Smokey Mountain Snuff Review
I’m a big fan of smokeless alternatives (fake dip). Whenever I’m asked if folks should utilize it during their quit, I always answer a resounding “yes”. I’ve often said that I’d rather chew a can of fake every day for the rest of my days than ever have another dip of Kodiak. Personally I chewed about a can per day for the first 200+ days of my quit. And the overwhelming majority of those cans were Smokey Mountain Chew.
It’s taken me a long time to get here (hell… I announced this particular review way back in July!) but it’s finally here. Smokey Mountain – smokeysnuff.com – was my fake brand of choice for a couple of reasons. First, it’s available in most WalMart locations nationwide and it also happened to be available in a local Giant Eagle. Second, I’d actually tried is WAY back in the day during one of my numerous failed quit attempts so I had some familiarity with the product. That being said, I hadn’t really revisited it since about day 200 or so of my quit (I’m up over 2,200 now) so I was pretty excited to give it another shot.
Initial Impressions
WOW. Talk about an upgrade over the years! I remember Smokey Mountain being a little on the drier side with not a bunch of flavors to choose from (this was back in 2006). I’m thrilled to say that not only was every can that I sample SUPER moist, but some of the newer flavors were some of my favorites! Even before popping open the cans I could tell right away that I was in for some great flavor based on the smells that were coming out of the can. All cans have a “best if used by” date printed on the bottom which I always appreciate with my fake chews. I have a feeling that MUCH of the product I tried back in 2006 was well beyond these dates.
The Smokey Mountain products that I sampled are right up there in the discussion of “closest to the real thing”. For some folks this is just what they’re looking for and for others it can be a slippery slope. Smokey Moutain is also probably the closest thing to “long cut” that you’ll find on the market. Good stuff. Before we get started with the review, you may want to check out the ingredients list for these products. Ready? Onward…
Smokey Mountain Cherry
I’ve said it in many of my reviews but I don’t really consider myself a big “flavored dip guy”. That said, as I move on in my quit I find that I’m liking them more and more. This one has an outstanding cherry flavor that is incredibly long lasting. I had a period where I was a Skoal Cherry guy for about a year in high school and this brought back some of those memories. This was a very nice and soft cherry chew and a great start to the Smokey Mountain offerings.
Smokey Mountain Grape
Next up was Grape. I’ve never had a grape chew so I’ll be honest… I was a bit worried. I’m happy to report that this was actually one of my favorites. Once again very moist with great spitibility and a long lasting chew. I’m not sure that I would have liked this so much right after I quit (being a Kodiak Wintergreen guy and all) but now that I’m more than a few years into my quit this is a nice treat. If Big Tobacco is going after flavored chews then you know there are people out there addicted to it. It’s awesome that there’s an alternative for them. Thumbs up.
Smokey Mountain Wintergreen
Part of the reason that I chewed so much Classic back in the day was that I really didn’t like the Wintergreen. It was a bit too much “Skoal Wintergreen” for my liking. I’m happy to say that this particular flavor has gotten a major upgrade over the years. This one will probably rival Hooch Wintergreen as my favorite Wintergreen alternative on the market. Wow… just wow.
Smokey Mountain Arctic Mint
This has a nice smell upon opening the can. Flavor it good as well, but a bit “sweeter” than I’d prefer for my mint alternative. Still a nice chew, but probably my least favorite of the bunch. That said, still a nice mint chew.
Smokey Mountain Arctic Mint Pouches
At this point I decided to switch it up a bit and try the pouch offerings from Smokey Mountain Snuff. Overall both were very nice. 2 pouches is a perfect “pick me up” for me. All pouch varieties across all the brands I’ve tried (regardless of flavor) taste pretty similar to me. That said, I’m loving pouches these days. I can’t say that this one really reminds me of the Arctic Mint flavor all that much. It’s very different from that, but still very good.
Smokey Mountain Wintergreen Pouches
These were nice as well, but were very similar to the Arctic Mint version. I keep these in my truck and use them as mints!
