G3 Strong (Slim White Dry) - Review. 17 June 2019.

I saw this product on Northerner.com and found it interesting that that was the first store I saw it. Usually Swedish Match puts their products up on their webstore before anyone else, but it didn't appear to happen this time.  This is an interesting release, because it's a white dry version of their G3 Strong Slim White portion.  The flavor description of this one says "G.3 Strong Slim Dry White has a mellow and spicy tobacco taste with distinct notes of citrus and bergamot, along with hints of leather and tea". The can weighs 16.6g and contains 24 portions at 0.69g each. The nicotine strength is 20mg/g (2.0%), or 13.8mg/portion.

The packages these come in when you get 5 cans says “NEW FORMULA - White Dry. This extra strong snus in a slim white dry format comes with a new formula making it 20% less runny.”  I talked to Swedish Match yesterday, because I was curious why this product was on their webstore but G3 Strong Slim White was no longer listed.  Also, this product on their store now says "New Design", even though this is a brand new product.  Swedish Match informed me that this product would actually be replacing the white portion version.  So the G3 line now has a white dry strong version, but not a white strong version.

When you open the can, the aroma that comes through is a peppery tobacco smell with a hint of citrus. I notice the citrus to be more mild in this one than regular General. The portions are, of course, dryer than your average white portion. They're slim, and have a good fit in the lip. Even though they're a little dryer, they're not uncomfortable or anything.  The flavor is pretty mild.  It still has a presence of General, but it's a little different.  Like the aroma, I do notice the citrus, but it's much more subdued.  I notice a lot more of the tobacco taste with this one, and it seems the pepper is more present as well.  It's a pretty interesting taste!  The nicotine on this one feels to be firmly at the strong level, and has a nice kick to it.  The flavor lasts a really long time, which is a benefit of the white dry format.  I find, on average, I can keep one of these in for up to 1.5 hours!

If you like General, and want something with a dry format and a long lasting flavor, this one may be right up your alley!

Lyft Freeze (X-Strong) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 15 June 2019.

Fiedler and Lundgren have launched a few new Lyft products, and today we're talking about one of them: Lyft Berry Frost. This is a nicotine pouch product, meaning it contains nicotine, but no tobacco!  While these products aren't for me, they are good for those who may want to quit tobacco, but not nicotine.  This product is similar to the Epok Freeze (X-Strong) Snus product I reviewed a few months ago. The flavor description for this one says the flavor is a "peppermint and menthol blend". This product comes in a 16.8 gram can with 24 portions for 0.7 gram portions. The nicotine content is 16mg/g (1.6%), which breaks down to 11.2mg/portion.

I won't go too in depth on the differences between Epok and Lyft, but if you want to know more, I wrote an article about it, and I also did a video about it. But here's a photo just so you can see it real quick. You'll notice the cans look similar except the name, the portions look similar, and even the material inside the pouch looks similar. The way the pouches feel in the lip, the way the nicotine releases, and even the flavors are all very similar as well. So if you like Epok, you'll probably also really like Lyft.

If you've had the Epok Freeze X-Strong before, this one is virtually identical. This one has a sharp, present smell of peppermint with just a hint of menthol. The portions are slim, soft, and pretty comfortable in the lip! There's also a cooling presence you'll feel in the lip when you put a portion in, and a mild burn! The flavor is a predominant peppermint flavor with a hint of menthol in the background. It isn't overly sweet, either. There is a light sweetness to it, but it's not overdone. The nicotine on this one kicks in pretty quickly, and has a really strong kick at that! It feels firmly at the extra strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.

If you're into nicotine pouches, especially those with a mint flavor, and want some with a really, really strong kick, you may really enjoy these.

Summer 2019 Snus News! 15 June 2019

There's a lot of news going on in the world of snus this summer, so let's dive into it!

G3 News

I wrote a preview a few days back about the new G3 White Dry Strong and G3 Blue Mint White Dry Extra Strong products.  But, I recently noticed on the Swedish Match website these products said "New Design".  After a little digging, I noticed I couldn't find the old G3 Strong White Portion and G3 Blue Mint Extra Strong White Portion.  I reached out to Swedish Match about this, and was told these new white dry products would be replacing those white portion products.

Gotlandssnus Discontinues Two Products

I was speaking with Gotlandssnus yesterday, and was informed of some sad news.  Jakobsson's Dynamite and Jakobsson's Flader are being discontinued due to low sales volume.  I didn't really use Dynamite much, but Flader was a sad one for me.  Back when I first started using snus in 2009, Flader was a personal favorite and has been ever since.  If you like these products, make sure and buy them from your favorite store or webstore - once they're gone, they're gone forever.

