My guess is the answer is gonna be a Spanish Pride, but who has the oldest brand with the oldest blend? I’m interested in trying “the sniff that started it all”.
I’m only guessing but I would think snuff goes way back further than the first SP. I’d be interested to know when the practice of sniffing ground tobacco started actually.
It actually started in South America before the Europeans arrived. The Spaniards brought it back and just like the blues, snuff was made in America but perfected in England.
Oldest brand still being manufactured would probably be Fribourg and Treyer (since 1720), but the recipes have changed considerably over the centuries from what I’ve heard. Wilson’s of Sharrow has the oldest still-running snuff mill if I remember correctly and the Wilson family still runs the company if I’m not mistaken. They also own F&T now.
So if it’s WoS that is the oldest surviving mill, I wonder who has the oldest surviving blend at this point? I wouldn’t mind having a wing in my collection for (excuse my use of an agriculturalist term) “heritage stock”. I’m bound to purchase any snuff product with historical provenance. Snuff named after historical persons, snuff enjoyed by great persons, and snuff styles enjoyed in times past would all be of interest to me for this side of the drawer. What might be some selections you all might make for that kind of snuff collection?
By the 1760’s Joseph decided to continue the snuff business entirely by himself. It had become the most important part of his activities at Sharrow Mills, and it was at this time that he started making SP, for which Sharrow has been famous ever since. A further six generations of the Wilson family have followed Thomas at Sharrow Mills and the business which is now known as Wilsons & Co. (Sharrow) Ltd. is still wholly owned and run by members of the Wilson family. Steam-power was introduced in 1797 and the capacity of the mills has been gradually increased over the years but the water wheel is still working, deriving its power from the little river Porter. Sharrow snuffs were originally sent out in barrels, boxes and bladders. Today a wide range of packing, the most popular being 5, 10 and 25gr. tins (approximate weights). Snuff is made in an increasing number of flavours. These include the older blends such as Wallflower, Rose of Sharrow, Royal George, Jockey Club, Crumbs of Comfort, Aniseed and Eucalyptus, S.P., S.S., Tom Buck, Sharrow Medicated, Irish High Toast and Queen’s Extra Strong, as well as the newer additions such as Super Menthol, SM 500, Rum and Blackberry, Vanilla, Irish Whiskey, Tangerine, Honey Menthol and Prime Minister. Some nuggets gleaned from http://www.sharrowmills-online.com/company/
@Zimobog check this thread out http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/comment/177287/#Comment\_177287
@Juxtaposer thank you that is extremely helpful. Any other suggestions? I am carting F&T Princes and Old Paris (looks like Kendal Brown is on order) and WoS Best SP which the other thread mentions.
Interesting info 