I finally picked-up a McChrystal’s Original and Genuine, and have to say that I am disappointed in myself for not picking this up earlier. It is good. As to my heading. This led me to thinking Toque puts “Original” on that bergamot concoction and hey, good for them. I enjoy that as well, but what are your guys’ thoughts? are the snuffs available/you’ve tried justify the brand? I have a like/loathe relationship with Poschls now.
I’m not sure I understand the question, but McChrystal’s also says “original and genuine” on their other ones. I have a Violet here that looks just like O&G but has “Violet” written in red towards the bottom. I think we all call it the one Original and Genuine for lack of anything else to call it. It doesn’t really have a name. Similarly Toque Original was formerly just Toque Tobacco, or simply Toque. I think they call it “Original” because it was their first product. I suppose it could get changed to SP or something more tradtional, but then you would confuse people. I’ve said before that Wilson’s Best SP is not their best SP (although it is good). I think they call it that mainly out of tradition. Pöschl, I could take or leave. I haven’t found one I can’t live without, and Gawith Apricot just makes me want to vomit. Ozona President is ok and so is Glestcher Prise. But just ok. Menthol is really easy to overdo, and when mixed with artificial tasting fruit flavors its bad, bad, bad. Still, I keep the few I have around and will get through them eventually. I’ll even keep trying new ones until I’ve had them all. I may even find a keeper among them, so I don’t loathe them at this point. As to the first point, I’m not sure if Pöschl has a flagship snuff. If they did I guess it would be Glestcher Prise. Gawith Apricot for some incomprehensible reason seems to be one of the most popular snuffs in the world, so they might have chosen that, except I believe it is a recipe leased from Gawith Hoggarth.
Industro, I don’t doubt that there is a difference in Apricot by Samuel Gawith and Gawith Apricot by Pöschl. I know they are two seprate snuffs (though I have not yet had Sam’s). However, there seems to be some relationship between the two companies. For one, Pöschl is known to contract brands for others (such as Robby’s Top Mint, sold in Britain). Also the name “Gawith” is right there in the name of both Gawith Apricot, and Gawith Cola. Both of these snuffs are actually advertised as well as a few other Pöschl products on Samuel Gawith’s website. All of this can’t be coincidence. I’m only deducting that the recipe has been contracted out, but a name like Gawith doesn’t turn up very often (except in the snuff world). Incidentally, I emailed SG about their relationship to Pöschl, but they never answered me.
Well, they did a few weeks ago. I guess you’ll have to take my word for it? Maybe it was Gawith Hoggarth. I can’t remember, but I have to go now. I look for it later tonight for you.
I was refered to Samuel Gawith by Poschl themselves when I e-mailed them about Packard’s. Poschl calls SG their “agent” in the UK.
Poschl’s to me, is like the Coca-Cola of snuff. You know you are getting a quality item, with a long history. It’s a great snuff, and their packages make them great for “on the go” snuffing. It’s good flavors and refreshing menthol make them very appealing to alot of people. Poschl’s I used to think is my favorite snuff company and with good reason, as stated above. But while I like Coca-Cola, it’s not my favorite, as I tend to like the not so big name sodas a little more, as I’m just not a trendy kind of guy. But I will still buy a Coke, and enjoy it, just as I enjoy Poschl’s snuffs. They will last, because they make a good quality item, that is styled and user friendly. I can’t think of anything negative about Poschl’s at all, other than it might be nice if they had a non-menthol item.
To carry your analogy further… I think Poschl products are just more widely available and that’s why there so popular. You can walk into any store in the country and get a coca cola. That’s not the case with other less known brands. Doesn’t mean coke is better - it just has better distribution. If Toque was owned by Marlbore (just an example!) it could be placed in every tobacco and convenience store very quickly. Retailers could even be “convinced” into carrying it. Retailers are convinced (forced) into buying other, less popular coca cola products all the time. JUST MY OPINION!!!
miami- I think that is all true as well.
I don’t see myself going without Poschl’s snuffs. I love Gawith Apricot, use it every day, Gletscher Prise, President, Packard’s, Lowen Prise and Raspberry. I don’t mind the menthol in there because it’s very soft and I’m beginning to like menthol more and more. I have an idea that the snuff companies are a whole lot more mixed up and connected than we would ever guess. They have got fingers in each other tins, so to speak. But that does not bother me at all; as long as I like it, I will buy and sniff it.
Any company that produces items that are easy going will always command the lions share of the market, be it beer, wine, or snuff. Shareholders get nervous if more challenging or niche products are launched. Small scale producers are always there to provide quirkier alternatives, and good for them.
Try Mc’s Mild Lemon with a little Gawith Hoggarth Dry Orange, you’ll hear the bell’s of St’ Clements for sure!
@ Industro, I’ve just tried it with Wilson’s Tangerine and it is dry too, not bad but I think with the Dry Orange it is better. If you try, can I warn you don’t go for a line, or a large pinch. There dry snuffs and will make your head ring, LOL!
Industro, I was incorrect it was not Samuel Gawith where I saw the Gawith Apricot, it was indeed Gawith Hoggarth: Gawith Hoggarth Snuff. Sorry for the confusion, but they do indeed have quite a few Pöschl products listed on their website. They were the ones I actually emailed and got no response. So I think its their recipe that’s licensed to Pöschl. Following on the popularity thing, yeah I think about that stuff. Let’s say a retailer wants to open a shop and wants to carry snuff (or anything for that matter). He wants to spend as little as possible and also maximize profit, so doesn’t want to take too many risks. So he asks his ditributor or wholesaler what is the best selling snuff and just buys the top few of those. Now, when ten thousand retailers do this, and they only carry the “most popular” snuffs, the most popular ones remain most popular by default. Its simply becuase they are the most accessable. Its a self perpetuating cycle. Which is why the big tobacconist here only carries Pöschl, and only the three top selling Pöschls. I was in a pub once that had a jukebox and it remembered what were the most requested songs. You could tell it to play just the most requested songs. The problem was that everytime you told it to do that, the most reqested songs got counted by the jukebox as being another request. So the same song would get played over and over again. It was infuriating. Every couple of weeks the owner had to clear the damn thing’s memory. to tom, Yeah, I get the Coke reference, though I still think that they make the best cola around, though not the best sodas overall. Sometimes the popular one is the best. Having said that its hard to even find another cola to compare it to anywhere, other than Pepsi (yuck). I really don’t even drink them anymore since I eliminated all high-fructose corn syrup from my diet several years ago. I do get one if I can find one imported from Mexico from time to time, or if I am visiting somewhere that still uses cane sugar. The only cola I can find around here that is all natural is China Cola. Its good, kind of spicy, but its not quite a Coke. Back on topic, what are the flagship brands of some other companies, do you think?