Shiro Nicotine Pouches (2022 Relaunch) - Review. 20 February 2022.

Shiro is a line of nicotine pouches that was originally launched by AG Snus in Denmark back in 2019.  I've reviewed them all before, but recently saw these new designs on Snus24.com, so I bought some so I could do reviews of them.  I'm not sure if the old Shiro line is being scrapped and relaunched, or what the plan is, but I figured I'd go ahead and do reviews of these new ones.  If you're not familiar, "shiro" is the Japanese word for "white", at least that's what I've read online. There are four new products in this line:  01 Fresh Mint (Regular), 02 Cooling Mint (Strong), 03 Tingling Mint (Extra Strong), and 06 Sour Red Berry (Regular).  As far as commonalities go, each can weighs 12.6 grams and has 21 portions, for 0.6 grams each.  First, what do they have in common?  Let's go over that first, and then we can do the reviews and talk about where they differ (aroma, flavor, nicotine, etc).

Commonalities

Portions / Mouthfeel - The portion are slim, lighter in weight, and pretty soft.  They're semi-moist, and comfortable under the lip.

Flavor Longevity - They all tend to last between 40-45 minutes, on average.

Now that we've covered the commonalities, let's cover the differences.

Shiro 01 Fresh Mint

Flavor Description:  "Shiro # 01 Fresh Mint Slim delivers a balanced experience of spearmint that lasts a long time."

Nicotine Strength:  4.8mg/portion, according to the can, which would be 8mg/g in total.

Review:  This one has a peppermint aroma to it.  It's not a sharp peppermint, and is pretty fresh in nature.  In the flavor, it's a pretty smooth peppermint.  It's not super sharp, and is refreshing in nature.  The nicotine feels to be a little lighter than regular.

Shiro 02 Cooling Mint

Flavor Description:  "Shiro 02 Cooling Mint has an authentic taste of mint with cooling notes of menthol."

Nicotine Strength:  8.4mg/portion, according to the can, which would be 14mg/g in total.

Review:  This one has a sharper peppermint aroma than the last one, but it's not super in your face.  In the taste, it's a pretty refreshing flavor.  The peppermint is present, and lightly sweet.  In terms of strength, it feels to be about the regular strength level.

Shiro 03 Tingling Mint

Flavor Description:  "Shiro # 03 Tingling Mint Slim Extra Strong has a frosty and spicy mint taste that is rounded off with hints of evergreen."

Nicotine Strength:  9.3mg/portion, according to the can, which would be 15.5mg/g in total.

Review:  This one has a sweeter mint smell than the previous two.  It's a sharp, present aroma of mint.  There's almost a light herbal hint in the background.  In the flavor, it's pretty refreshing!  It's a sweet, fresh taste of mint.  Like the aroma, there's a slight herbal hint in the background, and a light spice to it.  In terms of strength, it feels just a little above regular.

Shiro 06 Sour Red Berry

Flavor Description:  "Shiro 06 Sour Red Berry has a fresh sour and sweet red berry taste."

Nicotine Strength:  4.8mg/portion, according to the can. which would be 8mg/g in total.

Review:  Yes, they did make one that isn't mint.  I know, they launched three different mint ones, so thankfully they made a non-mint one.  In the aroma, this one reminds me of a muted, not so sweet balance of raspberry and strawberry.  It's slightly tart, as well.  In the flavor, it's a mild, clean berry flavor.  It's slightly tart/sour, and not super sweet.  Like the aroma, it reminds me of a subtle, less-sweet mix of strawberry and raspberry.  In terms of strength, it feels to be just a little below regular strength.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Surprisingly, all these had the same rating for me, 3.08/5.  They varied based on aroma, flavor, and nicotine, but those numbers seemed to all average out at 3.08/5.  In terms of flavor, I think 06, 03, and 01 were the better ones, with 02 coming in right behind those.  While I don't use many nicotine pouches myself, I think people who enjoy this category might like these.  There's so, so, so many mint products on the market and it is a bit overkill at times, but I suppose if that's your cup of tea, you may enjoy these.

Shiro Nicotine Pouches are available from SnusDirect.com.