With how popular nicotine pouches are these days, I realized that a lot of folks may not be familiar with Epok, which is the true originator of the "all white" category. Epok originally launched back in 2015 with white tobacco, but would eventually devolve into Lyft as nicotine pouches became more popular. However, you can still find it in a small number of countries such as Poland, Switzerland (though they're changing over to Lyft), and Norway, which is where the one we're talking about today comes from. Meet Epok Crispy Red Intense S4! I have a new friend in Norway who was able to grab this one for me from
Snus365.no (a store with a huge Epok selection), so thanks to him for that! The
flavor description for this one says, "
A taste of apple". Each can weighs 16.8g and has 24 portions, for 0.7g portions. The nicotine content is 14mg/g (1.4%), or 9.8mg/portion.
If this one sound familiar, it's a flavor we've seen in the Lyft series before. In late 2020, there was a limited edition Lyft line called
Lyft Lab 2/Kissed By Fire. That release had a ginger flavor in it which would go on to be released in Denmark shortly thereafter as
Lyft Tokyo Zing. It would eventually go on to other markets, as well.
Here's a look at an Epok pouch cut open, and the material inside. It looks like regular brown snus, except it's completely white. This is how the production of white tobacco is described: "Before the treatment, the carefully selected brown tobacco is prepared. In the next step tobacco is treated through a washing process in order to obtain white tobacco. This process lasts until the brown tobacco is completely cleaned into white tobacco. When the tobacco has its all white color, it’s refined with different and fresh flavors." So, while it may look similar to a nicotine pouch, it's different, as nicotine pouches contain plant fiber instead of tobacco, and Epok contains actual white tobacco.
It's been a while since I've had the Lyft version of this one, but this version is pretty similar to what I recall that one tasting like. When you open the can, ginger comes through pretty clearly in the aroma. I pick up a little sweetness to it, a slight earthiness, and a subtle hint of lemon. The portions are slim, pretty soft to the touch, and semi-moist. They have a good fit in the lip and feel pretty comfortable, as well. They also have a little warming sensation under the lip, perhaps from the ginger. In the flavor, I pick up ginger pretty clearly. It's the heavy hitter in the flavor profile. There is a subtle hint of lemon, but the ginger stays pretty heavy in the taste. The nicotine strength on this one feels to be about the strong level, and the flavor lasts about 45-50 minutes.
Rating and Final Thoughts
I love ginger, don't get me wrong. When I have sushi, it's something I enjoy (along with some wasabi, of course). But, it's not something I particularly want in a snus. I rated this one at 3/5, which does put it above average, but it's not a product for me personally. However, if you're a fan of ginger (and you happen to be in Norway), head over to Snus365.no and grab yourself some. It's pretty tasty, just not something I'd add to my personal catalog of products.
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