The Origins of the Original

Even during the Swedish social experiment of the 1970s, leading politicians involved themselves in snus-related issues. Legendary finance minister Gunnar Sträng averted a planned tax on luxury goods. Declaring “It’s my boys who take snus so you can go to hell,” Gunnar defended Swedish workers’ right to enjoy the world’s only untaxed tobacco product.

In 1977, a revolutionary invention appeared – portion snus. Overnight General was able to reach a broader target group, one looking for a more sophisticated alternative. And in 2003 it was time for another innovation. General was launched using White Portion Technology, a snus with less run-off. The innovation was greeted with a smile. The exclusive Onyx broke new ground in 2005 with the graphite black portion pouches beautifully presented in a star formation. A snus for the bon vivant and aesthete. Today there are many people who enjoy General, such as Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA and one of the world’s richest men.

The year is 1850. A time when our biggest and best-known brands are being created. Levi’s started making clothes. Smirnoff Vodka was served to the tsar and his court. Engineers Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler built the world’s first petrol-driven car. The spirit of enterprise is at its peak.

The railway network is being expanded and cultures are meeting. Business concepts are being born. In snus’s capital city, Gothenburg we find a mason and a mystic. Obsessed with developing the most advanced and sophisticated snus. A man of knowledge. A man with a good nose for business. A man with taste. And that innovator is called Johan A Boman.

J A Boman was a true bon vivant and therefore very skilful at finding the right blend of flavours. And the result – a balanced tobacco flavour, slightly peppery with citrus notes – can still be enjoyed today. In 1858 Boman took over a tobacco factory and focused production on General – a successful move to say the least. The explosive force of the high-quality product made him a very wealthy man. Gustaf Boman, J A Boman’s youngest son, inherited the company and the factory, which he continued to run and develop successfully. In 1915 the Swedish state took over the factory and the General brand. The rest is history.

And the rest is the future.