Railroad Mills Checkerberry

BigSnootMcSnuff

Okay first off I'd have to say that this snuff was made with dipping in mind (lip tobacco), but I still had to put a bit in my nose. Upon opening the can it has the distinct smell of a lip tobacco (I want to say it resembles the smell of Kodiak the closest but it has been a long time since I have done any dip) with a secondary checkerberry scent. It is dark brown in color and fairly moist. The grind is medium and a bit clumpy. When taking a pinch is you have to break up the clumps a bit first and not squeeze too hard as it will form in your fingers. First impression is once again the Kodiak kind of feel to it, but that settles in fairly quickly and the Checkerberry scent comes to the front. Anyone who has ever chewed checkerberry gum will know the scent. The nicotene hit is very nice, suprisingly on the higher end of the spectrum. I will spend some more time with this and give a more thorough account, but first take is that it is possibly one of the highest nic hits of the american snuffs I have taken.

Overall a nice snuff for me, it really has nothing in common with the traditional american dry snuffs and more in common with lip tobacco. I think I could get used to it though.

By the way it was suprisingly cheap, $2.50 at Lowes Foods for 1.15 oz can.

snuffegnugen

Upon opening the tin, I was a little surprised at how moist this snuff was. There were of course a few little clumps, but they seemed to break up easy enough. The smell was also pleasantly appealing. I knew in advance it was wintergreen, as may reviewers have commented that it reminds them of Kodiak. I can't imagine snorting Kodiak, so I was a little nervous about the first sniff. Rather than a shocking wintergreen blast, I found that the flavor was mild and rather enjoyable. It dissipates quickly though, and leaves only a subtle tingle and a hint of the aroma. Despite it's moisture, it doesn't seem to clog your nose and I have yet to notice any real sinus drip with this snuff. Perhaps its the uniqueness, but I have certainly taken a shine to this snuff. It is definitely not a typical american scotch. I suspect this will be either a "love it or hate it" snuff for most, but I will certainly be picking up another can.

bakdoor

Checkerberry takes me back to when I was a kid chewing Teaberry gum. You'd see it while you were waiting in line at the grocery store. One of those 'impulse' items.

LincolnSnuff

Just received this snuff this evening from NicotineRush, along with about 12 other new varieties. This was the snuff that I smelled upon opening that familiar cubed cardboard box (that fits so perfectly in my mailbox, by the way). I used to dip American chew as a way to cut back on smokes and my favorite was always Kodiak Ice (now called Kodiak Mint with some flavor changes). I must admit, I started with Kodiak Wintergreen which smells very similar to this snuff offering from Swisher's Railroad Mills line. However, the smell is not exact. Kodiak Wintergreen has a much more pungent aroma to it - one that I actually dislike to this day after a particularly green and stomach-turning incident with the dip in high school. The Checkerberry actually smells exactly like Life Savers Wint-O-Mint candies/breath mints.

Like others, I was surprised by the relatively course grind of this "American Scotch." It was extremely easy to snuff and none hit the throat. The checkerberry flavor comes on strong with the first pinch and is quite long lasting. After a few minutes, it mellows out a bit and a faint tobacco background comes through. It's been about 15 minutes since I took 2 pinches. I blew about 5 minutes ago and have not noticed any throat drip. I felt compelled to post a review after just one snuff because of how much this struck me as different from all other American snuffs. I can already tell that I will want to keep a perpetual supply of this snuff at hand. Check it out.

Xander

Checkerberry seems to be the bridge between American moist snuffs (dip) and American dry snuffs. Only one of two currently made US snuffs that are not Scotches (the other being Maccoboy) makes Checkerberry quite unique. The flavor, checkerberry, also known as tea berry is, or once was, quite common in chewing gum and other sweet treats. It bears resemblance to wintergreen, since checkerberry is the actual berry of the wintergreen herb. Wintergreen is quite common among the moist snuffs, but its quite rare among dry ones. The moisture level of this is makes it an easy enough one for a beginner to take, and the nicotine is quite ample. There is a bit of nose burn with it, but that fades quickly enough. The sweet nature of it, of course makes it suitable for dipping as many other reviews have mentioned. The flavor of course, is not for everyone being somewhat medicinal. Solid three stars from me though, and its uniqueness in the snuff world will assure it a permanent place in my collection for occasional use.

I looked up checkerberries not long ago. Tea berries are the same thing. They are the berry of the wintergreen plant. The leaves are more commonly used like mint for flavor, but the berries have a similar but distinct flavor all their own. My mother used to chew teaberry gum, so I knew what flavor to expect here.


Notes: likely designed with oral use in mind, but certainly nasally useable
Rating: 3/5
Style: hybrid semi-moist snuff; rappee; medicated (wintergreen) [really is in it own category]
Moisture: moist (semi-moist when compared to American moist [oral] snuff)
Grind: gros

slobandtom

Just ordered a can of this from NicotineRush and eagerly awaiting it (as with all of my orders from Tom).
When I was a kid I was an avid chewer of wintergreen--it grows in abundance in my native Northern Michigan. Berries are a lucky find, and delicious!
The snuff might bring back some memories.

MrColcannon

MrColcannon
September 14 in Swisher International (Helme)
A dark brown tobacco flavored with (wintergreen) checkerberry oil, this is not your typical American snuff. This snuff has a medium/high moisture content and a medium grind. It comes in a snap-tight 1.15 oz. container from Helme that keeps it very fresh. This is one of my favorite (non-scotch) American snuffs! This snuff has a beautiful wintergreen blast and nicotine burn that I enjoy not just in the Fall/Winter seasons. Highly Recommended!!

Justin

Just had a can of this from MrSnuff - I agree with the above in terms of moisture, grind and ease of snuffing. Just wanted to add that it reminds me of root beer!