First off - a big thank you to our reader Morris in Israel who sent us these products for review. So a big thank you to him for doing that. We've been getting products from around the world lately for review, so I appreciate our readers helping us acquire products in other markets. The second thing I want to stress is that this is not the fake Marlboro "Snus" sold in America. This is real Swedish Snus made by Swedish Match using the GothiaTek standard that is common of all their other products. When it comes to this product - prior to this being sent to me, I knew that Swedish Match was testing the Marlboro brand in Israel, but I hadn't heard much beyond that. To be honest, Swedish Match couldn't disclose any information to me about it, and the Marlboro Snus website in Israel is blocked for people outside of Israel. Legal issues tend to keep information about certain markets restricted to those markets.
Morris was able to give me a little background on what he had seen in regards to this brand. He told me that Marlboro started as 0.5g mini portions until about a month ago when it was upgraded to the long/slim portion format. The taste profile hasn't changed, just the portion size. Each can sells for 20 shekels including tax. They do not offer coupons or promotions, and they don't discount bulk purchases in rolls. He even mentioned that he called PMI Israel and emailed Swedish Match but couldn't get any further information. The Hebrew and Arabic warning labels on the can have nothing to do with snus, only warnings about the dangers of smoking. Also, until recently, they were sold in the chillers. After the upgrade to the long/slim portion, they've stopped doing that and now they're in special stands by the register for higher visibility/self service. Also, the snus is certified as Kosher by a rabbi in Sweden, which is printed on the bottom of the can.
I don't have access to flavor descriptions for these, so I'm going to have to rely on my keen sense of smell and taste to evaluate the flavors of these snus products.
When you open a can of Marlboro Snus Mint, you'll notice the portions are in the Swedish Match star formation, which is common of most white portion format snus products from Swedish Match. The aroma is a mild blend of natural mint and peppermint, tobacco, and a hint of chocolate. The chocolate could be in the flavor, or it could be a nuance that comes out of the tobacco, like with Ettan Snus. When it comes to the flavor, it reminds me a lot of General Snus Titanium Ice which is sold in Canada. The flavor is a mild taste of natural mint and peppermint with a mellow tobacco flavor in the background and a hint of chocolate. This snus has a gentle cooling sensation that comes on when you put the portion in your lip - which could be attributed to an inclusion of eucalyptus in the recipe. It's a pretty interesting flavor as far as mint snus goes, if I had access to it locally I would definitely buy more of it.
When you open a can of Marlboro Snus Original, you'll notice the portions are also in the star formation which is common of most Swedish Match white portion snus products. They are also the long/slim format. The aroma of this one is really interesting and quite complex! There is an earthy and natural smell of tobacco, some notes of dried fruit and a nutty aroma. It smells a little like Roda Lacket but with the fruit aroma dialed down and the tobacco aroma dialed up. The taste is very tobacco centric - there is a very earthy taste of tobacco, a slight nuttiness and a little hint of caramel. I still pick up a small taste in the background that reminds me of the dried fruit flavor in Roda Lacket. It's a very interesting and complex snus and there's a lot going on with the flavor. I enjoy Roda Lacket and tobacco centric snus products - and this one seems like a hybrid of those two types of snus. It's one I would definitely buy again if I had access to it.
Over the past six years of reviewing snus, I've encountered some pretty interesting snus names. But this one takes the cake. Using the word "flavor" to describe the flavor. That's a new one for me! When you open a can of this one you'll notice the portions are black portions. Black portions are simply white portions which come in a different color. These portions also come in the Swedish Match star formation. When you open a can of Flavor, the aroma that comes through is a very distinct dark and earthy tobacco aroma. There is a slightly nutty smell that comes through as well as a little hint of wood. This one has a very bold aroma. The taste is very tobacco centric. It reminds me of Grov Original Portion - a rich tobacco flavor with a little pepper spice in the background. There is a mild nutty taste in the background which mixes really well with the tobacco flavor. As with Marlboro Snus Original, if I had access to this one I would definitely buy more of it.
If you're a snus user in Israel, I would definitely check these out. All three of these have a great taste and great quality. As far as nicotine strength goes, they all feel like regular 8mg/g nicotine - so about as strong as a regular snus product. Swedish Match did a great job with these - Swedish Match quality with the strong Marlboro brand name.
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