Hi I am looking for some advice on what people would recommend regarding american scotches? I have mainly (exclusively?) been using English snuffs and am looking for peoples top 3 american scotches to try before you die as I have a trade in progress for some american scotches. Could people also let me know which one’s are sweet and which aren’t - I love the sweetness in Toque’s whiskey and honey however wouldn’t want an exclusively sweet selection. Also please can people keep away from abbreviations so I have no confusion as I am a scotch newbie and want to make sure I ask for the correct snuffs. Mr Snuff is where the order will be placed from. Any advice appreciated Thanks in advance Steve
Honey Bee is to me the ultimate sweet. It smells like honey and molasses. For a plain I prefer Navy Plain ( it has a smell that grows on you) and for a strong I like Three Thistles Strong (you will know you have snuffed a STRONG snuff).
It’s really hard to pick a favorite. At this point I have almost the entire selection of American snuff and I generally like each one for it’s subtle differences. But if pressured I would say I use the ones below most often. Regular Scotch (Unsweetened) - Tops mild is probably my number 1 go to scotch, but Square and Three Thistles strong are really good. Sweet Scotch- Swisher’s Wild Cherry, Rail Road Mills Sweet, and W.E. Garrett Strange but worth a try American snuffs- Checkerberry and Rail Road Mills Maccoby
Red Seal (sweet) but not too sweet, Three Thistles Strong (plain), Rooster (plain). Can’t go wrong with those. There are several others, but you just wanted a few. Those would be my top choices, at least right now. I enjoy Whiskey and Honey too.
Bruton (plain) Rooster (plain), and Carhart’s (sweet) are my favorites.
I haven’t obtained or tried every American snuff by a long shot, but I’d say so far my favorite plain is W.E. Garrett, my favorite sweet is Honey Bee, and my favorite flavored sweet is Wild Cherry…
honey bee and three thistles got a couple of mentions so on the list. Rooster probably on there too- thanks for peoples suggestions
I think you’ll be happy. I have never tried honey bee though. I am new to snuffing, and I found the Three Thistles really great, and easier to take than other American ones. I still have to be careful of course. Rooster is a sure shot too.
Carharts sweet is very nice, as is the famous ‘rooster’
Among the american snuffs I have tried: Honey Bee, RR Mills Plain, RR Mills Maccaboy, RR Mills Checkerberry, Conwood Peach, Navy Sweet, Tube Rose. Of these I think the following: Peach is the sweetest by far, in the lip or the nose. RR Mills Plain is the winner in nic hit and back of the throat hit if you are not careful. Honey bee is a great all around sweet. Really like it. Maccoboy is not really a scotch by any measure. Very thick, ammonia smelling, kind of rosey scent. Interesting bottle. I just got this one recently and I am still not 100% sure on it. Tube Rose is an acquired taste, I do find it mixes well with mint flavored snuffs to create almost a peppermint patty mix. It is rose flavored but I get a hint of chocolate from it. Navy sweet is a good all rounder and interesting to mix with a menthol. Checker berry is barely a scotch, minty flavor, I like it. Almost an american crumbs of comfort. Ken
I would recommend three thistle strong for a scotch with the BBQ/hickory flavour people talk about, honeybee for a sweet, and starr for a plain one. navy plain is also excellent if you want a plain tobacco snuff with a hint of cocoa (but with no sugar). railroad mills maccoboy and swisher checkerberry are also in the must-try category, but they’re not really scotches (to my mind, at least). if I had to pick one I’d say maccoboy.
"railroad mills maccoboy and swisher checkerberry are also in the must-try category, but they’re not really scotches (to my mind, at least). if I had to pick one I’d say maccoboy. " Funny, I agree with they are must tries, but if I had to have one of them then it would be checkerberry. Just interesting how subjective such tastes can be. Ken
Levi Garrett, you won’t find anything nicer!!!
Oh, I forgot. If you want a really strong smokey campfire smell, get Square.
Dental Mild is absolutely great toasted snuff, I wonder why nobody mentioned it here yet.
@AllanH, I agree 100%. I have a normal tin, 1.15 OZ, which is almost empty plus a BIG 4.65 OZ (thanks Xander) in stock. Full of flavour and soft on the nose. Highly recommended. But Levi Garrett will always (?) be my favourite scotch.
Honest Scotch, both plain and sweet, is a good place to start; quite good and very forgiving. If you have been using something like Wilsons High Irish Toast #22, you would probably like WE Garrett plain scotch as it’s (IMO) pretty smooth. Others like Square, 3 Thistle, and Rooster can ‘bite’ you if you aren’t careful. I’m not partial to sweet American scotches, having tried most, but I do like Swisher Wild Cherry which is not really sweet like the others and has a unique flavor.
The only US snuff Ive ever disliked was the peach, completely disgusting, every other US snuff is excellent in my book, you cant beat fine strong snuff.
@z_2k, I have never seen a sweet version of Honest, only the plain scotch. Is this still made or is it out of production?
Peach is pretty good in the lip if you like ultra sweet. Sniffing wise it is ok, that is about it. Subjective thing though. I got it merely because it was locally available for me. Ken