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Some love for Swedish Match

Written by Mick Hellwig Monday, 28 December 2009 18:21

Mick Hellwig on SnusCENTRAL.orgNot long ago someone commented that I didn't like Swedish Match products.  I was shocked.  Firstly because I love a bunch of Swedish Match tobacco products: Snus and Nasal Snuff both. Secondly because I thought he knew me better than that. A quick count of my Stash o' Snus gives me 18 cans of SM snus and 11 cans of V2, with a 2 each of Gotlands and F&L. (I did not count Mrs Mick's collection of minis.) I also did not realize I was that low on snus...time to give SnusCentral some money.

Swedish Match makes 3 of my top 5 snus brands, Tre Ankare, Ettan and Nick & Johnny Black.  They make really cool stuff like the Carbon Fiber snus can and available in the very near future the Bullet-Proof can.  They also make the real subject of this article:

General Tobacco Cuts & Roda Lacket Tobacco Cuts

Swedish Match Smokefree Tobacco Cuts. These are infamous in snus circles. Very few people, outside of certain test markets in Germany, Slovania,  and the Czech Republic have had the pleasure of trying them. I had one can of each smuggled out of Germany by a SnusCIA agent in a diplomatic pouch.  How I got said agent to cooperate is a long story in itself, but let's keep it short and just say it involved bribery, calling in some old favors and general sneakiness, with some underhanded blackmail to boot.

Swedish Match Tobacco Cuts are marketed with the General and Roda Lacket brand names. The flavors are not exactly identical to their snus cousins but close enough to carry those respected names proudly.  BasicallyGeneral Tobacco Cuts they are tightly rolled tobacco leaves  cut into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long and 1/4 inch thick, with some variation. Many of you may be familiar with a similar product called Oliver Twist,  so imagine 3-4 of those combined, but otherwise quite similar.  There are 16 pieces per can and the can is the same size as a normal mini portion can, used snus top and all.  Tobacco Cuts have all the advantages of lös snus and portions, with none of the weaknesses.

For me,  lös is a much purer flavor and as a throwback to my dipping and chewing days.  Tobacco is supposed to be naked, not wrapped up in a tea bag. On the other hand , portion snus has never degenerated into a "mudslide" plus I can move them around easily to extract more flavor or switch sides to give my lip a rest. Tobacco Cuts allow me to move the tobacco at will and play with them if needed, but will not disperse themselves in my mouth unexpectedly.

I have spent most of two months working my way through these two cans. I paced myself knowing I would not be able get more easily: at least not until I can come up with more blackmail photos.  I wanted to see what kind of longevity they had in the refrigerator.  I did use the General Tobacco cuts for a whole day at work just to test if there was enough nicotine to get me through.  I can't stick with one snus more than 8-10 hours so I didn't expect Tobacco Cuts to go for 24 hours.  SM says they have 15mg/gram of nicotine, but being rolled not all the nicotine is "free" or bio-available. Nicotine levels in these seem a tad higher than regular portions, but not to the level of Nick & Johnny Black.

I got through the day with no withdrawal, and more importantly no overdose either.  After 2 months of cold storage they are just as fresh and flavorful as they were day one. One more note on the flavors. As I said before the flavors are close to their namesakes, but I won't go much further than that knowing that everyone's tastes are a bit different. If you like the peppery/citrus flavor of General or the slightly fruity flavor of Roda Lacket you will like the respective Tobacco Cuts flavor. There does seem to be more tobacco flavor but considering they are just rolled tobacco leaves that is understandable.

To quote Joakim Blom of Swedish Match;" The tobacco cut product is a very small scale test product that is produced in extremely small volumes. If this product is evaluated to have a market potential we might be able to make it available online but at the moment unfortunately we can't make that happen.   The tobacco in Tobacco Cuts are purchased according to the same standards as the tobacco that we use for our snus. Though the TSNA level is around 3,4 PPM while our snus have levels between 0,5 and 1 PPM."

I'm not one to worry over-much about TNSA levels, within reason. 4 PPM is still quite low. The GothiaTek scale tops out at 5 PPM as acceptable for snus and tobacco cuts are not snus.  The latest tests I have seen show most American dip in the 10-50+ PPM range, with exceptions running into 3 digits, so Tobacco Cuts still rate as a Reduced Harm Product. Personally I feel that as long as I'm not burning it, it has to be better for you than cigarettes.

