Epok No6 Winter Chill X-Strong S5 - Review. 25 March 2019.

Meet Epok No6 Winter Chill X-Strong S5, a product with a long name, and only available in Norway. It is also the first wintergreen flavored snus in the Epok series! To get this out of the way, I am not a fan of wintergreen. However, long time readers and viewers of Snubie.com content already know that. According to the product details, this product has "a fresh and powerful taste of wintergreen". It comes in a 16.8g can with 24 portions for 0.7g portions. The nicotine content is 16mg/g (1.6%), or 11.2mg/portion.

A friend of mine got this can for me from Snuslageret.no, that's why the cans look like this. 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 that comes through is a mild, lightly sweet smell of wintergreen. It's closer to Wintergreen Tic-Tacs than wintergreen tobacco products, in my opinion. The portions are slim, soft, and comfortable in the lip. When you put one in, there's a mild burn in the lip at first, which gives way to a light cooling presence. Now, as someone who doesn't like the taste of wintergreen, I didn't mind the taste of this stuff. I like the Zyn Wintergreen product and use it from time to time, and this one tastes like that. It's a mild, light, gentle wintergreen taste with a little sweetness. It's actually not bad. Which, from me, is a big compliment. The nicotine kick is quite strong, which is impressive given that it is only 11.2mg/portion. The flavor, on average, lasts about 35-40 minutes.

If you like wintergreen products, and want that flavor in a white tobacco product, give this one a try.  But, it's only available in Norway!

Zyn (Blood Orange & Apple Mint) Strong - Reviews. 20 March 2019.

Swedish Match recently launched two new Zyn products - Zyn Blood Orange and Zyn Apple Mint. These are products with familiar flavors as they have both already existed in the G4 line. These products, however, don't contain tobacco like the G4 line does.  Also, these are the moist Zyn products, not the dry/mini ones like we get in the US.  As these products aren't available to the US, I wanted to send a thanks out to my friend Michael who grabbed these for me from SnusBolaget. If you're new to Zyn, this is how Swedish Match describes this product: "NICOTINE WITHOUT TOBACCO: ZYN is for those who like to enjoy nicotine but dislike the experience of tobacco. You can use ZYN anytime and anywhere - just put the portion under your lip.” As the nicotine pouch category is growing, we're seeing more different ways companies will release products that contain nicotine but don't actually contain tobacco.

When is Zyn not Zyn? If you're used to the Zyn products sold in the US or those sold as "Zyn Mini Dry" in Sweden, these probably look quite different. They aren't as dry, and they look much like the other all white snus products sold on the market. These don't contain tobacco, however, so they're not going to be like an Epok or a G4. These are going to be closer to Skruf's new Skruf SuperWhite. This Zyn product is a moist product, still tobacco free, and containing nicotine, vegetable fiber and cellulose powder (E-460). While it may look like other white tobacco products, it doesn't actually contain tobacco.

Zyn Apple Mint (Slim)

Flavor Description:  "ZYN Slim Apple Mint Strong has a bright character with clear elements of spearmint, green apple and a little vanilla."
Can Contents:  16.8 grams, 21 portions, 0.8 grams each.
Nicotine:  12mg/g (1.2%), or 9.6mg/portion.

I really liked the taste of the G4 FU:ZN Apple Mint, so I was interested in seeing how close this one was to that one. When you open the can, there is a rather present smell of apple and a mild, lightly sweet hint of spearmint. The portions are soft to the touch and comfortable in the lip and, being a mint product, come with a nice cooling presence when you put one in! The flavor is very close to the G4 Apple Mint. The apple flavor is gentle, but natural tasting. It's not too sweet, either, or artificial tasting. The spearmint flavor is relatively mild, and lightly sweet. It serves as a nice compliment to the apple character! The nicotine level on this one feels to be a touch stronger than regular strength. The flavor, on average, lasts about 45-55 minutes.  I was pretty impressed with how close this tasted to the G4 FU:ZN Apple Mint.

Zyn Ginger Blood Orange (Slim)

Flavor Description:  "ZYN Slim Ginger Blood Orange Strong has a light character with clear elements of blood orange and ginger."
Can Contents:  16.8 grams, 21 portions, 0.8 grams each.
Nicotine:  12mg/g (1.2%), or 9.6mg/portion.

