Sarsaparilla from Old Mill Artisan Snuff

I started into the new Sarsaparilla snuff from Old Mill Artisan Snuff today.  And I thought I would post some of my impressions of it.  Like all Old Mill Snuffs, when you open the tin you are immediately struck by how densely packaged the snuff is in the tin.  It is packed to the brim with the finely ground tobacco, and its best to use a spoon (or other small object) to fluff it a bit in the center and portion out the snuff you are going to take.

The Sarsaparilla snuff is a medium brown color and has moderate moisture.  It sticks together a little bit, and is moist enough to clump if pressed together.  I usually spoon it onto the back of my hand, and then spread it out a little bit.  You have to snuff it delicately, so you don't pull it too far into your nose.  The moisture makes it much easier to take than an American Scotch, but the medium-fine grind requires you to go a little easy with it.

Here is the description of the snuff from the Old Mill website:

Sarsaparilla:  Stoved red Virginia, toasted St. James Perique and a small amount of dark air cured Burley are dressed with a cocktail of Jamaican sarsaparilla root, dandelion root, wild cherry bark, ginger root, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, black malt syrup and vanilla beans then conditioned in toasted Colorado Blue Spruce crates.  When fully matured the leaf is air dried and milled to a medium fine grind with moderate moisture for a snuff reminiscent of root beer, without the sweetness.

So, how's the scent/flavor?  The short answer is DELICIOUS.  The methods that Chef Daniel of Old Mill uses to make his snuff ensure that the scent is rich without any hint whatsoever of anything artificial.  There is this spicy "root beer" flavor to the snuff, but its more than that.  There is both a richness and a creaminess that is something beyond just a "root beer" flavor.  I love blended root beer floats at Sonic, and this snuff reminds me of that combination of creaminess and spiciness you get with those.  Chef Daniel says "without the sweetness" in his description above, but there is a subtle sweetness there, mostly likely from the way the tobaccos were prepared.

In my nose, the snuff lingers quite well.  It diminishes over time, and the spicy "root beer" flavor changes over time, revealing layers of complexity.  It is one of those snuffs where you can sit and enjoy the changes in the scent over time.  I snuffed up enough of the Sarsaparilla in a short amount of time, that I generated a throat drip.  Much like Old Mill's Pure Virginia Toast, the throat drip has both a pleasant flavor and subtle burn.  With moderate use, this would be unlikely to develop any drip at all.

Chef Daniel only sells to individual snuff-takers directly.  So, if you are interested in getting some of the Sarsaparilla, simply go to the Old Mill Website and use the contact form to start communicating with him.  He'll get you the price list and set things up with you.

Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen's Review of Pöschl Perlesreuter Schmalzler

This is part 4 of a 4 part series of Schmalzler snuff reviews.  This one is all about Pöschl Perlesreuter Schmalzler.  Watch it, and if you like it, subscribe to the Inna Pinch channel.



Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen's Review of Pöschl Schmalzler

This is part 3 of a 4 part series of Schmalzler snuff reviews.  This one is all about Pöschl Schmalzler.  Check it out.  And if you like it, subscribe to the Inna Pinch channel.



Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen Reviews Bernards Doppelt-Fermentiert

This is Hitsuzen's review of Bernards Doppelt-Fermentiert, which is part two of a four part series on Schmalzlers.  Check it out...and if you haven't subscribed to his channel yet, hit that subscribe button!



Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen's Review of Bernards Aecht Altbayerischer

Chris (Hitsuzen) Oldham is going to be reviewing four Schmalzler snuff reviews, and this is the first of the four reviews.

If you enjoy the review, please hit the subscribe button on Hitsuzen's YouTube Channel.

Thanks,

Mark Stinson

Modern Snuff Website

Tube Rose Scotch Snuff

Tube Rose Scotch Snuff is a truly unique American scotch snuff.  Like other American snuffs, it is dry, and powdery fine, and gives a nice nicotine hit when you use it.  But, the scent/flavor of Tube Rose is like nothing else.

First of all, it has nothing to do with the scent of a rose flower.  A rose and a tuberose are two completely different flowers.  Feel free to google the tuberose flower, but it looks a lot like the flower on the can on the right.

