment, the carefully selected brown tobacco is prepared.  In the next step tobacco is treated through a washing process in order to obtain white tobacco.  This process lasts until the brown tobacco is completely cleaned into white tobacco.  When the tobacco has its all white color, it’s refined with different and fresh flavors."  So, while they may look similar, they are quite different.

The last time I had this one, it seemed to be more spearmint. This time, this version seems to be more peppermint.  The aroma is a mild, lightly sweet smell of peppermint.  It seems like there may be some menthol in the background, as well.  The portions are slim, soft, and feel great under the lip.  They also come with a cooling presence when you put one in.  The flavor is a gentle, refreshing mint taste.  It has a light sweetness to it, and seems to be mostly peppermint, but with a light menthol touch to it.  The flavor lasts a good 45-55 minutes on average.  The nicotine strength feels to be right around the regular strength level!  If you like mint products, you can't go wrong with this one.  If you're in Switzerland and looking for a new mint taste, check this one out!

Zyn Northern Woods (Nicotine Pouches) - Review. 16 May 2020.

I've been really excited to review this one since I first heard about it. This is a new nicotine pouch product from Swedish Match in the Zyn series, and it's one that doesn't have a sweet/fruity/minty flavor! Zyn Northern Woods is also a moist Zyn product, which is different from the versions sold in the US. I grabbed a can from SnusMe.com on a recent order so I could give it a go! The flavor description for this one says "ZYN Northern Woods has a taste inspired by Swedish forest with elements of spruce shoots, herbs and berries. The taste is complex, low-key and a little salty."   Each can weighs 16.8g and has 21 portions, for 0.8g portions. The nicotine content is 11mg/g (1.1%), or 8.8mg/portion.

If you're not familiar with Zyn, here's a look inside the pouch. Again, this is a moist version, and not the same as the dry version sold in the US. Zyn is completely tobacco free, and contains nicotine, vegetable fiber and cellulose powder (E-460). While it may look like other white tobacco products, it doesn't actually contain tobacco. Everything else about it is similar to snus - the can, the portions, the way it feels in the lip, and how the nicotine releases. The only difference is the lack of tobacco in this one.

When you open the can, the aroma is very outdoorsy. The spruce aroma is right up front, accompanied by a mild, muted berry presence. It kinda reminds me of a mix of dried cranberry and dried strawberry.  The portions are slim, soft, and feel great under the lip.  The flavor is also quite good!  It reminds me a lot of a nicotine pouch version of Lundgrens Skåne Vit.  It's a mild, outdoorsy taste.  The spruce flavor is gentle, and accompanied by that subtle berry flavor.  Like the aroma, it reminds me of a muted, dried cranberry.  There's a very light herbal character in the background, as well.  The nicotine strength feels to be about the regular level, and the flavor lasts up to about 45 minutes on average!

I was pretty impressed with this one.  It's definitely one of the better nicotine pouch products on the market, and a good option for those who want something more traditional tasting.

Lyft Ruby Berry (Nicotine Pouches) - Review. 15 May 2020.

This is kind of a new review, and kind of a re-review. Today, we're talking about a new Lyft product from Fiedler and Lundgren, Lyft Ruby Berry! About a year ago, I reviewed Lyft Ruby Berry, a limited edition, summer inspired flavor! That one stuck around for a little while, and now it looks as though it's back as a full time addition to the Lyft lineup!  One thing that is a bummer, however, is that this one is launching in the regular Lyft cans.  Strawberry Bloom came in the regular can, and had a FlexLid, which was the expanding catch lid. When it comes to Lyft Ruby Berry, the flavor description for this product says it has a "fresh taste of strawberry". This product comes in a 16.8 gram can with 24 portions for 0.7 gram portions. The nicotine content is 8.5mg/g (0.85%) for 5.95mg/portion.

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.

If you've had Lyft Strawberry Bloom before, this one is basically the same. If you haven't, I'm still going to do a review.  When you open the can, the aroma is a present, fresh, mildly sweet strawberry smell.  The portions are slim and soft, and feel quite comfortable under the upper lip!  The flavor of strawberry is present, and it comes through in a natural way.  It's not overly sweet, but it's very refreshing tasty.  It's also a nice summer flavor!  The nicotine strength on this one feels to be about the regular strength level, and the flavor lasts up to about 45-55 minutes on average.  As far as the Lyft series goes, this is probably one of the best products in the lineup.  It's got a great, fresh flavor of strawberry!

