WoS menthol help

Between the blends below which is the most complex in flavor, strongest flavor, nicotine, and longest finish? Dr. Rumney’s Menthol Plus S.M.500 Thanks!

I’ve always thought that the SM range is very good.

I’ve never had the WoS version of Dr. Rumney’s so no comment there. Although I think its actually the same snuff as one of these others, but labeled “Dr. Rumney’s” in certain markets a la Tom Buck/Queens Extra Strong. I’m not sure which one though. Below I will paste copies of my reviews of the other menthols in the range. They should cover the basic differences, it does get confusing with so many menthols, so I go back to my own notes to remember which is which. Take with a grain of salt, as I am not a menthol lover, but they may help you and others make a decision. Menthol just menthol Rating: 2/5 This seems the best place to start as I compare the various Wilson’s Menthols. There are nine in the range (not counting ones with added flavors). Menthol is unaccompanied by any other scents. Some of the others have even more menthol in them than this, but even this one is a bit too much for me. Its basic and simple though, and for that it earns a “not bad” rating from me. Extra Menthol Strong menthol, slight eucalyptus Rating: 2/5 I’m revising this review as I have a set of sample tins of all the WoS menthols. This is not bad. It has a very powerful initial menthol blast, but once it dies down its rather a pleasant scent. Its much stronger in menthol than the one simply named “Menthol.” I seem to detect a bit of eucalyptus, but not like the SM varieties. If you are a lover of strong menthol, this is one to check out. Its really too painful for me to enjoy much though. Super Menthol strong menthol, camphor, citrus base. not unlike McC O&G Rating: 3/5 Super Menthol has a menthol level on par with Extra Menthol. This however has a slightly different base. It has a slightly tangy citrus base, and also a moderate amount of camphor. Presumably this is the one they have crafted to be the main competitor with McChrystal’s O&G. I think the O&G is somewhat superior though, as the menthol level is more tame and the slightly finer grind makes it easier to prevent clogging. Still Super Menthol is good, and I can tolerate the eye watering enough to finish the tin. Its not the one I’m making a keeper though. Menthol Plus menthol, camphor, eucalyptus Rating: 3/5 Of the basic four Wilsons menthols (not the SM range) I like Menthol Plus the best. Surprisingly it has less actual menthol than either Extra Menthol and Super Menthol. Its on par with Menthol, which is still pretty potent. The “Plus” side of it is the addition of both camphor and eucalyptus. It uses Wilsons basic tobacco base and grind. If you like the three basic medicated ingredients together and with nothing else, this snuff is worth checking out. Also I notice a better nose clearing effect with this one, and less rebound congestion. So of the four: Menthol, Extra Menthol, Super Menthol and Menthol Plus: Menthol Plus is the one I would consider buying again. Still, it may not be a keeper as I move on to consider the SM range. S.M. menthol is not overbearing, good eucalyptus Rating: 4/5 This one is a real classic. The menthol is strong, but not overpowering as it is in the other “Menthol” range (Menthol, Extra Menthol, Super Menthol, Menthol Plus). This is the base snuff for the “Medicated” range or S.M. (Sharrow Medicated). I like this because the initial bast of ice you get from the menthol does not overstay its welcome and also because the eucalyptus is quite full and flavorful. No camphor or other flavors here, just menthol & eucalyptus. It pulls four stars from me, which is saying a lot considering I have a bias against menthol. S.M. 500 menthol is not overbearing, good eucalyptus Rating: 4/5 I will have to agree with LHB rather than the previous reviewers. After comparing this with the other various menthols from Wilsons, I find this one to have a strong menthol, but not over the top. Its tame like S.M. not excessive like Extra Menthol and Super Menthol. The only differences I note with this as compared to the S.M. is the different style of menthol (its states on Sheffield Exchange that it uses Chinese menthol crystals - presumably SM does not) and also a bit less eucalyptus. If I had to pick between this and S.M. it would be close. If this had more eucalyptus, this would easily win. Like one other reviewer, I also find the slight metallic note, sort of a sweetness. This is not present in the SM, but it is in the SM Brown and stronger there. S.M. Blue menthol, camphor Rating: 3/5 I do like this somewhat better than SM Gold, because the tobacco base is not as sweet and it allows the camphor to shine a lot more. However, I really have come to the conclusion that I like the camphor alone like in Camphor & Mild. The menthol in the SM snuffs does not let the other flavors express themselves enough. I am getting some sort of herbal undertone. It might be thyme or rosemary. If I were to recommend a menthol-camphor snuff to myself, I think I’d pick Gawith Hoggarth’s CM. S.M. Brown menthol, eucalyptus, sweet Rating: 3/5 This is my revised review of this snuff as I now have all of the S.M. snuffs at the same time for comparison. I’ve decided to give this another star, as its at least as good as its brothers SM Blue and SM Gold. Unlike those, it contains no camphor. The menthol in this hits pretty sharply at first and can give some pain, but it seems to subside within a reasonable time. There is a good taste of eucalyptus, which also fades rather quickly. The remaining tobacco flavor is rather good, it has a nice sweet taste that seems to be the same as in the SM Gold. I think I would prefer SM and SM 500 to this one, so it is not going to go to the permanent rotation for me, but its still pleasant enough to finish the tin! S.M. Gold menthol, eucalyptus, camphor, sweet Rating: 3/5 I’ve been comparing the snuffs in the SM and Menthol ranges from Wilsons. I’m reading other reviews as I do so. As I take these snuffs back to back, I feel that the menthol levels of all the SM snuffs are comparable to each other. Some reviews state that this one is over the top, but it seems to me the same as the others. SM Gold, still has the same menthol and eucalyptus of SM, but with the addition of camphor. The camphor is not as pronounced, however, as in its brother SM Blue, because the base tobacco is quite sweet. In effect, this is the SM that combines everything. For me that’s a little too much all at once. Blue is this one without the sweet, Brown is this one but without the camphor. SM is just menthol and eucalyptus. Personally I feel the whole range is a bit too high in menthol dosage, but not any one in particular.

