Marlin Spike Snuff: Dark Air Cured Virginia and Flue Cured Bright Leaf gently stoved and aged under pressure between thick slabs of Himalayan Pink Salt. Coarsely milled, lightly misted with Islay Single Malt Whisky then cask conditioned in a small virgin oak barrel creating a salty, densely scented snuff with notes of caramel, toffee, bittersweet chocolate and peat smoke, from the natural tobaccos and whisky with no additional ingredients.

That looks like wood. Not a bad thing just an observation. Too smooth and, transparent to be wood. What am I seeing here?

@Igglet‌ That is a slab of Pink Himalayan Salt. I get them online from Salt Works. Way back when I used them in a restaurant for cooking various and sundry edibles and thought it a good idea to use them to stove, then age/ferment some good Virginia tobacco from Leaf Only. Thoughts?

Umm @chefdaniel‌ put me down for this one as well… Keep umm coming, I reckon you will be up and running with orders all round if you keep up with these creations … Make sure to make plenty

Ingredients sounds exciting and, well paired! I forgot what Virginia tobacco smells like though. I think I just need every tobacco leaf made into just plain snuff so I can smell it when looking at new products. One I always remember is Cavendish and, Burley.

@Derek_007‌ I’ll put you on the list, with pleasure. This is going to take some time. I hope to get the tobaccos to a jet black color and a rappee grind/moisture level…maybe a little easier to get in & stay put. @Igglet‌ Virginias have a wide range of natural scents depending on type, curing, aging etc. One thing they seem to have in common is a sweet, woody, grassy, hay-like aroma. Stoving brings out the natural sugars and turns the leaf black. I’m shooting for a sweet, caramel, peaty boozy scent that’s easy to use in massive amounts. Nicotine levels are pretty low but I can add some burley to the blend to boost that if needed. I think I have a few hands of 2005 dark, air cured Tennessee around here somewhere.

Well sounds like I stand by my statement of it sounding like a good thing. Possibly awesome thing.

@Chefdaniel - Liking this new facet bud Will ‘Old Mills’ be the new American artisan snuff company; will be watching! Good luck to you with all these blends. Exciting times

Well, I too would be foolish not to throw my hat in the ring and yell Huzzah!!!

Go Chef! Maybe @MrSnuff‌ could help out with some packaging and we could all purchase from there perhaps saving you a lot of bother?

@I_snuff_therefore___‌ now that’s a good idea …

Maybe send MS some samples and see what Dave thinks?

I’m back. Just returned from a wonderful visit with my son and his beautiful young family. After careful consideration, and a helluva lot of whisky, I have determined that the tobaccos and process will be better served by a craft/artisan rye whisky. We tasted 12 absolutely delicious Islay malts and had narrowed the choices down to Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Then we hit the rye. Holy shit! That whisky has come a very long way from Old Overcoat. There are many outstanding examples that defy the usual mash bill. Of particular note is Old Potrero Hotaling’s Single Malt Whiskey from Fritz Maytag’s brewery/distillery, Anchor, in San Francisco. Damn hard to find, but it is so freaking good it brings tears to your eyes. It isn’t the 100 proof spirit that does this, it’s the impeccable craftsmanship and 100% Malted Rye mash. Holy Crap is this good! More approachable is FEW Rye, Whiskey Advocate’s 2013 Craft Whiskey of the Year. A very young three year old, 93 proof lad of 70% Rye with almost zero barrel character, this tipple defies the usual definition of rye whisky. It has sweetness aplenty, with some very fleeting notes of cashew, pistachio, bubblegum (really, no shit), vanilla, cherry and raspberry. Damn. This is good whisky. Having just checked progress on the leaf, giving them a good fold and turn, & a pinch between cheek and gum, I applied a bit more pressure from two half gallons of uh, er, liquid on top of the salt slabs, I’ve decided to drink the Islay Malt and apply a liberal portion or three of FEW Rye to the weed upon its graduation. It’s taking on the salt nicely and the inherent sweetness is developing as well. Yin and Yang. I will update the description of Marlin Spike as it develops and let the weed determine the grind and moisture. I’m building some carottes from newly acquired leaf that I will smoke over pecan and corncobs to make St. Andrew Snuff ™ using Islay malt. That snuff will take about a year to 18 months before I even consider making it into the final product, so keep your noses clean and stay tuned. It’s great to be back among good friends. Cheers, Daniel

It has come to my attention that this project is awfully close to Sir Johnny Scott’s Masterpiece, Mull of Oa. I assure one and all that this was unintentional. I was just trying to figure out what to do with salt slabs. Compared to the SWS beauty, this would have been closer to Muddled of Oa. The rye whisky will take this in a totally different direction. I offer my sincerest apologies to Sir Johnny and the forum members for this oversight and insult to a Master Snuff Artist.

