General Lös - Swedish Snus Review

General snus is one of the first snuses I’ve ever had, and is one I continue to return to even years down the line, and despite (spoilers) not liking it very much. Why do I keep using it? There are snuses that have better flavors, a nicotine payload that is more suited to my taste, better textures and better flavor build up; why do I keep it at hand?

Millionaires eat cheeseburgers, despite having the best food available and always at hand. Car collectors find ratty 90’s Japanese cars fascinating, despite sometimes having luxury sports cars in their garage. There is always some room for slumming it, and it makes life pleasant when you have something plain and consistent with you, even if it’s not the best, and perhaps because it is not the best. General snus is a taste that I am well accustomed to, maybe a consequence of it being one of the only Swedish snuses available in America. This is the loose variant, which I don’t think is available in America anymore, but the bergamot / leather / pepper profile is still available in portions.

The tin aroma has faint honey-like floral something that is not too dissimilar to some whiskeys and bourbons. Faint smoke follows not too far behind. Large, deep, warm bergamot front aroma. Smells not unlike certain luxury men’s soaps that have become popular as of late. Instant notes of bergamot, white pepper spiciness in the aroma and back of throat when first put in. Pinch is incredibly easy to take and has been placed firmly into the lip with confidence. Mouthfeel is a grippy burning.

At the 15 minute mark, the taste has gone a little milder - the strong bergamot note has sweetened and softened. It should be noted that the bergamot of General is not quite the same as the bright, lemony bergamot of earl grey tea, but rather, the much more bitter and fragrant bergamot of men’s cologne. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s something worth considering when choosing this snus. Along with the bergamot, there is an aroma of freshly tanned leather, some minerality, and a persistent but very light taste of white pepper. The nicotine comes in at this point as well, presenting itself as a very mild but noticeable buzz.

At the 30 minute mark, the snus has begun to mudslide a little bit - it’s nothing crazy and I fully expect the snus to hold its shape for fifteen more minutes at least, but it does make it a little more annoying to use. Granted, this snus is very fresh and is therefore a little moist (the fiberboard can of Swedish Match offerings means that the snus will dry out to the optimum dryness (at least for me) before you finish the can), but it’s worth noting. The minerality has increased somewhat, and along with that is a white wine astringency balanced by a strengthening of the sweetness as the more floral notes of the bergamot disappear. The snus is also saltier at this point.

At 45 minutes, mudsliding has gotten serious at this point, but I still think I can eke out the last fifteen minutes for the review. The bergamot has almost completely gone, and what remains is blended almost entirely with the graphite note that’s been building since minute 15. The sweetness has built as well, but it is paired with a heavy bitterness and a slight smokiness. It’s at this point that I would usually remove the snus. Interestingly enough, I still feel the nicotine.

At an hour, the snus is absolutely falling apart, and this is long past the point where I would usually remove a Swedish Match loose, but I do have some thoughts. The sweetness is gone, completely replaced with a taste not too far off from if you drank orange juice after brushing your teeth. The bergamot has come back and mixed with the bitter mineral notes in a way that is almost assuredly unpleasant to most people. That doesn’t mean that this is a bad snus, but General is not necessarily my favorite and this experience has cemented that fact.

You should buy General once to see if you like it, but just as one must eventually eat other foods besides hamburgers, one must, I think, eventually move on from General as their snus of choice. Just keep some on hand.