I really enjoyed the G4 Blush: Ginger Blood Orange, so I was excited to try this one. When you open the can, the aroma is a clear, fresh smell of orange. One thing I noticed about this one is that I notice more ginger in the aroma and taste than I did with the G4. The portions are slim, soft, and quite comfortable in the lip! As far as the flavor goes, it's very close to the G4 Blush product. The orange flavor is present and very natural tasting. I also notice a taste of ginger, which compliments that orange flavor quite well! This product isn't overly sweet, which I really like about it. The nicotine feels to be just a hair stronger than regular strength, but not too over the top. The flavor, on average, lasts around 45-55 minutes.  I was impressed with how close this product was to the G4 Blush, and I liked how

NicotinePicks Review - 19 March 2019.

Last year I reviewed Pixotine Nicotine Toothpicks. I did a video on them, but not an article. So, I figured for these I would do an article and a video. Today we're going to be talking about NicotinePicks, which are also nicotine toothpicks. I mentioned this in my video, I love chewing toothpicks after I eat. I also love nicotine. The two put together seems like a no brainer. They describe these toothpicks by saying "Nicotine Picks are toothpicks infused with Nicotine and Flavoring. Nicotine Picks are infused under pressure so the entire fiber is exposed to nicotine and flavoring. The results are great tasting toothpicks that typically last longer than traditional nicotine products. Slightly chew the toothpick to control how quickly nicotine is being released. Nicotine picks contain zero sugar and zero calories." You get 20 picks per container, and each one contains 3mg of nicotine.  In this review, we'll be talking about three flavors:  cinnamon, peppermint, and spearmint.

NicotinePicks: Cinnamon

When you open the container, a present smell of cinnamon jumps out at you.  It almost reminds me of Big Red gum, a favorite of mine.  When you put one in, you'll encounter a nice, mild burn.  The flavor is a present, lightly sweet flavor of cinnamon.  Like the aroma, it also reminds me of cinnamon.  As far as the nicotine strength goes, I use 8mg/g-14mg/g Swedish Snus, so at 3mg these are a little lower than I'm used to.  However, if you're switching from cigarettes I believe you'll be satisfied with the strength of these to help curb your cravings or aid you in quitting smoking.

NicotinePicks: Peppermint

NicotinePicks: Peppermint have a present, fresh, lightly sweet smell of peppermint.  Like with the last ones, I encounter a mild burn whenever I put one in my mouth.  There's also a little cooling presence I feel in the lip.  The flavor is a present peppermint flavor, it's fresh, and has a touch of sweetness to it.  As far as the nicotine strength goes, as I mentioned with the last one, if you're quitting smoking or looking for something to aid you as you quit smoking, the nicotine strength of these could be adequate.

NicotinePicks: Spearmint

NicotinePicks: Spearmint have a mild, gentle spearmint aroma.  Like with the last ones, I notice a mild burn in the lip, but also a gentle cooling presence, as well.  The flavor is a mellow, lightly sweet flavor of spearmint.  As far as the nicotine strength goes, it's the same as I said with the previous two.  Not as strong as I'm used to, but I think those looking to quit smoking will find it to be satisfactory.

As someone who loves toothpicks, I enjoyed these products.  I chew on toothpicks after every meal and now that I know these exist I'll be keeping some around for future use.  I also really like the clip on them, so I can keep them on my keychain for whenever I need them!

RITE Cold Dry (Large White & Slim White) Chew Bags - Review. 18 March 2019.

A few months back, I reviewed RITE Chew Bags by Ministry of Snus in the Original, Mint, and Cool Mint flavors. Now they have launched a new flavor, Cold Dry! If you're not familiar with Ministry of Snus, they're a new company in Denmark making chew bags. They were launched by MacBaren, so they have a lot of experience with tobacco. For our friends in Sweden, I've also been they are preparing to launch snus products soon, as well.  When I reviewed RITE last time, I was very impressed with the quality of these.  When brand new companies launch brand new products it's hit and miss as to whether or not they will be good.  However, these turned out to be pretty impressive for a new product line!

RITE: Cold Dry Chew Bags (Large White)

Flavor Description:  "Meet RITE COLD DRY – The ultimate strength and freshness combined with delicate dryness. COLD DRY is developed for you who want the freshest experience and maximum strength.  Refreshing Peppermint gives you an intense and dry taste experience. Prepare yourself for a previously unknown level of rush and stimuli of your senses – with freshness and intense strength."
Can Contents:  15g can with 20 portions for 0.75g portions.
Nicotine Strength:  28mg/g (2.8%), or 21mg/portion.

