I worked in the wine business for a good number of years, and during that time I conducted many blind tastings of some inexpensive to highly expensive and prestigious wines. In these blind tastings, the tasters had no idea which wines were being poured for them. Remarkably, so many times in these tastings, people would strongly assert to me beforehand that they could recognize certain wines without question, and they more often than not turned out to be dead wrong, much to their astonishment and, sometimes, embarrassment. Some of what I learned from conducting blind tastings as well as personally participating in blind tastings, is that one should not underestimate the power of the eye and the mind to influence what is actually being tasted by the tongue and the nose. In view of this experience in the world of fine wines, I would be willing to bet that if a blind “tasting” of snuffs were ever conducted, the majority of people would not be able to determine which of the snuffs were artisan and which were from mass producers. Oh sure, there would be people who would swear they would know and could tell the difference, but I doubt that most could do this consistently accurately. On the other hand, there are some snuffs that are very distinctive and seemingly recognizable and I would never argue with that. Cafe 11, for example is very distinctive. However, if the “tasting” was specifically arranged to include snuffs that were not previously taken by any of the “tasters” I seriously doubt they could tell which were mass produced and which were artisan. And the latter is the point of this thread posting. So as to be clear, this hypothetical “tasting” would not be done so as to prove a snuffer’s ability to determine the identity and brand of the various snuffs as is often done in wine tasting, but simply to determine which snuffs are artisan and which are mass produced. And like I said, I believe there are very, very few people who could do this successfully, if they had not previously taken the snuffs involved. It is also important to note that what is artisan and what is mass produced would have to be carefully defined. For example, I can see how some might call Toque snuffs artisan while others would call Toque snuffs mass produced. So definitions would be important here as well. Of course, such a tasting would be difficult to arrange logistically, but this is a hypothetical scenario, after all, and I am just trying to make a point. Comments? Agreements? Disagreements?
I tend to disagree, most artisan snuffs are much coarser grind than mass produced and have a more irritating drip (because of the coarse grind) so even if I lost my taste and sense of smell I could tell it’s an artisan snuff just from the nose feel and drip. Oh and a little off topic but I can tell a Havana from a cheap cigar any day of the week ( I won’t smoke a cheap cigar), I’ve had friends try and trick me on several occasions by putting Cohiba and Montecristo labels on cheap cigars and giving them to me, after one puff I’m like “this cigar is crap” and I’m not even that big a cigar smoker I smoke maybe 4 a year.
Don’t know, I am very new to snuff just have a few under my belt and no artisans yet, unless you count Toque. I do agree with @n9inchnails on the cigar issue. I can tell the wrappers, ligero, vs seco, etc. I can tell the different regions by taste too. I will say, however, when you have a multinational blend in the filler a yet another different binder I can (and do) miss it as often as I get it right. I will say that being so new, I would gladly take the blind tasting if anyone wants to send a few of each my way! 
I think the nasal drip would be the giveaway for me on the coarser snuffs, and it’s the main element which stops me enjoying many artisan snuffs (particularly SWS). I can’t take fine ground snuffs irrespective of who makes them.
Gentlemen, thank you for your comments and observations. Coarse snuffs are most assuredly not exclusive to artisans. South African snuffs can be quite coarse and they are not artisan snuffs. Many artisan snuffs are fine grind. For example, Nigel, Johnny, and Daniel all make fine grind snuffs and they are artisans of course. And remember, I did not mention cigars. I am talking about snuff and wine. But I can tell you that you would have tremendous difficulty telling which cigars are which in a blind cigar tasting when all the cigars are of excellent quality. Anybody can spot a crap cigar. That is not at all the point here. And the same could be said, and has been said, about pipe tobacco. Please do not forget that we are talking about BLIND tasting.
SG coarse snuffs don’t give me the same acrid drip. I don’t know if it’s different tobaccos, of different processing by the smaller produces that induces this drip. I’m very reluctant to put it down to purely size of grind. However, we are all different and have different tastes, and I would also suggest that different people can discern different characteristics even on a blind tasting. The other factor not covered so far is how much variation can be had in any one single snuff due to batch inconsistencies, storage time and method, and atmospheric conditions at time of use.
