General Chew Bags Original & Strong - Reviews. 3 May 2016.

This is a review of the 2016 version produced by Swedish Match.

Back in March, I previewed the new General Chew Bags that Swedish Match launched in Switzerland. They launched 4 flavors: Original, Original Strong, White Mint and White Mint Strong. From what I've been told by Swedish Match, there aren't any plans to sell these products outside Switzerland. They have signed a contract with Valora, which will sell the product in their stores. Swedish Match says this product consists of cut tobacco packaged in small portion bags. You use the product by chewing it three to four times and then place it under your lip. The paper used for chew bags is also said to be different. They apparently are using paper with a “high grammage” that provides a stronger bag designed to be chewed to release flavor and nicotine. So, when I first heard this product, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Thankfully, a friend of mine sent me some of these new products that he obtained from YourSnus.ch, so if you want to try them and you're in an area they ship to, that's where you can get them from.

Before we get into he reviews, I wanted to do a comparison of these products and regular General Snus.  The General Chew Bag can designs aren't too much different from the General Snus can design.  The pouches also look about the same, except the General Chew Bags appear to be more moist.  The Chew Bag can weighs in at 18 grams, compared to the Swedish Snus can which weighs in at 24 grams.  The pouches feel about the same to the touch, and I didn't notice the pouch material to feel any thicker than regular Swedish Snus.

I also want to open the pouches up so we can do a comparison of the tobacco itself in General Snus and General Chew Bags.  If you want to get a close up view, click the image to the left and you can get a better look at it.  Honestly, I didn't notice much of a difference.  The Chew Bag tobacco appears to be a little more moist, but it doesn't appear to be that much different.  If I had to narrow down a difference, I could say the snus is a little more clumpy, but honestly, there isn't much of a different to speak of.

General Chew Bags: Original

When it comes to General Chew Bags: Original, the product description says, "A spicy tobacco flavor with notes of bergamot and hints of tea, hay and leather. The chewing tobacco in the pouch is made ​​from carefully selected tobacco leaves from India and Guatemala. The tobacco is first cut, air-dried and then reconstituted with water, salt, additives and flavorings. Processing according to strict rules of the tobacco and food regulations performed (standard according to national food authority Sweden and Swiss tobacco and food safety rules). Swedish Match has the highest standards and uses only the best tobacco for the production of General Chewing Bags. In order for the General arrives always fresh at your home it is always stored in our refrigerator. Nicotine: 11mg. Bag Color: Brown."

When you open the can, the aroma smells almost identical to General Original Portion. The aroma of bergamot immediately greets you, along with a little pepper and a mild tobacco character. I didn't chew the Chew Bags, I simply put them in my upper lip like I do with Swedish Snus and found they worked the exact same as a snus pouch. No chewing was necessary for the flavor release.  The taste is predominantly bergamot, a mild tobacco flavor, a touch of salt and a nice flavor of pepper in the background.  If you've ever had General Original Portion, this product tastes virtually identical.  The nicotine content is listed as 11mg/g, but honestly it feels about the same as regular General Snus, which is 8mg/g.

General Chew Bags: Original Strong

When it come to General Chew Bags: Original Strong, the product description says, "Stronger version only. Strong full-bodied taste. The chewing tobacco in the pouch is made ​​from carefully selected tobacco leaves from India and Guatemala. The tobacco is first cut, air-dried and then reconstituted with water, salt, additives and flavorings. Processing according to strict rules of the tobacco and food regulations performed (standard according to national food authority Sweden and Swiss tobacco and food safety rules). Swedish Match has the highest standards and uses only the best tobacco for the production of General Chewing Bags. In order for the General arrives always fresh at your home it is always stored in our refrigerator. Nicotine: 14mg. Bag Color: Brown."

This one is interesting, because there isn't a General Snus: Strong (Original Portion). The closest products currently available are General Strong: Slim White (XRANGE) and General Extra Strong Portion.  When I opened the can, the aroma smelled virtually identical to General Chew Bags: Original, which reminded me a lot of General Original Portion.  A very present smell of bergamot accompanied by a mild tobacco smell and a little pepper.  Like with the regular strength product, I put this one in my upper lip and used it like I do with snus.  The flavor released the same way and I found no need to chew on the pouches.  The flavor is almost identical to the regular strength chew bag.  There is a very present taste of bergamot, a mild tobacco character in the background, a little salt flavor and a touch of pepper.  It tastes just like General Original Portion snus.  This one has a nicotine content of 14mg/g.  I noticed it to be a little stronger than the regular strength General Chew Bag, but it wasn't much stronger.

Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed these!  While I can't get ahold of them in the US, I still buy a lot of regular General Snus from SnusExpress.com.  So, for my US audience, if you can't get these, don't worry - General Snus is just as tasty!  But, if you are in a country that can't get snus, these are a wonderful option.