I want to do a thread on the s&g/Viking range as I’ve tried nearly all of them now but one of their snuffs I feel deserves a special mention is Viking Blonde. Have you tried it? Just how good do you think it is? I love it. It’s like a supercharged f&t HDT. More buttery, more nutty, and much easier to take in large quantities. I’m getting this in bulk. It doesn’t get enough mention on here and I hope this thread changes that. It’s a damn fine snuff. It’s been compared to an SP on snuffreviews but I get no bergamot notes from it. To me, it’s very much like an improved f&t HDT without being a toast.
Definately the best Viking snuff IMHO And I do love blondes ;))
I’m very impressed with the whole Viking range personally. The Dark and Peach have a great punchy tobacco base. The brown is a nice KB and the menthol and spear are good variations on kb’s. They’re all on my bulk list (well OK have the dark and peach already in bulk, blonde next, then I’ll get the brown, menthol and spear in bulk).
Absolutely love Viking dark, getting to be damn near obsessive with it. Look forward to trying Viking’s take on menthol when my order gets here.
If I’d seen this thread I would of ordered some,instead I just got my first Viking dark come today.really like this, once passed that rubber tyre smell gives a nice kick.i will put it on my next order list.
Very nice snuff, but I prefer the Dark.
Love the Dark but thought the Blonde was bland and a little irritating in the nose. But it wasnt so bad i didn’t finish the 25g tin. Each to their own is guess. Glad to hear you love it @SnuffySnuff
I love Viking Blonde and Dark. I also like the Brown (prefer Virginie though).
I love the Dark too guys and would name it my favourite amongst the Vikings if forced. I just posted this thread because I really like the Blonde too and don’t feel it gets the attention it deserves. It’s the butteriness that really does it for me.
It took a long time to grown on me. At first I thought it was ok then I actually starteding dreading having it in my daily rotation…then all of a sudden I really started liking it. I’ll take a pinch for the thread *cheers*
Blonde is excellent for sure. Very mild Scent compared to brown or dark. I suppose blonde has similarities to toasts. The buttery nose feel. In my opinion, Blonde has more of the rubber smoke note, and HDT has a BBQ american scotch flavor. I do like them both very much!
Mine smells exactly like nothing. They forgot to add the aroma or what?
Says You. HDT rules; only WoS #22 comes close Blond not fine it’s medium and it is moist. I will agree it a great under rated snuff I guess you could toast it if so desired F&T HDT Has way more character.
I am confused…I have heard VB called an SP and I have heard it called plain tobacco, so which is it?
^ a plain SP
It’s plain, not an SP and nothing like F&T HDT. JMO. YKWIM. W.
I bought some Viking Blonde as a result of this thread, and I am definitely enjoying it. However, I’m with @peppernut1 on two out of three counts - it’s plain, and it doesn’t seem like an SP to me. I do get the similarity to HDT, although it isn’t toasted. Don’t ask me to explain that last comment, by the way. I realise it doesn’t make much sense! Still, it’s good stuff - stick some in your next order!
I know this is an old thread BUT…I recently acquired my first tin of VB and like most here, I don’t get it. It’s not “bad” but it doesn’t do anything for me. It has a nice tickle if you get enough in your snout but that’s about it. No notes of anything to me. I’ll keep after it until it’s gone and then if it doesn’t grab me, that’s it for VB. Maybe I’ll try the dark next…
I’ve got an odd relationship with VB. I use it almost every day (as part of a blend usually) but sometimes the smell from the tin still makes me feel sick. Weird eh?
It’s an SP style not an SP
each to their own … part of the snuffing fun … I found VB a bit bland with an “odd” aroma and to flowery in its mix, so for me no where near as good as the consistent HDT. OK for mixing … though maybe I am biased as HDT is one of my favorite snuffs… wos #22 is close
Well from what I am reading reviews while mixed seem to be on the bland side, maybe a good all day snuff. I was thinking of opening mine. But now I think I will wait. Grab something that might be a little more than an all day snuff next.