RITE Cool Mint (Slim & Large) Snus - Review. 15 May 2020.

Back in November of 2018, I reviewed RITE Cool Mint Chew Bags, which are now called RITE Arctic Chew Bags. Now, it appears there is finally a snus version available for those outside of the EU who want to try out RITE products! From what I've heard, SnusMe.com is going to be stocking these soon, so folks in the US will be able to get their hands on them.  RITE is a Swedish Snus made by Ministry of Snus in Denmark.  They're a pretty legit company that is really invested in connecting with the snus (and chew bag) community.  In fact, they made my most recent snus release, Snubie x Ministry of Snus Bourbon Vanilla.  So, needless to say, I'm a fan.  Now, with all that being said, let's get into the reviews!

RITE Cool Mint (White Large)

The flavor description for RITE Cool Mint Large says, "A base of select tobacco, with a combination of mint flavors." This product comes with a 15g can with 20 portions for 0.75g portions. The nicotine content is 28mg/g (2.8%), or 21mg/portion.

When you open the can, a sharp, present smell of peppermint greets you.  It's lightly sweet, but not overdone by any means. The portions are nice and soft, and pretty plump under the lip. You'll get a light burn when you put one in, then a gentle cooling presence! The flavor is a sharp, focused taste of peppermint accompanied by just a little sweetness. The nicotine hits pretty quickly, and feels to be a little above the extra strong level. The flavor, on average lasts up to about an hour!

RITE Cool Mint (Slim White)

The flavor description for RITE Cool Mint Slim says, "A base of select tobacco, with a combination of mint flavors." This product comes with a 13.2g can with 24 portions for 0.55g portions. The nicotine content is 28mg/g (2.8%), or 15.4mg/portion.

This one is basically the same as the large one, but with two differences in the portion and nicotine department.  The portions are slimmer, and more comfortable under the lip.  The nicotine is still strong, but feels to be just a little below the extra strong level.  That was an easy review!

If you like mint products, check out the right line.  They have some pretty tasty products, and now they're available to snusers!

Epok (Ice Cool) Strong - Review. 14 May 2020.

I recently got ahold of some Epok products that are sold in Switzerland, and today we're going to be doing a review of Epok (Ice Cool) Strong! This one may sound familiar. It feels like I've had it a billion times. Back in June of 2016, I first tried Epok Ice Cool (white tobacco version). In January of 2018, Lyft Ice Cool launched, a nicotine pouch version. In February of 2019, I had a white tobacco chew bag version sold in Denmark: Epok Ice Cool (Chew Bags). Then, in February of 2020, I had a white tobacco version sold in Denmark: Epok No1 Ice Blue Intense S4.   Needless to say, this is quite the popular flavor it seems.  The flavor description for this one says it has "a crisp peppermint flavor with hints of sweetness and herbs".  Each can weighs 16.8g and has 24 portions, for 0.7g portions.  The nicotine content is 14mg/g (1.4%) for 9.8mg/portion.

Now, there's a lot of terms out there for the "all white" category, such as "nicotine pouches", and "white tobacco".  This can get confusing!  Looking at this photo, Lyft and Epok don't look that much different.  However, I wanted to differentiate.  Lyft is a nicotine pouch product, meaning it doesn't contain tobacco.  Epok actually contains white tobacco.  This is how they describe it's production:  "Before the treatment, the carefully selected brown tobacco is prepared.  In the next step tobacco is treated through a washing process in order to obtain white tobacco.  This process lasts until the brown tobacco is completely cleaned into white tobacco.  When the tobacco has its all white color, it’s refined with different and fresh flavors."  So, while they may look similar, they are quite different.

This one is basically the same as the other Ice Cool white tobacco products I've had in the past. The aroma is a sharp, present smell of peppermint. The portions are slim, soft, and feel quite comfortable under the upper lip. There's a mild burn at first, which gives way to a gentle cooling sensation in the lip. The flavor, like the aroma, is quite present and sharp. The peppermint flavor comes through in a big way. It's mildly sweet, but not overdone.  The flavor generally lasts up to about 45-50 minutes on average.  The nicotine strength feels firmly at the strong level!  If you like mint flavors and want something with a strong nicotine kick, check out Ice Cool.  It's been a pretty popular flavor for many years!  Now available in Switzerland!