Snubie x Ministry of Snus: Bourbon Vanilla - Review. 7 March 2020.

Today, I'm really excited to be reviewing my first collaboration with Ministry of Snus: Snubie x Ministry of Snus: Bourbon Vanilla (White Strong)! This is an exciting release because it came to fruition through multiple polls where the snus community provided input into what flavors you wanted to see in a snus, portion size, format, and nicotine strength. In the end, John Jaudon of Ohio USA's flavor suggestion, bourbon vanilla, won! In essence, this is me reviewing your snus, because this was created through your suggestions. The flavor description for this snus says, "Snubie X Ministry of Snus has a gentle tobacco taste with genuine Kentucky bourbon and a smooth touch of vanilla." Each can weighs 16g and has 20 portions, for 0.8g portions. The nicotine strength is 12mg/g (1.2%), or 9.6mg/portion.

To get the bourbon flavor just right, we wanted to use an authentic Kentucky bourbon. We ended up choosing Makers 46, which came highly recommended amongst snusers and bourbon fans! This bourbon is made using fully matured Makers Mark. Then, seared French oak staves go into the barrel and it’s finished for 9 weeks. The result is a more complex bourbon flavor! It is said to have a very intense taste; a big crescendo of wood blending perfectly with deep, complex and rich notes of vanilla and caramel. You can definitely taste those flavors playing out in this snus.  I'm not a big bourbon drinker myself, but I think this one was the perfect bourbon to flavor this snus with.

I personally don't drink hard liquor, or bourbon, myself.  For those like myself who aren't bourbon drinkers, I offer a few suggestions.  First, Budweiser Reserve: Black Lager, which is a beer aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels.  Another suggestion is Gnarly Head's 1924 Double Black Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon, which is also aged in bourbon barrels.  I found them both to be good pairings with this snus, but I enjoyed the wine a little bit more.  The bold flavor worked well with the nature of the snus.

So, how's the snus? Well, I'm not a bourbon drinker, but I enjoyed it!  When you open the can, a present smell of bourbon greets you, with smooth hints of vanilla.  The portions are soft, plump, and comfortable under the lip.  The tobacco itself is quite soft, as well.  The flavor of bourbon is up front, and comes through pretty quickly.  It's rounded out by a really smooth vanilla flavor.  There's a mild tobacco taste in the background, as well.  As it matures, the vanilla and the bourbon work quite well together.  The nicotine strength feels to be about the regular strength level, and I find the flavor lasts around an hour on average.  I'm really impressed with how this turned out, and I think the snus community came up with a great taste!

Now, where can you get it? When can you get it? It should got on sale within the next few days. US consumers - you can buy it from SnusCENTRAL.com. If you're in Sweden, you can buy it from SnusBolaget.se. Also, the MinistryOfSnus.com e-store will have it available to Sweden, as well!  I really enjoyed making this one, and I hope you all enjoy this snus!  Hopefully, this will lead to more collaborations and more unique flavors with Ministry of Snus in the future!