I am re-visiting the snuffs of my early snuffing career and ordered, and got today, a half pound drum of best SP. Excellent postal time (probably more luck) but I placed a telephone order with the sales team yesterday and it arrived today. The packaging is superb for bulk, a heavy duty plastic cannister that is airtight and re-useable. The snuff itself is medium milled and a rich dark brown. You get the amonia tang upom opening but, as with Toque snuffs, this does not figure in the nose. The snuff gives a mild burn and decent nicotine hit and when very new almost has a menthol quulity about it, This stuff is very head clearing and I can see why it is their most popular brand. There is flavour there as well, with a a light, smoky citrus note and probably bergamot - but these thngs are dealt with very lightly. This is an excellent snuff because of the blending, which seems to be both delicate and robust at once. But then I do like snuffs like that: a good initial punch leading onto a pleasant lingering aroma. A true classic. Don’t get one of the small tins; it just isn’t the same. I recommend that every serious snuffer get a pound or half of this snuff direct from the factory. At £13 for the half it is a pretty good deal and this will last for a good time for most people. Snuffster

Are you getting any Rose scent? I think I got a review for this mixed up with a Stefan’s Triple. The Triple has the lavender. But I think both have rose. I’ve got T-WHT in my nose right now so I may edit later after checking.

I don’t get any rose scent from the big tub of Best SP I have, just the expected SP flavour of bergamot. I do agree - it seems better in bulk than in small tins.

Well, a dull old world if we all like the same women, cars and tobacco. Im off Toque at the moment and this snuff almost has a sentimental value for me. I would say, however, that you might like it more factory fresh. The small tins Ive had are usually a bit stale. I do get some fragment of floral here but too faint for me to say rose.

I’ve got a tin of the Best SP on the way. I’ve really been liking SP’s lately, so I’m pretty excited for it to arrive.

I’m also waiting for some Best SP, hope it will be here tomorrow

Well gents, I trust you won’t be dissapointed. It should be very lightly moist if fresh, if its not just add a few drops of water and allow it to amalgamate over night.

How does it compare to McChrystal’s SP? Right now I can’t get enough of that one, good thing it came in an enormous tin

I got turned on by Toque Original so I ordered some WoS Best SP to compare them. I didn’t care for the Toque at first but once it grew on me and took hold I gobbled it up fast. Hope this one holds up to expectations as well. I’ve also found that the bigger the WoS quantity is the more fresh it tends to be.

i think best sp is supposed to have a little bit of rose in it but i never got that from it. Although i do believe i got one of the “stale” 10g tins.

Ouch…This is dried out for sure. Very strongly scented still after about a year. No rose, that was the Bespoke snuff I mistook it for on one of my snuffreviews.com. Stephen’s Triple was Rose, Lavender, and Sandalwood when I got some. Now it is Sandalwood, Apricot, with menthol. This Best SP from Wilsons is good but I think if I could dissect it with a Wilsons Of Sharrow Natural I would enjoy it even more. I know there is no such thing but I do like the tobacco that Wilsons has. It shines through fine in most of their snuffs. Thanks for the revisit.

The main problem with the tins is that they are not completelty airtight and this has to used fresh to get the full benefit. Most folks wont want to invest in a half pund cannister straight from WoS but that is the only way to guarantee the freshness - those cans just hang around in stores losing flavour.

I’ve tried Best SP for the first time today. I will for sure order again but not in that stupid little tins again. I order all my snuff, except Toque, from Tim. I hope he will get the bigger tins, otherwise I will ahve to order directly from WoS. But, ordering from them is quite a hassle. No credit card facilities. They want me to send them my card number and they will prosess on their side. No go for me!!! So, I will have to send them a cheque which is gonna cost me. Hell, it’s bad to be so far away from the suppliers and the postal service is…I’d rather not say. Might get banned from the forum.

The postal service are inept, asshats.

Ive only ever seen the big cannisters from WoS, I can only assume its not cost effective to stock them but this is one snuff that really loses out if bought in the cans. I think if people did try it as fresh as it comes in the large drums then we would have a snuff that is right up there in popularity with Toque etc, but its so darned delicate that keeping it in a can on a shelf just ruins it.I spent £13 on a half pound and I am really pleased with it. My advice is give it a go in the bulk form, it will cost a bit more than usual but you will see why its WoS best selling snuff for 200 years. I can’t think why no member of the Wilson’s family has ever bothered with this forum; smug in their place in the market? Shame because they would have a lot to offer.

