bear with me, as this may be a very long post. but i feel that it is necessary for those new to snus to know where to start and how to transition. this is my opinion, and i'm sure responses and replies will follow as other people post their opinion. my best advice to snubies, read this post and the posts that will follow before you place a "blind order", as that's what i did first and it almost immediately scared me away.
EDIT: when i mention Camel Snus in this post, i'm mentioning Camel Frost or Mellow, the American snus, not the Swedish Camel Product.
EDIT EDIT: Snubie = snus noob. those new to snus will notice we use the word snubie alot around here.
step 1. you are an American snus user. once you admit that you have a problem, the easier it will be to move towards recovery, and in my opinion, redemption. moving from American "snus" to Swedish Snus is an eye opening experience, but i promise you, in the long run it will be worth it.
step 2. in the words of rick, "STOP SMELLING THE SNUS". when you get your first order, i did it, as did others. that big first smell to see what it's all about, it will be overbearing. i strongly advise you NOT to smell it, and immediately put it into your mouth.
step 3. the salty aftertaste of some snus. most all Swedish Snus will have a strong aftertaste. it's true. this is just something you'll have to get used to, but i promise it's worth it, and eventually you won't even think about it. i used to wash my mouth out to get the taste off my gums, but after a few days, i got used to it and it's almost a refreshing taste.
step 4. not all snuses are for you. you need to find a snus that works for you. in my freezer right now i have about 20-30 different cans, and many of them are missing one portion, and will never be touched. good news - snus is cheap, to quote a fellow forum member.
i quit smoking with Camel "SNUS". when i first tried it, i was under the impression that RJR invented snus, and this was a totally new product. when i got online and read more into it, i realized that snus had been around for hundreds of years, and Swedish Snus was where it was at. i placed a blind order for a white snus try-and-buy kit, because Camel "SNUS" is essentially white mini portions. i got them, smelled every single one, and put them back in the box and into the freezer and went and bought more camel "snus". but then i found the unloadingzone, snustopia, and this website. after corresponding with various members on here i started to learn more and more about snus, and finding what snus products are best to transition. for those of you going from camel, (i was a frost user, but i'm sure mellow users can apply this as well), these are the snus products i suggest you start with. in order of easiest to switch to more strong snus. i'm just now getting off of flavored snus, so i'm still in phase 1, so what i'm going to offer is a beginners guide to snus transition.
this is a great transition guide as well for people interesting in quitting smoking and skipping camel "snus" and going straight into Swedish Snus. i think it's a better idea to go straight into Swedish, unless you're already on camel, then a transition must be made.
1. Mocca Pomegranate. This is a mini white portion snus with a very mild flavor. i did not detect pomegranate, however it does have a nice cinnamon/apple/redhot flavor to it. the portions are small, can be slightly uncomfortable, but are the closest in size to camel "snus". i suggest prewetting them.
2. General Mini Mint. many people will tell you this is the perfect beginners snus. this is a mini white portion, and is "camel frost done right", in my opinion. this will get you used to the smell, and aftertaste of a real swedish snus. but it does it gradually. this has a great flavor, lasts longer, and is a great snus to begin a transition with. (if you're a camel frost user/mint snus enthusiast - don't try Mocca Mint Mini, this is the first stop on the mint snus train, in my opinion).
3. Catch Eucalyptus. (they also make this in a mini portion - which you can try if you're not ready for a full white portion, but after the previously mentioned two, you should be ready to move into a full white). this has a great, refreshing taste. the mint flavor is amazing and the eucalyptus plays midly in the background. of course, it does have a little smell to it, and a slight salty aftertaste, but after General Mini Mint, you should be getting used to it. but this is a great beginners snus.
4. Jakobsson's Ice Fruit. This is a great snus. It's strong, but satisfying. it has a great fruit taste, a little ice flavor in the background, and it's a good step up into the big leagues. this does have a stronger salt aftertaste, so make sure you're ready for it before you try it. but once you have, your eyes will be opened. it is quite amazing. i rotate this between mini mint, and it's a great combination. i'll do 5 mini mints, and then after that i'll have an ice fruit.
i would suggest those four to start with, if you're placing your first order. that's my opinion. a perfect first order, looking back on it for me would have been
General Mini Mint - 2
Mocca Pomegranate - 1
Catch Eucalyptus - 1 (mini portion), and 1 (white portion)
Jakobsson's Ice Fruit - 1.
now, another subject i'd like to touch on. those of you transitioning from dip to snus. General has a product called General Wintegreen. i tried dip once, in high school, and it was the worst experience of my life. the only thing i like about it and the reason i wanted to try it was because of that yummy wintergreen smell. General Wintergreen is no different. it has a great smell, and tastes just like Wintergreen snuff, but without all the spitting. so if you're transitioning from dip to snus, i strongly suggest you try this as i believe it is right up your alley.
these are my thoughts. again, i'm relatively new to snus, but i believe this will be helpful for those of you brand new without an idea of where to turn to. the four snus products i suggested are, IMO, the best to begin with. i'm sure other snus users will have opinions of what they started with, but my advice to the snubie - take in as much as you can. this forum is a great resource and will provide alot of quality information to you to guide you in the process of transitioning. good luck, happy snusing!
Chad
www.snubie.com
