Ettan (White Portion) - Review. 6 June 2009

Review Updated:  8 February 2021

It's been a few years since I've reviewed this one, so I figured I'd give the Ettan line a revisit! In the snus world, it seems there are some die hard Ettan fans out there. I personally have always been a Grov guy. Not that the Ettan brand isn't a good line, because it is, it's just not something I can personally use all the time; I tend to tire on the flavor if I use it too much.  Ettan is an interesting snus for me, it is also one of very few instances where I prefer the white portion version over the original portion version. The flavor description of this snus says, "a robust tobacco flavor and hints of tar, dried grass, malt and a slight touch of dark chocolate".  Ettan Original comes in a 21.6 gram can with 24 portions for 0.9 gram portions.  The nicotine strength is 8mg/g (0.8%), which is also 7.2mg/portion.

Since Ettan is an important part of snus history, I figured we would take a quick look at its origins. Jacob Fredrik Ljunglöf (pictured here) began working at a tobacco factory in 1811 at age 14. 10 years later, he took over the same factory. In 1822 he launched "Ljunglöf's No. 1". We can also thank Jacob Fredrik Ljunglöf for the pasteurization process of snus. While snus originally took months to ferment, Ljunglöf believed that fresh tobacco would taste better. With his chemist friend Jacob Berzelius they developed a new way to produce tobacco where snus could be produced in a week. Ettan is still produced by his original recipe and is the oldest brand of snus still on then market. The original portion version launched in 1990, and Ettan White came in 2006.

When you open a can of Ettan, the smell that greets you is an earthy, natural, lightly grassy tobacco presence.  I don't notice as much of the chocolatey presence in the aroma with this one as I do in the original portion.  The portions come in the familiar Swedish Match star formation, which means they are wedged before going into the can.  I do suggest fluffing these to loosen up the tobacco, and it makes the portion more comfortable in the lip.  The flavor is a mild, natural, earthy tobacco character with a touch of salt.  I do notice the chocolatey taste, but it's much more mild in the white portion than in the original portion.  The nicotine strength on this one feels to be right at that regular strength level, and I find the flavor on average lasts up to about an hour.

Rating and Final Thoughts

As I mentioned before, Ettan White is one of few cases I prefer the white portion to the original portion counterpart.  I think the chocolatey notes of the original portion is what causes me to burn out on Ettan so quickly.  However, with the white portion, I find the taste to be much more enjoyable!  I gave this one a well earned 4/5.  It's a great tasting snus for those who love the taste of tobacco!  And it doesn't have the overbearing chocolate notes the original portion version has.

This product available for purchase at SnusMe.com!

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