Smokey Mountain Classic
This was totally a throw back for me. Totally brought back memories of the earlier days of my quit. I remember going into Giant Eagle and getting cans and cans of Classic just to get me through the day. This one still has a nice classic flavor and was much moister than I remember it being. It also had more “kick” than I remember (due to the cayenne pepper). I can’t say which brand this most closely resembles (I wouldn’t say Copenhagen) but I can say it’s a mighty fine chew.
Smokey Mountain Peach
I wanted to break up Classic and Straight and I figured what better than something completely different. Like the rest, this one has a great flavor & smell right out of the can. This is a big sweet for my tastes, but I have to say that it was very pleasant. Not quite as moist as the other flavors I’d tried but still a nice departure from my normal chew and a great “palette cleanser” to put between Classic and Straight.
Smokey Mountain Straight
This one has a nice “warm” flavor that while similar to Classic is definitely different. I really believe that if you’re going to offer different flavors they should actually be different. Smokey Mountain does that nicely here. This is SPOT ON to a flavor in my past, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is. If I was a betting man, I’d say Skoal Straight.
The Pros
- Very close to long cut real tobacco that’s out there
(NOTE: This is listed as both a pro and a con.) - Great pack and spitibility
- Most flavors are very long lasting
- Availability (national distribution in WalMart, grocery stores, etc.)
The Cons
- Very close to long cut real tobacco that’s out there
(NOTE: This is listed as both a pro and a con.) - Some flavors are too “sweet” for my liking
- Pouches require multiple to get any real flavor
Overall
Overall I was incredibly impressed with Smokey Mountain. In general they offer outstanding smells and flavor profiles couple with a long lasting chew. All products tested had great spitibility and they were much softer and moister than I remember. This is very close to the real thing which for me is a great thing but for some may be a slippery slope. It’s also the closest thing to a “long cut” that I’ve found.
Special thanks to Dave from Smokey Mountain Snuff for providing me samples to try and review.
Smokey Mountain Snuff can be found on the web at smokeysnuff.com
UPDATE!!! KillTheCan.org users will receive 10% OFF THEIR ENTIRE ORDER (excluding samples & shipping).
It’s EASY. No promo code, no coupon… simply click above and you’ll get your discount! Huge thanks to Smokey Mountain Snuff for a great product and a great offer!
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I smoked cigarettes from age 16 to age 29, was tobacco free from 29 to 31 and at 31 dipped Kodiak, for the first time, and got hooked on chew. I quit chewing a couple times, over the years, but only for a few months each time.
In order to attempt quitting, I found, I had to slowly wean myself off of Kodiak.
I weaned off of Kodiak by mixing it with Skoal straight, 50/50 to start, all the way up to a 5 to 1 mix.
With all that said, I have been unsuccessful at quitting, after many years of trying. That is until I found ”Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff”, (SMHS) Wintergreen flavor.
I was reluctant to try it, as I had tasted herbal products over the years, and to be honest, they were gross. In December of 2018, I mixed one can of Skoal straight with one can of SMHS, Wintergreen, and began my 2 week, weaning journey.
I was amazed at how satisfying the Wintergreen flavor was. I also noticed that, when unable to expectorate, and I had to swallow the juices, I did not have stomach irritation, or heartburn issues afterwards. I quickly reduced the quantity of Skoal, and increased the quantity of SMHS, Wintergreen, until I reached a 5 to 1 mix.
At that point I made the decision to jump off of nicotine. I did this by mixing SMHS, Wintergreen flavor, with SMHS Straight flavor at a 2 to 1 mix, leaning heavy on the Wintergreen.
I am proud, and happy to say, I am nicotine free!
It has been more than two weeks now, since I have been chewing only SMHS.
I’m amazed, I was able to quit nicotine so easily this time. I had very little discomfort, or withdrawal symptoms, while I was weaning myself off of nicotine.
Thank you Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff.
