Smokey Mountain Review by Robert Spurlock
SMC Winter green Pouches:
The flavor was consistent with spearmint chewing gum. Not bad there. As far as the pouch goes, it felt like I had a snus pouch in my mouth. The pouches are dry and about the same size as Skoal Snus pouches. Because of the dryness, there is no spitting--the product just doesn't produce spit. There is no "kick," "bite," or "sting" from these pouches. I liked the feel of the pouches in my mouth and found that I could put them in various places (upper or lower lip, either side) with ease. The flavor lasted a long time (I held a pouch in my mouth for nearly two hours as I drove between Knoxville, Tennessee and Chickamauga, Georgia). The biggest problem I found was with the can, itself. The thing is just too hard to open. I found this problem to be true of all of SMC's cans that I've tried.
SMC Cherry:
The flavor is more like a cough syrup or something to that effect. It is nothing like the Skoal Cherry Blend that I've always enjoyed. Having said that, I like the flavor but it is a little too sweet. SMC is made from corn silk, so you get a lot of the strands floating around in your mouth. One other note is that the product tastes kind of "earthy." You almost get the sensation that you have grass in your mouth. The only time I have ever experienced that sensation with real dip is with Skoal Peach. The look of the product is very much like any long cut that I've tried whether it be Skoal, Longhorn, Grizzly, or Cope. You can pack the can just like any of those products and it feels just like any of those products in your mouth. The big difference is that there is no "sting" or "bite." For those who enjoy spitting, this product is definitely for you. It produces a lot of saliva. Now, the juices are completely safe to swallow--SMC's products are made from food-grade materials, but I prefer not to gut dip juices. It just doesn't seem right. The draw backs are the can being difficult to open and the fact that the product is very sticky. The stickiness makes clean up a beast.
SMC Grape:
The only difference between the Grape and the Cherry is the flavor. Otherwise, the products are the same in terms of look, feel, stickiness, and difficulty of the can to open. I would liken the grape flavor to that of Kool Aide or something like that. The only "real" dip I've found with a grape flavor is Kodiak and this doesn't taste like Kodiak's grape. It's close, but not quite there.
So over all, I would recommend SMC. They definitely have a good thing going. They have other flavors available in both their long cuts and pouches. The products are also reasonably priced, too. At least they're no more expensive than the Skoal that I used to buy. So to sum up:
Pros:
- Winter green pouches are similar to snus
- Cherry and Grape long cuts have similar appearance and feel to real tobacco products
- Price is reasonable
Cons:
- Cans are difficult to open
- Long cut varieties are very sticky, making for difficult clean up.
I hope this review helps someone.
