Zyn Nicotine Pouches: Smooth (3mg & 6mg) - Reviews. 23 October 2019.

Swedish Match has released three new Zyn products into the US market: Citrus, Chill, and Smooth! I've reviewed the entire US and Swedish Zyn product line before, and I've watched it grow in popularity in the US, especially in light of the recent controversies concerning vaping. I checked the Zyn store locator, but haven't been able to find these locally. I was able to order them from Nicokick.com, a US based online shop that sells nicotine pouches.  If you're new to nicotine pouches, these are products that contain nicotine but no tobacco.  They're a great alternative for people who may want to quit tobacco but still enjoy nicotine!

The flavor description for Zyn Smooth says, it has an "unflavored experience for pure nicotine enjoyment". Each can weighs 6 grams and has 15 portions, for 0.4g portions. The strength levels are per pouch, so the 3mg is 3mg/portion, and the 6mg is 6mg/portion.

So, you may be asking - what is inside this Zyn stuff? Zyn contains flavor, non-tobacco filler, nicotine salts and pH balancers.  As I mentioned before, these nicotine pouches contain no tobacco, but they do contain nicotine.  So it looks completely different from other snus products or dip products you may have seen before.  The portions are also very flat, so that is a change if you're someone who uses snus or dip pouches.

The 3mg and 6mg products are virtually identical other than strength.  In terms of aroma - there isn't one.  The only real aroma I pick up is the portion material itself, and even that isn't that present.  The pouches are dry and flat, and may not be as comfortable at first, but the longer you have them in the more comfortable they get.  The flavor itself is - unflavored.  No, really.  I don't notice any flavor to these other than the portion material itself.  I imagine people who want to enjoy nicotine but without any kind of flavor to it are going to enjoy these. In terms of strength, the 3mg one feels to be close to a regular strength snus product. The 6mg strength is a little stronger, and will have a little more kick for those with higher nicotine needs. 

I'm excited to see Swedish Match launch more Zyn flavors in the US. Lots of people have been getting into Zyn, and it's good for them to have more options available to them!

Epok No3 Zest Green Intense S4 (Norway) - Review. 22 October 2019.

Someone on YouTube asked me to review this, so today I'm going to be doing a review of a product out of Norway - Epok No3 Zest Green Intense S4 (All White Portion). Whew, that's a long name! Epok may not exist in many places, but it still exists as a snus in Norway, and as chew bags in Denmark. This one is actually the same as the Epok Lime Strong Snus I reviewed a few years ago, and the taste is very similar to the Lyft Lime Strong (Nicotine Pouches) I reviewed here not too long ago.  A friend of mine got this for me from SnusLageret.no, an e-store in Norway. The flavor description for this one says, "The taste is a fruity and full combination of sweet and sour lime." This product comes in a 16.8 gram can with 24 portions for 0.7 gram portions. The nicotine content is 14mg/g (1.4%) for 9.8mg/portion.

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.

As usual, I had to cut open portions to look at what's inside an Epok portion. Now, if you're new to Epok, you may be asking yourself what "white tobacco" is. This is how Winnington describes it: "White tobacco is produced in a patented, environmentally friendly process that gently cleanses and refines brown tobacco. In this process, unwanted substances are minimized, such as heavy metals and nitrosamines. The feeling under the lip, nicotine strength and flavor experience is the same as in a regular snus pouch - but without the snus running or coloring your teeth. White tobacco contains white tobacco, nicotine, water, stabilizer and flavoring agents. White tobacco is produced in a water-based process, ensuring the tobacco is clean of all unwanted substances. White tobacco contains no natural sugar. Instead, xylitol is used as a sweetener."

When you open the can, the aroma is a nice tart, lightly sweet smell of lime. The portions are slim, moist, soft, and comfortable in the lip. The flavor is a natural lime flavor. It comes through in a slightly tart, but slightly sweet way. It reminds me a lot of Lime Jello! The nicotine, even though it's lower per portion, still feels to be at the extra strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts about 45-55 minutes.  If you like citrus flavored products, this is a pretty tasty one.  It's also a great one to pair with a beer.  Generally, anything citrus is great to go with a beer, especially a good IPA!

Paz Nicopods: Ice Blue - Review. 21 October 2019.