What would taste like red seal fine cut natural or Copenhagen long cut
Good product. Keeps me from breaking.
So I quit a 30 year habit about 3 years ago. I was primarily a Kodiak guy for most of that time, but would chew Grizzly wintergreen occasionally as well. First I started with some other fake chews (Jakes, Hooch, and Bacc-off) that I couldn’t stand, Then I found Coffee Chew and Vaping, this combo worked for me and I have continued to vape for the last 3 years. I have always missed the sensation from the dip esp. after meals. Now, I have to give up the vaping for Life Insurance reasons (they test for nicotine use) – Now to the point – After being removed from Kodiak for some time, I found SMC wintergreen, and this is as close to the real thing that is out there. I can chew it with out worry for my up coming blood test. I also think, this will get me off the vape – which oddly enough I found more socially unaccepted than my old dipping habit. If you are looking for a great wintergreen alternative, this is it.
I ageee. Have been dipping on and off for roughly 30 years but I just quite a week ago. Tired of the sores in my mouth. That basically told me “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH “. SMOKEY MOUNTAIN is getting me through. Oddly, for those years nicotine wasn’t what i craved. So, now I have to stop being addicted to chewing herbs. Happy it is so much better than tobacco & nicotine !
Tried the WG SM pouches, pretty tasteless IMHO. Not too good.
Is this a safe alternative to dipping. Do I still need to worry about gum disease or ccanccer?
Used Cope and Skoal longcut for about 6 years, looking to quit (again) but I’m finding the SMC I used in the past (wintergreen) has no burn, which is what I’m finding myself missing. Ordered some Hooch to try but I need something with similar consistency and a good burn which unfortunately I don’t feel anymore from SMC.
So I tried the Smokey Mountain Wintergreen pouches and was not a huge fan. I didnt like that they were dry. I used to dip grizz wintergreen pouches, are there any others out there that are moist (liek normal pouches) and taste decently close to Grizz? If not I was thinking of maybe giving the Hooch longcut wintergreen a go.
Carhartt, I haven’t had any tobacco pouches in a couple years, I have used Camel Snus pouches but they’re not really the same. I used to dip Skoal Cherry and used Skoal pouches but again it has been years. I wanted to suggest Oregan Mint Snuff Co. pouches. Theit pouches aren’t necessarily moist but once you put them in and get going I think they’re great. I love the Original Mint flavor and use them all the time. They are on the smaller side so many times I am using two pouches but you get 25 in a can so it’s not too bad. They may not be what you’re looking for moist wise but I thought I’d suggest giving them a try as I haven’t seen many people talk about them but everyone I have shared them with really enjoyed them. Regardless of whether or not you try and/or like them I wish you the best of luck in your search.
Oh and I wouldn’t recommend the Oregon Snuff non-pouch versions. At least for me, and it’s been 10 years years since I tried them, they were a mess and not anything like regular dip to me. But that aside I do love their pouches. AB
A Does anyone know how much caffeine from guarana is in smc classic? I used smc for 7 month 2 to 3 tins a day and have gone 3 days without any amd am dizzy amd can’t concentrate, anyone else experience this?
I don’t know off the top of my head, but I’ll reach out to them to find out.
thanks, I would appreciate that, I’m not sure they are all that honest about what herbal ingredients they are using, day 3 with no smc and I feel like am going threw withdrawals
Erik – I reached out to the President of Smokey Mountain and got this response:
“Smokey Mountain has not contained Ginseng or Guarana in over two years.”
So… the answer to your original question is NONE.
Is there an alternative to leaf chew? I have chewed Levi Garrett for years and would like something similar in taste and pack.
Hey Mark – there’s really not. There are several companies that have said they’re working on them, but so far I’ve not seen anything on the market. When we see something out there it’ll be reviewed here. Until then, your best bet will be gum, sunflower seeds or shredded beef jerky.
