I’m split between these two snuffs. I like the finer ground of Tom Buck but, on the other hand, I like the aroma of Original a lot. What do you, ladies and gentlemen, prefer?

I really wish I were qualified to comment on this. Never tried Tom Buck tho. Toque Original is fantastic in its own right and I really like it. Is the Tom Buck good enough to compensate for the price, free shipping, and quality service of Toque? I’ll have to add it to my next wish list and see for myself.

In my humble opinion Spyro, no. To be honest I think Toque has just blown WOS out of the water - I regarded myself as a die hard fan, but I would now pick original over any of the WOS Sps’ any day.

I actually prefer McChrystals SP over Tom Buck. My 2 favorites of this type are Toque Original & Samuel Gawith No.1 High Mill.

They’re both excellent and worth having, and I prefer to have at least one of them on hand if I run out of the other.

I’m really developing an affinity for Toque Menthol too. Still gotta try Tom Buck tho just for posterity.

FF, the Tom Buck which I have at present is of a finer grind than my Original. I agree, the Tom Buck is STRONGER on taste, don’t know about the nicotine side. And yes, I think it’s best to have both. The more, the merrier !!!

There we have it then. I’ll try both so I know what I’m speaking about in future posts.

FF, you made me think and just to make sure I’m not spreading bull… here, I used a magnifying glass to check the grind (ground?) of the 2 snuffs. To my eye, the Tom Buck is SLIGHTLY finer but I won’t bet on it!!! I’ve also tried both products again. The Tom Buck gives me a nicer hit but the aroma only stays for a couple of seconds. The Original is milder but the aroma lingers longer. There is no choice for me other than to keep both of them in my snuff stable!!

I have to say… I’ve read over and over that Tom Buck and Queens Extra Strong are identical in taste. I just can’t agree. They’re close but to me the QES has an ever so slight hint of spearmint in the mix that just isn’t present in TB. That’s what I got, and after a number of trials with it, I gave it away. I think the Tom Buck is a sweeter flavor than the TO, but I keep coming back to the Toque as well. The Sam Gawith SP #1 High Mill is a stronger (in flavor) SP than either, but less sweet. Best SP is nice and mild and a good change of pace also. I rotate them all, along with their distant, less citrusy sweeter cousin Pomegranate. I guess we all taste 'em somewhat differently.

Hands down got to go with the Tom Buck. Not as clogging as the TO even though the TO deosn’t really clog much either. Flavor is the big capper for me and also if you buy the 1lb size over the 400g TO the Tom Buck actually ends up cheaper. Just my opininon take it for what it’s worth.

Having just the tried the Tom Buck (aka Queens Extra Strong) I must say I enjoy it quite a bit. However, I just can’t see comparing it to Toque Original. They have some slight similarities but I find them to be such totally different experiences that comparing the two is a moot apples and oranges thing for me. I love them oth and keep them both around as much as possible. TO is one of those blends I just get an unstoppable craving for at times.

I think TB is distinguished by a strong Bergamot scent, whereas QES has much more of the Citrus also found in Best SP. TB is the snuff I’ve been keeping for the longest - 3 years, and it’s still fresh and fragrant. I can’t understand how people can’t tell the difference between the two? Different color, grind, and scent.

I can barely tell the difference between them either. If its there its very very slight.

I like Toque Original better. Tom Buck tends to be a little too much bergamot for my tastes.

“I think TB is distinguished by a strong Bergamot scent, whereas QES has much more of the Citrus also found in Best SP. TB is the snuff I’ve been keeping for the longest - 3 years, and it’s still fresh and fragrant. I can’t understand how people can’t tell the difference between the two? Different color, grind, and scent.” Perhaps it’s because they are identical - fed from the nozzle of the same hopper but with different labels stuck on the tin. It doesn’t take much effort to mail Wilsons for confirmation. Question - Are Tom Buck and Queen’s Extra Strong different in any way? If not why are there two different names? Send the email to - Carol@sharrowmills.com

@ PhilipS: It sounds like you have already done this. Can you post the answer they sent you here?

I think it is pretty close between the two, sometimes I prefer one then the other the SP100 and McChrystals SP are also right up there. Can’t really go wrong with any of them. I suppose if pressed I would have to say: 1. McChrystals SP, 2. Toque Original, 3. Tom Buck, 4. SP100

I actually keep all three within an arms reach at all times. The queens extra stong is has a coarsness to it that I really enjoy. It makes me sneeze and kinda tingles a bit. Also it is very strong on the citrus notes. I dont get any spearmint though. I think the grind is really why I would place it at no. 1. Tom buck is to me just a bit weaker on the citrus and a touch fluffier. Toque orig is the lightest and I do enjoy it immensely I’d probably call it no. 2 in this cat for me. My judgement being based soley on quatinty snuffed because the differences are so subtle if I snuff all three I get nothing after the first one. I guess i’ll have to get my hands on the mccrystals sp and the sp 100 to see where those are at. So many snuffs so little time.

@ PhilipS: It sounds like you have already done this. Can you post the answer they sent you here? Why not mail Wilsons yourself - they welcome questions and comments - and then post the result here? You will be told that they are identical, but Wilsons, unable to decide which name to delete from their list, kept both names for the same snuff. Carol@sharrowmills.com

I think WOS tins are just terrible - you lose half the damn can when you open them! Strictly In terms of flavour, I think WOS has the edge - a more refreshing, more lively citrus/bergamot by far. That being said - and I have tins of both to hand - I take a lot more of the Toque. Perhaps it’s that the grind and moisture is a little more user-friendly? Perhaps it’s that toque delivers - to my nose, anyway - more of a defined nic hit? It may just be that while the more florid scent of WOS tends to make me go ‘ooh tasty!’ when I honk it, this flavour explosion is actually not what I want on a sniff-by-sniff daily basis. So maybe the Toque sits a bit better with regular sniffing than the WOS does. Wilson’s should ditch their cans though - as the youth say - big time.

Tom Buck!!!

I happen to have some Tom Buck on hand at the moment. To drift off topic a bit, I really do believe this is not the same thing as Queen’s Extra Strong. The grind seems more fine and its just not as tangy as the QES. I’ve read posts claiming that its the same product sold in different labeled cans but I beg to differ. With that said, I’d have to side with TO if it came right down to it. Its not an easy decision tho since they are both really great snuffs. I guess I like a nice burn from my SP and Toque seems more consistent and stable in that regard.

For me Tom Buck wins out squarely. I don’t really find the toque orginal all that appealing to me. It seems a touch bland.

I use both regularly with equal enjoyment. They’re the only 2 SP type snuffs I’ve tried so far. I think I’ll take Troutstrokers’ comment and give the McChrystal’s SP and Samuel Gawith No.1 High Mill a try for more comparison of the different SP types out there…

I haven’t had any Toque Original, just Quit & Natural, so I can’t really say which is best. I do like TB, though I think my fave SP is J&H Wilson’s No 1, for old times sake.

I like all the SPs I’ve had so far. Today I tried Dean Swift SP and WoS SP 100. Dean Swift tasted the least SP like of all. Kind of perfumy, but not all bad. SP 100 seems about half way between SP Best and Gold Label. Does Grand Cairo count as SP? Does J&H Wilson Top Mill No 1 count? The former is really flavorful and the latter really plain.

I would consider Grand Cairo as an SP since it definitely seems to have an SP base. I guess its a question of how you want to classify an SP.