Roda Lacket Tobacco CutsI really want Tobacco Cuts to be brought to the larger snus market.  They are a great product and there is a small but vocal demand for them.  That may be partly because of "Forbidden Fruit Syndrome" but I feel there is some real desire for a product like Oliver Twist or Piccanell done to Swedish Match's standards and in a size that makes it worthwhile. I can keep a Tobacco Cut in for over 2 hours and still get flavor and nicotine, with no bitterness. Sure I need to squeeze or chew on it a bit sometimes, but that's part of the fun.

On a whim I decide to experiment with a couple of the General Tobacco Cuts. As you all know by now I enjoy nasal snuff. I am currently playing around with making my own out of various tobacco products. To answer before you ask, YES! I did dry and grind two pieces. ( Don't tell Mrs. Mick:  I used her favorite Mortar and Pestle.)  To answer the next question, it was horrible. My nose did not like something about this. The poor thing sneezed for about 5 minutes and then ran for half an hour. I must have used 15 or 20 tissues trying to get my sinus cleared out. I promised a friend to try it using the Roda Lacket, but I just haven't worked up the courage yet.

Unfortunately I only have about 3 pieces of each left. Until I dig up some more dirt on our intrepid SnusCIA agent or Swedish Match brings them to a larger market. OR if Markus and Joakim decide to send me any extra rolls of the stuff they can't send to former Iron Curtain countries. [Editor's Note:  U.S. Government Mandatory Disclosure Rules now force me to insert that Mick is making a blatant and transparent plea for Swedish Match to send him complementary rolls of General and RL Tobacco Cuts.  There's nothing wrong with that, but we have to make sure you pick up on it.  He wouldn't do it if he didn't really like the product, obviously, so his plea had no influence on his review.  Now back to the article...]

For those of you who skipped to the end this whole article can be summed up by three words, Swedish Match Tobacco Cuts ROCK! Tobacco Cuts could never replace snus for me. I can see them being part of my tobacco rotation. They would definitely make my "Top 15 " list, which translates to I'd buy more of them than I would Knox or Kronan.

Happy (and safe) New Years to everyone, May 2010 bring us all love, snus and be even better than 2009.

Mick Hellwig
WHAT I THINK at SnusCENTRAL.org

Founding Member; SnusCENTRAL.orgWe Are Now Required to Make This Disclosure

 

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13 Comments

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  1. feck makes this comment

    Tuesday, 29 December 2009

    Dang you Mick! Just when I go around thinking that I've pretty much tried everything I want to try, you have to go and confirm my suspicion that General and RL Tobacco Cuts are something I have to have. I never bothered ordering them because I thought they were the same micro size as Picanell or Oliver Twist, which just doesn't do anything for me. When someone clued me in on their actual size, I found that none of the shops overseas were willing to ship to the US (something about Visa and tobacco shipments... I don't know.)

    I'm actually salivating looking at the pics. Those little buggers look like they give off plenty of flavored smoky goodness.

    M&J- if you're reading this, hook a brother up! :-D

  2. Larry Waters makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    Great article, Mick and great pictures Julian! I do want to add a very important fact about Tobacco Cuts in case anyone does somehow smuggle them out of a test market.

    Tobacco Cuts share one thing in common with American Moist Snuff and Chewing Tobacco: unlike Swedish Snus, they are not pasteurized. Swedish Match does steam the leaves to make them pliable for rolling, but this is not pasteurization.

    As Mick states, TSNA (cancer causing compounds) are even within GothiaTek Snus TSNA levels...to start.

    Like dip and chew, the micro-organisms responsible for TSNA will continue to grow and the TSNA levels will increase. Unlike snus, I don't recommend stretching open cans of tobacco chews over several months.

    I admit to doing the same as Mick since I too was only able to obtain one can of each from a contact in the Czech Republic and wanted to stretch them out too.

    TSNA levels will increase in dip and chew to much higher levels since they are starting at much higher levels, so I'm going to finish off my open cans of Tobacco Cuts too.

    To put TSNA levels in perspective for you, remember the numbers Joakim and Mick mentioned. Then consider that an average cigarette fresh out of the pack has TSNA levels around 565 ppm!

    Thanks for the review, Mick. It's long overdue (my fault).

    TRIVIA:[/b] The General & RL Tobacco Cuts are produced at the Swedish Match factory in Arvika; not the Gothenburg or Kungälv Snus factories.

    [b]MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE:     The author of this comment did not receive complementary General or RL Tobacco Cuts from Swedish Match. The Arvika factory information did come from Swedish Match. I guess my arrest is imminent.

  3. chadizzy1 makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    I found ONE website that sold these online, however after completing my ordering and paying, I received both a refund and an email back saying that I couldn't have them shipped to the US. I was greatly dissapointed. Like this review/info, I have heard other things about them from people overseas who sing praises to the name of General Tobacco Cuts. A pure tobacco like that with all the great flavor of General/Roda. It just sounds like a great thing. I have been interested in these since I heard about them, and the more people I hear talk about them the more I want them.