Gotlandssnus Releases Wisby Line

Gotlandssnus is releasing a new product line called Wisby.  I see on Snusbolaget.se they're priced at 31kr-33kr, so it looks like they're designed to compete in that value priced segment. This is how they describe the new line: "At Gotlandssnus, we love our origin. Getting to Visby is an experience, here you will find old and genuinely well preserved, narrow alleys inside the ring wall. Many people have a relationship with the city and memories from here, regardless of the season. The snus saw Wisby is our tribute to the Visby gate to Gotland and also to our hearts."  Wisby Norderport is described as having a "clear tobacco character with a hint of rosehip." Wisby Söderport is described as having a "clear tobacco character with a hint of fläder".  It appears as though the flavor of Jakobsson's Fläder will live on!  Both of these products come in a white portion, which is a first for Gotlandssnus as they mostly release original portions.  According to the Gotlandssnus website, each can weighs 18g with 0.9g portions, and a nicotine strength of 14mg/g.

New Small Batch!

Swedish Match has announced the next release in their Small Batch series, No10 is called Rosé! Last summer, Swedish Match released a limited edition Rosé snus that I never got to try, so I'm excited to check this one out. It was originally made for Almedal Week, and is a big political festival in Sweden. With a rose smell, they were trying to catch the politicians' attention and lobby to remove the "unfair export ban for snus to the EU”, according to Patrik Strömer, Secretary General of the Swedish Snus Manufacturer. Swedish Match describes this product as "inspired by flavors and aromas that can almost be likened to the classic pink rosé wine from Provence. The main character consists of a crisp, light bitter and refreshing citrus with tones of peach, red apples and a finely tuned floral presence, complemented by a light aromatic tobacco."  This one looks to come in the white portion format, and will come in a 24g can with 24 portions.

Zyn Releases Super Slim Product

A few days ago, I wrote about the new G4 Tact SuperSlim, and all white/white tobacco product.  It appears as though Swedish Match is continuing the SuperSlim all white trend and releasing a version of Zyn called X-Slim, which comes in the SuperSlim format.  This is a product for the Swedish market, so it doesn't look like it will be available to the US.  This one is said to have an "intense but soft peppermint and biting, cooling aftertaste".  It has a nicotine strength of 14mg/g.

Jakobsson's Summer Snus 2019

Gotlandssnus has releases their Summer 2019 Snus, Jakobsson's Hallon and Jordgubb!  This has a flavor of "wild strawberry and raspberry". If you've never had it before, I did a text review of it back in 2017 and a video review of it as well.  This one is a great summer release, and one I enjoy every year whenever the weather starts warming up.  Usually it's only available for a few months, so if this is a favorite of yours make sure and stock up on it!

Lyft Releases Summer Snus 

I saw this one on Snusbolaget.se and was really intrigued.  Lyft has released their first limited edition, summer flavored product!  This one looks like it comes in a regular can, as well, not the usual Lyft can.  Unfortunately, from what I've heard, it's only available in Sweden, so I'm not sure if I'll get to review this one or not.  Snusbolaget says this one has a "sweet taste of strawberry".  The nicotine strength is listed there as 8mg/g, and it is, as other Lyft products are, a nicotine pouch product.  Meaning, it has nicotine but no tobacco.  If you're in Sweden, this one sounds like a good taste for the summer!

Lyft Berry Frost (Mellow) Nicotine Pouches - Review. 11 June 2019.

Fiedler and Lundgren have launched a few new Lyft products, and today we're talking about one of them: Lyft Berry Frost.  This is a nicotine pouch product, meaning it contains nicotine, but no tobacco!  While these products aren't for me, they are good for those who may want to quit tobacco, but not nicotine.  This product is similar to the Epok Berry Frost (Chew Bags) product I reviewed a few months ago except out of Denmark. The flavor description for this one says, "Lyft Berry Frost is an exciting mix of sweet and fresh.  It has a mild mint and berry flavored all white tobacco-free portion with lower than average nicotine content".  This product comes in a 16.8g can with 24 portions for 0.7g portions.  The nicotine content is a 1/4, which means it's going to be a little less strong than regular strength.

I won't go too in depth on the differences between Epok and Lyft, but if you want to know more, I wrote an article about it, and I also did a video about it. But here's a photo just so you can see it real quick. You'll notice the cans look similar except the name, the portions look similar, and even the material inside the pouch looks similar. The way the pouches feel in the lip, the way the nicotine releases, and even the flavors are all very similar as well. So if you like Epok, you'll probably also really like Lyft.

When you open the can, the aroma is a fresh smell which seems like a minty, tropical fruit smell with light hints of blueberry mixed in. The portions are slim, soft, and comfortable in the lip. I don't notice a cooling presence in this one in the lip, which I was curious if it was going to have. This flavor is really interesting. It's a little minty, and definitely fruity, and seems to have some blueberry presence to it, but also something tropical in the background. It also has a very light sweetness to it, as well.  It's certainly a unique flavor!  The nicotine strength doesn't feel too much lower than regular strength, either.  I find the flavor, on average, lasts around 45 minutes to an hour!

If you like nicotine pouches and want something with a unique flavor, you may dig this one.  It's certainly unique tasting when compared to everything else on the market!

U-Sample No5 (Original) Slim White - Review. 10 June 2019.

