Nasal Snuff: a new experience

I’ve never been a heavy smoker. Generally, smoking has taken the place of food and sleep whenever I took over a new pub, or a social tool whenever I’ve been out at a bar or club.

The smoking ban hit smokers and venues hard. Vaping was a new solution, but that soon became demonised and relegated to the cold back alleys along with the tobacco burning masses.

So what is a guy to do when the rain is falling and the wind is blowing, or the indoor tables are simply hard fought victories in short supply?

I wondered this myself late in 2018. The answer I found? Nasal Snuff. For those of you who haven’t heard of snuff taking and possibly still assume it’s slang for some kind of illicit drug, I introduce you to one of the few remaining untaxed and indoor friendly forms of tobacco taking!

There are oral and nasal varieties but I settled in the mouth cancer avoiding, nasal snuffs. Now, firstly, this is not an endorsement of tobacco use. Neither will I state that it’s a ‘safe’ way of taking tobacco. Any tobacco product carries with it inherent health problems, but they are freely available for research on the inter web.

My sole purpose in writing this review is to explain what snuff is and some of the varieties that I have personally used. IF YOU DON’T USE TOBACCO, DON’T START! That should hopefully allow this review to be published.

So, Wilsons of Sharrow is a brand that carries with it the recommendation of a rich history and many positive reviews. Traditional methods seem to be at the heart of the family run operation and that is something important to me when choosing a brand.

I have sampled a few of their varieties and I think I’ve narrowed it down to two personal favourites, for my taste.

Personally, I like a menthol (sometimes referees to as medicated) snuff. I like the cold sensation and the airway clearing effect of the menthol. The two I’m currently favouring are Super M and Dynamite.

The Super M variety is a fine ground snuff that doesn’t trigger the sneeze reflex as easily and doesn’t clog me up. It has a strong menthol sensation, as well as some background notes and scents that round it off nicely. Not too harsh and dissolves fairly well.

The Dynamite variety, is the strongest menthol hit, accompanied by a slight aniseed scent. It has less nicotine than the Super M, but is still satisfying. This snuff is much darker and coarser, resembling the coarse coffee grounds I make from my espresso beans. This results in a slightly cleaner use but stills dissolves fairly well. Generally, coarser, moister snuffs are recommended for new users. (I found this to be true myself when I was new to snuff taking).

I have also tried the Bee M and the Red M, mentholated honey and cherry ‘flavoured’ snuffs respectively. The honey-menthol variety peaked my curiosity, but in my own opinion, the two sensations didn’t quite gel. The cherry variety was pleasant, with a healthy menthol hit and a natural cherry scent. However, for me, I prefer a more artificial ‘candy’ cherry, similar to Ozona R-type snuff, by poschl. (I would use this more but I prefer the traditional tins as opposed to the new ‘tap-tin’ design).

I’ve also used the Royal George snuff from Wilsons, a floral scented perfumed snuff. It is very pleasant but lacks the menthol sensation I prefer.

It’s not all substance, service is important as well. I order direct from their website, https://sharrowmills.com and have always received perfectly packaged and prompt parcels. The prices, as with most snuffs, are ridiculously cheap in comparison with an equivalent supply of burnt tobacco alternatives. I can happily go a month on a £1.20 small tin , maybe 2 (now that I have found a favourite day long snuff!).

Snuff taking has a long history dating back which I found of interest. It’s freely available on the internet and as such I will avoid rehashing a wiki page, I’d like to avoid any semblance of promotion for the use of tobacco products. Again, this is simply part of an ongoing review of different varieties of snuff I experience in my ongoing journey of snuff taking.