They have every reason to be smug! …I’d be scared to enter this forum as a snuffmaker myself but I’ll bet they read our crap here. I would like to think that Ice Licorice was made as a result of comments made here at snuffhouse.org. Hard to say as they have no representative here. Maybe one day the’ll assign some poor schmuck to rap with us.

Ok, finally got a tin of this today. I got the 10g tin which I find to be the smallest size that still manages a degree of freshness as opposed to the little cans. At least mine seemed fresh enough. The idea was to compare this with Toque Original. This may not be totally fair since Toque never claims that their Original is intended as an SP but someone mentioned that it was based on an SP and I grew to really appreciate it. The WoS Best SP is a totally different animal. I found it moist and spicy and easy to take in large doses. The taste was very pleasant, almost a Grand Cairo lite to my palate. Whereas Toque Original is more dry and crisp the WoS tends to be more fluffy. Both are excellent but the comparison for me ends there. Its simply a totally different experience. I can also see where Best could make an excellent mixing base. I was able to detect the original tobacco, slight citrus notes, and something else which I can’t readily identify. I’ll have to try it fresh in the morning a few times to make sure my menthol and other snuffs aren’t getting in the way. I was pleasantly surprised with this one and am very happy I obtained it. Its one of those blends I’d like to always have on hand.

I think you might have convinced me snuffster, I was going to order half a pound of Tom Buck but might get this instead.

Great review Spyro. The comparison with Toque was very loosely made, and as you say they are completely different animals and I would say equally superb. Hey Kunugaa, if you like Tom you’ll like this - its a more toned down version of Tom, a more subtle and gentler version.

I like the WoS Best SP but…I like the WoS Best Dark MUCH, MUCH more!! This is GOOD stuff!!

I was diappointed in WoS’s DHT20 until I realised that this is not a High Dried Toast but an SP. Why call it DHT if that’s not what it is?

I am thinking about a half pound best sp order !!

You won’t be disappointed ap, I’m sure of that!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! This WoS Best Dark is SOOOO good!!! I will have to order a TON of this stuff.

WoS means World of Snuff…Best Dark from World of Snuff…amazingly good stuff. If it wasn’t for those shitty little tins, this would have been perfect. I’m gonna order big tubs of this snuff. Awesome.

It would be nice if they put a date on the can like cope or skoal does. I can now buy cope that was made that day in my local convenience store. In that US tobacco sales training book somebody linked to on here they made it a selling feature to have the freshest product on the shelves. Why can’t Wilsons do that? Just too lazy?

Yeah Cope does have a fresh product. They ship the same day its packaged. No sitting around with them. Its also nice that the gas station down the road here keeps their dip in the fridge next to the beer. I never find a can there older than a week.

Pieter - I have been ordering all my snuff from Wilsons for almost 3 years, and have never had any problems with them keeping my CC on file. I’m always ordering directly from Tricia.

When I used to buy Copenhagen, the local merchant would give me a discount if the can was old. On to other things tho. I sinned against the SP gods and mixed my Best SP with some Hedges L260. The result is a really nice O&G type substitute that takes in well and has a great menthol kick. However, before you try this do be advised that it will totally wreck the SP experience. It will taste nothing like straight SP but may be a great way of using up any dried out or crummy batches you have on hand.

love mixing sps and menthol. it’s an interesting flavour for sure.

Viking said; “Pieter - I have been ordering all my snuff from Wilsons for almost 3 years, and have never had any problems with them keeping my CC on file. I’m always ordering directly from Tricia.” They don’t. or should not keep you card details on file. I’ve ordered snuff direct from them a few times, each time they have asked for my card details. Each time the correct amount as been taken out on my bank account, Never had a problem. But I can understand why many are put off dealing this way. Giving your card details over the phone, well It’s more then giving someone your wallet and trusting them to just take out what is owing to them. One member of the sales team could be working there last week notice to quit, and intend to skip the country. You know what I’m saying, a firm with a good security on-line banking system makes you feel safer.

Snuff Head> They’ve kept my CC on file for several years, and there was never a problem. I just mail them my order, and they ship out the same day. Never any problems.

Viking, I never said there was a problem with Wilsnons, or their trading. But I do hope when they upgrade their equipment The Hard drives are smashed up before it ends up in Nigeria If Not some could have problems.

Snuff Head > sure, however I change my CC every other year, since the plastic card itself gets worn.

Online payment sites are also sometimes hacked and replaced by a scam front, so the only 100% safe way of paying is to knock on their door in Sheffield and pay by cash :o)

I did that last summer!

