WOW Summer Honey White Explosion

I don’t really know very much about Sweden besides what you’d pick up in social studies, the incomparable catalog of Abba, IKEA, and this guy Fred I worked with about 20 years ago (not to be confused with Fred from SnusMe, who seems very nice, but who I’ve never met).

Giving it some thought, he would totally name this snus “WOW! SUMMER HONEY WHITE EXPLOSION, DUDE!!!”

Giving it some more thought, IKEA would call it something like Hönjebuz. Maybe Abba would sing “Gimme, gimme, gimme some Hönjebuz after midnight…”

But I digress. I don’t want to accidentally insult anyone from Sweden. If you’re Swedish and happen to be reading this, thank you for your cultural contributions. Even if they’re not necessarily the cultural contributions you’d like to be known for.

The initial aroma is kind of mysterious. Sweet, spicy, herbal? When I take one out of the can — which is unique, because the portions are kind of sticky — the aroma of honey is much more present in an individual portion. Fluffing the portion is similarly unique, because the snus is a little sticky and clumpy.

Popping one in, the very first sensation is like a peppery fruity flavor, and the honey sets in after a couple of minutes, and the fruity flavor develops in to more distinct lemon and elderflower.

WOW gives a little burn, which isn’t surprising, given the Siberia-caliber 4.3% nicotine level. Unlike Siberia, the nicotine isn’t quite as gentle. Out of nowhere, it started punching me in the head.

“WE ARE GOING TO A MAXI-FREAKOUT RAVE AND YOU NEED A BUZZ, MY DUDE!”

I’m pretty sure if I went on a maxi-freakout rave outing with Fred and had one of these with a Red Bull (or a more period-appropriate KMX energy drink), my heart would explode in a bad way.

I really enjoy the flavor. To be honest, I was expecting a much more forward honey flavor compared to the candy-like mixture that WOW delivers in this snus. But as I go through the portions, I don’t think I’d like it as much if it was just honey and tobacco.

The drip is minimal, and as GN has accomplished with their Siberia line, is deceptively smooth for how much nicotine these portions deliver. I don’t know how they do it, but bless them for doing it. What surprised me a bit is that there’s a “dry” version of this. I can’t imagine wanting this any more dry than it already is.

Unfortunately, the WOW portions really highlight something I dislike about GN portion sizes (which includes Oden’s) and that’s how much unused material there is in each portion. I’ve been calling them “tails” that just kind of flap around on either side of the portion. They’re especially bad here for how clumpy the snus is initially. It evens out with saliva after 20 minutes or so, but the feel is really annoying. I’d be much happier if they’d have gone with a slim portion here.

As much as I enjoy this, I don’t really see myself picking up more. The flavor is unique, but not something that I’ve found a craving for, like Nick & Johnny’s Americana. It’s good, but after about five portions, I start feeling like I have to get through them all, as though it’s a chore.

And while I like the huge dose of nicotine, once I hit about 45 minutes or so, that buzz gets to be a bit too much for me. It’s a great pick-me-up, but not something to have throughout the day.