Paz is a nice line of snus and nicopod products from Dholakia Tobacco in India, a well known snuff manufacturer. Earlier this year I reviewed their first nicopod products and their first snus products and enjoyed them. It seems only fitting that they're now launching a mint flavored product.  I'm not sure where all they are selling these, but a friend of mine in Estonia sent me this  can to try out.  The flavor description for these says, "Softer and stronger with a lasting mint taste". The can weighs 11 grams, and I counted 22 portions, which would be 0.5g each. I was told the nicotine content is 16mg/g (1.6%), which would be 8mg/portion.

If you're not familiar with nicopods, or nicotine pouches, these are products that do not contain tobacco.  They do, however, still have nicotine.  These are products for those who may want to quit tobacco, but still enjoy nicotine!

When you open the can, the aroma is a fresh, cool, mellow peppermint smell. When I put one in the lip I notice a mild burn, which gives way to a gentle cooling sensation. The portions are soft, comfortable, and moist. They’re light in weight, but don’t feel too light. The taste is a pretty fresh, but mild flavor of peppermint. It’s not too sharp, it’s actually pretty gentle. The nicotine on this one packs a solid kick and feels to be right around the extra strong level. I find the flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes.  It's a pretty solid mint product.  If you're an Estonian nicopod user, and you dig the taste of mint, check this one out.  Dholakia has been doing a great job with their new nicotine pouch and snus products.  I look forward to seeing more from them in the future!

Nordic Spirit (Smooth Mint) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 15 October 2019.

I originally reviewed this product back in July of 2018, but it recently got a facelift, so I'm revisiting the Nordic Spirit line! Not only that, but they've also launched a new addition to the Nordic Spirit line - Elderflower!  The Nordic Spirit line is a line of nicotine pouches made by Nordic Snus AB.  It now comes in three flavors: mint, berry citrus, and elderflower.  This is one of the two original flavors, and I must say - the new can looks much better. The flavor description for this one says, "The right amount of crisp menthol, together with sweet peppermint." This product come with a 13 gram can containing 20 slim portions, at 0.65 grams each. There is a nicotine content of 9mg/portion, which means the total nicotine content is probably around 13-14mg/g.

If you're new to nicotine pouches, these are products that are similar to snus, but with one difference: they don't contain tobacco. So for those who want to enjoy nicotine but not tobacco, these products are for you. This is a photo from last time I reviewed this product to show you what's inside the pouch compared to regular snus. When it comes to this product, Nordic Snus AB says Nordic Spirit is has “naturally extracted nicotine and refreshing flavors, completely tobacco-free. The clean white slim portions are less runny yet feel soft due to the natural plant fiber and gum-base composition giving fullness to the pouches.”

If you've had this one before, the flavor really hasn't changed; it tastes like it did last time I had it.  When you open the can, the aroma that greets you is a light menthol character and a gentle, lightly sweet smell of peppermint. The portions are slightly dry, but are still soft the touch and comfortable in the lip. In the lip, I notice a mild cooling presence and a freshness throughout my mouth. The taste is a gentle, lightly sweet taste of peppermint and a hint of menthol.  The nicotine level on this one feels to be a touch stronger than regular strength. The flavor also lasts around 45-55 minutes.

If you're into nicotine pouches and like the mint flavor, this is a pretty tasty option.  The new can design looks much better as well!

Nordic Spirit (Berry Citrus) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 14 October 2019.

I originally reviewed this product back in July of 2018, but it recently got a facelift, so I'm revisiting the Nordic Spirit line! Not only that, but they've also launched a new addition to the Nordic Spirit line - Elderflower!  The Nordic Spirit line is a line of nicotine pouches made by Nordic Snus AB.  It now comes in three flavors: mint, berry citrus, and elderflower.  This is one of the two original flavors, and I must say - the new can looks much better. The flavor description for this one says, "The citrus from the bergamot is complemented by notes of sweet and tangy wildberry for a truly refreshing experience." This product come with a 13 gram can containing 20 slim portions, at 0.65 grams each. There is a nicotine content of 9mg/portion, which means the total nicotine content is probably around 13-14mg/g.

If you're new to nicotine pouches, these are products that are similar to snus, but with one difference: they don't contain tobacco. So for those who want to enjoy nicotine but not tobacco, these products are for you. This is a photo from last time I reviewed this product to show you what's inside the pouch compared to regular snus. When it comes to this product, Nordic Snus AB says Nordic Spirit is has “naturally extracted nicotine and refreshing flavors, completely tobacco-free. The clean white slim portions are less runny yet feel soft due to the natural plant fiber and gum-base composition giving fullness to the pouches.”

