Not sure if it’s just placebo, but I swear if I get a pinch up a clogged nostril it’ll clear it right out, to the point I can blow my nose, and get another pinch up there to keep the job done. Praise the good Doctor! 🙌
I had always read that Wilsons of Sharrow SM Blue and Dr. Rumney's Blue were basically the same snuff, but I am not sure that's correct. Having blasted my way through a full tin of each, I picked up some pretty obvious differences. Dr. Rumney's Blue is a mellower, subtler snuff. It is not nearly as sharp or as intense as SM Blue. The grind is medium with moderate moisture. To me, the tobacco base looks slightly darker and coarser than SM Blue. Mentholation is present but not nearly as strong or as intense as I was expecting. I got more camphor and eucalyptus than anything, though the menthol was still pretty noticeable. The base tobacco(s) contributed rich tones of earth, dark chocolate, and leather as well as something of a subtle peatines and a bit of barnyard funk. I also noted a citrus presence, something like lemon and/or bergamot, though my research failed to indicate that any citrus essences were added to this snuff. You can do this snuff all day with no ill effects due to the relatively low nicotine content. It sits in the nose wonderfully too. Overall, this is a very pleasant medicated snuff, one of the best and most approachable I have tried. It is probably my second favorite in the Dr. Rumney's range.
Like Anonymous above, I still have some old Dr Rumney’s tins – though mine are from the 1970s and 80s, not the 60s! - and very beautiful pieces of ephemera they are indeed. It was always my favourite tin, and my favourite menthol snuff. My nasal memory isn’t sharp enough to say whether this is a faithful recreation of the old stuff – I’m willing to take Wilsons word for that, they know more than I do – but in any case, taken on its own merits, it is a lovely snuff. Quite subtle, easy to take, and with a very comforting flavour.
An empty box of vintage Dr. Rumney’s Mentholyptus Snuff will cost you three times the price of a full tin of Dr. Rumney’s Blue, which is the inheritor of the “Mentholyptus” recipe. Perhaps it is Sir Rumney’s constipated face supported by twin pillars of white mutton-chops that enhances the value of the dilapidated container? The snuff, however, is worth the price of admission; fabled, in times before false advertising legislation, to help prevent colds. Low in nicotine, it is mainly a big shot of menthol and eucalyptus wrapped in blanket of camphor that is quite welcome when one has a case of the hangover “jitters” or symptoms of early-onset Parkinson’s. Without burn or sneeze, I particularly enjoy it right before entering a dry sauna in my futile attempts to evict spirits rapaciously imbibed at various social occasions.
Whilst the menthol is strong, the complex underlying aromas make this snuff stand out for me. It's a good balance of the added scents whilst retaining that base tobacco flavour. Sometimes I'd like the menthol to be a little less with these snuffs and appreciate the other scents but it is what it is - a great mentholated snuff