@fredh, I don’t see why this should be done exclusively artisan vs. mass produced. I would like to see results of, say, rose-scented snuffs from different manufacturers with similar grind blind-tested and valued. The value of such blind-test is to provide unbiased opinions, which snuff is the best and as it might be the cheap artificial mass-product, then again it propably isn’t. Blind-tests seem to be common. I used to read some liquer blind-test results somewhere and in the cognac category there were some presumably crap (i.e. cheap and unknown) brandys valued relative high among the top booze. Very important information, when you want to buy good but affordable.
@SkeG I made the point about artisan vs. mass produced snuffs because that seems to be an issue for some of us members here on snuffhouse whereby some people like artisans and others claim that artisan snuffs are overrated–or that some people believe that artisan snuffs are not worth the extra money and that mass produced snuffs are just as good or better, and so on and so forth. Of course, you are right that blind tastings would be great to determine which are the best, as you said rose snuffs. Or imagine a blind snuff tasting where all the snuffs are of the same variety, such as all cherry snuffs, or all SP snuffs, or all toasts, or all medicated snuffs, or all unflavored pure tobacco snuffs. Yes, that would be the best use of a blind tasting, to be sure. And it would be great fun as well. It would not be easy to carry out but we could figure out a way. But the prospect of comparing artisan to mass produced snuffs in a blind tasting context would seem to me to be the only way to end the controversy that pops up here on Snuffhouse now and again. If the blind tasting ends up showing that people would have difficulty determining which is which, this would seem to me to show that our biases and preconceptions are more involved with creating the controversy than the actual quality or character of the snuffs themselves. It was just a thought. But if @50ft_trad, for example says that SG coarse snuffs do not give him acrid drip I totally believe him. And, with all due respect to @50ft_trad, whose posts I have enjoyed here on Snuffhouse, that does not mean that all mass produced coarse snuffs do not give an acrid drip as I have gotten an acrid, nasty drip from both artisan and mass produced snuffs. Once again, a blind tasting might be an intriguing way to solve the controversy. But like I said, it was just a thought.
Try it! (and invite me) It could even be done by mail, sending several small, unlabelled vials to participants.
Try it! (and invite me) It could even be done by mail, sending several small, unlabelled vials to participants.
@smasty that is a great idea!
I can tell the difference between Bohica and any of Chef Daniel’s blends… 
Don’t think I would do well with ones that are close though, I have half a dozen snuff boxes and often can’t remember what is in them and can’t figure it out either.
Last century when I still drank, Sam Adams was the closest brew I call artisan; now they have over 60 different beers and are the tallest dwarfs of the beer industry. All snuffs were artisan at one time. If snuff production follows the micro brew explosion were are in for some interesting times. Even the big snuff mills are still putting out new products . @Uncle_Squinty would be the best candidate for this test ; I’d like to read what his comments would be. I did enjoy his videos when I could hear.
That was my offer by mail as well. I have done this many times with cigars, we just take the bands off and ship them. Works well. Some one new to cigars might argue that a maduro wrapper, etc. can be easily identified by sight but that is not always true and that in itself would not be enough. Can you identify a wrapper from the San Andreas region (a very distinct flavor over other regions)? That would be the issue of the blind tasting for cigars. Here I would assume the issue is between the artisan vs mass produced snuff a difference in quality? Alas, I would be unable to do a pipe tobacco tasting to the degree I can cigars but 20+ years of smoking cigars talking with growers and blenders, visiting the factories, etc. has went a long way toward where I am with cigars. My journey with pipes as with snuff is still very new. A very good discussion @fredh and your points are well taken.
I need to like a snuff at least some initially to then go on to use it up over time and get to know it better and then decide how much I really rate it. I don’t think a short blind test really has much meaning and that probably also applies to wine. I once did a short wine taste of 4 wines and basically found that I liked them progressively more as I went along the line as I think I was really after the alcohol and the specifics of the particular wine became sort of irrelevant! Some Artisan snuffs I love, others I can leave but still find them intriguing so only my real few favourites would be re-orders. For example FOJ is one of my absolute favourites whereas I found other mass produced juniper snuffs I actually disliked. Then with non-artisan for example I like No.22 Toast and have never found a better artisan alternative though there certainly are great artisan toasts. I probably prefer FOJ even over no.22 and technically FOJ is a toast but very different so I’m getting confused now! Anyhow I don’t normally snuff blind so I don’t really see the point although I suppose it would be possible after ordering a bunch of snuffs to decant some of each and blind try them all and rate them and then do a normal longer term trial of each and again rate them and see if anything enlightening comes out of it, if anyone could be bothered. Basically the ones I like anyhow I think would have been the snuffs I liked in a blind test, Artisan or not. I don’t believe anyone can only like Artisan or only bulk produced but I generally find the Artisan snuffs more interesting to try maybe just because I find a greater winner rate amongst them than out of the very many bulk produced snuffs and it has to be down to something. Tobacco quality? Flavourings? No artificial preservatives? High personal attention to the small batch production? Bulk produced understandably do seem to have greater batch consistency though but then even bulk produced will depend on the tobacco growing season. I’d be pretty peeved if I blind tested all the snuffs I liked amongst those I previously disliked and somehow found I that I then rated the disliked ones higher which is what you seem to say would/could happen @fredh ? and then add in changing tastes over time as if it wasn’t confusing enough already! Maybe it’s all an illusion.