:o)

No worries giving your credit card number over the phone. The card companies for all their faults do protect the consumer against fraud. Actually this is the law in most countries, it may not actually be something the card companies are happy about!

My 1/2lb of Best SP arrived today! Very nice, much fluffier and more moist than when I have had it before. It’s especially nice as SP is the snuff I take all the time and my last few ounces have been McChrystals and Toque instead of my usual Wilsons. They are very nice and everything but don’t quite hit the spot for me as an all day, everyday snuff. I think I’m sold on buying Wilsons in bulk now, time to get through this so I can get a drum of Tom Buck! I also got an ounce of IHT 22, this is completely different as well mill fresh. It is REALLY smokey! Perfect. Oh yeah, an ounce of DH toast no. 20 as well, nobody seems to sell this but it is great, more of an SP really.

Kunugaa, the no 20 is an SP all the way as far as I’m concerned. Don’t know why the call it a toast but I like it. I also like the Best Dark a lot.

Kunugaa> No 20 has a smokey scent to it, which reminds me of smoked cheese :o) I have a drum of this too, and like it on occasion. I think you would like Wilsons’ Queen’s Extra Strong, if you like Best SP (Which is a favorite of mine too)

Yeah, Queens is great, I’ve only had one 10g tin of it but it didn’t last long at all! Best Dark is one I probably need to give another chance sometime, I just couldn’t stand coarse snuffs when I bought a tiny tin (which obviously went dried out after a couple of days). I can stand the coarse stuff a bit better now as long as I don’t take too much. Are you sure you mean 20 Viking? It seems just like a limey SP to me with no smoke. This tin of 22 is the smokiest snuff I have ever tried, I have had plenty of tins of 22 before as well as plenty of scotches and De Kralingse Latakia!

Yes I feel the same about coarse milled snuff. I do like some Schmalzler but usually not as an all-day snuff. I have gone through a 250g container of Irish Dark Toast, and that was my impression of it indeed. The High Toast is a very different matter of course.

Just got 1/2 lib drum of best sp along with some tins ( peppermint, vanila , sm blue , chocolate orange , ice licorice, thyme and lemon and extra crumbs of comfort) made the order by e-mail and called the company with my cc details!!

A couple of observations and a question or two. I’ve noticed that as my tin of Best SP has dried and aged a bit I’m getting a slight hint of freshly brewed Earl Grey tea from it. Any one else picking this up? I like it and still love this stuff, tho it does seem to loose its moisture rather fast. Also, the base flavor seems very similar to the Grand Cairo, minus the pine-like scent. Do any of you other Best SP fans notice this and if so do you also go for the Grand Cairo or is the distinction beyond your tastes?

SP snuffs and Earl Grey tea are both flavoured with bergamot, so no surprise on the similarity. Agreed, it does dry out fast which is why I don’t usually take it straight from the tin or tub it came in. Instead I put a small amount, enough for a day’s use, into a small snuff box. The Onefortheroad boxes are a perfect size for that. I can’t say I had noticed the similarity to the Grand Cairo though I don’t have any on hand to compare it to the Best SP.

Grand cairo is a straight bergamot snuff so there is a similarity. SP tends to have a dab of bergamot along with various other things like citrus, but its not heavily flavoured by it, so when taking an SP you will get whiffs of Earl Grey and Grand C. My all day, every day snuff. IMHO, SP is snuff.

My 1/2 pound just arrived (along with some small tins) ! wondeful snuff Man i liked the chocolate/orange and grand cairo a lot ! How about you guys?

I like the SPs. As mentioned on another thread, I think Tom Buck is the best all round one. Havn’t had Best Dark, which is on top of my most wanted list. @ ap: Chocolate Orange is awesome. A delcious treat! Havn’t had Grand Cairo yet. Todo bem!

Xander you should try the Grand Cairo its delicious , pretty heavy on bergamot ! Tudo Bem Man !!

Buying by the half pound is the way to experience snuff as it should be, not half dried out in some crappy tin (Toque and Dholakia excepted) Way to go SP!

I don’t think I could use a half pound before it dries out. Not unless it was the only snuff I used. The little tins will have to do for now untl I’ve tried everything.

Good tip you have gave to me snuffster , cheaper than buying in tins and a lot fresher (lots of amonia)!

I’m halfway through mine already.

