General x Hernö Gin (Old Tim Gin) White Portion - Review. 8 October 2022.

Swedish Match has done another collaboration with Hernö Gin, a gin producer in Sweden that has been crowned, multiple-times, as the world's best gin!  If the name is familiar, this is now their third product released in collaboration with Hernö.  They originally released a General Kardus Lössnus back in March of 2017 that was flavored with Hernö Gin.  They followed that one up with a portion version of General Hernö Gin in November of 2017.  Now, they're back again with General Old Tom Gin!  I'm not a big gin drinker, so I had to go to Wikipedia for more info.  Apparently, it's a gin recipe going back to the 18th century and is said to be "slightly sweeter than London Dry, but slightly drier than the Dutch Jenever".  Hernö's website describes their Old Tom Gin by saying "Hernö Old Tom Gin is made from the same distilled gin as Hernö Gin, but with an extra amount of Meadowsweet added in the distillation and after diluting it down to 43% we add a touch of sugar. The sweetening lifts the floral notes, releases an array of juniper and makes the gin even smoother".

As far as this snus goes, the flavor description says, "General Old Tom Gin is a flavor fusion between General and Hernö Old Tom Gin. The result is a snus with a light tobacco character with clear hints of juniper and citrus peel as well as a hint of juniper, fir shoots, green herbs and white flowers".  Each can weighs in at 24 grams and has 24 portions, for 1 gram each.  The nicotine content is 8mg/g (0.8%), or 8mg/portion.

Opening the can, you'll notice the portions come in the "One" style portions.  As I like to call them, spider-web portions.  It's a thin weaving, which allows a quicker flavor release.  In the aroma, this one reminded me a lot of the last gin-snus they made.  Juniper is a heavy hitter and comes through in a major way, backed by some tart citrus, and some slight herbal tones.  The portions are incredible.  I always remark that these are some of the best in the business.  Very comfortable, soft, and with a quick release of flavor.  In the flavor profile, it reminds me, again, of the last time I had a General Hernö Gin product.  The juniper flavor is quite heavy in the mix, and is the star of the show.  There is an element of citrus that comes through, and is more on the tart side.  I notice an herbal character, along with a very light floral presence.  It tastes a lot like GR, but with more juniper, and not as well balanced.  The nicotine strength is great, delivering right at the regular strength level.  The flavor hangs out a good hour, sometimes a little more!

Rating and Final Thoughts

I rated this one at 3.5/5.  I want to mention, I'm not a big gin drinker, I never have been.  But tasting the snus objectively I would put it a little over average.  Don't get me wrong, it's not bad.  And it has great quality to it.  It's just not a flavor I personally enjoy.  It reminds me of GR, which is a snus I love, but this one has a lot more juniper to it.  I like GR because of how well balanced it is, and this one doesn't seem to have that.  However, that being said, if you're a gin drinker, you'll probably love this snus.  It's got great quality, a lot of flavor, incredible portions, a comfortable nicotine release, and a long lasting flavor profile. All of those elements add up to a pretty great snus experience, even if it's not a snus I personally enjoy.

This product available at SnusDirect.com for a limited time!