Göteborgs Prima Fint

Known as one of the oldest snus brands still in production today, Goteborg's Prima Fint is a brand of premium snus with a long and storied history dating back over two hundred years. The brand can trace its origins to Gothenburg, Sweden, sometime in the Nineteenth Century when the entrepreneur Eric Mellgren started a factory producing different varieties of snus. Mellgren’s tasty creations soon became highly popular within Gothenburg, and with a little help from his son Johan, the senior Mellgren soon built his company into a powerhouse which produced over 150,000KG of snus in 1902. However, due to the outbreak of World War I, the Swedish government in 1915 voted to nationalize all forms of tobacco production, and as a result Mellgren’s enterprise fell under control of the newly formed government corporation known as Swedish Match (which would become privatized in later years). Using one of Mellgren’s recipes as a starting point, Prima Fint was formally launched in 1919 by Swedish Match under the name ‘Goteborg’s Prima Fint no. 930’ (no. 930 may refer to one of Mellgren’s recipes but was subsequently dropped from the name), and it soon became one of the company’s flagship brands known for its great tobacco taste. Available strictly in loose form, Prima Fint contains finely ground tobacco of the highest quality, and the brand has undergone very minor alterations since its introduction nearly one hundred years ago (even the can’s design has mostly remained the same!).

A Taste Of Pure Tobacco

What distinguishes Goteborg’s Prima Fint from the majority of snus brands in existence is that it contains only tobacco leaves and no stems, extra flavorings, or additives. Between ten to thirty different grades of tobacco are selected, blended, and pasteurized by experts at Swedish Match. The result leaves Prima Fint with a smooth flavor of mild tobacco, which can subsequently be split into several distinct categories. In my experience, the two most detectable flavors within Prima Fint are earthy tobacco and hints of sweet grasslands. Several other subtle tobbacco flavors are also at play, but they tend to be more nuanced and subjective. As time progresses, Prima Fint’s mild tobacco taste becomes less sweet and increasingly mellow until only a slight hint of tobacco (and some salt) is present.

Quality Every Step Of The Way

Like the rest Swedish Match’s offerings, Goteborg’s Prima Fint is manufactured in adherence to company’s strict quality control standards (knowns collectively as Gothiatek). The Gothiatek process ensures that each can of Prima Fint is treated with the same care and hygiene as if it were a food product. This rigorous attention to detail ensures that every can of Prima Fint is manufactured to the highest possible standard, and when combined with the use of high quality tobacco it becomes clear to see why Goteborg’s Prima Fint continues to remain a fan favorite to this day.