Well, after a long wait I recieved my package from Poo-Diddy today, and you sir are a special one in my book! No doubt about it. I had previously received some of the G. Smith Cardinale (30 years old), from Bigbuyer, and it is interesting. The other surprise will go unnamed as of yet, until the group chimes in. OK, I have had a good amount of time to study what I received, the fabled Jewel. I decanted it into a special snuff container that has a brandy sniffer type of shape, the initial color is exactly the color of Toque Natural, blond, exactly the same color as my base Rustica. I believe this sample is the dry type, although I am not sure, but it is quite dry. The grind is fine just like the Toque Natural. First it smells like feet, that’s right, barnyard, Not quite Dholakia Black smell, but real close, with just the hint of almost dry dog poop. I have been trying to peg the smell for half an hour before sniffing. Its a totally weird smell, off, very much like a 3/4 finished manure pile. Not what I was expecting, nor actually pleasant, the same type of bacterial smell I got from a large amount of Dholakia Black. Then a second totally interesting discovery, I tasted it, and it has a strong burn to it, the same type as my first batch of Folly, when I put too much Sodium Bicarbonate in it to enhance the Nicotine uptake, I destroyed that batch because it caused the third thing I discovered- It burns like hell! I like the burn though, one of my favorite things about Fubar Grunt is the initial burn. Yes, upon my first sniff it went up just like Fubar and gave me the same burn, something I was trying to avoid with my Folly, thinking it was something to avoid, and I have been trying to figure out how to achieve the high freebase nicotine level without the burn. Its all about the burn though, that is the secret to this snuff, the rapid high amount of nicotine uptake. As for the taste and subtle nuances of the snuff, so far I got nothing like chocolate, or brandy, or honey, and certainly no redman chewing tobacco, it is a clean sweet tobacco, tastes just like a good Rustica, and it causes a nose run and drip, just like the Folly does, Rustica has this property, it is one of the signature features. For now I have stopped sniffing it, I am waiting for a friend to come over later , one who has great insight into the Rustica leaf, and more than a fair amount of knowledge about snuff. We are going to put our minds and noses to work on this. So far I am quite puzzled and surprised. The musty scent was a complete surprise, and the taste is not that different from what I have allready tasted in the leaf, although it is too soon to quantify it. The buzz is all that, and I have enjoyed it. I hate go out on a limb here, since I have some more sampling to do, but the major notes in this snuff are present in a good Rustica leaf. I feel a little sad, I was expecting something unobtainable, so far the only thing I really have to work on is the god awfull smell, the taste, well we will see, but the Rustica tobacco itself is the star here I think. I do not want to burst any bubbles, this is damn good snuff, but it is within the reach of mere mortals, and i would think that Roderick, with his snuff alchemy, could do wonders with the leaf. It was Juxtaposer that got me started on this when he posted this: “I sat down with it last night. Took a little piece and tasted it. It has a very nice sourness to it. Tossed a couple grams into my pestle and started grinding away. It grinds VERY easily. As some dust was rising to my nose I caught a hint of the most beloved of scents. Immediately, I sieved a few pinches and insufflated. “This is it” I said to myself “This is Spanish Jewel”. Same color, same flavor, and the same slight sourness in the drip that I like so much. What was left in my my Spanish Gem smash box I dumped aside except for a few pinches. I put a half gram of the Jewel in then filled the box with my fresh ground Toque Rustica. I brought it to work with me today. I must say. I will not have to harass Satyr any further regarding his stash of Spanish Jewel. This is a very exiting find for me. This tobacco will make a perfect addition to my Jewel Solera, Way too strong to be an all day snuff but at least now I can put this in my daily rotation without fear of running out. Roderick, you are a champion! Thanks again.” I was thinking, he’s had it (the Jewel), and he thinks this, (the Rustica), is the same base taste! Could it be? I now dare to think so myself. Humbly, the heretic. (Whalen)
I’ve never tried it, but I suspect there is a kind of hype built up around it; at the end of the day its just snuff. I think your review is admirable in its honesty - a lot of people would be waxing lyrical and kidding themselves. Well done.
How many times do I have to mention that there is a secret ingredient in SJ…dung. Be it from a cow, horse, sheep, whatever. great review.
_but I suspect there is a kind of hype built up around it; at the end of the day its just snuff._I agree 1000%, Snuffster. It is just a snuff. Is it worth more than say a WoS snuff or a Toque snuff? I don’t think so. Things like Babaton and Venter’s catch my eye more than an unnamed snuff that is more than likely just fermented Rustica. Hype, hype, hype. This is not to say it isn’t a fine snuff in it’s own right, I’m just not sure it deserves the worship it receives.
Well, as soon as I can determine the exact kind of dung that was used, I can get this out of my system, I’m leaning towards sheep, some thing exotic you know. I am really wondering what gives it this funky smell though, and why? It is not all that appealing.
Maybe there’s a lot of hype, but speaking as someone who has never tried SJ, is there anything wrong with having a mystical “holy grail” of a snuff? I think it adds a nice story, something to look for, something to try to achieve.
I would say horse but it could be cow. seriously, maybe its not an ingredient but it seems like the tobacco has absorbed that odor. Its not actually that bad tho. I grew up with horses. [as apposed to wolves?]. 
Alpaka.
It smells the same to me in the nose as it does in the vial. Honey and liquor, with a nice bit of tobacco to it. I rather like it, and were it available could see myself buying a kilo to sit on. It wouldn’t be the only thing I use, but I could justify spending $120 on it to have around, so that I’ve got plenty when it runs out.
I like it a lot. If I was on Snuffhouse when it was being sold, I might have bought a kilo…
Could it be that the secret Ingredient is Truffles? Could help explain the High price, and of course, mysterious taste. I think the Substrate the tobacco grows in is the most likely factor though. Not just the soil, but taking into consideration the other plants, trees, or fungus’s growing around the same area may have some influence in the final snuff. Or the Snuffmaster originaly had some very unique wine/whiskey barrels that he fermented the snuff in. Just outside speculation, as I’ve nothing more than “heard” of Spanish Jewel. /tear
The Jewel to me is a muted snuff, nice grind, sweet mellow tobacco taste, the smell I encountered is a bit of a mystery, the closest I can peg it would be old gym clothes, with just a faint hint of old Shave cream, that is after two hours of batting the smell around. Nowhere do I get any liqueur or honey, and I have been using both of those for three weeks on the snuff I made. The most pronounced thing I get from the Jewel is a rapid and strong nicotine uptake, it is a pleasant inrush, the brain really likes it. That is the one thing that jumps out at me, not the taste, or the smell, but the nic hit. It is the part that makes the biggest impression, and is what I will refocus on. You can really taste and feel the PH buffer he used, almost a quick lime effect. Almost to strong to be a sodium bicarbonate, he really found a way to liberate the available nicotine.
I chalk it up to differences in taste/smell. There’s another thread where someone mentioned not getting any flavour from Toque Whiskey and Honey. I get plenty of it, and I know there are others who also get a good amount from it. I’m not about to do a Sigmund Freud and start writing books about my new nose candy, but I’ll be sad when it’s gone. I think it’s scarcity is also what makes people like it so much. How much more would you appreciate F&T HDT if you knew you could never get another tin? Replace with something else if you dislike HDT, but you get the idea.
I love all snuffs that smells of dung! It’s probably microbe dung. (?) I just got an idea! I’m thinking about using my toe jam as a starter for a batch. Any body want me to save them a pinch.
I think toe jam is the predominant aroma in the existing Jewel, so it’s been done.