I got a pack of this old Russian snuff from Snuffhouse member @lieho, who found some brand-new looking packs amongst his grandfather’s belongings.
I knew snuff was produced in USSR and had seen several images of this and some other brands previously. It aroused my curiosity, especially after doing some investigation on the subject and finding out Soviet snuff was made of Nicotiana rustica species. So I was more than excited when lieho created that thread: http://snuffhouse.com/discussion/11778/old-vintage-snuff and agreed to do a trade.
Indeed, the package of the snuff I received from lieho looks fairly good, bearing in mind it was made back in 1975. Ought to be quite moist while fresh, containing 25% moisture in total weight of 50 g as indicated on the label, the snuff is inevitably bone-dry now, weighing 41 g (foil-coated paper wrapper and label included).
On the bright side, I detected no mold or other signs of decay inside which could have stopped me from trying a pinch, so I dived into it.
The snuff is pale brown, medium-fine, though rather inconsistent grind. Some tiny crystals of salt, potash and sodium carbonate are visible among the particles of tobacco. There’s still a faint, but distinctive smell of rustica left, that hayish scent of air cured makhorka. Unfortunately, not a slightest hint of ammonia, though initially it was present here.
Despite the dryness, this snuff is very easy to take. It gives a mild burn. The scent of hay becomes more pronounced in the nose, there’s some rather pleasant sweetness to it. The back drip is potashy-bitter, but not harsh. And yes, some nicotine (of original 1.4/1.8%) is still there. Nothing to write home about, but enough to keep me going. I have tried it as a morning snuff few times, it did the job.
I could use it as all day snuff, too, but I am not sure about content of TSNAs, which generally tend to increase during prolonged storage, so I wont include it in my daily menu, but I was very eager to try this vintage snuff.
Overall, it’s quite nice plain snuff. I just wish I could try it fresh.