Has Viking Dark changed?

[idbowman]

So, I'm pretty loaded up on Viking Dark, but a friend of mine in Denmark said he just received an order and it's not the same snuff.

He sent a few of us in the states some samples, and sure enough it's different. It's still dark, but a bit sweet and minty. Not a full-on mint snuff like Viking Spear, but definitely NOT the Viking Dark I've come to know and love. I mean...it's not BAD by any stretch - but Viking Dark was such a masterpiece, it'd be a shame if they tinkered with it.

I can think of two possibilities:
1. They've redesigned the blend without any notice to consumers, no attempts to market the new product, nothing but radio silence.
2. It's just a funky batch. Maybe they used the same milling equipment right after a batch of Viking Spear or SG Spearmint and some of the essential oils weren't completely cleaned away.


I dunno. But if anyone gets a "new" tin or bulk order of Viking Dark in (probably that they ordered sometime in the last month or less), I'd be VERY interested to hear if your batch is the old stuff or if it's changed.




---and any time I type a post that mentions Viking Dark more than once or twice, I really wish I could use VD as shorthand without stepping into that obvious mine field.

 

[Carlos]

:lol: I have to say, I of course won't know if it's old or new. But I did just get some on the 9th. 9th, right? Well, recently. It smells like ground Gawith style rope. No mint. But it does smell fresh. Hints of hints, of bergamot maybe. Just the suggestion of a floral aspect and that could really be that which I think may be a bergamot.

Does that help?

 

[idbowman]

If you're smelling plenty of dark, tarmac-y goodness that is the prominent part of the scent with a few botanicals in there just for kicks, but no minty sweetness to speak of, you either got an earlier batch (if they changed) or my batch was just funky and and a one-off thing.


Pretty helpful!

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Ian,

Maybe they accidentally slipped some SG Kendal Mastiff into a batch of Viking Dark tins.

Mastiff is essentially lightly pepperminted Viking Dark. Lovely stuff, the same smoky scent with a subtle mint high note.

 

[huffelpuff]

Ian, the 500 gram tub I ordered smells just fine. Nothing but tobacco and the smell of melting asphalt. Oh I ordered it on Black Friday and got it after 20 days so hope this is helpful.

Jim

 

[idbowman]

Very helpful, guys.

My HOPE is that it's just a funky cross-contamination thing going on...and it sounds like maybe that's not overly optimistic! Thanks!