I finally saw off the last of my Best Dark last night, so took a stroll to my local emporium to pick up some more this morning. Of course, I couldn’t leave with just one tin of snuff, so alongside my stash of Best Dark, the following four delights followed me home: SP100 Gold Label Sandalwood Lemon Toast Very much looking forward to digging into these this afternoon! I also had a good chat with the proprietor who asked if I’d like to see any more brands stocked besides the ones he currently runs. Of course I said yes, and suggested F&T, Toque and Dr. Rumney’s (as I haven’t tried anything by the latter two, and love Old Paris so am desperate to try more F&Ts) He said it’d be a pleasure to expand their snuff range, and also mentioned that he is currently doing a vigorous trade in snuff-I noticed that, since my last visit last Friday, quite a few 25g tins were sold of both WoS and Hedges, and plenty of 5g tins of WoS had been seen off. So hopefully it’ll become a thriving centre for snuff-I wonder who else is buying it locally?
I used to buy all my snuff locally when I was in Leeds - with the exception of Touqe - from Greens of Leeds. Unfortunately they only had the tap boxes of GH and SG. The selection at my local tobacconists in Bristol is a little limited, no GH or SG, for example, and I’ve bought some stuff in bulk since then, but I’ll occasionally buy some Hedges or J.H. Wilson stuff. The first time I went in I had a nice conversation with the bloke in the shop who seemed rather shocked that I’d just asked him for some snuff.
First impressions: Lemon Toast - I think it’s the lemon content, but this (like Lemon Grove) gives me MASSIVE nose burn. By the time I’ve finished streaming from the eyes and contemplating chopping my nose off with a breadknife, it’s actually a very enjoyable snuff. Hard going indeed to get past the initial blast, though. SP100 - this is delicious. A little finer than Best SP, still full of Bergamot goodness and tasty tobacco undernotes. A good all-dayer, I reckon. Sandalwood - this is very nice too, a subtle Sandalwood scent coupled with what feels like a mammoth nic hit for some reason…enjoyable snuff but probably, like Lavender, an occasional snuff for me. Gold Label - I love this, a truly glorious snuff. I can’t put my finger on the flavours yet but it resembles a turbo SP, very palatable and a little sharp in the nose initially, but this will mellow in time. @spam, I got the same reaction at first…until the chap who runs the shop twigged that I’m likely to become his biggest customer!
Gold Label tobacco is sweet to me and unique. Some others have said it is Virginia Leaf tobacco … but not sure. Love Lemon Toast … very bright and cleansing … Lime Toast and Lemon Toast are delicious together, like a Sprite in the nose. And SP100 is a fine little SP from WoS. Sandalwood is nice … but not for every day use to this nose. Nice loot!
Thanks @snuffbrant! I’ve just had a pinch of Gold Label, it certainly is unique. A really beguiling snuff. I seem to find there’s a strong burn which subsides really quickly, does it have the same effect with your good self?
for me, Gold Label is nice and mellow, no burn. Interesting that it would cause you some … but there again, varies from snuffer to snuffer …
@snuffbrant its Wilsons themselves who say Gold Label is Virginia tobacco. They say it is the same recipe as Best SP but with a Virginia instead of Zimbabwe tobacco.
thanks, @Xander … i knew I had read it somewhere … now I do recall reading its description when I ordered it from mrsnuff. A unique SP for sure.
I actually love Old Paris too. I need to get more quickly as it’s my daily snuff. 
@snuffbrant, now the Gold Label has been opened regularly for pinches over the last couple of days, it has mellowed out a lot. There is still some initial burn but nothing like it was. Hugely enjoyable snuff and rapidly becoming a firm favourite.
yeah … that’s more like it. Gold Label is a no-doubter … great snuff!
Gold Label was one of the first Sharrow snuffs I tried in the pocket-sized box around 1963 or 1964. It distinguished itself then, as now, by using tobacco from Virginia instead of from Malawi or Canada (mostly Zimbabwe now for some reason). A very pleasant snuff, but I can’t take too much S.P or Irish these days.