If you had this one before the new design, it's the same product, but with a new design. The aroma of this one is bergamot, but with a little orange smell as well. The berry aroma isn’t too sweet, and has a little tartness to it. It reminds me of cranberry, and a little of raspberry. The portions are slightly dry to the touch but have a soft portion material and are pretty comfortable in the lip, as well! In the taste, I notice the berry more than the citrus. It’s lightly sweet in character, and a little tart. There’s also a gentle citrus taste in the background that reminds me of bergamot, but a little orange, too. The nicotine feels to be a little stronger than regular strength, and I find the flavor lasts about 45-55 minutes on average.

If you like nicotine pouches, this one is pretty solid.  The citrus flavor isn't too common in this category, so it's nice to see something different!

LD Stark Vit (White) - Review. 10 October 2019.

If you've read my reviews long, you know I'm a big fan of LD. In my opinion, it is #2 behind General for best traditional flavored Swedish Snus product. In February of 2018, Nordic Snus launched LD Stark Original, and now they've followed it with LD Stark Vit (White)!  Not only that, but with this product (and the regular strength LD White), Nordic Snus has launched a new white portion material, which I'll talk about momentarily.  The flavor description for this one says, "LD White Strong Portion snus brings the traditional tobacco/bergamot/pepper LD flavor profile to a high nicotine white portion."  LD White Stark comes in a 16g can with 20 portions for 0.8g portions.  The nicotine content is 14mg/g (1.4%), or 11.2mg/portion!

When you open the can, the aroma is a mild, clear smell of citrus. The portions, as I mentioned before, are soft. I notice they are much softer than I remember from the last time I had LD White Portion; they feel great in the lip! The flavor is a mild flavor of citrus accompanied by a mild tobacco character. It's not as tart as other bergamot snus products, and it's not as peppery, either. LD Stark Vit has a very well balanced flavor, perfect for all day use. The nicotine on this one feels to be stronger than a regular strength, but it isn't too over the top. The flavor also lasts quite a while; usually I can keep these in for a little over an hour!

LD is a budget line, but in my opinion it doesn't have a budget flavor.  It's a great alternative for those wanting to save a few bucks, but not sacrifice in quality!

Nordic Spirit (Elderflower) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 8 October 2019.

Nordic Snus AB has launched a new product in their Nordic Spirit line - Nordic Spirit (Elderflower)! The Nordic Spirit line launched in July of 2018, and has recently gone through a redesign in addition to the launch of this product. I really dig the flavor of elderflower, Jakobsson's Fläder was a favorite of mine for many years. This is the first release of this flavor in the growing nicotine pouch category, and I've really been enjoying it!  The flavor description for this one says "The smoothness of the elderflower delivers a great nicotine kick with mild but very tasty tones".  This product come with a 13 gram can containing 20 slim portions, at 0.65 grams each. There is a nicotine content of 9mg/portion, which means the total nicotine content is probably around 13-14mg/g.

If you're new to nicotine pouches, these are products that are similar to snus, but with one difference: they don't contain tobacco. So for those who want to enjoy nicotine but not tobacco, these products are for you. This is a photo from last time I reviewed this product to show you what's inside the pouch compared to regular snus. When it comes to this product, Nordic Snus AB says Nordic Spirit is has “naturally extracted nicotine and refreshing flavors, completely tobacco-free. The clean white slim portions are less runny yet feel soft due to the natural plant fiber and gum-base composition giving fullness to the pouches.”

When you open the can, the aroma is a mild smell of elderflower. If you don't know what that smells/tastes like, to me it reminds me of a mild, but tart green apple with herbal tones. The portions are slim, soft, and pretty comfortable under the lip! They're a little dry, but not too dry. The flavor is a mild, gentle taste of elderflower. It's not too sweet, and has a nice summery flavor! Again, it reminds me of a light taste of green apple, with some mild herbal hints in the background. The nicotine strength feels to be a touch stronger than regular strength, but not too strong. The flavor seems to last about 40-50 minutes on average!

I'm excited to see a different flavor in the nicotine pouch category, and I really enjoyed this one.  If you like this sort of product and want to try something different, check this one out!