Over the past year, I've been getting Snubie back to basics - focusing on more tobacco products and less non-tobacco products. That means diving into the world of American moist snuff, or, dip. Granted, I'm a snus guy, and I don't really use dip, but I love tobacco and it's fine to try new things. Today, we're talking about a USST product: Skoal Original Fine Cut. One of the donors to the
Snubie Fundraising Campaign asked for this, and I like giving back to those who help support us! Skoal, as a brand, goes all the way back to 1934. This was an original product, in fact many I know call it "Skoal OG", because it's a classic. The
product description for this one says, "
Fine-grain tobacco. A hint of wintergreen. Our best-selling dip was the first wintergreen product in 1934 – and has been sliding into back pockets ever since". Each can weighs in at the standard 1.2 oz, or 34.02 grams. The nicotine content I've found online puts this one around 13.3mg/g. The side of the can says that this one contains 100% American tobacco.
When you open the can, that unmistakable aroma of American wintergreen greets you. I pick up subtle notes of wood along with a gentle tobacco base and some smokiness. When it comes to loose tobacco, I'm more partial to loose snus, or long cut/single cut. I find fine cut to be a little more challenging to work with. It's not impossible, just not easy. The tobacco itself has a solid amount of moisture to it, and a pretty quick flavor release once you finagle it into your lip. In the flavor profile, it's a classic, traditional, straight up taste of wintergreen. It's pretty well balanced though, it's not as in your face as others I've had. I find it balanced well with an earthy tobacco base, some smokiness, and some slight wood notes. In terms of strength, it delivers at or around the regular level, and the flavor kicks around for about 45-50 minutes, on average.
Rating and Final Thoughts
I always want to remind the audience that I'm not a big wintergreen user. So, you have to keep that in mind when you look at my personal rating. I rated this one at 3.38/5. For me, this isn't a product for me. I find fine cut hard to work with, and I'm not a big fan of wintergreen. But, looking at it objectively, I think fine cut dippers would enjoy it. I find the flavor to be pretty well balanced for a wintergreen product, with a great tasting tobacco base that pairs well with the wintergreen. While I wouldn't personally use this, I think folks who like wintergreen and are experienced with fine cut would enjoy it.
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.
40 years ago it was better
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