I will keep this as brief as possible. I have had the two Viking snuffs (henceforth VSD and VDR) in my indoors rotation for a few weeks now, whereas the WoS (BBR) only came yesterday (ordered directly from WoS). VSD and VDR are very similar in grind, both are mid-coarse, along with some larger bits and pieces. Ditto in terms of moisture, which is high for both. I don’t get much scent right away from VSD, I suspect because I have difficulty detecting earthy scents. That’s why certain earthy Cuban cigars (e.g. Bolivar Gold Medal and Partagas Serie D Especial, as a reference for those who are familiar) don’t register prominently on my palate. VDR has an extra, dank and vegetal, quality that I very much appreciate. Both snuffs have a solid whack of nicotine and provoke a front drip like Niagara Falls. BBR is very similar in grind and moisture level. However, the scent is much more prominent, with a distinctive and delightful roasted quality, akin to that of coffee beans. The nicotine level is much milder, to the point I can stack a few bumps in each nostril. As a consequence I don’t find myself quite as awash in nose juice. Any thoughts or comments would be most welcome. Apologies if this is a ramble, or a tedious wall of text.
I haven’t tried WoS BBR in a long time so I forget what it’s like. The other two are really good snuffs, the scotch dark being my favorite of the two.
Viking Dark (the old recipe) was a good snuff also. I think it’s Samuel Gawiths Silky Dark now.
Thor’s Hammer and Viking Brown are both amazing also.
Thank you, Hyperion, for reviewing these wonderful snuffs. They are really great.
My all time feavourite is the Sam Gawith Silky Dark because it smells so wonderfully burnt, but I enjoy the Brunswick Black Rappee also.
I’ve tried them all. They’re all very similar to my nose. The only Black Rappee I have ever liked was the old SG version, which was in a class of its own. This was because it was brined in salt water and stored in an oak barrel for a year. No other maker goes to the trouble of aging for that long.
SG’s London Brown was my GOAT Rappee; which since it was discontinued has lead me on a merry dance around the above offerings - Viking Dark isn’t quite the same to my palate, but it isn’t that far off either, WoS BBR is likewise very respectable for a dark Rappee I reckon. The Artisan Snuff range rappee’s are all suprisingly good too
I’ve recently started rehab on my giant tubs of Viking Brown, Santo Domingo, and London Brown. I added salted distilled water, stirred in well, let sit in the large plastic tubs for a few days. The results were pretty damn good! Almost as good as Black Rappee from SG. I wonder if they will ever re-introduce it.