A Guide to Nicotine Pouch Flavours

A nicotine pouch could have the perfect strength level, moisture balance, and price tag — but without great nicotine pouch flavours, a product just won’t hit the sweet spot for many people. Often, the literal sweet spot!

The best way to find the right flavour is to understand what’s available. Given the changes the nicotine pouch market has undergone over the last few years, even experienced users may find that some newer flavours have passed them by.

What Creates Nicotine Pouch Flavours?

Like snus flavours, nicotine pouch flavours are created when manufacturers add certain substances and ingredients to pouch fillings, creating different tasting experiences.

These additives vary depending on the flavour profile. Some brands make a conscious effort and use natural flavourings where possible, which is easier for some profiles than others.

Specific oils and extracts create different tastes, including peppermint oil, coffee extract, lemon oil, and liquorice extract.

Moreover, flavour enhancers and salts amplify the taste of nicotine pouches, creating a more enjoyable and exciting experience for the user. One enhancer that is used is β-Cyclodextrin. 

Mint Flavour

Mint pouches were one of the few flavour options available when nicotine pouches were first released, and mint remains a firm favourite among consumers to this day. This should be unsurprising considering mint is a much-loved flavour for similar products, like nicotine gum and lozenges.

Mint offers a refreshing touch, but it’s somewhat neutral compared to other flavours, making it a go-to for any moment or occasion.

The “mint” category is also quite versatile, encompassing a few different tastes.

Stronger Mint Flavours

Peppermint is one of the most popular mint options, and it boasts a potent flavour that often leaves the mouth feeling cooled or tingling. For instance, VELO Mighty Peppermint 17 mg (previously VELO Freeze Max) contains 17 mg per pouch, and it’s one of the stronger nicotine pouches we sell on Snusdirect.

Menthol is another mint flavour often used in more potent nicotine pouches. It has plenty in common with peppermint since menthol is a major component of peppermint oil and is responsible for peppermint’s icy sensation. Many pouches contain the two ingredients together for an intense frosty blast.

Eucalyptus is another strong mint, though it also has a sweeter touch. Ace Eucalyptus Slim White brings together menthol and eucalyptus for a strong option.

Lighter Mint Flavours

Other mints are sweeter and milder, which allows them to offer freshness without being too overpowering — not everyone wants their nicotine pouch to leave their mouth feeling numb.

Spearmint is one of the most popular mint flavours in this category. For example, ZYN Mini Dry Spearmint has a gentle taste and just 1.5 mg of nicotine per pouch.

Then there’s the “mint-esque” taste of wintergreen, which is technically a separate plant but often gets lumped in with mint due to their similarities. Wintergreen has a more gentle flavour than menthol and peppermint, but its aromatic nature gives it a bold, complex taste profile.

Fruit Pouches

Fruit flavours have always been a go-to for people looking for a sweet treat — whether it’s in the form of raspberries, a raspberry pavlova, or a raspberry lemonade. Nicotine pouches with fruit flavours are the next iteration of this.

Because there are so many different types of fruits, the flavour possibilities are almost endless here. Taste profiles can be sour, sweet, or fresh. In some cases, they may have more than one of these qualities, or combine fruit tastes with spicy (such as LOOP Jalapeño Lime Extra Strong) or minty tastes (like FIX Watermelon Ice).

Some fruits commonly used in nicotine pouch flavours include:

• Berries
• Tropical fruits (e.g., mango, pineapple)
• Grape
• Apple
• Melon

However, manufacturers are growing increasingly adventurous and opting for more obscure fruits.

Citrus Flavours

Citrus pouches are particularly popular since they provide sweetness and tartness simultaneously. ZYN Citrus Mini is one of the most popular options, offering notes of orange and lemongrass for a fresh taste.

Other citrus pouches may use limes or grapefruit.

Liquorice Pouches

Liquorice pouches are a bold and adventurous offering — and they can often be divisive. Since liquorice is everywhere in Sweden, this traditional ingredient is often used in snus and nicotine pouches — and now, the popularity is spreading elsewhere.

Liquorice’s complex flavour profile means nicotine pouches with this flavour can take different forms.

Salmiak is a type of liquorice mixed with salmiak salt, and many products use it, such as VELO Lofty Liquorice.

Other liquorice pouches have a sweeter taste. For instance, On! Licorice 3 fuses saltiness and sweetness. 

Coffee Pouches

People from countless cultures and walks of life enjoy a nice cup of coffee, so it makes sense that coffee pouches have been a hit.

Like liquorice, coffee flavours can take different forms. Some are sweet and creamy to emulate the taste of a latte or frappuccino. For instance, the ZYN Espressino Mini Dry has notes of nougat, chocolate, and vanilla.

Others have a taste that’s more bitter and richer, focusing on the somewhat acidic flavour of coffee beans.

The Future of Nicotine Pouch Flavours

In terms of tasting experiences, in recent years, there has been a vast increase in the amount of unusual and intriguing flavour profiles.. But what are the key trends within the recent product releases?

• Integration of chilli to experiences, providing a ‘warming’ sensation.
• Adventurous dual profiles that incorporate new notes, like ginger and black pepper.
• The “tingling’ sensation is new and joins other existing effects, such as the warming and cooling reaction.

Due to the vast competition in the nicotine pouch market, brands continually develop and invent new concepts to make their product stand out. So, look out for the new trends within the modern products released over the next few years, whether that flavours, format, or strength.

There’s a Flavour for Everyone

Some nicotine pouch users are liquorice lovers, while others crave coffee. Now more than ever, products are springing up that cater to every demand, though classic taste profiles like mint still remain popular.