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Taxi Red

AJL 11/12/06

 

 

Yes, I know that the container says Leonard Dingler on it. Yes, I know that Rajek categorizes it as a Dingler product. Taxi, though, has been owned by Swedish Match since 1999.  They maintain the Dingler name for the sole purpose of making categorization on snuff websites more confusing. 

 

This is a strong, moist, strong, coarse, strong snuff from South Africa. Seatbelts should be worn when taking this Taxi. According to a study done by a university in Pretoria, in conjunction with a researcher in Baltimore, “The pH and percentage of free base nicotine reported for the Taxi and Singleton menthol brands in the present study is indeed the highest ever reported for any industrialised snuff brand. “ (Link to paper is below, if you dare— be prepared to wade through the usual anti-tobacco propaganda.)

 

This snuff is somewhat ammoniated, though not so strongly so as to be off-putting. After filling your snuffbox, leave it open for about fifteen minutes and the cat-pee tinge will very nearly disappear entirely. The flavor is unsubtle plain tobacco, with a hint of cigar, and which dissipates fairly quickly. The afterblow aroma is one of pleasant, mild tobacco.

 

Despite its strength, Taxi Red is easy to take. All-day usage may result in a slight soreness of the mucosa, but no more so than F&T HDT causes.

 

Should a smoker ever wish to switch to nasal snuff alone, this product would be just the ticket— its coarseness and moisture make it a good beginner’s snuff (provided that said beginner is used to nicotine, otherwise an airline sickness-bag should be at hand.)

 

A word about the container— though made of an ugly soft plastic, it seals surprisingly well. And what, you ask, is “gwayi”? It’s Zulu for tobacco, of course.

 

Taxi Blue, a milder version,  is available through Wesley’s and Rajek’s (both on the “Snuff Sources” page.)

Taxi Red is available through Wesley’s.

 

Here’s the nicotine study I mentioned..

 

This is a PDF of a Swedish Match company newsletter that has some info on the Dingler brands and the plant where they’re made and packaged.