So I have decided it is time to work on being a quitter. I am so glad to have found a forum like this. I see a lot of positive reinforcement comments rather than what the other 99.9% of internet comments are. I have a beautiful 15 month old daughter and when I look into her eyes, I think about how long I will be able to look into those beautiful eyes. Chewing will shorten that time and I am fearful of when. My problem is that I want to find a flavor/brand that is closest to Copenhagen Long Cut as that has been what I chew 100% of the time. I think for me, it is more about having something in my lip rather than the actual chemicals because one night about 6 months ago I ran out in the middle of the night and didn’t have the energy to go to the store so I used chewing gun to just mentally trick myself. It worked great and allowed me my ‘fix’ until I was able to leave a little early for work the next morning. I know withdrawals are inevitable, So quitting on a Friday is probably going to be my best bet to avoid the public the following 2 days. I will read more into this blog to learn more about the set-up, but any advice would be greatly appreciated (along with some words of encouragement)
I quit drinking about a year ago without any complications. I wasn’t an alcoholic but I did have some blurry nights. Although I tried A.A. I found I didn’t quite fit in, as they were a bit too religious, and way more attached to the bottle than I ever was. The point I want to make is that after I quit, I found that encouraging others in my life beginning their journey was the most helpful aid I had. So I would love to see about a support group in which I climb the proverbial ladder once I am confident in my attempt to quit.
Yea. I used it, smokey mountain wintergreen, for a couple months. Continued to feel addicted. I think their are other addicting chemicles in it like red 40.
Matt – thanks for chiming in! SMC does indeed have Red 40 listed as an ingredient. https://www.killthecan.org/your-quit/smokeless-alternative-ingredients/ That said, I can’t find any research that says Red 40 is addictive. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-seven-common-food-additives For some folks, using any fake dip does indeed continue that feeling of addiction.
. What I’m saying is. I used smc for two months and when I tried to stop using that, I felt just as addicted as I did my first day quitting grizzly.
This product may be too good, at least for me.
You were correct when listing it’s “real tobacco” quality as both a positive and negative.
I’ve been tobacco-free since July. During that time I had used some herbal snuff’s to help with the “habit” portion. I’d mainly settled on using both Hooch and Dip-Stop products.
This past week I saw you can get the free sampler from Smokey Mountain so I figured that was worth a try as well.
I just tried the ‘Classic” tonight and my body recognized the feeling, taste, unlike any other brand, and started feeling like I was using actual tobacco. I think I’m going to have to toss it, because I’m not sure that will be good for me at this point.
No other products gave anything close to those sensations.
I’d guess if you are tapering off or you are trying to quit this would be a great product,to use, because its the closest thing to a substitute you can get.
But if you’ve been without your actual dip for months, as I have been, going to this may not be the best bet.
Probably the cayenne pepper
dipped nothing but grizzly longcut wintergreen for 5 years, i bought a can of smc, i like it, but i would like to know if theres something else out there that replicates the burn of the grizz a little better
Glad to hear you enjoyed Smokey Mountain. If you’re looking for something with a bit more burn you can check out some of the Hooch flavors. They tend to use a bit more cayenne than SMC does. http://blog.killthecan.org/2011/10/hooch-snuff-review/
If you’re looking for something that’s REALLY hot, you should give Teaza Fire Energy a shot. BY FAR the hottest fake dip I’ve ever tried. http://blog.killthecan.org/2013/07/teaza-herbal-energy-pouch-review/
I dipped snuff for 25 years. I finally decided to give an honest effort at quitting because of my daughter. I went cold turkey for about 6 days and the cravings started to become overwhelming. I decided to give SMC another try. Tried it several years ago and it was akin to someone grabbing a bunch of stuff off the ground and putting it in a can. I was pleasantly surprised at the change. I bought the SMC classic. The flavor was very close to Skoal Classic. I was a Red Seal user but, the classic was all the wal mart had. that took care of my cravings. or at least made it easier to fight off my cravings. i’m day 7 into my quit.
