When vaping first became known to the public, back in 2010, the only type of vaping device or tool available was cig-a-like vape. Cig-a-like vapes were prototypical and simple vape devices, that came with pre-filled cartridges with a single flavour i.e. tobacco. A lot of smokers were able to quit smoking with the help of these devices, but due to the lack of customizability in flavour and nicotine, the need for newer and better options was raised.

Then, with the inception of commercially produced e-liquids, the world of vaping changed irrevocably as if there was no going back. And it’s true because ever since e-liquids have started selling in the market, the vaping industry has achieved a lot of milestones with newer and better vaping products. E-liquids were first sold in free base form, but now nicotine salt e-liquids are also available and loved by vapers. The flavour options available have also expanded tremendously in recent years, and now you can buy e-liquids in Ireland of whichever flavour you can think of.

The benchmark tobacco flavour has also branched out, and now a lot of variants in tobacco flavour are also produced and sold in the market. Apart from tobacco, a lot of new flavour profiles have emerged in recent years, that have been helping people quit smoking, by catering to their subjective taste preferences. In this blog, we will discuss, the major flavour profiles that are available in the market and how you can select one that fits you best.

How Do E-Liquids Get Their Flavour?

E-liquids are composed of four major ingredients, namely, PG, VG, nicotine and flavour concentrates. Nicotine that is added in e-liquids is of two types i.e. free base form and salt form. The type of nicotine can affect your vaping experience, with respect to throat hit and vapour production. But it doesn’t affect the flavour. The flavour concentrates are what help e-liquids attain their flavour, whereas PG and VG work as flavour carriers.

The flavour concentrates added in the production of e-liquids are food-grade and safe to be ingested, but they must always be water-soluble. The concentrates that are oil-based like sucralose, diacetyl, caramel colour, cocoa butter etc. The ratio between PG and VG determines the amount of vapour and the level of throat hit you will get. PG is responsible for the throat hit, whereas VG is responsible for vapour production.

Types of E-Liquid Flavour Profiles

Tobacco Flavours

Tobacco flavour e-liquids are one of the oldest and most famous types, and they usually have a strong flavour with a greater PG level for the throat hit. These e-liquids generally don’t have koolada (the cooling agent) added to them, hence they don’t have the cooling effect that other profiles do. Tobacco flavour e-liquids are available in a lot of different variations like tobacco caramel, tobacco vanilla, Cuban tobacco etc.

Other flavour profiles including cinnamon, roasted nuts, and spices are also strong, like tobacco, and all these profiles are preferred by vapers who have an acquired taste for tobacco or strong spicy aromas and flavours. These profiles take their time to grow upon you and are generally preferred by smokers who are accustomed to the taste of traditional tobacco.

Fruity Flavours

Fruity flavours are one of the most popular flavour profiles in the market and are preferred by vapers of all levels, beginners and intermediates alike. These profiles generally have a sweet taste, depending on the flavour and are extremely balanced with respect to the flavour concentration and cooling effect. There are thousands of fruity flavour profiles available in the market, with many variations and flavour blends.

Some of the most common fruity vape flavours include strawberry, mixed berries, passion fruit, banana, mango, peach etc. These profiles also come in different fruity blends like strawberry-mango, passion fruit-guava, watermelon-cherry etc. These profiles are simple and appeal to a variety of taste buds and the flavours are more or less similar to their real-life counterparts.

Dessert Flavours

Dessert flavour profiles also have a huge customer base, due to their appeal and taste. These profiles allow you to enjoy the flavour of your favourite dessert without actually consuming the calories that come with them. A lot of dessert flavours have sweeteners, but the caloric level of these ingredients is infinitesimal as compared to the actual desserts. There are thousands of dessert-flavoured e-liquids in the market that are there to cater to the confectionary fan base. Flavours like chocolate cake, crème Brule, vanilla custard, and apple pie are among the top-selling dessert-based flavours.

Dessert-based flavours are often PG-based as they carry flavour really well, and they are comparatively thicker in consistency. They may or may not have a darker colour, but it varies from brand to brand. When it comes to dessert flavours, the brand you get them from matters a lot. A lot of dessert-flavored e-liquids are loaded with extra sweeteners to balance out the strong flavouring, which ends up gunking the coil. Some flavours might also require additional steeping time, depending on the date of manufacturing.

Drink/ Beverage Flavour

There are supertasters among us that have a much higher density of taste receptors on the tongue, and some people have a superior olfactory sense as well, which is why they weigh nice-smelling things much higher. Drink flavour profiles are often known for their strong and pleasant smell, and they’re liked by many people because of this particular characteristic.

Popular Drink-flavoured profiles include wine, coffee, hot chocolate, chamomile tea, lemonade etc. These e-liquids exude extremely pleasant-smelling vapour that pervades the room immediately, which adds up to the vaping experience. Drink-flavoured profiles are liked by many people, but the amount of sweeteners in each of them varies a lot. A special and odd thing about drink-flavoured e-liquids is they’re sold more during winters than summers, which reflects a change in taste preference with respect to the season.

How to Select Which Flavour Is the Best Choice for You?

Now to tackle the question of the “best flavour,” the only right answer is, that the best flavour is the one that appeals to your taste buds. Flavour preferences vary a lot due to subjectivity, and what one vaper considers the best, may or may not correlate to the preferences of another vaper. A good rule of thumb is to get a flavour that you like in real. For example, if you like sweet and sour tastes, then you can select any flavour of your choice from the fruit range. If you don’t like the cooling effect, then you can either go for tobacco or dessert, based on the level of sweetness you can tolerate.

In the end, it comes down to individual flavour preferences and the quality of your e-liquid.