Expert Reviews

Berries. Mint. Put them together, add in an extra strong nicotine kick, and what do you get? Thunder Dark Frost. Thunder has always been known for high strength snus, but now they’re setting out to bring that reputation to the world of nicotine pouches. Thunder has also always had a reputation for some of the best mint flavored snus products on the market, so it’s no surprise that their new nicotine pouch line will also have invigorating mint blends across a wide variety of flavor profiles. Blending mint, menthol, and berries isn’t a common flavor, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you experience Dark Frost. So, why don’t we dive on in and check out this product?

In this review, we're going to be talking about Velo Mint, formerly known as Lyft Mint. You'll notice in this photo that the can says Lyft Mint, but over the past year, BAT has been gradually shifting the Lyft brand over to Velo with a rebranding. Lyft launched in 2018, and has become one of the most popular, well known lines of nicotine pouches out there. And, with good cause, because this line delivers one of the highest quality experiences you can get with an all white product.

When I first started using snus back in the day, the strongest snus you could get was the “Extra Stark” level, which was usually 16-17mg/g or so. This stayed the same for many years, until GN Tobacco launched Oden’s Extreme in 2011. That would raise the ceiling to 22mg/g as the strongest nicotine level on the market. However, GN Tobacco wasn’t satisfied, and felt like they needle to move the needle a little bit further, which would happen in 2015 with the launch of Siberia. Siberia is one of the strongest, and most popular products on the market today, and their “Red” variant is the flagship of the Siberia family, which has now grown to include non-mint products like Siberia Black, which has a tobacco flavor profile. Today we will look at a slim version of the Red variant - Siberia -80 Degrees Slim White Dry.

In 2019, GN Tobacco launched the White Fox nicotine pouches line. Over the past several years, every manufacturer has been getting into this new tobacco-free, all white category, but it’s been interesting to see which ones consumers have gravitated towards, and which ones have become more popular. White Fox is one that has grown in popularity, and has become a fan favorite amongst consumers. This is an interesting one, because it is one of very, very few nicotine pouches that comes in the full size format and not the slim format. It makes this one stand apart from others.

When it comes to mint products, there is one that truly stands out when compared to others on the market: General Mint (White Portion)! In fact, for many in the United States, this is their first taste of true, authentic Swedish Snus! General Mint originally launched in 2010, and was a game changer for the snus world. It brought a Swedish-quality mint snus to the US market. Now, years later, it has proven the test of time and remained a popular option for those looking to break into Swedish Snus, but also for those who are long-term users looking for a product with a fresh mint flavor.

The Lyft nicotine pouches line launched back in 2018, and grew to become the most popular, well known line of nicotine pouches on the market. Over the past year or so, BAT has been transitioning Lyft to Velo, so if you see “Velo”, just know that’s the same product as Lyft. Nothing has changed about the product quality, it has simply been rebranded. Lyft Freeze (now Velo Freeze) launched back in 2019, and is one of the stronger products in the Lyft/Velo family. It is incredibly popular due to it’s fresh flavor, and high nicotine strength.

The Lyft nicotine pouches line launched back in 2018 and still is one of the more high quality lines on the market today. Over the past year, BAT has been rebranding Lyft as Velo, so when you see this product don’t fret! Velo is the same as Lyft, but with a new name. Same product, same high quality, just different name on the can. This one launched just last year in 2021 as Lyft Easy Mint Mini, but is now known as Velo Easy Mint Mini. Again, same product, but different name on the can.

To preface this review, this is Lyft Ice Cool rebranded as Velo Ice Cool. The Lyft nicotine pouches line launched in 2018, but over the past year BAT has gradually been transitioning Lyft to Velo. If you liked Lyft, you’ll enjoy Velo, because it's the same product line, but with a new name. Don’t let the new name fool you, nothing else has changed, and the same high quality you experienced with Lyft, you’ll also enjoy with Velo. In this review, we’ll talk about Velo Ice Cool. This one originally launched as Lyft Ice Cool in 2018, and is one of the most popular members of the Lyft/Velo family!

General Original Portion: When it comes to the classic, traditional taste of Swedish Snus, it doesn’t get any better. General Snus is the trend-setter for the classic taste of bergamot and tobacco, and delivers an experience that is uniquely Swedish! Since 1866, General Snus has been the standard-bearer for what a traditional Swedish Snus should taste like, and this product is one of the best representations of that flavor. Well, second to General Loose, of course.

The summer is rolling around, which of course always means one thing: releases of limited edition, summer inspired flavors! Swedish Match is throwing their hat in the ring with this special release in the GR series: Göteborgs Rapé Fläderbris! This one with the bright, summer taste of elder! This one is said to contain elderberry and not elderflower, but keep in mind: both of these things do come from the same tree, so you will notice some similarities. But, if you’re going into this one expecting a clone of Gotlandssnus Green (for those “old school” folks like myself), you won’t find that here. But, more on that when we get into the review!