It was just a thought. But if @50ft_trad, for example says that SG coarse snuffs do not give him acrid drip I totally believe him. And, with all due respect to @50ft_trad, whose posts I have enjoyed here on Snuffhouse, that does not mean that all mass produced coarse snuffs do not give an acrid drip as I have gotten an acrid, nasty drip from both artisan and mass produced snuffs. Once again, a blind tasting might be an intriguing way to solve the controversy. But like I said, it was just a thought.
Thanks for your vote of confidence fredh. I must admit, I can’t offhand recall a mass produced snuff that has given me as severe or prohibitive a drip as with some of the artisan snuffs, though I think I got one intermittently with Babaton Blue. Some of the scents of the artisans have been exquisite, and it was quite frustrating they didn’t sit well in my snout. Mull of Oa was absolutely wonderful every single time until the drip got me. The craftsmanship of the artisans has to be applauded, and it’s hard to classify any snuffs as expensive when compared to other forms of tobacco (particularly here in the UK). I personally was knobbled by either a fine grind or prohibitively acrid drip, though I openly acknowledge I have a particularly difficult hooter when it comes to snuff use. There’s only one thing my nose excels at, and that’s keeping my spectacles on my face. This is why I have settled upon a relatively small spectrum of safe choices from Sheffield, Kendal and Berwick. I think a blind tasting exercise would be interesting, providing it was broadly accepted that the results wouldn’t be universal across users. I have blind tasted whiskies once or twice, and actually prefer knowing what I’m drinking from the start, as it helps me and my 20 year smokers palate, discern the various elements within.
@50ft_trad slightly off topic, but in regards to your comment about fine snuff I totally agree. however, I did the pot luck snuff and now have 300g of fine indian snuff (like sparrow). So to use them, I mix them with a coarse snuff that is inoffensive (viking dark or brown depending on mood). The ratio I use is 2 to 1 coarse to fine. Give that a shot and maybe you can still enjoy fine snuff that way. I like the scents, not the fine grinds
@hgrissom Good call! I do quite like the scents too. I do have some tucked away for occasional usage, and might just try mixing them as you have suggested. Indian snuffs can be oily, but when mixing coarse and fine English snuffs together, they can benefit from some extra hydration as they can rob moisture from each other. My preferred method is passing the inside of the snuffbox lid over the steam from a boiling kettle. The condensation that forms is often just enough to reinvigorate a snuff that’s just passed it’s best or is on the verge of becoming dusty
@50ft_trad hey that kettle method sounds good too! Although I’d have to make sure it wasn’t one of my wood boxes. moisture and wood aren’t friends in my work, I doubt they would be here
@hgrissom Yeah, not recommended for the wooden boxes X_X I only tend to use the plastic snuffhouse boxes now.
@fredh as usual poses an intersting question here. I think most snuffers can identify their favourites, and I suppose the base flour utilised in them is the consistant factor for some of the mass produced brands. I.e. I reckon I could pick out a GH snuff against those from other manufacturers purely on the base flour type. But, would that enable me to pick an artisan snuff over a mass produced one, if I’d not sampled either before? - I’m not completely convinced I could to honest! So are artisan snuffs worth the money as opposed to mass produced ones; I believe they are if they appeal to your palate/taste, I don’t believe that prima facie they are ‘better’, it all depends on your perspective - I recall Nigel @Abraxas saying previously that one of his constant companion snuffs was WoS rose; this seem to illustrate my point well.