When you open the can, the aroma is a sharp, focused smell of peppermint.  The portions are the white dry format, which means they're a little dryer to the touch than your average white portion.  They are still pretty soft, however, and comfortable in the lip.  Being a mint product, you do get a nice cooling presence when you put a portion in the lip, along with a mild burn that fades after a few minutes.  The taste is a gentle, fresh taste of peppermint.  It has a slight sweetness to it, but it isn't overdone.  This product packs quite a kick; the nicotine hits pretty quick, and hard.  The flavor, since this is a white dry product, lasts a good amount of time; I find I can keep these in for up to an hour and a half.

RITE: Cold Dry Chew Bags (Slim White)

Flavor Description:  "Meet RITE COLD DRY – The ultimate strength and freshness combined with delicate dryness. COLD DRY is developed for you who want the freshest experience and maximum strength.  Refreshing Peppermint gives you an intense and dry taste experience. Prepare yourself for a previously unknown level of rush and stimuli of your senses – with freshness and intense strength."
Can Contents:  13.2g can with 20 portions for 0.66g portions.
Nicotine Strength:  28mg/g (2.8%), or 18.48mg/portion.

This one will be easy to review:  it's basically the same thing as the large version, but in the slim format and the nicotine doesn't hit as hard.  See how easy that was?  I personally prefer slim portions, so I find these to fit better in the lip.  The nicotine, since the portions are lighter in weight, doesn't kick as hard.  Don't get me wrong, it still feels quite strong, but it isn't as strong feeling as the large white version.  This is a good thing for me, as I don't use really strong stuff.  But other than that, it's virtually the same as the large white version.

As far as these products go, they're good offerings for those who can get chew bags, but not snus.  They're available from the Ministry of Snus Webshop if you want to try them out!

New E-Store: Nicokick.com. 17 March 2019.

With the growing popularity of nicotine pouches and products containing nicotine, but no tobacco, it was only a matter of time before an e-store launched that sold just these products. They carry Zyn, Dryft, on!, Pose, Pixotine, and Fully Loaded Chew. It looks like they primarily ship to the US. So, if you're a US consumer, and want to try some of these products - check it out. The website is Nicokick.com.

Cool Lip (Filter Tabbaq) - Review. 15 March 2019.

I recently did an order from MrSnuff.com for some stuff I've been wanting to review, and I saw this and grabbed a few pouches of it. I've never had it before, But it's made by Tej Ram Dharam Paul Pvt. Ltd in India. The description at MrSnuff.com makes this stuff sound pretty fancy: "Prepared from selected, hand-picked tobacco leaves and combined with rich spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom & cloves), the natural aroma of sandalwood oil and numerous floral essences, Cool Lip Filter Tabbaq is a highly distinguished tobacco product."  The packaging says it's a 4.2 gram pouch with 10 "filter tabbaq pillows", which would mean 0.42 grams each.  I couldn't find the nicotine content listed anywhere, however.

The aroma of this stuff is really interesting; it's a tobacco smell, with a little menthol, some spice, and a kinda woodsy presence. The pouches are the mini size, so I use two of these at a time. They're a little on the dry side, but aren't uncomfortable. When you put the portion (or portions) under your lip, you'll encounter a mild cooling presence with this product, hence the name - Cool Lip. The flavor is really unique and I can't think of anything to compare it to. It's a mild, base tobacco flavor with a little spice, and then a woodsy presence. I don't notice much of the menthol in the flavor, but it feels cool in the mouth, if that makes any sense. The nicotine kick was stronger than I expected; with two in it felt to be comparable to strong level Swedish Snus. The flavor, on average, lasted about 30 minutes.

These were fun to review, and I'm glad I got to try them.  If you want to try them out, check out MrSnuff.com.

Four Snus.Biz Lös Reviews - 13 March 2019.

Today I'm going to be reviewing four new products from Snus.biz! I've been a big fan of their stuff for quite a while, and I'm not just saying that because they make my Snubie Mr. Bacon Snus, Snubie Bacon and Cheese Snus, and Snubie Blood Orange and Goji Berry Snus.  I genuinely like what they do.  They're a small batch, craft snus manufacturer making Swedish Snus in Ukraine.  They also only make their snus in the lös format, and every can comes packed with 50 grams of lössnus, just like the old days!  And to get it out of the way before we get into the review, if you want to order their products, you do it by emailing hello@snus.biz to place you orders.  Now, let's get into the reviews!

