Black Buffalo – Zero Nicotine – Zero Tobacco – 100% Ritual
Back today with a product review that candidly I never thought I’d be able to write. I’m here today talking about Black Buffalo ZERO NICOTINE and ZERO TOBACCO Pouches! https://www.blackbuffalo.com/ Why did I think I’d never be able to write this review? Well for years now I’ve been hearing about Black Buffalo in the comments here on the site as well as in my inbox. Black Buffalo has always had tobacco free products but they never had a NICOTINE free product. Until now!
As I said in a previous review it’s a GREAT time to be a quitter as there are some simply OUTSTANDING products coming to the market and there really is something for everyone.
PLEASE NOTE: This review ONLY pertains to the NICOTINE FREE (100% Ritual) version of these products. I have not, and will not try the versions of this product that contain nicotine.
According to their website the guys at Black Buffalo say, “You don’t necessarily love everything about smokeless tobacco. But it sure as hell is an enjoyable ritual. After years of dipping, we started looking for an all natural chewing tobacco substitute that was just as good as what we grew up on. Something that cut out the actual tobacco but still offered the same satisfaction.” I have to say, I think they nailed it. These pouches are SUPER similar to my memories of pouch products… right down to the ‘uh oh’ feeling when you swallow. More on that below.
Black Buffalo Initial Thoughts
I’ve sampled a ton of pouch products – I’m not sure what it was about these, but as soon as I popped them in something was ‘different’. I legit thought I was sucking on Skoal Bandit. I’m not sure if it’s was the smell, the texture of the pouch or the fact that these weren’t super moist or super dry like some other pouches. Most of the pouches that I try these days are actually meant to be swallowed (the juice… not the pouch). And while I’ve come to find out that these are safe to swallow as well, there’s just something ‘different’ about the juice that these produce.
Now that may not be the best thing for some quitters. There are some people that aren’t looking for something that’s really close to the real thing. But for those that are, these are spot on. Black Buffalo comes in a round, plastic can. Not the highest quality tin on the market, but not the flimsiest either. Not a ton of info on the package themselves – not even a ‘best by’ date that I always like to see.
As I said before, the pouches themselves are the same size, consistency and ‘moistness’ as a Skoal Bandit. The pouch material itself is nice and soft and doesn’t cause any gum irritation.
Below are my off the cuff notes from when I did my reviews…
Black Buffalo 100% Ritual Blood Orange Pouches
Started with the blood orange (before doing any research on the site). These aren’t the most moist nor are they the most dry pouches I’ve had. That said they produce a TON of saliva which I really like. I typically swallow when I’m using a pouch – when I swallowed these it really brought me back to the days of gutting Kodiak – not sure they ‘can’ be swallowed, I’ll have to check to see if you mention it on the site.
Flavor is really nice here – I don’t know of another alternative on the market that is a ‘blood orange’ which is always a nice spot to be. There are plenty of ‘citrus’ flavors out there but nothing that’s ‘orange’ and certainly nothing ‘blood orange’. I always test with two pouches which really packs a punch of flavor with your products. Pouch is nice and soft so I’d imagine gum irritation won’t be an issue with extended use.
Black Buffalo 100% Ritual Mint Pouches
Very nice product here as well. This would be a great sub for someone looking to emulate Skoal Mint Bandits. Ironically that’s the first dip I ever had back in 1990 at my first high school football game that was given to me by a guy who would end up being a quitter at KTC years later. Talk about full circle!
Black Buffalo Zero Nicotine Zero Tobacco Pouches are available on their website at https://blackbuffalo.com/. These are outstanding products that have a nice soft pouch and bold flavors. Of the two I reviewed, Blood Orange is at the top followed by Mint. Again, taste is 100% subjective so your mileage may vary. I would have liked to have seen a ‘best by’ date on the package and I had NO luck finding ingredients listed either on the package nor on their website which is kind of a bummer. That said, these are REALLY good substitute products especially for those quitters looking for something SUPER close to the real thing. Give these a shot – you won’t be disappointed. Overall, a strong recommend for the Blood Orange and I’d also give Mint a nod as well.
