Thunder Xtreme (US Market): Original, Original Strong & Red Strong - Reviews (Discontinued). 27 September 2018.

NOTE:  This product has been discontinued and is no longer for sale.

One of the most exciting pieces of snus news to hit the US this year came out of the 2018 Snus Con in Chicago: Swedish Match would be releasing strong snus into the US market. How could this be? It is expensive, and takes years to get products approved to introduce into the US market! Remember a year ago when Swedish Match purchased V2 Tobacco? Apparently, V2 Tobacco went through the approval process for three products called Thunder Xtreme many years ago, and these products were grandfathered in through the FDA. Nothing was ever done with them, but after Swedish Match purchased V2, they made the move to release them in the US. These are strong products (though one is a regular strength snus), made by V2 Tobacco, and sold in the US via Swedish Match North America.  And what's most interesting about these products - none of them are mint flavored!  

Previously, Swedish Match only sold their General products in the US. There are a few Jakobsson's products sold in the US, but any store locators are outdated, and it's hit and miss as far as where to find them. Swedish Match is making a big push into the US with these new products, and they'll appear in over 3,000 stores. Not only that, but there will be a website launched very soon for Thunder Xtreme that has a functional story locator, so you'll know where to find it! If you can't find it locally, Northerner.com sells it from their US Warehouse in the US, and you can get all three products from them. Their description says, "Thunder Xtreme is the only strong snus approved by the FDA. It's 50% stronger than regular snus. They are shelf stable, so they do not require a chiller."  That's right, it doesn't require a chiller.  I won't go into the merits of chilling snus vs not chilling snus, but I will say I've tried this snus and it still tastes like quality Swedish Snus.

Now, let's get into the reviews of these three new products!

Thunder Xtreme: Original 

The flavor description for this product says, "Thunder Xtreme Original Portion has a traditional aroma and hints of bergamot." This product comes in a 24 gram can with 24 portions, which means plump 1 gram portions! The nicotine content is 8mg/g (0.8%) which easily breaks down to 8mg/portion!

When I open the can, the aroma is an earthy tobacco smell with hints of wood. It seems to be a little leathery in the smell, and has a little hint of citrus to it. The portions are plump, moist, and quickly release flavor. They're also quite comfortable in the lip! The flavor is interesting - I can say this, it's not a clone of any existing V2 product. The tobacco base reminds me of Thunder Original (Extra Strong), and the citrus flavor reminds me of a dialed back Offroad Original. If you've never had those products, I'll elaborate further. There is a very present, earthy, well rounded tobacco taste. I notice notes of wood, and a taste of pepper. The tobacco flavor is the most predominant component of this snus. The citrus flavor is very light, and in the background. It serves as a nice compliment to this snus, but doesn't overtake the flavor. The nicotine feels to be about regular strength, so if you've had General Snus before, it feels to be at the same level. The flavor lasts a pretty good amount of time; I've found I can enjoy this snus for up to 45 minutes on average!

Thunder Xtreme: Original (Strong)

The flavor description for this product says, "Thunder Xtreme Original Strong Portion has a traditional aroma and hints of bergamot." This product comes in a 24 gram can with 24 portions, which means plump 1 gram portions! The nicotine content is 12mg/g (1.2%) which easily breaks down to 12mg/portion!

This review will be easy! It has the same aroma, taste, and longevity of the Thunder Xtreme Original (Regular Strength) I reviewed above, but with more nicotine and a slightly more moist portion.  At 12mg/g, this snus is firmly at the strong level.  It isn't so strong that it's going to knock you out if you're used to strong products.  However, it does deliver a solid, satisfying nicotine kick!  If you're not used to strong products and are coming over from American "snus" like Camel or Skoal, this will definitely give you a good kick!

Thunder Xtreme: Red Strong

The flavor description for this product says, "Thunder Xtreme Red Strong has a taste of berries." This product comes in a 24 gram can with 24 portions, which means plump 1 gram portions! The nicotine content is 12mg/g (1.2%) which easily breaks down to 12mg/portion!

Of the three, this one was my favorite. When you open the can, the berry aroma that greets you is the most present component of the smell of this snus. It appears to be close to raspberry, if I had to describe it. There is also an earthy tobacco component in the background. The portions are plump, moist, and have a quick release of flavor! If I had to describe the flavor, I'd say it's almost a blend of berry tastes. It seems to be a mix of raspberry and cranberry. The berry flavor isn't overly sweet, and comes through in a very natural way! In the background, there is a mild, earthy tobacco flavor, but it doesn't overpower the taste of the berry. For experienced/old school snusers, it reminds me of a mix of Thunder Raspberry with a hint of Offroad Cranberry in the background. Being a strong product, the nicotine kick is stronger than regular strength, so you'll feel a little extra in this snus compared to regular strength products. The flavor also lasts around 45 minutes on average!

On behalf of America, I'd like to welcome Thunder Xtreme to the USA. I'm excited for these products for a few reasons. First, they bring strong products to the US market. Some people need more nicotine to quit smoking, and these can definitely help in that area. Second, they bring strong products to the US market that can be easily located by consumers. Once the website goes live, it'll be just like finding General Snus! Plug in your zip code and boom, it'll tell you where to find your products. Three, it shows that there's growth in the snus market. Swedish Match wouldn't launch more products in the US if they didn't see growth and/or potential.  To wrap it all up, I suggest trying them out.  They're all good, and well worth a try!

Addendum for "old school"/experienced snusers - I know some of you will see "made by V2" and "grandfathered" and worry that this will have the quality of V2's early products.  This was a worry of mine, as well.  However, rest assured, it doesn't.  It is a high quality Swedish Snus by today's standards.  Portion material, moisture amount, flavor, product quality - it stands apart from V2's early products.  I felt that this was important to tack on to this review.