I would not worry about this. Let the snuff evolve into what it is meant to be and if it happens to be similar any great snuff consider that a blessing from the great snuff gods.

Totally agree. It’s sounding wonderful, as a snuff user many (loads) of snuffs are similar in production and ingredients, sure Johnny will be won’t mind you creating your master peace, I am looking forward to it already, the rye whisky is a great idea

Thank you all for your understanding. At first I was just looking to use some salt slabs and the concept evolved to evoke a seafaring snuff suitable for Horatio Hornblower or The Old Man and the Sea…storm tossed waves and all that romantic crap. The rye will do nicely. The weed is starting to take on some color (finally) and smells like seawater and ammonia right now. This sultry southern summer weather is ideal for aging/fermenting tobacco.

Update. I just gave the tobaccos a turn and a taste. Getting there but needed some depth, so I added 20% long cut St. James Perique and some local honey. I’ll turn it again next week to see how this is coming along.

Sounds like another must-try, chefdaniel, please put me on your list for this one.

There are times when this project reminds me of Dickens…best of times, worst of times and all that crap. Talk about a conundrum; I have to be patient and let nature take its course but I want some of this snuff NOW! It’s at that stinky stage that precedes the mellowing effect of time, humidity and temperature. The thermometer probe in the middle of the stack is at a consistent 150 degrees and it gets regular turns mainly so I can sneak a peek and chew a pinch. Strictly in the interest of science you understand I’ve got over 50 culinary-centric snuff concepts in the works. All I need is a Sugar Daddy/Mama to help me set up better equipment and packaging capabilities. Maybe some long lost great uncle will remember me kindly in his last will and testament.

If I could get hold of a small pack of this from @MrSnuff‌, I’d definitely give it a try.

umm “Better packaging capabilities” I can send you over a number of empty tins and a pre paid returns box it that helps

About two weeks away. October 1 or thereabouts. Fine mill, not coarse.

This sounds delicious. Rye whiskey would be appropriate for a U.S. Midshipman/commissioned officer in the early nineteenth century as native whiskey was often substituted for the rum ration for obvious reasons. The age of sail is such an evocative concept. Perhaps Jacob from the Aubrey/Maturin novels took such a snuff. Salty whiskey black snuff sounds perfect. I have a question, however, as someone who has never taken an alcohol soaked snuff, from a purely corporate wage-slave angle: does the alcohol have any effect? For instance, whiskey breath? Forgive me if that’s a stupid question. I’m ordering this regardless, but I might not take it to work if it does.

Rye seems a natural compliment to a snuff as the (few) Rye whiskies I have sampled have some tobacco-like notes in their flavor profile, and yet I know of no other Rye whiskey snuff, looking forward to the results.

@Malatesta‌ Spot on. I was/am looking for a “seafaring” snuff, or at least a snuff that a ship’s Captain in the days of sail would have liked. At first I looked at Scotch whiskies, then did an about face after tasting several flights of the artisan rye whiskies coming out. I used one (FEW-Chicago-93 proof) that is made with 100% malted rye, so got the best of both worlds; spicy, peppery and assertive grain elements from rye, but softened somewhat by malting. After aging under salt planks I used another for the second phase, George Dickel, because it’s made just down the road from me; (95% rye/5% malt-90 proof). It’s a classic rye aged in new charred oak for 5 years. I packed the dampened leaf in a 5L virgin oak barrel (www.barrelsonline.com) and aged it in the shed for almost 3 months. We’ve had a good hot and humid summer that accelerated the aging of the weed considerably. I was very pleasantly surprised. I refrigerated it for a few weeks to “tighten” up the infusion of whisky and weed, air dried, milled to a medium-fine grind (to me anyway, YMMV), ran it through a 200 µm sieve and bang. Ready. No worries on the alcohol. 99% evaporates into the angel’s share, so no breath problems or other issues. I only need to put it through the sieve one more time and it is off to anyone interested. Cheers

I would love to try some if its possible?

Its October now, but Marlin Spike is just as you described .@chefdaniel, it is really nice. So rich, the flavors develop in the nose. I am enjoying it as I write this. Its dark and delicious. I won’t attempt to describe it, as you have done so much better than I could ever do at its complexity and character. It is enough for me to just tell you that I enjoy it. I’m ging to have another spoon now…

Jealous !! Order on the way … Goya make a pack up before the Christmas post to do me a few months !

Ooh! I was on with the Scotch, but rye could be great as well, with its spiciness…

@chefdaniel‌ dam fine snuff it is thank you sweeter that i thought it would be ,

@Derek_007‌ Thank you. I did add a bit of honey to the whisky. Not much, just enough. I’m glad you like it.