I want to do this thread because SG is an interesting snuff producer. They make some truly awful snuffs, many mediocre, and a few sublime. Here I list the sublime. The must-tries. The must-haves. The ones you’ll want in bulk if you’re a bulk buyer. KB Plain - all the Kendal Browns are wonderful KB Scented - all the Kendal Browns are wonderful KB Special - all the Kendal Browns are wonderful Elmo’s Reserve - all the Kendal Browns are wonderful esp this one Black Rappee -sublime Scotch Black - sublime Peppermint Dark - on a par with Toque Peppermint Lavender Dark - the only single floral I love Firedance - beautiful cherryy/vanilla dark snuff Chocolate - on a par with Toque Chocolate Celtic Talisman - one of the very few light snuffs I love from SG Plum - the ONLY fruit snuff SG do that is excellent - a dark snuff SP Scotch - superb and different from wilsons SPs SP High Mill - as above SP No. 1 (Top Mill) - as above Viking Blonde - not an SP. More like f&t HDT but much better! Viking Dark - strong and wonderful dark cured tobacco Viking Peach - as above and the peach is very nice Viking Menthol - a menthol Kendal Brown, anathema to some, but I love it Viking Brown - very similar to KB Plain Viking Spear - a spearmint Kendal brown. I like it. Some don’t Irish D light - personally I hate this one. It’s the only toast I dislike, but most like it, so I’ll include it. Black Coffee - I hate coffee snuffs but this is also very popular Banana - I find this disgusting but some really like it The rest of SG is not to my liking. The cobs, crests, etc are boring and lack character. The fruits are vile! What I list above are what I believe are the best, 4 or 5 star snuffs, from SG. I’d be very interested in people’s opinions of the following SGs which I have not tried: Strawberry - how does this compare to Toque’s? Hazelnut - sounds gorgeous, is it? Almond - again, compared to Toque’s? Richt Kind Otterhound Should I be trying any of these in your opinion?

You should try the CCC

I have, mate. I like it but not that impressed by it. I’d rate it 3 stars, not 4 or 5 which is why I’ve not listed it. For clove I prefer toque and McCs. For camphor I prefer Wilson’s and Toque. I find CCC too cloying as I do most of the light range of SG snuffs. They clog me up real quick and I can’t breathe. I don’t like the light range of SG snuffs generally because of this - blocked nose. As you can see, most of the snuffs I list above are dark tobaccos apart from the SPs and Celtic Talisman. Both the Viking Blonde and Celtic Talisman clog me up, but they are so nice, I’m willing to overlook it. Not disagreeing with you though mate. I realise CCC is popular.

SG makes some of my absolute favorites as well as the few snuffs I’ve actually come near throwing away because I thought they were that bad. General rule of thumb for me with them is their plain snuffs are among the best in the world but their scented snuffs are a crapshoot.

I love Black Coffee and Viking Dark. These are my only 2 all day every day snuffs at this point. Hazelnut is good, I guess ii was expecting the smell from Hazelnut coffee which is my only experience with Hazelnut. It doesn’t smell like that. I also expected it to be the same grind as Black Coffee, and it is much finer and lighter in color. It is growing on me, but I was disapointed with it at first because I had different expectations.

How can you have not have Wild Duck on your list? And you say you like dark tobaccos! Shame on you!!

I like the Wild Duck and did put it on my bulk list but then later crossed it off because I had too many SGs I wanted in bulk and some had to go. CCC also fell in to that category. That list in my first post is basically my 500g bulk list for SG - that’s a lot of snuff! I’ve got about a third of them in bulk so far. Just buying a few tubs each month. I would never have thought to try the Toffee as it just sounds like one of those flavours that would be rubbish to me, but I’ll give it a go now. Thanks for the other recommendations @lunecat.

