The day is upon us and my first snus release is here: Snubie Brandy Alexander! I must admit, this is the greatest honor of my snus career to date. Before we get into the review, let's talk about the history of this snus and what led to the creation of Snubie Brandy Alexander.
Brandy Alexander History:
In 2008, V2 released the 2008 Offroad Limited Edition Series, which is actually the first time a Brandy Alexander portion snus existed. I started using snus in 2009, so I missed out on that, but I did discover the beauty of the Brandy Alexander flavor in the 2009 Nordströmmen Loose Limited Edition Series. Ever since then, I was in love with the Brandy Alexander flavor. In 2012, I was able to convince V2 to bring back the Nordströmmen Brandy Alexander Los by helping get their Facebook page to 500 likes. This was a limited edition release, and the next time we would see Brandy Alexander would be 2013's Thunder Ultra Strong: Brandy Alexander. It was discontinued shortly after that. However, I never gave up hope that one day I would see a Brandy Alexander snus. In 2017, two things happened. First, Swedish Match released General One and Göteborg's Rapé One. When I reviewed that I made a comment that it would be neat to see a "Created Together With Snubie" Snus, but knew Swedish Match wouldn't go for it. Then, Outlaw Dipper on YouTube had his own dip product made. After that happened, it made me think, "If the most well known dip reviewer can get his own product, why can't the most well known snus reviewer?". I reached out to V2 Tobacco, and the rest is history.
When it came to this product, V2 Tobacco gave me complete creative control over every aspect of it. As someone who has reviewed hundreds of snus products, I knew exactly what I wanted to see go into it. I wanted the flavor to be kept close to the original 2009 and 2012 version. I wanted it to be a portion snus, but one thing that was very important to me was the moisture amount. I wanted it to be between 40%-45% moisture so the flavor would still be bold and present, but also long lasting. I wanted the nicotine strength to be 8mg/g (regular strength) so that the focus would be on the flavor, not the nicotine. This is why it's an Offroad product. Most Offroad snus comes in an 18 gram can with 20 portions, but I wanted to push it to 22 portions and a 19.8 gram can (0.9 gram portions). The reason I didn't do 24 is because I didn't want the portions to get too smashed together. As far as the can design goes, I sent V2 Tobacco some ideas for what I wanted but the main thing was that I wanted a white can. They sent me back several ideas and after some collaborative work, I decided this design was the best.
When it comes to the flavor of this snus, it is meant to taste like a Brandy Alexander drink. In case you aren't aware, a Brandy Alexander is made of a good cognac, Crème de Cocoa, and cream. If you've never had it, it is a beautiful taste. If you're curious about how to make one, I find this recipe to be a good guide.
When you open the can, the aroma that greets you is a very smooth smell of cognac, and a light hint of chocolate in the background. The portions turned out perfect; they are moist for quick flavor release, but aren't as moist as most original portions so they yield a long lasting flavor experience. They're also very soft and comfortable in the lip! The star of this snus is the flavor. It is everything I hoped it would be. The taste is a mellow, rich chocolatey flavor with a light creaminess in the background. I find the taste of cognac in the background and slightly behind the chocolate flavor. It is absolutely beautiful. The nicotine strength feels to be about the regular strength level, which is what I was aiming for with this snus. The flavor also lasts a good amount of time; I can usually keep most original portions in for 45 minutes on average, but I found with this one I could keep it in for almost an hour! This snus turned out absolutely perfect. I couldn't be more grateful for V2 Tobacco partnering with me on this one. When I was thinking of who would make a Snubie snus, V2 was the first company that came to mind. They also did this after they were purchased by Swedish Match, which shows they still have that small/craft company feel, even though they're owned by a large tobacco company.
Where can I buy it?
USA - The best price on it is at SnusCENTRAL.com.
Sweden - You can buy it online at SnusBolaget.se. If you want it in a local store, make sure and ask your local store to stock it!
EU/UK - You can get it at SnusLine.com.
Worldwide - Northerner.com is also stocking it.
Well done Chad. Sounds like you nailed this snus... flavor, nic levels, moisture. Perfect! Beautiful! Cannot wait to try it!
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