I was smoking a pipe and reading a pipe forum when a chance comment there prompted me to make an impulse buy of a couple of tins of snuff, the first commercially prepared snuff I’ve ever tried, bar a primary school experiment in Australia when snuff was not controlled or banned. So I chose Toque Quit – mainly because I wanted to see for myself if snuff really could satisfy a hunger for nicotine – and Abraxas Premium Coarse – mainly because it seemed to be a high-end, excellent quality snuff. If I was only going to try it once, I wanted to try a good one. Honestly, I don’t think it was a great “first go” choice. Well, the Quit was excellent. Firstly, I am a confirmed nicotine addict, often smoking up to eight large pipes a day. On the day that the tin of Quit arrived, I smoked two, without missing the others at all. Without having much to compare it to, Quit seems a bit like vodka shots, very clean, unobtrusive but with quite a kick. The Abraxas was much more contentious. Perhaps if I’d started off with the fine version it would have been better? Or at least, perhaps more similar to Quit? At the very least, starting off with these two made me realize that there must be an incredible range and variety of snuffs out there. At first, I was very disappointed with the Abraxas. For a start, I could barely get it up my nose, it seemed to want to fall out onto the floor. But I worked out that I need to snuff much harder with this one than with the Quit. It has a much stronger character and flavor than the Quit, although not necessarily more kick. Rather, the nicotine comes on quite slowly, but lingers for longer. Am I correct in assuming that the difference is due mainly to the grind? I’ve decided that I really like snuff. About ten days ago, I put in an order to Toque for six 25 gram tins of Quit. I put in my first order with Mr Snuff, but he was out of the 25gm tins, so I just googled and hit the Toque site itself – I didn’t even really realize that it was their direct outlet until I’d placed my order. Those tins just turned up today. I’ve also put in an order for some of the different Toque flavors: Spanish Gem Chocolate Violet Pomegrante Almond Toast Peppermint In addition, I ordered some Abraxas Cerise (I wanted to try the coffee, but it was out of stock, so this was my second choice) and some Dholakia White. Can forum members suggest some other snuffs? I’m not looking for snuffs that are “easy for the beginner”, but ones that show the range and diversity that snuff has to offer. So, what are the iconic or “best of class” snuffs to get the full picture?
You may end up disatisfied with the Cerise as it is the only other Abraxas snuff that is a similar grind to the PBC. All the others in his range are much smoother grind & possibly easier to take.
Ah ok. Well, I’ll get the coffee when it comes back in stock, maybe the fin too. While ALL snuff is cheap compared to pipe tobacco, the Abraxas range sure is pricier than Toque. I’m still prepared to try others from the Abraxas range for variety’s sake, but Toque Quit is so good and so cheap that I don’t think I’ll be a regular user.
SWS Fields of Juniper. Abraxas FireDrac. Can’t go wrong with these two although the FireDrac will maybe burn your nose quite a lot but some use it all day apparently. Still worth the try for the experience. Fields of Juniper is costly but it’s the best snuff I have yet encountered. I use it for an occasional treat just to show me again what can be created in a snuff. SWS Mull of Oa is a pipe tobacco rich snuff but probably best start with a simpler dark snuff like WOS Best Dark which I use regularly. As a pipe smoker I would imagine you would like these dark types and in this one catagory alone there is a huge selection only a few of which I have but Best Dark is a great standard. F&T HDT is another example of best in class that you could well like as many including myself do but it is fine and dry although personally I have no problem with that. Unfortunatly or fortunately there are a lot of snuffs to choose from and everyone has a different experience so it is difficult to say which are “the best”. It’s trial and error I’m afraid. BTW I got those Abraxas Premium Batch Coarse and Cerise also and wasn’t very taken with them but I have them put to the side for an occasional try and they are fine that way. They really are occasional desert snuff as opposed to the Toques which you can use heavily all day. Everyone has their own opinion on it all.
A little bit of everything is always recommended to start. Preferred flavors? nicotine strength? Grind? Will help you narrow it down. Try a bit from every region. Mixing is fun too. If it isn’t strong enough in nic, or too strong in taste, Quit, toasts/scotches and whites will easily add that pair of steel toe boots you’re looking for and tone down stronger flavored snuffs. Happy Snuffing :-bd
I’d take a look at Mr Snuff’s snuff bundles. There’s at least one (brutal) that is geared more towards the high nic snuffs.
Am I correct in assuming that the difference is due mainly to the grind?
Yes, that’s right. Finer grinds hit fast and fade fast, coarser grinds hit more slowly and last longer. There isn’t much difference in the actual nicotine content of different snuffs, just in the way the different grinds work. And if a snuff isn’t giving enough nicotine just take bigger and/or more pinches.
