Blågul Bergaott - Portion & Kram (Los) - Reviews (Discontinued). 10 January 2017.

NOTE:  This product was made by a small company and does not appear to be produced anymore.

From time to time, we review products that are "off label"/"off brand" products made by smaller producers. Blågul is an example of that. Now, these are not the same as the Blågul Snus I reviewed several years ago. These products are made by a small, local producer in Sweden and sold exclusively by SnusHof.com to Switzerland. Though, they do say they are looking to expand. When I spoke with the people at SnusHof, they told me a little more background about this product. First, “Blå gul” means “blue yellow”. This snus is produced by a small Turkish/Swedish family in Göteborg. The snus is picked up personally by SnusHof from the small factory in Västra Frölunda. They pride themsleves on supporting a local manufacturer and are their only supplier worldwide. The people behind SnusHof always bought snus from their store, so they wanted to team up and help sell the snus they produced. The snus is strongly flavored, but they keep the nicotine low so that it doesn’t burn too much and you get the “full flavor”. The entire production process is done by hand operated machines. They say it is a really good snus with a really cheap price. I was also told that the snus is fermented, not pasteurized. Fermented snus has more TSNAs than pasteurized snus, but without seeing any exact numbers I can’t speak to the relative safety compared to other snus products. Basically, pasteurized snus is safer than fermented snus, and fermented snus is safer than American “dip”/moist snuff.

Blågul Bergamott (Portion) has a description that says: "The popular taste of Bergamotte - clearly perceptible.” This snus can has a weight of 18 grams and contains 22 portions (0.8 gram portions).  This snus is also quite cheap, it's around 1,20 Euro which is about 1.25 USD.  So if you're a budget conscious snuser, this may be a way to save a few bucks!

When you open the can you'll notice the portions are quite moist. They feel a little light in weight, just a little less than a gram going by feel. The aroma is a light, present sweetness, a touch of citrus and a heavy black pepper presence. That perfumey type aroma I notice with the other Blågul products is present with this one, as well. The taste begins with citrus, black pepper and a light sweetness. The longer you have it in, however, the more the flavor calms down and settles into a mild tobacco taste, a light citrus taste, a heavy black pepper taste and a light touch of sweetness. It’s very unique in terms of taste. I'm not sure of the nicotine content, but if I had to guess I'd say it feels like it's between 8mg/g and 12mg/g.

Blågul Bergamott (Kram) has a description that says: "The popular taste of Bergamotte - clearly perceptible.” This snus can has a weight of 37 grams. This snus is also quite cheap, it's around 1,20 Euro which is about 1.25 USD. So if you're a budget conscious snuser, this may be a way to save a few bucks!  Even though this is a los product, it is called "kram".  That was a new term for me!

When it comes to the los version, there is a pretty solid amount of moisture to it. The grind isn't the easiest to handbake so I used a tool with this one, but once I packed a prilla it stayed together really well. When you open the can, the aroma that comes across is a present earthy tobacco smell and a mild citrus presence. The perfumey smell and sweetness seem to be dialed back in the aroma. The taste is a present taste of earthy tobacco, a mild touch of citrus, a little sweetness, a little pepper, and a light touch of smoke. I found this one to be a little more enjoyable in terms of taste, and I like the predominant tobacco taste with the citrus serving as a compliment. I noticed the heavy black pepper taste that I picked up in the portion version to be more dialed back in this loose version. Much like with the portion version, if I had to guess the nicotine strength I'd put it somewhere between 8mg/g and 12mg/g.

If you're looking to save a few bucks and you're able to order from SnusHof.com this one isn't too bad.  The traditional Swedish Snus flavor of bergamot is very popular, so it makes sense that the Blågul line would contain one.  I enjoyed the los more than the portion, but both are decent.  I'm a General guy, so granted I have my favorite brand.  But, if I found myself in a pinch and needed a cheaper, budget alternative, I would give this one a shot.

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