Today we are talking about Åreprillan - a new release from Gotlandssnus. I've been told that is exclusive to SnusBolaget.se, but hopefully that will change in the future - you never know. This is a release inspired by the Jämtland area around Åreskutan. Åreskutan is a well known mountain in Sweden and also features the largest ski resort area in Sweden. This product line was developed in collaboration between Gotlandssnus and entrepreneurs in Åre who have an interest in snus! This product is called Åreprillan (Humle and Ålgört), and if you're an American like me you're probably asking yourself what humle and älgört are.
Humle, of course, means hops. This was the exciting part for me, because IPA/hop flavored snus is something relatively new. In 2016, we saw Conny Andersson's
Mellgren's IPA (White Portion) and
Single Cut, which kicked things off in the beer flavor category. Later that year, we saw
Hope and Glory IPA (Original and White Portion), also by Conny Andersson. Later in 2016, we saw Swedish Match release the limited edition
Göteborg's Rapé Humle. So, we haven't seen many hop flavored snus products, but I'm glad to see it continue. Älgört was a new one for me. This one translates to "meadowsweet". Meadowsweet is an herb native to Europe and West Asia. It's an aromatic flower, and is often used to flavor wine, beer, and vinegar.
The
flavor description for this product says, "
Åreprillan IPA Portion has a clear and full-bodied taste of hops, with undertones of IPA as well as elements of meadowsweet from the Jämtland mountains." This product comes in a 20 gram can with 20 portions, for 1 gram portions. The nicotine content is 14mg/g (1.4%), or 14mg/portion.
Going into this one, I wanted to approach it from two ways. The product by itself, and the product paired with beer. Hope and Glory IPA Snus, for example, was good on it's own, and with beer. Göteborg's Rapé Humle wasn't the best on its own, but it was good with beer. I found this product to be enjoyable on its own, but even better when paired with a good IPA!
When you open the can, it smells very much like beer! The hop aroma is very present, and it's accompanied by a sweet, floral smell and a little herbal hint to it. The portions are moist, plump, and feel great in the lip. The flavor and nicotine both release quickly. The taste is a lot like the aroma. The taste of hops is very present, and is accompanied by a nice grassy/herbal flavor, as well. There's a mild tobacco character in the background, and then a sweet, floral presence that compliments the flavor of hops quite well. The flavor lasts a good amount of time, as well; I've found I can keep these in for up to 45 minutes on average. The nicotine strength feels firmly at that strong level and provides a nice kick to it!
Beer Pairings: I paired this with several beers this week and found it pairs best with an IPA - what a surprise! I tried a Double IPA, but found the beer overpowered the snus a bit much. However, it pairs great with an IPA. I found ones that are very citrusy work really well with this snus.
If you're a beer lover, this is definitely worth a try. Try it on its own, but also try and pair it with a beer as well!
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