The scent of a tuberose is used as a note in many perfumes and other scented products.  It is a "white floral" scent, and is consider to be carnal, creamy, and a many people hate the scent as love the scent.  Victorians forbade young girls to inhale the scent of tuberose in the fear they might have a spontaneous orgasm!  (source)  Tuberose has been called the "harlot of perfumery."

Well, back to our snuff!  Tube Rose Scotch Snuff has a sweetness to it, and I think I would classify it as an American Sweet, rather than a Plain Scotch.  But, the subtle sweetness is intertwined with a slight but unmistakable white floral scent.  It isn't overwhelming, but it is there. And the floral scent stays with you.  Rather than staying with you for a few minutes, you can expect to catch the floral

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scent in your nose 15 minutes later, if not longer.  In some reviews, people seem to mistake the floral scent for a caramel scent.  But, in my nose it is floral.

I love history.  And for no other reason, one should try Tube Rose Scotch Snuff just to experience the history of it.  Who knows how long they will continue making American Scotches.  Many have disappeared from the market already.  Another reason to try Tube Rose, is simply the fact it is unique and enjoyable.  As always, click on the images to enlarge them.

Mark Stinson

Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen Review of Old Mill Bananas Foster

Hitsuzen has posted his second video, a review of Old Mill Artisan Snuff's Banana Foster.  He's doing well, and I'm looking forward to more of these.



If you enjoy his reviews, make sure you subscribe to his YouTube channel.  He's doing a free-snuff drawing with the first 30 subscribers.  Click Here to see details of that give-away.

Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Hitsuzen Review Toque Pumpkin Pie

Hitsuzen recently started a snuff review channel on YouTube, and today he posted his first review.  It is for Toque Pumpkin Pie.  Check it out!

I really appreciate the mention of the Modern Snuff website efforts.  Truly above and beyond.

Mark Stinson

Modern Snuff Website

Honey Bee - An American Scotch Sweet from Swisher

I like American scotch snuffs quite a bit, and I'm fond of the sweet scotches. I like W.E. Garrett Sweet, but I've been working my way through various American sweet scotches because I'm curious about their differences.

Earlier today, I received some Honey Bee Sweet snuff from Swisher, and I've been giving it a tryout all evening.

I've heard from various reviews by other people that Honey Bee has a unique honey scent and flavor to it, but I really wanted to experience it for myself. Man, is it delicious. Its got that American scotch warm burn, the nice rush of nicotine that makes your head swim, and that honey scent is there. Really there.

 It is definitely a sweet scotch, but its clearly a honey sweetness. And the honey scent stays there in your nose a good while. This will be giving W.E. Garrett Sweet a run for its money in my daily rotation of snuffs.

American scotches and scotch sweets can be a little difficult to snuff. They are literally an extremely fine dry power. It takes some care and practice to not hit the back of your throat, and put yourself in some discomfort. I like a variety of snuff types from all over the world, but I don't think a snuff rotation is complete without an American scotch or scotch sweet in your snoot now and again. If you like nicotine and you like honey, then you'll love Honey Bee.

Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website

Snuff Reviews Blog

While snuff is one of the least expensive ways to enjoy tobacco, it can still be an act of faith to spend you hard earned money on a snuff you haven't tried before.  It helps in those situations. to have the input of other snuff-takers.  Did they enjoy the snuff?  What about the flavor did they like?  Was it difficult to snuff?  Did it arrive in good condition?  What was its moisture level?  Having some answers to these questions allows you to order a new snuff with some confidence.

Step in the Snuff Reviews Blog.  Imagine a blog with a blog post for every snuff brand and flavor in existence.  Imagine the ability for anyone to go to the blog, and post reviews as comments on any of the blog posts.  Imagine being able to access one, four, or ten or more reviews of a snuff by fellow snuff-takers much like you.  What you are imagining right now is the Snuff Reviews Blog.

While there are snuff  "experts" that post reviews, it is also a place where the "common man" is welcome to post reviews.  And, when you work up a little confidence, you can post your own reviews of the snuffs you have tried.  The site is a great project, updated frequently, and if you haven't been there yet...get over there, look around, and bookmark it for future use.

Mark Stinson
Modern Snuff Website