This is to discuss the differences in SP type flavors. There is such a wide range of SP flavors and most of us probably have a few favorites that represent a broad rang of flavors. From heavy citrus to heavy floral and literally everywhere in between. What are your top 3 favorite SPs and why. Be as specific as possible.flavor notes with every recommendation are required. Blends are also welcome but you should be twice as descriptive.

Top 3 is a minimum. You can list as many as you’d like.

My favorites thus far have been WoS Strasbourg for it velvety smooth citrus flavors, F&T Bordeaux for its strong, easy to take, floral scents, WoS Grand Cairo for a unique blend between the two that has a subtle unknown spice flavor as well, and WoS Queens Extra Strong a bit milder and easier to take than Grand Cairo possibly because I feel it’s more on the citrus side. These four have a permanent place in my box.

I like McChrystal’s SP!  Sorry I’ve just got the one at the moment.  I’d expand if I had a better grasp of what defines an SP.

Berwick Brown … easy to take, nice floral scent, ends with a nice chocolate / tobacco finish.

Wilsons SP Best … more of the Bergamot / citrus and also a pleasant tobacco scent finish

SG SP Scotch … an odd fruit addition that I can’t put my finger on but really like.  Unique!

Toque Original- Just good plain tobacco with slight bergamot just as an SP should be. SP Extra- same as above with more bergamot. Tom Buck/Queens Extra Strong- Great bergamot lift and good base tobacco. A classic that (along with Best SP)define the genre @SeanOCDPx SP is usually (since I’ve been around and as far as I can tell) defined as a medium moist, medium grind snuff on the plain side with a possible bergamot/citrus scent. There are variations as mentioned above like strasbourg (citron and some floral) or grand cairo (citrus and God knows what). But heavy florals or other scents (like bordeaux) and coarser grinds(such as berwick brown) are generally excluded IMHO.

What exactly is the accepted definition of an SP?

@Aamon there really isn’t one, just some generally accepted (or not) guidelines. This topic pops up every so often this is my favorite older discussion. http://snuffhouse.com/discussion/2612/what-is-sp

Sp is my all day snuff. I like other sents here and there but I can’t use them all day. But sp’s I can. Toque SP extra good in the nic department and it has a stronger lasting sent. Like a good cup of Earl Grey. Wilsons Tom Buck smooth and easy to take. Has a bit of a lighter sent than Toque. Wilsons No1 bottom mill it is pretty good has more of a floral than citrus sent to me.

@SandwhichIsles, I totally agree.  I’m going to open a new thread on this matter.  I hope I don’t look like too much of an idiot .  

edit:  I deleted the thread, because, what do I know haha!    SP = medium/fine grind, medium moisture, bergamot/citrus scent  IMO.  Anything else could be labeled with a more accurate description.  

We should forget the “technical description of SP” and talk about snuffs that fill that spot for us. There is no real technical category that is generally agreed upon when it comes to SP. If it “fits the bill” for you tell us about it. There just isn’t a “generally accepted” definition. I’m gonna see if I can rename this thread to “Battle of the Something Like SP”

Well… I guess that can’t be done.

This is now “Battle of the Something Like SP”

I’ll say Toque Original and my all time favorite Grand Cairo along with Berwick Brown.

1: Berwick brown 2: SP extra 3: Tom Buck

I’m a fan of the “earl gray” flavor.

1. McChrystal’s S’Nuff (My hands down favorite, and desert island snuff. Very high nic content too!)
2. J&H Wilson Top Mill No. 1 (Very well rounded with an earthy base.)
3. Tom Buck (A classic that defines a “proper” SP to me.)

I recently started in on a 5 gram tin of WIlson’s Gold Label that I had ordered some time ago. It is an SP and a very good one at that, in my opinion. If you haven’t tried it, you should. Light lemon flavor but most of the flavor is the dark tobacco. I bought it because the nicotine level was listed as high on Mr Snuff site, I will admit. 

I may have to see if I can order a tub of this one in case it is discontinued. 

I just picked up the snuffstore Traditional SP and I think it is absolutely the best.  It still has a fairly strong ammonia smell (which I like) but it is a high nic, strong tobacco earthy scent with light bergamont and tonquin or vanilla…my nose isn’t really that discerning. 

*J&H Wilson’s Top Mill no. 1 - fine and dry with a smooth tobacco note and understated bergamot.
*WoS Queens Extra Strong - Allegedly the same recipe as Tom Buck. WoS has so many great SPs it is hard to choose. Great base flour balanced with a hits-the-spot bergamot note, pleasant burn.
*McChrystal’s Mild Lemon - The lemon note is distinct but not too assertive. I think it’s the tobacco that is mild. Very nice.
*WoS Grand Cairo - The bergamot is there, but also some leather and spice. I’d call it an “opulent” SP
*F&T Seville - Citrus with floral notes, very soft in the nose with no burn. This is a “dandy” SP
*Toque SP Extra - Bold, in-your face bergamot on a nice base flour.

