Expert Review★★★★★ Click to read Tap to read
Vintage Velvet is a floral treat, but not much else. Floral lovers will find this easy. There is no menthol here, which, to me, can make this harder to enjoy, but in the wide, wide world of sports, there are people who prefer their snuff with no cooling agent. The moisture and grind are fairly consistent with the MC line. English through and through.
Made in the same style as the Original & Genuine but without camphor, menthol or eucalyptus, Vintage Velvet is a middle dark brown and offers a mix of floral and lightly sweet tobacco. This was my first time trying a nonmentholated or nonmedicated snuff, and I found it hard to enjoy even a single pinch without sneezing or coughing. Unlike the O&G, the floral notes fade quickly, leaving a weaker tobacco scent. The floral scent isn't like dried rose, but more of an earthy, robust blend; it almost reminds me of frankincense and myrrh, like what you'd smell at a Roman Catholic mass. If you sniff too hard, it can irritate your nose. For me, a pinch didn't cause much drip, but after a few sniffs my nose felt irritated.
The grind is fine, and it's hard to keep it in the snuff box, since even a small breeze can blow it away. It's medium-dry and barely clumps in the tin, drier than the Original & Genuine, and being on the drier side combined with the fine grind, it can be tough to enjoy. The nicotine hit feels moderate; maybe because there's no menthol, this snuff delivers its Vitamin N straight to your head.
I did find that mixing it with McChrystal's Glacier in a 2:1 ratio added a nice spearmint note, which made the floral notes stand out and made the Violet from McChrystals less harsh (two parts Glacier, one part Violet).