This is an interesting one. Back in April of 2017, I reviewed U-Sample Chew Bags, which included an original flavor version, also called No5. That product would eventually be discontinued, and the other two in that review would come back in 2018. A month or so ago, I noticed that No5 Original came back in a slim, chew bag version, but I haven't reviewed that one yet. Last week, I noticed SnusMe.com began selling what I believe is a snus version of that - U-Sample No5 Strong Slim White.  The flavor description of this product says it has a "balanced flavor of classic tobacco with citrus and bergamot".  This product comes in a 16.8 gram can with 24 portions for 0.7 gram portions. The nicotine content is 17mg/g (1.7%), which breaks down to 11.90mg/portion.

If you've had the old U-Sample Original chew bags that I reviewed back in 2017, this one appears to be identical to that one except it now comes in a slim portion. When you open the can, the aroma is a light, mildly sweet citrus smell with a hint of tobacco and some pepper. The portions are slim, soft, and comfortable in the lip. As far as the flavor goes, it's the traditional citrus/tobacco taste. The citrus flavor is relatively mild, and lightly sweet. The tobacco flavor is gentle, and in the background. There's a really nice peppery taste with this one that wraps around the citrus and the tobacco and really makes the flavor pop. In terms of nicotine, it feels to be between a strong and an extra strong. It has a little extra kick to it, but not too much. I find the flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.

If you like traditional flavored Swedish Snus and want to try something new, you may dig this one.  I really like the U-Sample can design, as it is pretty unique and futuristic looking, as well.  I got this from SnusMe.com, as I think they are currently the only store selling this to the US.

Shiro (All White) Cool Mint Strong & Sweet Mint - Reviews. 8 June 2019.

AG Snus has entered the growing nicotine pouch category with their new Shiro product line. It comes in two variants - Cool Mint (Strong) and Sweet Mint. These are nicotine pouch products which means these are products that contain nicotine, but are free from tobacco.   These products aren't for me, as I'm a snus user, but I'm glad they exist.  They provide an alternative for those who may want to quit tobacco, but not nicotine.

This is how AG Snus describes this line: "Shiro is made of pure plant fiber with added nicotine. The product provides an effective nicotine experience and a long lasting pure flavor. The pouches are all white and made in a slim format having a balanced moisture, which makes the pouch discreet and comfortable in the mouth. Shiro. Japanese for White. Pure flavor for you."  One thing that is interesting to note about these products is that the cans really seem to look a lot like Epok/Lyft cans.  As those products are very popular, this is smart on AG Snus' part.

Shiro Cool Mint (All White)

The flavor description for this one says, "Shiro Cool Mint Strong has an instinctive cold feel of mint and a really healthy taste, thanks to the combination of spearmint and menthol".  This product comes in an 12g can with 24 portions, for 0.5g portions.  The nicotine content is 20mg/g (2.0%), which breaks down to 10mg/portion.

When you open the can, the aroma is a sharp, lightly sweet smell of peppermint with a hint of menthol. The portions are slim, soft, and comfortable in the lip. While they're lighter in weight than most snus, they don't feel too lacking or small.  As this is a mint product, it does come with a nice cooling presence in the lip!  The flavor is a present, clear, lightly sweet taste of peppermint.  There is a light hint of menthol, but it's in the background.  The nicotine kick on this one is pretty strong, and feels firmly at the extra strong level.  The flavor, on average, lasts about 30-45 minutes.

Shiro Sweet Mint (All White)

The flavor description for this one says, "Shiro Sweet Mint has a rich taste of mint, sweetness from peppermint and freshness from spearmint".  This product comes in an 12g can with 24 portions, for 0.5g portions.  The nicotine content is 12mg/g (1.2%), which breaks down to 6mg/portion.

When you open the can, the aroma is a smooth, sweet, but sharp smell of peppermint. The portions are lighter than your average portion, but don't feel too small in the lip. They have a soft portion material, and are quite comfortable, as well. Being a mint product, this one comes with a nice cooling presence in the lip, as well!  The flavor is fresh, and lightly sweet.  It seems to be a smooth, gentle flavor of peppermint.  The spearmint is in the background, and provides a nice compliment to the peppermint.  In terms of nicotine strength, this one feels to be about the regular strength level.  The flavor, on average, seems to last about 30-45 minutes.

For their first all white products, I think AG did a good job with these.  They have a fresh flavor, a neat can design, and I think people who like mint flavored products will dig these.  I liked the Sweet Mint most of the two that I reviewed.

G.4 FIZZY Slim All White - Preview. 8 June 2019.

Swedish Match has launched a new all white product with a taste of champagne - G4 Fizzy! Swedish Match released Göteborgs Rapé XRANGE Sparkling White a few months ago, and this appears to be an all white version of that, as the flavor description sounds the same. This is how Swedish Match describes it: "ALL WHITE + SPARKLING = G.4 FIZZY! Bright character with clear elements of citrus and peach, as well as light hints of grapefruit and elderberry. An elongated, all-white portion with a slim fit that is dry on the surface with moist content for low drip and a lasting flavor release." This one comes in a 19.2g can with 24 portions for 0.8g each. The nicotine content is 12.5mg/g (1.25%) or 10mg/portion.  I enjoyed the taste of the GR Sparkling, so I look forward to trying this one!