Copenhagen Spitfree Pouches - Review. 10 May 2024.

Back in March, I wrote an article previewing a new product from USST called "Copenhagen Spit-free".  When I first heard about this product, I got excited.  Could this be a return of 2014's awesome Copenhagen Snus?  Reading into what we knew about it, I developed a hypothesis:  that this would be simply Skoal Snus in a new can.  Now, the day has come, we get to test it.  Thanks to my friend Jack, I have Copenhagen Spitfree in hand, and today we're going to test it out and see what it's all about.  Is it dip?  Is it snus?  Well, from what we've been told, it is a US "snus", but the name snus was dropped from it so as to make it more approachable and to reach a wider audience.  So, what exactly is in the cans?

What's in the can?

The side of the can notes that this product contains 100% US tobacco.  According to USST customer service, the tobaccos inside are a "blend dark-fire and air cured tobaccos".  Since this is called a "spit free product", I'm assuming it isn't much fire cured tobacco, as fermented tobacco isn't safe to swallow.  I imagine it's a share of it along with mostly pasteurized / air cured tobacco.  One quick note is that on the can the shelf life / best by date is a year out.  So when you buy a can of this stuff, it has a one year shelf life.

  

What about the pouches?

Opening this can up, the pouches look identical to Skoal Snus, another USST product.  Each can weighs 0.58oz (16.5 grams) and has 15 pouches, weighing 1.1 grams each.  Note, this is the exact same can content as Skoal Snus.  It isn’t quite as heavy as regular Copenhagen Pouches, which weigh 1.55 grams each.  Compared to other snus products, these pouches are quite large.  They are very soft to the touch, with a semi-moist/semi-dry tobacco inside the pouch.  In regard to the nicotine strength, we don't know.  US companies aren't as transparent as Swedish Snus manufacturers, so we have no information about how it's made, or what the nicotine strengths are.

Copenhagen Spitfree Pouches:  Green Mint

The Review

Opening the can, the aroma that comes through is a very, very, very sweet aroma of spearmint.  I don't pick up much tobacco presence, just a mellow, incredibly sweet spearmint smell.  The pouches are quite large, but feel pretty soft in the lip and against the gum.  I encounter a gentle cooling sensation when I put it under my lip.  In the flavor profile, the spearmint taste is mellow, and gentle.  It is also incredibly sweet.  In the nicotine department, it feels to be about the regular strength level, maybe a little below.  If I had to guess I'd say 6-8mg.  The flavor longevity goes about 40-45 minutes on average, slightly shorter than a Swedish Snus white portion.  Flavorless, though, this one tastes identical to Skoal "Snus" Smooth Mint.  Another note, I don't really smell or taste any tobacco presence in this one, it's masked by the super sweet mint presence.

Copenhagen Spitfree Pouches:  Blue Mint

The Review

While the last one was spearmint, this one is more of a peppermint.  This one has a sharp, icy aroma of peppermint.  Like the last one, I don't notice much tobacco presence, but I do notice that it is incredibly sweet in the smell.  The pouch is plump, soft, and yields a cooling presence when you put it under the lip.  Flavor-wise, this one is a peppermint taste, which comes through in a sharp, icy, present way.  Again, it is overly sweet, and I don't really taste any tobacco presence.  The flavor lasts the same as the last one, about 40-45 minutes.  The nicotine strength also feels about the same, if I had to guess I'd say 6-8mg.  This one tastes identical to Skoal Snus Mint.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Okay, so wrapping up, final thoughts.  First, I'm incredibly bummed this isn't a relaunch of the old Copenhagen Snus.  That was the best US snus product I ever encountered.  So, what is this stuff?  Is it a dip?  Is it a snus?  I'll tell you.  It is, quite simply, Skoal Snus rebranded and put into a Copenhagen Spitfree can.  There are no differences other than the can design.  This is Skoal Snus.  I rated Green Mint at 3/5, and Blue Mint at 2.83/5.  Honestly, the 5/5 can design is what brought the average up so high.  Flavor wise, both of these are way, way, way too sweet.  The cans are cool, but everything else I could pass on.  I'll stick to Swedish Snus.  

But hey, USST, if you're reading this, bring back 2014's Copenhagen Snus.  It was way better than this stuff, and I bet a lot more people would buy it!

Check out our in depth video review: