I’ve been told by a couple of people that Britsh snuff is slightly different than German snuff. I’m sure it varies by type/brand/etc, but are there things that are more common in say German snuff, when compared to British snuff? I’ve heard that German snuff contains more oils (for aroma), but I’m not sure if any of that is true as I’m a total snuff noobie. Cheers guys
The biggest difference is that German snuffs are oil moistened and British snuffs are water moistened. Basically this ends up in slower drying out times for the German ones, and they can have a tendency to be a bit more slippery in the nose.
As @Xander has said, i believe the German snuffs are moistened with paraffin oil to some degree and I believe British snuffs are not allowed to use anything but water to moisten their snuff. The result of that in my opinion is that British snuffs can dehydrate if not properly cared for while the German snuffs will remain moist for much longer. The use of paraffin oil/wax is said to be less healthy than water for obvious reasons. That being said I still enjoy both of them very much.
I find that the majority of German snuffs are very moist in general; many British snuffs, even fresh, start out being finer and drier than any German snuff I’ve tried. This makes many German snuffs ideal for the beginner. They also tend to be snuffed in larger quantities; watch a Bavarian snuffing competition some time, those cats shovel (literally) astonishing amounts up their noses. I usually have to blow out German snuffs much more quickly, probably due to the moisture and the coarser grind. I see a larger preponderance of sweet flavored snuffs among the German ones than among the British. Not hard and fast rules by any means, but that’s been my experience. Oh, and let’s not forget the original schmalzler which the individual snuffer must moisten with butterschmaltz or lard! I’ve still got some of the Echt Fresko Ungefettet that Red Star generously sent out years ago. It really gets better with age, but it’s still only a once-in-awhile thing for me. It reminds me of snuffing fried bread and black pudding (which isn’t a bad thing!).
In addition to the differences that have been mentioned, most British snuffs are made with tobacco which is imported from Africa and most German snuffs are made of Brazilian tobacco.