Flavour
Citrus nicotine pouches
The sharp, clean alternative to mint. Every lemon, lime and orange tin we stock, who makes the best one and where the strength gaps are.
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Quick answer: Citrus pouches are sharp and clean rather than sweet, which makes them the closest thing to mint for people who do not like mint. ZYN Citrus at 3mg and VELO Tangy Lime at 4mg are the gentle options, VELO Orange Spark at 10mg is the mid-range pick, and Killa and Pablo cover orange and lemonade at 16.5mg and 50mg. It is a small family, around 20 tins, with a gap in the 11mg to 16mg range.
Citrus is one of the smaller families on the flavours hub, but it fills a real gap. Most of the shelf is either mint or sweet fruit. Citrus is neither, and the people who like it tend to like it a lot.
What citrus pouches taste like
Citrus pouches lean tart. Even the lemonade tins are more sherbet than syrup. Within that there is a clear spread.
- Lemon and lime. The sharpest end. VELO Tangy Lime 4mg, VELO Lime Flame 8mg and FUMI Fiery Lime 8mg are bright and slightly bitter. VELO Minty Lemon 10mg crosses into mint pouches territory, and XQS Cola Lime 8mg crosses into cola.
- Orange. Rounder and sweeter. VELO Orange Spark 10mg is the everyday orange, Killa Exclusive Orange 16.5mg is the strong one, and KUMA Blood Orange 20mg is darker and more bitter.
- Lemonade. Fizzy and sweet-sour. Killa Exclusive Lemonade 16.5mg, Pablo Lemonade Exclusive 50mg and Pablo Exclusive Pink Lemonade 50mg. Pink Lemonade is the one Pablo regulars talk about most.
- Citrus blends. ZYN Citrus 3mg, NicLeaf Citrus 3mg, Clew Citrus 5mg and XQS Citrus Cooling 8mg. Mixed peel with a bit of everything, and the best place to start.
Citrus and berry also get combined. Kelly White Raspberry Lemon 6mg and Strawberry Lime 5mg sit between this page and berry pouches.
How citrus pouches are made
The tobacco-free base is the same as any other pouch: plant fibre, nicotine, water, a pH adjuster and sweetener, with food-grade flavouring on top. Citrus flavourings are mostly built on the same compounds that give lemon and orange peel their smell, which is why a citrus pouch smells strong when you open the tin.
Citrus makers use acid as well as sweetener. A little citric or malic acid gives the sherbet tang, and it is also why citrus feels lively on the gum. Tins labelled "cooling" or "spark" add a light cooling agent, less than an ice pouch, enough to lift the flavour. XQS Citrus Cooling and VELO Orange Spark are the examples.
Flavour in citrus fades faster than in mint but holds up better than most sweet fruit, because the acid keeps registering after the aroma has gone. Expect 15 to 25 minutes of clear taste.
Citrus nicotine pouch tins
| Product | Brand | Strength | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| NicLeaf Citrus | NicLeaf | 3mg | £4.29 |
| ZYN Citrus | ZYN | 3mg | £4.49 |
| VELO Tangy Lime | VELO | 4mg | £4.29 |
| Clew Citrus | Clew | 5mg | £4.29 |
| FUMI Fiery Lime | FUMI | 8mg | £4.49 |
| VELO Lime Flame | VELO | 8mg | £4.29 |
| XQS Citrus Cooling | XQS | 8mg | £4.49 |
| VELO Orange Spark | VELO | 10mg | £4.29 |
| Killa Exclusive Orange | Killa | 16.5mg | £4.29 |
| Killa Exclusive Lemonade | Killa | 16.5mg | £4.29 |
| KUMA Blood Orange | KUMA | 20mg | £4.49 |
| Pablo Exclusive Pink Lemonade | Pablo | 50mg | £4.29 |
Pablo Orange Exclusive, Pablo Lemonade Exclusive and Pablo Exclusive Watermelon Lemon are also 50mg at £4.29, and CUBA Orange Ninja sits at 30mg.
Best citrus pouches by strength
Low (up to 6mg). The strongest part of the citrus range. ZYN Citrus and NicLeaf Citrus at 3mg, VELO Tangy Lime at 4mg, Clew Citrus at 5mg and Kelly White Raspberry Lemon at 6mg give the low band five clean options.
Medium (6mg to 9mg). VELO Lime Flame, FUMI Fiery Lime, XQS Citrus Cooling and XQS Cola Lime all sit at 8mg. VELO has the best balance, XQS the most cooling.
Strong (9mg to 12mg). VELO Orange Spark and VELO Minty Lemon at 10mg are the only regular strong band citrus tins, and both are good. This is the band where citrus runs thin, and there is nothing at all between 10mg and 16.5mg.
Extra strong (12mg and up). Killa Exclusive Orange and Killa Exclusive Lemonade at 16.5mg, KUMA Blood Orange at 20mg, CUBA Orange Ninja at 30mg, then the Pablo Exclusive 50mg lemonade and orange tins. All of these are on the extra strong band page and none are for new users.
Who citrus suits
Citrus suits people who want a clean, non-sweet pouch but find mint too cold or too medicinal. It suits daytime use, because the sharpness wakes the mouth up without the dry-mouth feel that cooling agents give. And it suits anyone who drinks a lot of lemonade or bitter lemon, which sounds obvious but is a reliable predictor.
It suits beginners well at the low end, where VELO and ZYN have gentle tins, and it suits heavy users well at the top, where Killa and Pablo take over. It suits the middle poorly. If you want 12mg to 15mg citrus, you will have to choose between stepping down to a 10mg VELO or up to a 16.5mg Killa.
Citrus is the flavour most likely to irritate a sensitive gum, because of the acid. If you get a sore spot, switch sides, drop a band, or rotate with a mild spearmint.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best citrus nicotine pouch?
For an everyday pouch, VELO Orange Spark at 10mg. For a gentle start, ZYN Citrus at 3mg. For strength, Killa Exclusive Lemonade at 16.5mg. Pablo Exclusive Pink Lemonade is the one with the biggest reputation, but 50mg is a very heavy user's tin.
Is there a grapefruit nicotine pouch?
Not consistently in the UK. Nic Nac made a 3mg grapefruit that comes and goes, and 77 has done a bergamot. If you want that bitter edge, KUMA Blood Orange at 20mg is the nearest thing in regular stock.
Do citrus pouches sting more than fruit pouches?
A little, at first. The acid that gives citrus its tang also makes the pouch feel sharper on the gum for the first few days. It is milder than the sting from an ice pouch, and it settles with use.
Why is there a gap between 10mg and 16.5mg?
The brands that make mid-strength citrus (VELO, XQS, ZYN) stop at 10mg, and the brands that make strong citrus (Killa, Pablo, KUMA) start at 16.5mg. Nobody has filled the middle yet. If you need 12mg, look at Helwit or White Fox in mint instead.