Thumbs up for : Elmo’s KB orig. ??? for: C. Talisman. Much too heavily scented for my nose. Makes a good mix with Princes though.

i am in the “love” SG Irish D Light … as far as any of their scented, specifically Almond, as it compares to Toque, no contest … Toque wins. Also, for all of SG’s fruity and scents, to this nose, they always seem plastic-y and fake. My two cents isn’t worth a penny … but that’s my take. Cheers.

Irish D light is a classic toast. The most authentic per Prof. Griffiths. Not to disrespect the other toasts. Myself I prefer No. 22 but also have a supply of Irish D Light and would like to try them all.

Wish i’d read this before my most recent snuff order, although I am gratified to see many of my own favorites included on the list for the same reasons. I have not yet tried the Irish D-Light; the tin in fact, waits about 16" from my left hand as I type this. I hate to read that it and the Red Crest I bought (but have not yet sampled) are “mediocre” to his view. Regarding SG Fruits: Plum suffers from the same malady as every SG fruit-scented snuff I’ve sampled. One can smell the chemistry set with every pinch. The Plum is only marginally better than the others, but the C. Talisman even suffers from it, and the Banana is so rife with chemistry that the scent never improves nor becomes natural in any way. Horrible. I believe, as is true with every snuffmaker, Gawith’s has strengths and weaknesses. I love all the Kendall’s I’ve tried, including Elmo’s. I liked the Blue Crest albeit an unremarkable snuff. I’ve little exposure to their SP range. Thanks for the list and for suffering this rambling comment.

SG makes so many different snuffs that it is impossible for me to pick a favorite. I have tried 25+ of them and ATM Irish D, CCC, Vanilla, and Scotch Black would be my most used. The fruity ones do have a strange bit of scent to them but they can be quite good if I am in the mood for them. The texture, grind, and moisture set SG apart from other snuff makers and that is part of there charm to me. When I got my first baggie of Cafe Noire from Snuffstore I knew right off who was making it. I am really sad because I heard Toque was running them out of business.

Naughty Toque! :-q If that is true, and I have my doubts, I hope it encourages SG to up their game and release new high quality snuffs. Their fruit snuffs suck, they should reinvent them. I would also like them to create new snuffs using their coarse, dark, moist flours. That is their strength. The Viking range are new and they’re great snuffs, esp the Dark, so they can compete if the will is there.

Amen +++ What SG does well they do with virtuosity. The disappointments have been few. Frankly, I get better persistence of scent with Samuel Gawith in general than I do with Toque. I’ve also come to love Gawith’s use of the vaccuum tins. I tend to buy snuff in large varieties and sometimes need to hoard them (LOL) for a couple years. I also have discovered the joy of a good KB, rape’ and many of their other “unperfumed” snuffs. I do hope they can compete.

To echo the good and great Uncle Squinty, what they do well the do very, very well - London Brown/Black Rappee, and the Vikings are all excellent beyond measure. For reasons I haven’t nailed down, I’m FAR less prone to clogging up with SG than with Toque or WoS, regardless of scent, mill, or base tobacco, so I naturally incline towards the SG line more often than others. Generally, I’ve never enjoyed their fruit snuffs, although I haven’t tried the Plum yet (it’s “in the basket” for my next MrSnuff order).

I find the Plum to be OK. But if you are expecting that really smells like plums you will be disappointed. To me it is much more plum skins than the fruit itself. But I like it…

KB Original, Back Coffee, Viking dark,Elmo’s reserve. All the above are very good winter snuffs with exceptional base tobaccos.

I’ll also give an honorable mention to Irish D Light

Black Coffee The Three Crests, unscented London Brown Black Rappee Scotch Black McCombie (RIP) The Kendal Browns, especially the Plain

Dragging this back up to comment on the SG Plum…I finally ordered it and am woefully unimpressed. I’m finding the chemical-ness overwhelming, nearly as much as with the banana. I was hopeful to find an SG fruit that I could enjoy, but that seems to have been a monstrous flop. File it as “live and learn,” I suppose.

