Bernard Brazil Feinst 10g

Bernard's Schmalzlerfranzl Gold is something of an atypical schmalzler, but it is far from bad. Compared to the few other schmalzlers I have tried, this one is drier and lacks the stickiness or oiliness that I have come to expect of snuffs of this style. This dark, more or less medium-coarse snuff is quite complex, delivering notes of earth, pine, dark chocolate, straw, molasses, date, fig, raisin, nutmeg, fennel, celery, and prune with undertones of cream, coffee, and cinnamon here and there. The nicotine content is low, meaning you can easily go through a ton of this snuff very quickly. My only real gripes with this snuff are the lack of moisture-which is apparently by design-and the lack of nicotine. I kept wanting it to have more of a punch, but I guess that is what the Schmalzlerfranzl Silver exists to provide. While this is a solid enough snuff, I definitely prefer the other Bernard schmalzlers. I find them to be more memorable and powerful.

Schmalzlerfranzl Gold is a hearty snuff that panders seductively to my pre-existing nasal prejudices. A classic Schmalzler in the most time-honoured Bavarian tradition, Gold uses both Brazilian rope and Latakia tobaccos in its baseline. Sticky and dark, it brings to mind Weihnachtsstollen crossed with rum cake. Smokey from the Latakia, “Brazil Feinst’s” flavour profile combines dates, walnuts, molasses, chocolate, honey and allspice. A rich snuff, it is well suited to the Winter Solstice or the feast of St. John the Evangelist. Without bite upon uptake, Gold offers a welcomed and sustained burned akin to holding a well-pulled briar in the palm of an ungloved hand on a cold winter’s day. Slightly peppery, it uses similar base materials as to Rappees but with an effervescence that can only come from the fermenting process inherent to Schmalzlers. Sporting an adult dose of nicotine, Gold is a fine companion to aged dark rums such as Venezuela’s Diplomatico or Guatemala’s Zacapa.