Old thread, but I think I should finally weigh in. A comparison of F&T HDT and Viking Blonde is a fool’s errand. To call it a “better version of F&T HDT” is a stretch. Apples and Oranges. The sole commonality is they are both snuffs made from tobacco…there endeth the comparison. One sniff of the open tins dispels any illusion of similarity. HDT is the definition of High Toast. Viking Blonde is completely different in construction, tobacco bill and preparation. Once past the tin note, the proof is in the nose; nicotine delivery, scent, duration…pretty much every nuance under consideration when evaluating a given snuff. Both are very good in their own right, within their own genres, which aren’t in the same neighborhood. It’s the equivalent of comparing Black Rappee to Poschl Red Bull. Why bother? Why not compare a Pinot Noir to a Pinot Grigio? They’re both Pinot, right? Wrong. Not even close, as a single sip will clarify in seconds, to say nothing of their scent in the glass. Silly.
Viking Blonde a better version of HDT? Really? Heh. No f#@*ing way. I love HDT but I wouldn’t give a rat’s a$$ if Viking Blonde disappeared from the face of the earth. Sorry. I thought about saying this indirectly and candy-coated but… Nah!
@fredh, the loss of any snuff is to be deplored. But yes, if it had to be one or the other, bye-bye Viking Blond. @chefdaniel, I generally agree with your points - except I do see some similarity in the taste of the two snuffs. It’s just that HDT is way better.
@JakartaBoy Similar, absolutely. Identical or better? I don’t think so, at least to my nose. Superb? Ditto, not to my nose. I like Viking Blonde very much. It has its time and place in my rotation. To me it lacks the depth of “toastiness” in HDT and the tin aromas are different, as is the nicotine hit. HDT, to me, is the definition of a high toast, with WoS #22 coming in a very close second. Viking Blonde is fluffy and moist and compresses in the pinch while HDT doesn’t due to the lack of moisture. Just my opinion of course. Cheers
@chefdaniel, quite. I must say, I initially tried BOTH those snuffs on your recommendation. While HDT has long since become a stock staple, the first tin of VB is still languishing in the fridge.
While I rank Viking Blonde higher on my list than HDT, I must agree with @chefdaniel they are not in the same class of snuff, as he said apples and oranges. VB is one of my staple snuffs, and the only reason HDT doesn’t rank higher is because I have a difficult time with extremely fine ground dry snuffs. The moist fluffy grind of many of the SG snuffs suits me much better. VB also has a scent that I really find enjoyable, a comfort food snuff, if that makes sense. That’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth, which is certainly less than 2 cents I’m sure! :-??
This is one of the many reasons I enjoy this hobby of ours; we all have our unique and personal ‘take’ on all snuffs, and we agree to disagree without being disagreeable. HDT does have a steep learning curve and VB is certainly easier to take big pinches than HDT. Both are unscented and very pleasant IMHO.
This thread could only stir controversy. It did raise my blood pressure a bit. since I don’t agree with the title, but I don’t sweat the small stuff
Viking Blonde sits lurking in my collection, waiting for me to getting round to “fixing” it. I can certainly see the HDT similarities, and whilst a fluffier snuff, it does have a little bit of the sickly toast scent that I hate in HDT. I don’t find it particularly pleasant, but would be hesitant to say it is unpleasant. I did enjoy it at first when I was more adventurous, but it may have been salvaged due to the lingering scent from a previous snuff, as it never stood up to frequent/repeated pinches. I may in time use this as a base for diluting potently scented snuff, but have little interest for using it on it’s own. Not one I would buy again.
Underrated…? Quite the opposite, I’d say. I use it on occasion, and would buy it again, but I’d lose no sleep if I couldn’t get anymore.
I really like Viking Blonde, but it really isn’t unique enough to be a favorite. I find it very plain, actually. I was under the impression that the tobacco is, in fact, toasted prior to hydration. I do not get flavors I associate with toasts, however.
I’ve just mixed up a trial batch of approx four parts V.Blonde to one part Seville. Just letting it stew for a short while
My Viking Blond smells like a ground up stogie.
OK, so after leaving the VB and Seville mix to stew for a couple of hours, it actually turned out quite nicely. I shall consider VB a mixer from now on