Expert Review★★★★★ Click to read Tap to read
Californy is an enjoyable snuff, and I say that as someone who struggles with the floral aspects of most snuffs.
This Californy presents out of the pouch with a mixture of eucalyptus and a blend of floral notes. There is a depth to these florals, mixed with an herbal background distinct from the eucalyptus. I could not place each individual floral note, but this is much more inviting than a plain violet. There are layers of lightly honey-kissed floral notes of mixed character, with peonies, sage, and possibly some sweet basil or lilac coming through. The woody flowers found in Texas, such as mesquite blossoms, come to mind, though even that does not fully capture the floral and herbal notes. In fact, it is the mixture of subtle herbal notes and flowers that points the nose toward something that makes sense of everything. Although I generally struggle to enjoy florals, these notes echo and fade into a very lovely rustic tobacco. The eucalyptus is never overpowering and provides a very light herbal note in the background, distinct from the other compounds, while helping to quiet some of the nasal irritation.
The tobacco itself is muddy brown with occasional light tan speckling, a finely milled snuff that is somewhat fluffy, with just a hair of moisture — any less and this would be knocked down a peg on the scale, bordering on dusty. It gives a wonderful boost of Vitamin N at any time of day, and the fine grind may allow faster absorption due to the increased surface area. Being fine and rather dry, though, it can be difficult to place in the nose properly without a very proficient hand and technique, and the eucalyptus, which helps take the edge off any irritation, is welcome.
The fine grind and dryish nature do make this snuff difficult to place properly in the nose, but once there, it is able to paint a wonderful picture: walking down a Texas wildflower path while hand rolling a Virginia cut-leaf cigarette, with ever-changing wafts of different wildflowers slowly etching their way into the paper as you roll yourself an afternoon smoke. The Virginian notes roll off the lead and wander into the nose for a place to stay. The preparation and depth are evident, and the sweet sage and honey notes tie everything together, presenting a well-made, non-perfumed floral blend. For those who have been put off by florals before, Californy may just be approachable enough to change your mind.