Thanks to @Manit_Joshi for enabling to get my pinches on these, I am able to do this review of few of the Dholakia range of tobacco nasal snuffs. This is my second foray into an Indian range (first range being the Six Photo) and I am glad I now have a fair idea of what India has to offer.
Experts - Let me know where you agree and on which points you differ. I am sure since I am fairly new to snuff taking, my views might change after a few months after more of an affair with snuff taking in general. Since I have recently quit smoking I realise that my nicotine tolerance is pretty much still there, and hence I am not a good judge of the nic hit (except for the fine dry type - they do have a noticeable effect on me).
Sandalwood - Being a lover of sandalwood scent in general, I did like this. The fragrance remains in the nose for quite some time. Though not an all day snuff for me, it is a snuff I will treasure this for when I crave that woody aroma. The grind is medium to fine and I find it pretty easy to take, though I think this would be great if was a little coarser. Didnt feel much nicotine in it.
Sparrow - This is a nice, straight off, no-nonsense tobacco snuff. Reminded me of quite some of the Madras snuffs I tried. I liked this since it gives me a clear tobacco flavor and clears my head, and it is pretty plain snuff for a beginner with a decent nic hit - but not too high. I would advise to use a small pinch and see how you adapt. It is pretty dry and fine, so I do snuff this carefully. I can keep this in my rotation on a daily basis.
Black - This is a snuff which is darkest brown to black in color and gives me scent which you get from opening an old damp book. I feel this snuff is more of a hit and miss, but for me, I will use it for a while to see which is it for me. Personally, I don’t understand all the rave reviews on this, but well there is a snuff for every nose. I will wait for this to air a bit and see if things change since I received a fresh tin. Not something I will order again for now, but definitely good for the nicotine.
White - The Indian fine dry snuff - something which I like and slowly beginning to love. The scent in the tin is really mild, but that vanished the moment it was in my nose. I must admit that this was tough to take at first, but since I am slowly mastering the fine dry snuff, my pinches per week are increasing due to the nicotine hit. The only tip is - use small pinches! I think it is a little overrated for the supposed foul smell (I didn’t get much of any scent!), but yes, I know I am going to order more of this because I just love this type of snuff since it satisfies my nicotine diet.
Kamal - This is definitely up for an order sometime, but not so soon because of how little I need to get a feel of its aroma - and it is not an all day snuff for me. It is strong and it gives me a good nose burn which I love when I feel groggy or need a good scent up my nose. I feel nostalgic with this, but I cannot really pin down where have I had a whiff of this scent in my childhood - but I definitely have! I would like to use small pinches though because I am not fond of the back drip on this. Feels too chalky on the drip, but otherwise a really powerfully scented snuff. I am eager to try the Manjul and Ganga too since I hear they are from the same fraternity of scented snuffs.
Smokers blend - I really appreciate this, being a smoker, though I expected something stronger. It smells really good in the tin, like roasted dry tobacco which I love, and the scent is pure and stays in the nose for a few minutes. As this matures in the nose, I can smell a strange sweetness in this which I love - but I guess Sparrow is more deserving of the title of Smokers Blend. This is an easy tobacco based snuff for the beginner though.
Swiss Chocolate - I absolutely love this since I love rich milk chocolate in general. I even have chocolate scented attars in my collection. Its like a dessert for my nose, and I think its definitely up for an order soon since its super easy to take and I can take large pinches without feeling swimmy in the head - so a good one to have if you like chocolate, and not much if you are looking for the nicotine hit. This is different from the drinking chocolate scent, and if you like drinking chocolate, then try the six photo chocolicious. There is a stark difference between the two and I am sure both will have their lovers.