Cuba Libre Lös

Product Details:  "Cuba Libre Lös is a collaboration between Jim Middleton and Snus.biz.  A Cuba Libre is a cocktail with cola, rum, and lime juice.  The snus contains Cuban Partagas tobacco, as well as fire cured Black Cavendish.  It comes in the combo grind, which is a mix of long cut and regular snus grinding."
Can Contents:  50 grams
Nicotine Strength:  20mg/g

When you open the can, the aroma of cola is very present along with a hint of rum! It smells utterly divine. The tobacco is quite moist, pretty easy to work with, and quickly releases flavor under the lip. The taste is very unique, and quite delicious. The flavors of cola and rum are pretty present and apparent once you put a prilla in. The tobacco flavor mingles in in the background and is rich, earthy, and a great compliment to the cola and rum flavor. The nicotine kick feels to be right at the extra strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes, which is about how long I can keep a prilla in for.  I have to say, I really enjoyed this one, and I would definitely order it again in the future!

Creme De Menthe Lös

Product Details:  "Inspired by the Creme De Menthe drink, this snus is made from Black Cavendish, Gold Virginia, and Latakia tobacco.  It has the unique flavor combination of both mint and chocolate.  It comes in the combo grind, which is a mix of long cut and regular snus grinding."
Can Contents:  50 grams
Nicotine Strength:  19mg/g

Years ago, V2 Tobacco made a product called Thunder Chocmint, which blended mint and chocolate. To this date, it's one of my all time favorite mint products. Sadly, it was a limited edition. So, I was rather excited about this one because I haven't had a good mint/chocolate snus in years! Upon opening this can, there is a fresh smell of mint accompanied by a dark chocolate smell. Delicious! The tobacco is moist, easy to work with, and feels great in the lip. The flavor is fantastic. The mint flavor is pretty present, and lightly sweet. The tobacco flavor and the chocolate flavor seem to work together as compliments to the mint taste. The chocolate flavor is dark, not overly sweet, and plays well with the rich tobacco character. The nicotine on this one also feels to be at the extra strong level and the flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes. I really enjoyed this one and it will definitely be a re-order for me.

Monteserrat (Lime and Mango) Lös

Product Details:  "Monteserrat Lime & Mango Loose is made from Turkish Basma and Golden Virginia tobacco and flavored with juicy key limes from the Lesser Antilles and delicious Spanish mangos!  It comes in the combo grind, which is a mix of long cut and regular snus grinding."
Can Contents:  50 grams
Nicotine Strength:  20mg/g

Montersserat is an island in the Lesser Antilles, hence the name!  When you open the can, there is a tart smell of lime that greets you accompanied by a mild, natural presence of mango!  The tobacco, much like the other two, is soft, moist, and easy to work with.  The flavor is rather tropical, and makes me think of the beach. The lime taste comes through in a natural, tart way, and works well with the fruity mango flavor.  There is a mild tobacco character in the background, but it doesn't overpower the tropical nature of the flavors.  The nicotine on this one also feels to be at the extra strong level and packs a solid kick.  The flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes.  I really enjoyed this one, and will be bringing a can of this with me next time I go to the Caribbean!

Snussy Lös

Product Details:  "Snussy Lös snus is made from fire-curing Black Cavendish tobacco based on Virginia variety. It has the very unique flavor of peanut butter.  It comes in the combo grind, which is a mix of long cut and regular snus grinding."
Can Contents:  50 grams
Nicotine Strength:  20mg/g

Going into this one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, peanut butter snus? I like tobacco, and I like peanut butter, but I'll admit - I was a little nervous. The aroma of this one smells like crunchy peanut butter, along with a mild tobacco character. The tobacco, again, is soft, moist, and easy to work with. Now, I know you're wondering the same thing I was wondering when I tried this the first time. And yes, it actually tastes like peanut butter. Snus.biz did a great job capturing the flavor. It's not overly sweet, and tastes like crunchy peanut butter. I feel like I can actually taste peanuts. There is also a mild, earthy tobacco character in the background which works surprisingly well with the peanut butter flavor. The nicotine on this one feels to be right at the extra strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts up to about the 45 minute mark.

I enjoyed all four of these products.  If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably say I enjoyed the Cuba Libre and Mint/Chocolate ones the best.  Those are two I am definitely going to order more of.  The Peanut Butter one was fun to try, and the Lime and Mango is one I'll order again next time I go to the beach!