WoS Best SP was my first snuff so I’m biased but I think its fantastic, has a very spicy, mysterious note. As for the Grand Cairo (which I also love) comparison; I think the best SP definately has a deeper, more complex scent (or, ahem, nose) with a more pronounced tobacco base. Grand Cairo on the other hand is much sweeter (as snuffster said, its straight bergamot) and a little less 3-dimensional; both quite mysterious and exotic. You can almost smell the mediterranean in them. One thing I find with the 10g tins is that Wilsons overfills them! Its not that I’m ungrateful to them for packing their tins to bursting but I inevitably lose snuff everytime I open the tin! One thing I will say is that WoS are excellent value! I wanna know why a 10g tin from toque is nearly double that of one from WoS?! Surely it should be vice versa seeing as Wilsons has the history behind it.

If you like the Best SP, you should give Silver SP a try. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve got some on the way. The site said it was the same as Best SP, but a finer grind. I’m really looking forward to trying it, and Grand Cairo.

Yeah Wilsons factory and snuffstore.co.uk prices are 85p for a 10g tin of WoS… cf. £1.55 for 10g toque tins… I see what you mean about Wilsons being dearer in America; Mr Snuff sells 10g Wilsons tins is $2.49 (=~£1.70) which is v. high.

Thanks Leman Ill give the silver SP a whirl… looking forward to trying Tom Buck and Princes too!

I ordered mine from www.mysmokingshop.co.uk and it is a 25g tin for £2.25 which would be equivilent to £0.90 for a 10g tin.

I agree that the drums make a significant difference in freshness and taste. Before the exclusion of duty on tobacco snuff in the UK in 1978 (and when Wilson’s list was much smaller) tours of the mill were possible. The prevalent aroma that I remember was tobacco/bergamot which, unfortunately, lost its pungency in the little yellow boxes of the day - or indeed in today’s tins with the green sealing tape. The drums give a real taste of SP fresh from the mill. It is also very cost effective to purchase in bulk.

Ive said it before and will say it again, you want to take your favourite WOS fresh, get a bulk cannister direct from the factory, sure it costs but it will last for ages and will always be fresh. The tins are so lousy they may as well be different snuffs. Im ordering a pound of rose of sharrow tomorrow - it will last me a year and the last pinch will be as good as the first.

You are correct snuffster, my 1/2 pound of best sp was the best order i`ve ever made!!

Thanks for clearing that up Farley I hadn’t realised WoS were 5g tins. Not much in it then as you say, which is good to hear

I realise that your favourite WoS snuff is best bought in bulk from the factory, but they make many varieties, so you are inevitably going to buy small tins to try and find out which is your favourite. People new to snuff need to sample first!

_so you are inevitably going to buy small tins to try and find out which is your favourite. People new to snuff need to sample first!_Indeed. And I have a lot of favorites.

In my book Best SP is not bad but I like Grand Cairo, Best Dark, and Jockey Club better. I have noticed that all the Wilsons SPs do seem to dry out vary fast compared to say O&G or Toque Original. I think the Toque has a tighter tin but the McCrystals is the same as Wilsons. I don’t understand. I may just follow ya’ll’s lead and get a half pound of each directly.

I love both Best SP and Jockey Club. I also love both Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc :o)))

I have tried quite a few Wilsons of Sharrow snuffs now, and I can’t fathom out why Best SP is their biggest seller. Grand Cairo, Queens Extra (Tom Buck) and Strasbourg make a more interesting sniff for me. Maybe I prefer a “bigger”, more perfumed flavour in my snuffs.

and I can’t fathom out why Best SP is their biggest seller. Grand Cairo, Queens Extra (Tom Buck) and Strasbourg make a more interesting sniff for me. Maybe I prefer a “bigger”, more perfumed flavour in my snuffs. This is almost exactly what I was thinking about a month ago. I posted a thread with some title like “Will the real Best SP please stand up?” Queens and Tom are better than Best. That’s a paradoxical statement, and I have a hard time wrapping my limited mind around it. Best is only better if you want a lighter sensation. Maybe it opens you up a bit more. The other two have better flavor and strength though. Still need to try Grand Cairo. I’ve heard its divine! I don’t know anything about Strasbourg. Is it an SP?

I’m on the Strasbourg right now Xander. It is like an SP, but is more powerfully flavoured, with citrus oil, sandlewood (I think), and a spicy perfumed finish - a cross between an SP and French Carotte. I love it, but I do like floral snuffs. Grand Cairo is an SP proper I think, is a nice reddish colour, quite fluffy and more spicy and citrusy than Best SP.

