Skoal Berry (American Moist Snuff/Dip) Pouches - Review. 3 October 2021.

In the world of American moist snuff/dip, there's one product I see that has a pretty bad rap:  Skoal Berry.  Spoiler, it's actually not that bad.  Skoal is a product of USST (owned by Altria).  Skoal is pretty popular, having around 15% of the US market, making it the #2 dip brand.  The name is a derivative of "Skål", which is a Scandinavian toast.  It's fitting, because dip actually evolved out of Swedish immigrants bringing Swedish Snus to the US in the 1800's.  Skoal is a newer one, introduced in 1934.  Skoal Berry Long Cut was introduced in 2002, and Skoal Berry Pouches came a year later, in 2003.  The flavor description for this one says, "Kick it like summer any time of the year with our signature blend of Skoal® tobacco and berry flavor".  The can weighs 0.82oz (23.25g) and has 15 pouches, weighing 1.55g each.  These pouches are a little bigger than the average snus pouch!  The nicotine content I've found online (from the most recent lab results), puts Skoal between 12.8mg/g and 13.4mg/g.

When you open the can, a berry aroma comes through along with an earthy tobacco base.  I pick up hints of hickory, and tones of smoke.  The berry is kind of like a mix of grape and raspberry.  They're not too artificial in the aroma or the flavor, which is nice.  The portions are super plump, and fill out the lip really well.  They're not super moist.  Since the pouches are a little dryer, the flavor builds a little slowly, but as they get more moist the flavor gets more present.  In the flavor, the berry taste comes through clearly.  It's not overly sweet, and reminds me of a mix of grape and raspberry.  It's slightly smoky, and has hints of hickory in the background.  In terms of strength, it feels to be about regular strength, and the flavor lasts about 45-50 minutes, on average.

Rating and Final Thoughts

This one gets a bad rap, but it's honestly not that bad.  I think it's just part of the American male psyche, that anything "fruity" or "berry" isn't manly, thus isn't good.  But, it's not that bad.  The berry pairs well with the tobacco base, and the hickory/wood notes add a little backbone to it that works out pretty well.  I rated this one at 3.17/5.  Not my highest rated product, mind you, but also not my lowest.  It does make me curious to try out the long cut version, so I may have to grab a can of that one before too long to check out.

Disclaimer:  I'm still a snus guy.  If you're looking to switch from smoking to a safer form of smokeless tobacco, I still encourage Swedish Snus being that option.  In my opinion, Swedish Snus is the most enjoyable, safest oral smokeless tobacco product available.  Dip is a fun excursion from time to time, but I still encourage snus usage over dip usage.  If you want to learn more about Swedish Snus, you can check out our Snus FAQ here, or this informative video about snus, here.