1 Like

Thank you, Xander! I forgot that there’s a snuff reviews website. I need to get accustomed to thinking snuff and not pipes.

Never tried the Sharrow Medicated line yet but I’m interested! Can they be classified as “complex recipes?” The word ‘Medicated’ suggests a health benefit? Only to open the sinuses or do regular users experience more benefits?

@Xander‌ nailed it. I got away from menthol/medicated snuffs as I got older. Back in the olden days, before indoor plumbing, electricity and horseless carriages I was devoted to Dr. Rumney’s Mentholyptus and Dean Swift Bezoar Fine Grind. I think SM Gold is the reincarnation of Dr. Rumney’s. There’s some aniseed in Bezoar that I don’t find in WoS medicated snuffs. Not a big deal for me. I only hit those snuffs when I’m down with a cold or flu, or my allergies are at defcon 10. Seems if I hammer enough HDT, Lundy Foot, Toque Natural Toast or WoS #22 I don’t get many colds or flu. Seems I’ve been flu cured.

1 Like

I think the WoS Dr. Rumney’s is the same as WoS SM Brown. I’m pretty sure the old Dr. Rumney’s Green is the same as WoS Aniseed Extra. @afiaowo of the 3 you list, the SM500 is my preferred medicated; the eucalyptus is very refreshing and the menthol seems more “pure” than other WoS medicated offerings, while for me the Plus is a bit boring and the sweetness of Dr. Rumneys takes away from it’s medicinal qualities.

I Have always been reluctant towards medicated snuffs in my nearly six years of snuffing but this post made me curious to give it a try. Today my half pounds of SM.Gold and Blue arrived, yes I was made confident enough here to get those quantities. The SM Gold has indeed some clearly detectably eucalyptus and in the Blue I detect some lavender which explains why some users like it as sleeping snuff. In both I detect some licorice and mentol, but this latter isn’t too overwhelming to me. And that’s a relief! I’m not the greatest menthol lover, in these snuffs is more a greenish mint present in my opinion. I’m Very happy with discovering medicated snuff. Only the tobacco base goes far to the background. But that’s not what made these complex recipes available at the pharmacies in years past, they were clearly meant for the medicinal use above use as a tobacco product.

And I must add to many users despite that the Sharrow Medicated snuff seems more tasteful and natural to my impression then the medicated flagship of Mcchrystals.

I got WoS M. and M. Plus today, will have SM and Super M. (but not Extra M.) soon to compare

Basically, M. is mentholated tobacco, slightly darker medium brown color.  It’s quite harsh and gave me rebound, and I don’t even get rebound from Hedges L260 or other medicated snuff I’ve had, so be aware of that possibility.  Overall it’s good but I rate these things based on nicotine if there’s nothing else to praise.  WoS snuffs always deliver nicotine.  This one just burns enough that it feels like medicine and not like something you want to repeat, in my experience anyway.  I’ll use it as medicine

M. Plus is light in color, similar in color to McChrystal’s O&G; sort of tan tobacco.  It seems to be a finer grind than M. but that could be due to the added ingredients (eucalyptus and camphor) that make it appear so.  I wouldn’t say it’s easy to use, more like moderately difficult.  I like it but it’s still sort of medicinal to me, a good medicinal.  I can’t see using it a lot though.  My nose is getting dried out just from a few hours of use and that’s never happened to me before, not from a medicated snuff

1 Like

As I said I don’t have Extra M.  Maybe I’ll get that snuff at some point, but I have S.M. and Super M and I like Super M better

S.M. is nice enough but it has a slight sweetness that I don’t care for; not that I won’t use it up, it’s just different to me and I could do without that added bit of sweetness.  For this reason I prefer Super M out of all of these (aside from Extra M, obviously) because it was a close tie between S.M. and Super M

M. Plus is decent but it’s a bit heavy on all three (eucalyptus, menthol, camphor) medicated ingredients so it’s hard to use very much of it before switching to something lighter.  Super M. is similar to Hedges L260 and J&H Wilson Medicated No. 99.  The same type of medicated balance except for the WoS tobacco which is a tad lighter in color and maybe a bit drier/harsher as well.  At least there’s no backdrip

1 Like

To me, the scents added to Super M set it apart from any other medicated. I do like it when I can handle that much menthol.

1 Like

I’m trying WoS Extra M.  Right away, I can tell it’s an easier sniff than the other WoS menthols I have.  I quite like it.  It doesn’t sting like the others.  I was expecting a nearly intolerable eucalyptus burn like in SM or M Plus but it has just the right amount so I’m not reaching for my handkerchief to either wipe my eyes or blow my nose

For me, Super M and Extra M are equally good.  Extra M might be good for congestion

4 Likes

I like SM500 quite a bit, should order more. Bee M deserves mention too

2 Likes

For the record, SM Brown was a favorite. I dont know what happened to it.

1 Like