Thunder Xtreme (US Market) Mint Strong - Review (Discontinued). 20 August 2019

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

At the end of 2018, Swedish Match did something US consumers have been asking for for many years now - they released new snus products domestically in the US: Thunder Xtreme Original, Original Strong, and Red Strong. And not just that, these were available in higher nicotine strengths than their flagship General Snus line.  You may be asking, "How can this be?" Remember in 2017 when Swedish Match purchased V2 Tobacco? Apparently, V2 Tobacco went through the approval process for  some products under the Thunder Xtreme label 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.  I imagine the new Wintergreen and Mint flavors were grandfathered in the same way, but I haven't confirmed that.  Now, they're introducing two new Thunder Xtreme products: Mint Strong and Wintergreen Strong, which I think dippers and snusers are really going to enjoy.

These products are set to launch nationwide on October 1st, 2019.  I don't have a flavor description yet for them, but I can see the can weighs 20 grams and has 20 portions, which is 1 gram each.  Thunder Original Strong and Red Strong had a nicotine content of 12mg/g (1.2%), so I imaginer these are much the same, which would also be 12mg/portion.

Going into this one, I assumed it would taste just like Thunder Frosted, as that used to be sold in the US. But, it does not! It actually reminds me a lot of one of my favorite mint products - Thunder Cool Mint!  The aroma is a sweet, sharp smell of peppermint.  But, it's also smooth, if that makes any sense.  The portions are plump, super moist, and really comfortable in the lip.  Being a mint product, you'll get a nice cooling presence in the lip, as well!  The flavor of this one is delicious, much like Thunder Cool Mint.  It's a sweet, present, smooth taste of peppermint.  It's sharp, but not overly sharp.  The nicotine on this one feels stronger than a regular strength, but not overly strong.  The flavor, on average, lasts about 45 minutes.

I think American snus fans are really going to like this one.  Especially those who are quitting smoking and want something stronger than the average mint snus.  If you like General Mint but want something with a little more nicotine, check this one out!