Toque’s Spanish Gem is one of many snuffs I simply hadn’t gotten around to trying. Having just plumped for a dollop of his latest custom batch, I felt it was time to correct that, and ordered some of the original at the same time. When the parcel arrived this morning, I put aside the tins of SP Extra and St Clements that I’d also ordered, and settled down to sample the original version. For those who haven’t tried it yet, Spanish Gem is a very luxurious snuff, with complexity and depth. It’s rich, fruity, and slightly sweet. I get brandy and oranges and maybe a little nutmeg coming through, and a general feeling of indulgence. It’s a wonderful snuff, and beyond what I’d normally expect from Toque. Allow me to explain that last sentence. When I think of Toque, I think of good but very singular scents, each snuff capturing the true and natural scent as described on the lid, in a pleasant fluffy grind, and with an honest simplicity to the aroma. There will always be a place in my snuff arsenal for several varieties of Toque. The Spanish Gem is a more lavish affair though, and in a blind tasting if you knew nothing about it, you may well expect it to have come from a tall F&T tin. I really like this snuff. Moving onto the custom blend, immediately I can tell that this is a different snuff. It’s not the slight difference in grind, but the overall lighter note. The richness of the brandy is less present, and the tobacco seems to have a lighter note too, no doubt thanks for the addition of rustica. There is still an undeniable complexity, though overall it seems more delicate and somewhat less opulent than the original version. Maybe being so freshly made, it lacks a certain maturity, and so I have filled two 100ml jars which will be cellared away to enjoy the addition of time to the other ingredients. The remaining 2/3 full jar will remain well within reach. This all may read as though I’m slightly disappointed with the new batch, but that’s far from the case. I think this new creation is a wonderful snuff. I will continue to dip into the jar that’s left accessible, and I assure you I will thoroughly enjoy it. However, I can’t help thinking that I like the original version even more.
I’m in the same boat, I tried the custom version before I tried the original version. I need to spend more time with the original to make a comparison.
Nice write up! I ordered 200g (I love the original SG), and can’t wait to try the custom stuff.
I’d be interested to hear if you guys feel the same way. please come back to this thread and share your thoughts once you’ve indulged.
Just glad that both are great snuff. They have their differences but that’s what adds to the variety of life.
I’ve found that after a couple of years of aging, original Spanish Gem loses some of the more exotic notes, and a vanilla scent moves to the front. When fresh I have found that Spanish Gem slightly evokes the famous Guerlain Shalimar perfume.
I enjoy both the Custom and Standard. Its difficult to say which one I like more. Spanish Gem original was one of my first loves, then came along the Custom Gem and felt like I was having an affair with Spanish Gems younger sister. I’ve been comparing the two for about a week now and I think I am more inclined to the coarse grind and the lighter, sweeter more delicate flavors than the musky, heavier flavors.
Though what really made up my mind was the versatility of the Custom Gem and how the scent changes bit by bit while in my snuff box throughout the day. I’ve found as the snuff dries out and get more exposed to air I can detect other scents which I could not it the fresh out of the jar snuff. I haven’t aged my snuff for very long though I can defiantly say that it seems to be aging very very well so far.
I tend to be a bit bias towards coarse grind snuffs so that inclines me to pick up the Ambrosia more often than the Standard Spanish Gem.
I would very much like to hear others opinions and views when comparing these two.
Has anyone else received their orders from the second batch yet?
A really good description @50ft_trad. I’m a huge fan of SG and am really interested in it’s higher nic sibling. I love Torque’s Rustica heavy W&H USA and especially like to mix pure Rustica into other blends. SG2 is definitely on my to-try list.
I received my 100g of custom SG to the sunny south east of Ireland this morning. Now with hindsight (always 20/20) I should have got some original too, I simply didn’t think of it at the time. So in that regard I can’t compare. I’m normally a plain snuff man (naturals, toasts etc) and going by the description on SG original I’d usually steer clear of such concoctions. But I frivolously jumped on the bandwagon for SG custom, and I’m very glad I did.
Before I even opened the package I got the whiff of brandy/sherry and dark fruits like plum and raisin. First few pinches were very reassuring, easy to snuff, nice medium-coarse grind, just the right amount of moisture for the grind also. There were a few clumps, mostly centered around the rustica component of the mixture, but easily broken up. There was absolutely no ammonia note to the bag, which you’d usually expect with a freshly made snuff, although this might be attributed to the fact it wasn’t sealed in a tin but rather in a bag.
In the nose, well, what can I say. The word ‘luxury’ was used above and tbh I’d have to try hard to better it. It reminds me slightly of some of the Bernards I’ve had in the past, brandy/sherry, dark fruits, xmas pudding notes. Certainly way more complex than any other Toques I’ve had in the past (about 15). It was likened above to be like the F&T’s but I’d have to disagree on that point, I bought 5 different F&T’s last year and ended up trading them all after a few pinches- they had a disgusting perfume note that I found physically repulsive (although HDT will always occupy my top spot). I did drink a small bottle of my Aunt Ju’s old lady perfume though when I was a child, and puked for hours afterwards, so my perceptions may well be skewed there.
As you can tell, my olfactory observations are somewhat scant, I’m not good at such descriptions, but I do know whether I like something or not. I like this. The nicotine is certainly there, after 10 or so pinches in half an hour this morning I almost vomited lol.
I’ve only ever had one ‘artisan’ made snuff, that was SWS Field of Junipers, which I consider the most ‘luxurious’ snuff I’ve ever had, but this blend comes close, and is certainly more affordable.
Anyhow that turned into a life story, sorry I couldn’t be any more help in the comparison, next Toque order is probably 6 months away and I’ll try the original then.
Also, one last thing. Big thumbs up to @Roderick for actually accommodating a custom blend in the first place, considering the relative money and work involved, it’s a sign of a man who’s serious about what he does, and actually cares for his customers.