I’ve now sampled 7 or 8 and I keep coming back to Toques SP Extra

SG SP Scotch

Wilson Gold Label

Berwick Brown

Strasbourg and Morlaix are nice for occasional, but are a little too fussy for all day use IMHO. Other “not quite SP” snuffs that I really like include Grand Cairo, GH Dry Orange, F&T Seville and F&T Kendal Brown SG Sp Scotch, Jaxons SP Premium, WoS Best Dark and Berwick Brown are great. I’ll switch over to JHW SP No 1 or Top Mill No1, or Tom Buck if I’m a little congested, as they’re finer grinds and my nose struggles with them if the sinuses are fully open. Toque SP Extra would do well here too, but I haven’t had any of that for a while. McC Mild Lemon is a wonderful snuff, but I find it a little too pricey compared with other UK brands. Even the bulk seems expensive, and 200g runs for the same price that I paid for 500g of SG snuffs. I will pick up a tin occasionally though. I got a dozen tins of Yellow Crest and half a dozen of Blue Crest for a ridiculously cheap price, and will likely add my own lemon scenting to some of this.

S.G.SP# 1 High Mill is my favorite, but Snuffstore Traditional is a close 2nd, followed by all the rest, which I also like very much. 

Update: Today I opened a tin of Gawith Hoggarth SP, included in my most recent order. Wow is all I can say! Really good, with a bergamot-like scent, but not quite…whatever it is, it’s nice. Tobacco is smooth(pause to pinch), rather fluffy, slightly moist. I kind of sad that in all my years of snuffing, I’ve never tried it before. Has anyone else tried this? 

Not me - but there’s many I have yet to try. I’ve not tried McC SP, SG SP No1 or High Mill, Toque Original, or several of the WoS ones that have just disappeared. I do have a tin of each of the four remaining WoS SPs, (Best SP, Tom Buck, Gold Label, and SP100) and may do a side by side review of them all at some point.

Just picked up some SG Kendal Sp No1. High Mill I may be partial at the moment though this would be my favorite SP

I just opened a tin of Gold Label, never tried it before. Very good snuff. It’s medium brown, slightly moist, reminds me of Covent Mature Crumbled. There are a lot of really good SPs, I like to use them all, and they are all different. Some within brands, like WoS, are pretty similar, but others, like SG No.1 HIgh Mill, are totally different. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I recently opened a tin of G. Hoggarth SP, and found it also different than any of the others I’ve tried. And I almost forgot to mention Abraxas St. Casura. It’s another one that is distinctly different from the others. I recommend everyone to try if, if you haven’t already. To me, it’s just about impossible to pick one, above all others, because every single one is good in its own way. Some have more bregamot, more citrus, etc, while others have less. I also think we each experience scents differently. I’ve read lots of reviews of many snuffs, and I usually find that my own nose sort of picks up things differently, to a degree. Of course, particular scents, like spearmint, or to a lesser degree, apricot, I mostly find myself in agreement with other people’s reviews and perceptions.

Toque Best SP WoS Gold Label SG - all of their SPs And SP-like snuff; F&T Bordeaux Toque Berwick Brown WoS Best Dark

I’m trying to find my favourite SP so that I can buy bulk. So far I like them in this order, but it keeps changing:

1. Covent Mature Crumbled, turpentine mothballs

2. J&H Wilson Top Mill No.1, creamy

3. WoS Best SP, tobacco taste

4. WoS SP100, fluffy

5. J&H Wilsons SP No.1, nutty

I didn’t enjoy compiling this list as much as I thought I would. This website says we should not put our snuff experience into words, instead we must focus on the thoughts and energy released by the medicine. 

Toque SP extra for me

I’m just not getting the whole SP thing.  Of the ones mentioned here, I’ve had WoS Gold Label and F&T Bordeaux - and to me they are nothing alike.  Can someone explain what makes them both SPs?  Is it like “whisky” which encompasses Islay, Irish, and Bourbon which taste nothing alike?    :-/

@Chico - You may have answered your own question there.

Whiskey is defined by the process and not the outcome. I suppose with SPs it’s a similar thing. Usually fine and dry, with a bergamot or other citric note (varying strengths) but not always. There are no rules about what kind of tobacco is used, or what other scents are allowed to be present. I’ve had some dark, musky snuffs called SPs, and I’ve had some very refined and delicate perfumed snuffs called SPs. Maybe it’s a top shelf vs bottom shelf thing, like with the whiskeys. There may be more extremes within whiskeys than SPs.

@cpmcdill - thanks.  I guess it takes practice and experience.  I can tell the difference between the whisky types, and between them and rum or whatever… but sure couldn’t classify an SP.

@Chico personally I’d compare an SP to a Gin than a Whiskey. Very loosely defined though needs to have certain ingredients to be called a Gin. With an SP that would be the Citrus and Bergamot, as you would have Juniper with Gin. Though you can have additional scents ontop of this and its still deemed an SP, as the same with Gin.

