Portion Snus

Portion Snus

Portion snus is a pre-portioned, mess and hassle-free solution to oral tobacco use. The format first emerged in Sweden in the 1970s when it took the world by storm and changed how we snus today. Portions vary in size, color and moisture, which shape the experience in terms of the nicotine delivery, flavor, mouthfeel and ability for the user to be discreet. Popular options include original, white and mini, but there are many other types to explore. These products are available with strengths of 7.5 mg/g to 43 mg/g and in countless flavors, from traditional tastes like robust tobacco to mouth-numbing menthol and even cola! To learn more about this category and find the perfect portion for you, read on.

Portion Snus Explained - A Simple Guide to Size and Format

Portion snus is perhaps the most complex snus format, simply because there are so many options. However, once you get to grips with what each type offers, making your choice will become much less confusing. The two main features are size and format, which will be explained.

Firstly, we have portion size, which refers to how small or large the snus is in width, height and length, and how much it weighs. There are four sizes, which include large, slim, super-slim and mini - below is an explanation of each:

  • Large - The classic portion size, which weighs up to 1.1 grams. The increased surface area enables effective flavor and nicotine release for a rich taste and satisfying buzz. The portion may be visible under the lip, which can make hiding your use tricky. Typical large products include Ettan Original and Jakobssons Melon.
  • Slim - The same size as large but thinner because of its lower weight, typically between 0.7 to 0.9 grams, hence the name 'slim'. The flavor and nicotine release is slightly slower but lasts longer, and discreet use is made easy. A popular slim snus is XRANGE Göteborgs Rapé Slim.
  • Super-slim - Offers a similar nicotine and flavor experience as slim whilst being more discreet. The contents weigh roughly 0.5 grams, depending on the brand, and hiding your use is always trouble-free. Fewer brands offer super-slim snus, the main one is Skruf snus.
  • Mini - The smallest of the bunch that weighs around 0.3 grams. The experience is less immersive than the other sizes, but this gets traded for ultra-discreet use suitable for any setting and situation, without fear of others noticing. Mini is a very popular snus option, so many big brands offer it, like Al Capone with their Al Capone Coffee mini portion.

The second feature is portion format, which is slightly more complicated than size. Essentially, format refers to the form of the snus. When we talk about snus format in general, there are two types - portion and loose. However, in terms of portion format, there are three types - original, white and all-white, which all vary in moisture and color and provide different snus flavor and nicotine experiences, as outlined below:

  • Original portion such as Grovsnus Strong has a high moisture content with a damp surface which causes an immediate onset of nicotine and flavor lasting for up to 45 minutes. You can expect a rich taste, dark brown color and high 'drip', referring to tobacco juices leaching out of the pouch throughout use.
  • White portion snus like Granit White is unmoistened and, as a result, much drier than original. The low moisture content means that you will experience less drip and the color of the portion is whiter. The nicotine and flavor onset is also slower, but because of this, it is longer-lasting.
  • All-white portion often gets confused with tobacco-free nicotine pouches because of the completely white color. There is still tobacco, but in an all-white snus it is included in lesser amounts than other formats and is washed, refined and combined with cellulose, rendering the portions white, which will not cause stained teeth. The nicotine and flavor get released very quickly as the portions are moist.

When Was This Format Invented?

Snus has been around for centuries, since the 1600s, to be precise. Portion snus, however, is a more recent invention. When snus first emerged, it was only available in loose form, which is very different to portion, being ground tobacco that the user forms into a small portion, or 'prilla', before use. It was not until the 1970s that we saw the innovation of tobacco packaged in a pouch. Swedish Match, a prestigious Swedish manufacturer, pioneered the portion concept and released the world's first portion snus - in 1977. The idea was born out of consumer demand for a more convenient and accessible product and did not take long to become one of the most common ways to use smokeless tobacco.

What Is the Best Portion Snus?

You can buy many varieties of portion snus online. These products come in classic snus flavors like robust, earthy tobacco, and also those that are more contemporary such as mint and fruit. You can find portion snus nicotine strengths that range from regular to extra strong. The vast selection of products can make it difficult to know which are good or not, unless you try them all, of course! A great way to find out which are the best is to know which are the most popular. The top 3 best selling portion snus products are:

  1. General Mint White - A regular strength (8 mg/g) white portion that is one of the world's most popular mint snus. It has a refreshing, cooling and sweet peppermint flavor with a balanced tobacco taste in the background.
  2. Oden's Cold Extreme White Dry - An extra strong (22 mg/g) white portion snus with a lower moisture content than the average white. It is incredibly well-liked for its potent spearmint and tobacco flavor that provides a cooling sensation under the lip.
  3. Siberia -80 Degrees Dry - Is the strongest snus in Sweden at 43 mg/g with a biting mint and dark tobacco flavor. The portions are white and dryer than average for low drip, but the onset of nicotine is immediate, which is a feature that makes this product so popular.

As you can see, white portion is a firm favorite amongst users around the globe, which is most likely because of the low drip and extended release. Which products you will consider the best is an individual matter and will come from experimenting with the different Swedish snus brands available online. Now that you know all about portion snus, it is time to try some!

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