Just bought my first can of smc classic, and it will be my last. These past reviews are so far from reality. Closest thing to a long cut? How about closest think to cat hair, and what flavor is long lasting? The flavor was so faint I threw in another pinch 2 moon after the first. I’m now back chewing on sunflower seeds and finding more comfort there. Idk how you guys are finding comfort with this terrible product.
Thanks for chiming in Jay. Sorry to hear you didn’t care for it. Though I stand by my review of saying that SMC is the closest fake dip to long cut on the market.
Maybe it was a bad can. The date shows good til 2014, but there was absolutely no flavor. Idk, but the positive is many others are finding help with it.
Hey Chewie, actually just picked up the wintergreen SMC and it does give me that similar burn to what i normally feel in a skoal xtra wintergreen pouches. And because of it, I’m actually ordering the wintergreen and arctic mint pouches to see if that can keep me off the real stuff. Thanks for the great review, and the recommendations.
Where in Walmart can you find this stuff?
Travis – SMC is typically found up front near the real stuff unfortunately. Let me know if you can’t find it.
Do you have to be of age to buy it?
Travis – there is no tobacco and no nicotine in Smokey Mountain. That said, I’m not sure if WalMart considers this a product that you need to be 18 to buy. My gut would say “yes” but I’m not sure.
Yes… You need to be 18+. They feel like they are encouraging irresponsible behavior otherwise and “preparing” minors for the real thing.
In what section of Walmart can you find this?
Hey chewie, I have been using Copenhagen snuff, and grizzly snuff for 20 years. Anything out there come close?
Hey John – Cope is a tough one to replicate. SMC and Hooch both do an admirable job. If you’re a Grizzley Wintergreen guy, Hooch, SMC & Holt are my favorites.
I just got a mixed 10-pack of peach and wintergreen. I’ve been doing Skoal Wintergreen and Peach for several years, and was looking for something similar in taste. I’m not really nicotine addicted–I sometimes go a week or more without a dip, but when I’m playing video games, I like having something in my mouth.
Anyway, the Smokey Mountain Wintergreen tastes OK, but it’s got quite a sharp kick from the cayenne pepper which reduces my enjoyment. I literally can’t keep it in one place in my lip because it burns.
The Peach, however, is pretty good. Very close to Skoal Peach and without the burn of the Wintergreen. I guess I’ll try some other wintergreen alternatives.
Skoal Mint is another flavor I enjoy. Any recommendations?
Hi John – If you’re looking for a Skoal Mint substitute I’d say Hooch & SMC Mint are probably your two best bets. Let me know what you think when/if you try them!
I mix the straight & Wintergreen together Very tastey. People please get off the real stuff. That nicotine will kill you , herbal is the only way to go.
Actually, the nicotine is about as harmful as caffeine. It’s the additives that will kill you.
Even if this was accurate (which it’s not) caffeine is still one of the most addictive substances on the planet. As you point out, the additives will indeed kill you. However, so can the nicotine.
@Josh J. – This is going to sound like a bit of a cop out, but I’d suggest you give them both a try. They’re both outstanding from a spitibility standpoint and if you’re looking for “the real thing” these two (and Holt http://blog.killthecan.org/2011/08/holt-tobaccoless-chew-review/) are definitely my top 3. Hooch and Holt are “finer” than SMC if that makes any difference to you. Would love for you to write a review when you’re done. I always like to hear what others think about these products.
So, as a new guy to the non-tobacco smokeless alternatives market do you recommend Hooch or Smokey Mountain for a wintergreen fan. I’m not looking for an exact flavor match to Copenhagen long cut, but i LOVE the wintergreen and want something as close in pack and spit as I’ve been used to for the last couple years. Seems like these two are the most popular among the largest slice of the quitting-pie. Ideas?
Agreed. I like the straight. Peach is good too. The pouches have good flavor but are a little too dry for me.
Smokey Mtn. Straight tastes VERY similar to skoal long cut straight to me.