After the recent Small Batch release, I assumed that would be the last one. However, that wasn't the case, as Swedish Match has released Small Batch No6: Svensk Skog (Swedish Forest). I also heard from a friend that he was told by the Swedish Match store that the Small Batch series would continue, with a new release every few months. The previous 5 releases have been pretty good.
Small Batch 1, released in January, had a taste of champagne.
Small Batch 2, released in February, had a taste of blood orange.
Small Batch 3, released in May, had a taste of apple and mint.
Small Batch 4, released in July, had a taste of raspberry and licorice. And then
Small Batch 5, released in September, had a flavor of coffee! Of the 6 so far, Small Batch 2 - Blood Orange was my favorite. Swedish Match describes the small batch series by saying, "
We at Swedish Match have produced thousands of products over the course of a few hundred years. Our experts are experts in the correct sense of the word. But they have not been tired of developing new ideas. In order for them to get that opportunity - and for Swedish snusers to be able to share it all - we now launch a new range of products called Small Batch, where the flavor is replaced several times a year. Each flavor is produced in a small edition."
I was a little nervous going into this one. The flavor description made me a little curious, but also nervous. Swedish Match describes it by saying, "
For Small Batch 6 we have taken inspiration from the Swedish Forest in the fall. This snus has flavors of earthiness, plants and mushrooms, that are supported by a dark tobacco character." This product comes in a 24 gram can with 24 portions for 1 gram portions. The nicotine strength is not listed.
When I opened the can, the aroma that jumped out immediately was a smell of mushroom. It's almost like a buttery, shiitake mushroom smell, much like in Italian food and pasta. I notice an earthy quality to the aroma, and a hint of tobacco. There's also a presence of greenery in the background, much like you would smell walking through a heavily wooded area. The portions are soft, and comfortable in the lip. They come in the star formation, which means they're wedged, so I suggest fluffing them before you put them in your lip. The taste is very much like the aroma, but more balanced. The flavor seems to be a dark tobacco flavor with an earthy quality to it, hints of mushrooms, and then a taste that is kind of grassy. It's a very odd flavor. The nicotine strength feels to be around the regular strength level, and the flavor on average lasts about an hour.
So far, I've liked every flavor in the Small Batch series, but I can't get into this one. It's a very odd flavor, and that's coming from the guy who made
bacon snus. But, they can't always be winners. Now, if you like mushrooms, or want to try a unique flavor, give this one a go. You may like it. But for me, it's not one I'd want to use again.
Updated Small Batch rankings
1.
SB #2 Blood Orange - My favorite of the series. This is easily one I would add to my full time rotation. The flavor was absolutely fantastic.
2.
SB #4 Raspberry Licorice - It was hard to rank the top 2, but I gave Blood Orange the edge. However, I would also order this one and keep it my rotation.
3.
SB #5 Kaffe - I'm not a coffee fan, but I could see myself ordering this one again. I enjoyed it.
4.
SB #1 Champagne - This one was good, but not something I'd probably use a lot of. But, I'd probably get a can here and there.
5.
SB #3 Apple Mint - I ranked this one low because there's already enough mint products on the market. There is also an apple mint product on the market made by Swedish Match.
6.
SB #6 Svensk Skog - I ranked this one last because it's a very odd flavor and one I just can't get into.
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