I’ve tried most every snus available. I have about 20 brands in my freezer right now. Way to many to list here. I’m finding a real love for slim/long portions.
I buy online. Even counting current shipping costs it’s still cheaper, per can, than buying in a B&M store. If I catch the sales just right and limit the “premium” brands.
@SnusDirect Thanks for the tip! I’ll give those a try =D
From what I have heard it is the duty/taxes to Canada that they nail you.
Ken
If you use Northerner they only ship 3 or 4 tins per package so they usually go through customs untouched and if they do nail you for one you only pay duties for 3 or 4 tins. I got nailed once but only one of the several packages they sent me got caught and they charged 18 bucks in duties so its no bank breaker and I have ordered snus from them many many times and only got nailed for one small package.
For orders to Canada we suggest small orders. They normally slip through. And as @n9incnails you only pay cusoms for the actual order. We recommend you using Posten Letter as shipping option.
Never tried snus. Don’t see the point when I absolutely adore makla which is stronger. Am I wrong? Should I open my mind and give snus a go? Any opinions from folk who know both makla and snus. I’d love to hear a comparison.
I, too have a freezer full. My unconditional favorite would have to be Grov los. My favorite portion is anything from the Lab series. Other things I like, ettan los or portion, Gottland’s Yellow (yes, I still have some left) and green, old Skruf (I’ve heard the new one isn’t as nice). Gote Rape 1 and 2, and Prima Flint.
Obviously I know what the word rape means in english, but what is the translation of what it means in reference to snus? I had a can of the Gotesboarhaldffha;oe (spelling?) Rape that was prettry good, but when asked about what it meant, i had no way of answering people in a way that wasn’t inappropriate and smarmy.
@Dogwalla: It’s the swedish translation of rappee - “A strong snuff made from a dark, coarse tobacco. [From French (tabac) râpé, grated (tobacco), past participle of râper, to grate, from Old French rasper, to scrape”
@toffeenose Wow. I had no idea. Thanks for the explanation =D
@OscarWabbit: I’ve only tried a few brands of Makla, but to me there’s absolutely no comparison to snus. Flavor wise, they’re two completely different profiles.
The Maklas I’ve tried have that earthy, somewhat pungent taste of fermented tobacco. While I don’t mind giving them a good snort, I can’t stand them in my lip.
Loose Swedish snus is of a finer cut than Makla, but it’s much more moist. The variety of flavors available is astounding, from the plain/unflavored brands like Ettan and Prima Fint to herbal (Rapé and Röda Lacket) to the bergamot blends like General and Gustavus.
Snus and Makla are manufactured in two different ways. Makla is made more like fermented American moist snuff whereas snus undergoes steam pasteurization unique to Swedish (and a couple of American) manufacturers.
I’m not going to name company names here, but Mick and I are pretty close friends with one of the biggest tobacco exporters in the world, with operations in Africa and South America. Tobacco for snus is grown and harvested to rigid specifications, and only half of the yield meets their standards and makes it to their factory. Of the remaining 50% of the harvest, the better half goes to second-tier Swedish snus manufacturers while the bottom half goes to Makla manufacturers.
This difference is readily apparent to me. You have snus brands like Ettan which are flavored only with a little bit of salt. You’re basically tasting pure tobacco. Every brand of Makla I’ve tried, even the “plain” and “straight” varieties, have been pretty heavily flavored to get past that pungent, cheap tobacco taste.
I’m probably showing my bias here, but I think snus beats the pants off of Makla in every way. As far as nicotine hit goes, Makla is a wee bit stronger than regular strength snus, but is no where as strong as Sterk or Extra Sterk varieties.
If you like traditional, plain Makla flavors, I would recommend picking up Grov, which is flavored in much the same way, but not overpoweringly so. Other than that, my recommendation for snus newbies is to try all the old standards: Röda Lacket, Goteborg’s Rapé and Prima Fint, Ettan, and General.
Of course, I’ve been talking exclusively about lös varieties. We haven’t even got into portioned snus yet. 
+1 @snuffpub… well described
… says the man that eats a pound of Ettan every day. 
Do any of the snus companies ship to the UK anymore?
I don’t think so, Snuffster. That last EU raid on snus vendors pretty much scared the crap out of everybody from what I understand…
From SnusDirect.com:
“Ettan Loose offers a distinguished flavor, with hints of light smoke aroma and a characteristic fresh, unseasoned tobacco scent. Its taste is reminiscent of Belgian dark chocolate, under the lip as well as in the nose.”
Do people really sniff SNUS? Also, from a guy who has had minimal exposure to the real Swedish SNUS, why is it used in the upper lip? Other than hiding the bump, is there any advantage to the lower lip like American Dip is commonly used?
(By the way, this is a fascinating thread)
Saliva production. In the upper lip even american dip produces a minimal amount of excess saliva.
@snuffpub Great salesmanship. You’ve got me curious now. So I should try Sterk or Sterk extra, as N content is all I’m bothered about with oral tobacco. Is that loose or tea bag snus?
I’m another with a freezer stocked with snus. I buy almost exclusively online, as my local tobacconist only carries General. I didn’t start snuffing until I read about it on a snus forum. I continue to use more snus than snuff, although I enjoy both very much.
@snuffpub … General Sterk White isn’t for everyone … 
A man needs his Ettan!!!