AUTHOR’S UPDATE: The guys at Black Buffalo pointed me to these passage on their site in response to my ingredients question – thanks again fellas!
Special thanks to the folks at Black Buffalo for providing me samples to try and review. In addition to their website, you can also find them on social at Facebook, Twitter @blackbuffaloinc or Instagram. Give them a like and a follow and tell em KillTheCan.org sent you!
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Have you tried Black Buffalo Zero Nicotine Zero Tobacco? Leave us a comment with your thoughts below!
Just wondering.. I currently use Snus.. and yes swallow the juice from it.. can you do the same with BB mint non- nicotine?
Yes… you can swallow the juice from BB.
can you swallow spit with the zero?
Yes, I believe you can.
Is it just me or the wintergreen BB products burn the heck out of your gums? Like bad? Maybe just me? The company gave me a prompt refund. I liked the flavor. Would sticking to straight help?
Wintergreen flavors in general (not just for BB) tend to be ‘hotter’ so making that switch to Straight may very well help.
Yeah/ I’m not a chewer in general. Or a smoker. I haven’t used either in 25 years yet my whole life since I’ve needed a replacement ritual to do Nicotine or not. Fake dip works perfect for this purpose but not when it gives me more pain and problems than I felt in the short term from any tobacco products
I use the full octane black buffalo and I prefer the peach over blood orange. The flavor of the straight is very interesting…an uncanny, but sweet, imitation of what we would expect of a good straight long cut. The flavors I’ve tried are all sweet and leave what I believe is a sucrose (or whatever the sweetener flavoring is) residue in your dip area if you dip for too long. The biggest complaint I had of the orange/straight is the burn. I’ve seen other fake dips use tobacco or straight up caspsaicin to get the burn. So, I suspect that’s what is going on here. The burn in the orange/straight actually burned my tongue leaving it sore/tingling for days afterwards. The peach is mellower on this point. The texture is spot on. Still waiting for cherry or vanilla though. But the peach is vanilla-ish.
use tobasco…not tobacco.
Hey Chewie, got my Blood Orange in yesterday. Went for a boat ride, thought that would be the perfect time to try it. Popped one in. At 1st, it tasted different, not bad, just different. Had a little citrus flavor with a hint of salt. Lasted a good 30 minutes, not too shabby. I popped another one in later & one today. I am definitely a fan, the flavor is good. Definitely want to try the Wintergreen & Peach. If you’re in the hunt for some good fake dip, this stuff is good. They also have a discount code for military vets. A fan for sure.
I tried the Peach & WG. Did not like the Peach at all. The WG was ok. Neither hold a candle to the Blood Orange, will def get more of this.
Not a mint fan, but the Blood Orange has me intrigued. Gonna give it a try.
Will be interested to hear your thoughts!
Roger that, should be here in a day or 2.
Glad they have a nicotine free product. I just ordered the mint a few days ago. I quit about a month ago but my mouth is killing me from clinching my jaw so much. I ordered a pack of their mint zero pouches and should be here by Wednesday. I will never do nicotine again but have heard these guys have some awesome products.
Looking forward to your thoughts Adam – congrats on a GREAT start to your quit!
I ordered the pack of ZERO Mint Pouches. They were great, liked them a lot. They gave a good burn that does a great job of mimicking that sting of Copenhagen Mint that I loved. I am getting the Blood Orange now. So far I am pleased.
I’ve been waiting for a nicotine free product from them as well and I agree that the Blood Orange is very good. I never liked mint tobacco products so I didn’t try their mint. FYI: their nicotine free tins are lower quality then their nicotine product tins.
Good to know about their tin quality – not the end of the world, but will be interesting to see if they upgrade them in the future as (hopefully) their nic free versions sell well.