    Larry, tell your contact to give me a shout. ;)

    [b]MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE #2{/b] The comment to the above comment did not receive complementary General or Roda Lacket Tobacco Cuts from Swedish Match. (but, wishes he did.)

    [b]MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE TO THE ABOVE COMMENT{/b] Permission was not given by the FDA/Uncle Sam/SS for the above comment to be made or to mention the word "tobacco" without attaching the required tagline "....will murder you in your sleep." My apologies.

    [b]MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE TO THE ABOVE COMMENT ABOUT THE MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE{/b] This comment being made via morse code from a maximum security cell in Folsom Prison. God bless America.

  4. Fury556 makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    I too have searched for these online but could not find them. I sure hope they are made available to the US in the near future. I would at least like to try some, but will wait patiently until that time

    Fury

  5. feck makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the "warning label" made me laugh out loud. Then I considered the legislation behind it, and I threw up in my mouth a little. :\

  6. Julls makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    Mick, thank you for this great article!

    @ Mick or Larry: Do you think/know if the Tobacco used for the Tabacco Cuts is the same exact type they (Swedish Match) use for snus, or do you think they source other types for the Tabacco Cuts? The quote from Joakim leads me to think yes, but I may be mis-understanding/reading.

    @ Mick and Larry: Would you say the nicotine delivery system of the Tobacco Cuts is equal to snus?

  7. Larry Waters makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 December 2009

    Hi Julls!

    No, I specifically asked SMAB about the tobacco. While the overall GothiaTek standards/quality control are the same in the cuts and snus, the tobacco used in the Cuts is not the identical tobacco used in General/RL snus.

    RE Nicotine, I found after a half-day of using each, I was craving nicotine. May just be that I like a lot of nicotine and most of the nicotine is bound in tobacco cuts.

    It is the same method i.e. absorption through the gum/lip but with snus being ground, I felt the cuts did not release their nicotine as quickly. Mick may disagree.

    [b]MANDATORY GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE:[/b] Yes, Mr. Government Man, I did speak with Swedish Match AB about the tobacco used in the products mentioned in this article. You already know that, as I'm sure NSA monitors all calls to Sweden. What do you care if that violates my Diplomatic Immunity as Swedish Snus Ambassador to the United States? I'll be bring this up at the UN next year.

  8. feck makes this comment

    Thursday, 31 December 2009

    Re: Nicotine absorption- if the cuts are anything like the Picanell or Oliver Twist, you have to really chew on those suckers to release any nicotine. That's one reason I didn't care for the smaller cuts is because they get stuck in your teeth pretty easily while you're trying to get them to release nicotine. Then I would always end up swallowing them on accident, and they taste like I imagine most dog food would taste. :P

  9. bigmick makes this comment

    Sunday, 03 January 2010

    For me the nicotine delivery is equal to snus, a bit slower to hit, similar to los. Like Feck I find it helps to chew them a bit to get to the buried nicotine.The best I can describe it is like regular chewing tobacco you get nicotine from contact, but a chomp now and then releases flavor and exposes new tobacco.
    I didn't have any nicotine craving through a workday with tobacco cuts, but I did get bored with the flavor, which is not a criticism, I get bored with almost all snus flavors if used exclusively. That is why I have a 12-15 snus rotation. I almost wish I could narrow it down to one or two brands, It would be so much easier to order and stock up.

  10. Julls makes this comment

    Sunday, 03 January 2010

    @ feck: I don't know how big the Picanell or Oliver Twists are, but I imagine they are small. The Tobacco Cuts are almost the size of a regular snus portion.

  11. Julls makes this comment

    Monday, 04 January 2010

    @ Larry: Is the tobacco they use in the Cuts just sourced for the Tabacco Cuts, or do you think they use the same for other tobacco products? It just seems like alot of work for such a small test market. I would be super curious to see/hear more of how these came to be, and how they are made.

    I think this is an interesting product and would love to see it take off.

    Swedish Match: If you are reading this...I would love to try/see an Ettan Tobacco Cut, although the General and Roda Lacket Tobacco Cuts will suffice for now. :-)

  12. Larry Waters makes this comment

    Tuesday, 05 January 2010

    I know Julls, it's an article I need to write.....

  13. chadizzy1 makes this comment

    Wednesday, 03 March 2010

    Swedish Match makes 3 of my 5 regular snus brands. N&J, General White, and General Sterk. They have a really interesting flavor profile, in that all the snuses they make taste different (in my opinion).

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