Review: Ettan White Portion
Ettan White Portion holds a special place in my heart. When I first started using snus in 2009, it was actually one of the first snus products I liked. I was a big fan of Camel Mellow “snus” here in the US, and I found this flavor pretty approachable when coming over from that one. I of course used a lot of mint snus in the early days, but this is one that I really connected with. With Ettan, it’s a snus that has a chocolatey taste to the tobacco base, so I don’t use a lot of the original portion or loose, but the white portion I like a lot more. But, more on that later. First, let’s get to know this product!
This one has the standard catch lid on top for discarding your used portions. The flavor description on this one says, “The classic Ettan Snus, here in white portions! It delivers medium strong kicks together with a dark and smoky tobacco flavor”. The can weighs 21.6 grams. You’ll notice the portions come in a little swirl; this is called the “Star Formation” and is the way Swedish Match’s premium white portion products come. There are 24 portions in the can weighing 0.9g each. The nicotine content sits at 8mg/g, and with the 0.9g portions that’s 7.2mg/portion!
First things first: fluff the portion. The Star Formation has wedged white portions to get them into that shape, so I suggest rolling them around before you put one in. That helps make it more soft. The aroma coming off the can when you open it is quite nice. I encounter a smooth, almost malty, earthy base tobacco. There is a chocolatey tone to it, but it’s very mild and nowhere near as present as the original portion. That’s why I like this one. The portions are nice and soft, and have a comfortable feel under the upper lip. The flavor builds slowly, due to the white portion format. In the taste, I pick up a mild, earthy base tobacco. There are some subtle hints of wood to it, a little hay-like presence, and a very faint touch of chocolate. It’s quite well rounded. The nicotine strength sits right at the regular strength level, and delivers pretty steadily. The flavor hangs out quite a while; I can usually enjoy this one for well over an hour.
The Bottom Line
Ettan is the OG snus brand. Going all the way back to 1822, this one predates General and is one you could call the actual original Swedish Snus. I know General uses that tagline a lot, but it really belongs more to Ettan. Ettan White Portion is, in my opinion, the best version of Ettan snus. I know, even more than the loose variant, and I never say that! If you like the taste of tobacco, or are looking for a good all day, every day snus: this is it.