I keep saying this about Grand Cairo but I guess its unique to my pallete. I love the stuff but I get a pine/juniper note from it as well. Maybe its just the way the combination hits my senses and I’m imagining things.

I agree that the flavor is weaker than tom buck. Best sp is the ultimate base for making your own lemon snuff! Just add lemon oil to taste. I have also had good results using it with strawberry and raspberry flavor oil. I have some tangerine oil to try next.

Spyro, you might be right about the pine/juniper in Grand Cairo. I will dig it out tomorrow and have a few pinches.

I don’t know what Grand Cairo has in it but it more complex than the others.

I thought that Grand Cairo was straight bergamot, but I could be mistaken. It’s that only flavor I get when I snuff it.

The main flavouring in GC is beragamot, there may be a few hints of other things as well tho.

wilson does that a lot actualy. where they only list the main ingrdient. example crumbsof comfort has more the mint in it.

Man i love this stuff (best sp) but i dont know why , its the most difficult one to use, always , always hit the back of my throat and i dont have this problem with any other snuff (even rooster) !!!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds Best SP difficult to take. I’ve given up trying at the moment - always hits my throat.

There are a couple others you can try, guys, if you like Best SP but find it difficult. The first thing I suggest is Wilson’s D.H. Irish Toast #20. They call it a toast, but it is not what we think of as a toast (dry, powdery fine). Instead, it’s a toasted version of their SP but moist and every so slightly coarser…it’s delicious and a top choice if you like SP, especially Wilson’s Best SP. The other thing I would suggest is Strasbourg. It’s a bit sharper, but I like the flavor quite a bit more. It’s an SP with something extra.

Its difficult for sure sandy ! Thanks for the tip Snuffbox!

Thanks Snuffbox. My favourite alternatives are Samuel Gawith SP no 1 High Mill and SP Scotch, WoS Jockey Club, Strasbourg and Grand Cairo. But I may encounter others on my happy voyage through the world of snuff.

I guess I’m lucky with SPs. I’ve never had a problem with it hitting my throat. I have noticed that with some snuffs less is more. For example, Hopfen is better to me when I take only small pinches and slowly inhale until I feel it start to go up my nose then I keep a steady inhale. Some of the powdery ones do hit my throat now and then tho. I guess everyone has slightly different anatomy and tastes. I really dislike coarse grinds and find them very annoying. You could always try a bullet. I used one for a while until I refined my sniffing techniques.

i think best sp its the only one that hits my throat always!

For those that are having difficulty with best SP, ie hitting the throat, I wonder if you have tried small cans that have sat around and got dry? When its dry its a pretty ferocious and slightly unpleasant snuff but when really fresh its something completely different, reasonably strong in the nic hit but nice and mild(ish) to take.

It’s a bit like discussing which color is nicest - some will agree some will not. Best SP is not that much milder than TB and QES - I think there is a lot of psychology in the names of tobacco, and I think that the experience connects to the brand name a lot. If you do a blind test between QES and Best SP - honestly it’s not easy to tell the difference.

I can tell the difference. I find Best to be much lighter and more airy. It gives me a nice uplifting feeling. QES and Tom, I can’t tell the difference between the two, but they are richer and heavier than Best. Either of these I prefer in terms of flavor, but they don’t have that lightness about them that Best does.

“I can tell the difference. I find Best to be much lighter and more airy. It gives me a nice uplifting feeling. QES and Tom, I can’t tell the difference between the two, but they are richer and heavier than Best. Either of these I prefer in terms of flavor, but they don’t have that lightness about them that Best does.” Good appraisal. Best S.P/S.P 100 is primarily bergamot snuff. This is particularly apparent when purchasing drums. TB/QES snuff has a much sharper pungent flavour owing to the added concentrations of oils. Again the difference is most apparent when purchasing drums. However, the sieved flour that is stored in barrels prior to addition of essential oils is the same for both (and many other offerings from Wilsons). This is why - unless it can be demonstrated that oils significantly affect the ph level - I maintain that the nicotine lift from each is the same.

I’ve just mixed a snuffbox 50/50 Wilsons Best SP + Rose of Sharrow. I like it.

snuffster makes a good point. I did notice that my WoS Best SP lost its moisture pretty fast. It never got “dry” since I used it up so fast but there was a noticeable moisture loss in a short period of time. Wonder if those guys getting throat bit would benefit from a bit of rehydrating. The Toque Original seemed to hold its consistency the longest. Maybe its the tins Roderick uses or something.

I bought 1/2 pound of best sp about a month ago so mine is really fresh ! but i can try to add some moisture !