@idbowman‌ Likewise. I tried all of the fruit and nut SG’s and hated them for the same reason you mentioned. When I’m feeling like fruit I go with Toque. When I want nuts I go with mine. Please note I didn’t say when I was feeling fruity or nuts, lest I open myself up for derision, no matter how well deserved. My personal snuffs, not released to the public, are _ Reprobate _, Miscreant and _ Lowlife Scumbag _. =))

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. @chefdaniel‌ are you sure there can’t be a special limited release? Specifically, reprobate and lowlife scumbag sound right up my alley.

@SandwhichIsles‌ There is an off chance of limited release of all three once I have them perfected. I’ll keep ya’ll posted on progress.

@chefdaniel, please add me to the you=probably-won’t-get-any-but-if-I-do-release-them-then-maybe list for Reprobate, Miscreant and Lowlife Scumbag

@Mouse Consider it done, done and done.

I have long had a love affair with their Wild Duck. I do like their Kendal Browns, especially the Original. I like the Black Coffee too. I’ve not tried any of their fruit flavored snuffs, and now I don’t guess I will!

Their Elmos’s Reserve was my first introduction to snuff. I have found that SG seem to have a distinct smell to them, I’m not 100% sure what that is and that could be my inexperience. I was initially put off trying it altogether due to the smell but went for it all the same. I was impressed and I find it a delight. The greatest thing of all is I live all of 30-40 minutes away from Kendal, which is where they are based. Perhaps I should pay them a visit?!

@idbowman‌ Yes the SG Plum is rank, one of the most artificial (plastic) flavours. I’m afraid to say that SG have no idea how to make a fruit flavoured snuff. Although the Banana isn’t that bad… But it is the only one. As for SG finest snuff, they do some good ones. Firedance, Toffee, Black Coffee & Celtic talisman, although some folk think the Celtic talisman is also a bit artificial I still like it though.

I thought that with the dark kendal base, and plum being a dark fruit that surely -SURELY- it would be at least decent. I was let down to say the least. It did smell like something I couldn’t place though - until I went to the doc’s yesterday for a physical. The combination of disinfectant and medical-grade plastic aromas in the exam room struck me as pretty close what I was getting from the plum (honest observation - not for the sake of exaggeration, here). Firedance is a winner, though.

SG fruit snuffs have come in for some criticism in this thread, but, to be honest, I feel it’s misplaced. The Guarana and Banana are both excellent; I even liked the Plum (after the initial intensity had faded)- and since nobody else in the UK to my knowledge does a Plum snuff, it’s a unique stand-alone item, so well done to SG for making it and putting it out there. It’s also interesting that the Plum has come in for some criticism for smelling artificial or synthetic - but the same criticism isn’t levelled against (for example) Elmo’s Reserve, the tonka bean flavouring of which is also (for safety reasons) completely synthetic (but smells more “natural”). I think it’s important to appreciate how fortunate we are still to have great British companies such as S. Gawith milling snuff with original 18th. century equipment and producing for us a huge range of snuffs catering to every possible taste. My no.1 bulk-buy SG snuff is Wild Duck - which is much more than a simple peppermint snuff, possessing deep earthy undertones… it’s actually an old G. Smith’s recipe called Garden Mint which I remember from the days of the Charing Cross Rd. shop. I also make sure I always have Guarana, Grousemoor (took some getting used to, but I really like it now) and Elmo’s in stock. As I write this there’s a 250g tub of Wild Duck in the mail heading my way along with some Special M and some X-Blend… always a pleasure to check out an unfamiliar SG snuff.

I’ve recently tried X blend, it’s unusual. But the grind and fluffiness is great. I’ve not formed an opinion yet, but I’m leaning towards liking it. It’s an interesting one for sure.

I must say that the raspberry is a very nice one too in my opinion.

I must say that i haven’t tryed any other raspberry from other brands but, ist very easy to snuf in large pinches, stay’s quit long and is a nice full sent.

London Brown Toffee Celtic Talisman Firedance Grousemoor Vanilla Silky Dark (Viking Dark) Elmos Reserve SP Scotch Hazelnut There are however, several I haven’t tried yet