I’d like to add an unsung hero to the list, Wilson’s Gold Label. Nice leathery base tobacco that always reminds me of an antique store (in a good way), bergamot, and… Is it lemon? I just can’t tell. It’s like a “brighter” SP Best.

1. SG SP Scotch, which is not quite a “normal” SP, nor a Scotch, but a wonderful hybrid.

2. Gawith Hoggarth SP. It has a scent no other SP has, but it’s familiar and very good.

3. WoS Gold Label

4. Toque Original, consistently good.

5. Covent Mature Crumbled

6. Abraxas St. Casura. A unique SP with a delightful scent.

McChrystals SP is pretty nice

when i think of an SP snuff, i think of WoS best sp.

IDK if it is an SP but I am really liking grand cairo right now.

I’m using a fair amount of Grand Cairo at the moment. I’d just about call it an SP, though opinions will vary and many will find it too floral to qualify. I’ve also found significant batch difference in flavour. Unless anybody unearths the original Sales Pollard recipe, I suppose we’ll never pin down exactly what a true SP should be.

1. Grand Cairo - sweet lemon with lot of spicy bergamot, then floral. The real SP extra. 2. Mcchrystal’s SP - nice mild sweet bergamot/citrus with slight floral. 3. Tom Buck - nice strong mix of bergamot. A true strong aroma SP. 4. Gold label - nice strong tobacco brings out the bergamot which makes it offer a nice change from Best SP or Tom Buck. 5. Gawith hoggarth SP- nice sweet Kendal floral tobacco which makes a beautiful snuff. Toques SP’s are good but don’t make my list. I think Wilson’s are the real SP masters. But Mcchrystal’s and Gawith hoggarth have 2 good contenders.

I think the WoS Tom Buck is fantastic at first …but then the bergamot is a bit heavy…

WoS Best SP is lighter on the bergamot, and so easier to snuff all day long .

JHWilson SP No 1 is probably gonna be my favorite, as it isn’t too potent, but has a long lasting nicotine hit which i like, not too heavy on the bergamot…quite strong really…

For me if i am interested in nicotine hit …then JHWilson SP No 1

if i’m interested in tooting all day and being real comfortable about it then WS Best SP.

Also i musn’t get carried away, so i have to remind myself why i snuff, because it’s the cheapest, safest way to get my nicotine hit, just as much a hit so i can get on with my day and forget about nicotine…and i do it only for that.

Taking this into account JHWilson SP no 1 is a clear winner.

changed my mind

gawith hoggarth sp is the best sp in the solar system…i love it…

2nd is tom buck for me .

@eblip it is a roller coaster sir! Check out SP 100 and SP 500. Also JHW Top Mill No.1. I think Top Mill, SP100 and SP No1 are my favorite light-SPs. SP No1 according to quantitative analysis is about half the nicotine of their MED99 so not too strong. I believe the Top Mill is stronger but I havent seen data.

Try Jaxsons Dukes Brown. It’s a new formula from the older version and is a fantastic SP! Fragrant, slightly moist, deep brown color, it is quite different from WoS SPs. I bought it not knowing what to expect, and was very pleasantly surprised!

1. Lime Toast. Not an SP? So what. It fits my rotation in that slot and I will take it over the others. 2. Tom Buck. Strong bergamot with a light floral finish on a medium base. 3. Best Dark. Dark rappee with a touch of bergamot and floral. I love the style. Honorable mention SP Extra. Swap it for the Lime Toast if the lime does not count for you.

I’ve been put off trying an SP due to how much I hate General OP snus, though I do love Earl Grey tea. I think it’s the salt. Should I try one?

@Epitango. Definitely. Just be aware that some SPs are unscented plain snuffs, like Jaxons SP Premium, SG Red Crest or Viking Blonde. Both Blue Crest and Yellow Crest were nice plain SPs, too.

I would recommend Toque Original as an intro to bergamot scented SPs.

GH SP is the most coarse and moist among them all.

I used to get a heartburn from General loose snus. My least favourite. But I do dig them, bergamot SPs.

Tom Buck

SP Extra

Tom Buck “Gary Busey” - 2 to 1 Tom Buck and 6P Cheeta

Tom Buck is the only SP I’ve had so far and I liked it. However is there any SP out there which is stronger in flavour? Tom Buck seems to lose its flavour in the nose pretty quickly.

I have grown on to SPs through the last ten months. I use them frequently now.

One of the best is the G&H - SP.

The Best SP is very well made too. Grand Caiso also be a wonderful SP.

The SP100 and Tom Buck didnt do it for me. They were just not my taste.

Haven

I have been struggling to keep the bergamot scent in my SP tins after opening. Even with dealing with electrical tape and storing the tin in airtight containers That being said, WOS Best SP and Tom Buck are my favorite so far, followed by SP Extra