You want to sample the fullness of snuff varieties? Get at least one of each of these: Scotch (USA) Sweet Scotch Maccoboy (USA) Toast (F&T or Wilsons are the most popular) Schmalzler (best get 2) halb-schmalzer such as Zwiefacher German non-schmalzler one Latakia style from de Kralingse one Virginia style from de Kralingse SP Kendal Brown (25g only from either Samuel Gawith or Gawith Hoggarth) Indian Black (Dholakia) Indian Perfumed English Medicated South African Gwayi such as Taxi or Ntsu something floral from Fribourg & Treyer something floral from Wilsons Rappee (best are from Samuel Gawith) That should scratch the surface. After that you wll want more 
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
I’d take a look at Mr Snuff’s snuff bundles. There’s at least one (brutal) that is geared more towards the high nic snuffs.
I did have a look at the bundle, but I think I’d rather construct my own list. There were a few in the bundle that didn’t appeal to me and the savings aren’t really significant.
You want to sample the fullness of snuff varieties? Get at least one of each of these: one Latakia style from de Kralingse one Virginia style from de Kralingse
Some of these look very interesting, particularly the de Kralingse. As a pipe smoker, I’m very fond of Latakia blends, so it will be interesting to see what it tastes like as snuff. Perhaps that’s even more true with the Virginia – I don’t usually care for Virginias in a pipe, I can’t control the heat. Won’t be a problem as snuff. In my original post, I mentioned that the Toque Quit and Abraxas were my first commercial snuffs - I have tried to make my own from pipe tobacco, with some success, although the end product is as different from Toque as my mother’s home-made bread is different from a fine French pastry. They both taste good, but one requires technical skills probably beyond home producers. I had some luck with Cornell and Diehl’s Bayou Morning Flake, which is Virginia mixed with quite a lot of Perique. It tasted good, but it was too coarse and too moist. I bought a mortar and pestle at a flea market last weekend with the specific intention of trying to make a finer grind snuff. I wonder if anyone does a commercial Perique snuff?
I really like 6 Photo Anarkali and F&T Macouba, so I’d suggest something from the Indian snuff family, and one of the F&Ts.
I would definitely get the Abraxus Cafe 11 when it is back in stock. For your next Toque order try the Original and Rose.
No one makes a commercial Perique snuff. Also you probably need to put comparisons between pipe tobacco and snuff out of your head right now. I’ve heard some members make their own snuff with pipe tobacco, but I’ve tried and end up with a goupy mess. Also the comparison would be a mud pie to your mother’s home made bread. Get the pro made snuff. Its cheaper anyway.
Xander, I live in Indonesia. It’s not that importing tobacco products is illegal, it’s that customs here can act randomly and arbitrarily. I’ve had big piles of pipe tobacco sent over here before and most of the times it’s gone through. Once, out of a three pound order, only 100 grams made it - decanted into an envelope. There was a note of explanation saying that the import of more than 100 grams was not permitted. Luckily, a 100 grams of snuff is … I was about to say “not to be sniffed at”, but it sounds silly in the context. When I put in an order with Toque, I got 6 x 25gm with no trouble. Anyway, that’s where the interest in home made snuff comes from. If you dry it out properly, you shouldn’t end up with a goopy mess. A blender followed by mortar and pestle treatment works well. Yeah, I’ll still go with the commercial stuff if and when it’s available.
Incidentally, I just made up another batch of home-made. It worked much better. Dry it under a light globe, grind it in a blender, grind further with a mortar and pestle. I can’t pretend I like it as much as the Quit, but it’s quite a creditable product. @Xander, in a single post, you said “Don’t bother making your own” and “No one makes a commercial Perique snuff”. But if I do enjoy certain tobaccos (like Perique and Latakia) in a pipe, then it seems to be at least worthwhile to experiment to see how they taste as snuff (I do note that commercial Latakia snuff is available, as you said in an earlier post - it’s on my list for my next order with Mister Snuff). I guess I’m a bit of a fiddler, I do also make bread, restore pipes, and modify fountain pens.
I would definitely get the Abraxus Cafe 11 when it is back in stock. For your next Toque order try the Original and Rose.
Original is really good. I always reach for the flavors (I guess I get dazzled by the names) and then every once in a while grab Original and am blown away by how good it is.
Okay, based on recommendations here and from reviews elsewhere, these are in my shopping cart with Mister Snuff: 1 x FUBAR Grunt 25g 1 x De Kralingse Latakia AO 1860 25g 1 x NTSU Black 15g 1 x Bernard Aecht Alt Schmalzler 10g 1 x Sir Walter Scott’s Field of Junipers Snuff 15g 1 x Hedges 260 25g 1 x Poschl Gawith Apricot 10g 1 x Wilsons Crumbs of Comfort 10g 1 x Wilsons Chocolate Orange 10g There were a few more that I have on my wish list, but some were out of stock. Also, I try to keep under $50 per order, because Indonesia has an import duty system where the first $50 is free, but anything over that is charged at 50%. I’ve tried the Dholakia White and like it, but I’d really like to try one of the scented Indians, too.
That looks like a good variety for a nice introduction. You’re going to need an SP at some point though