REVIEWS
REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES
BLUE RASPBERRY
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling SUMMER BLAZE
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling RAINBOW BLAST
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate
Blue raspberry has always been an
incredibly popular profile in vaping, and its
enigmatic nature allows e-liquid makers to
put their own spin on things. The top note in
this case is a strong candy raspberry, that
brings a sticky sweetness and impressive
amounts of tartness to the blend. This is
reminiscent of a hard candy, doing away
with some of the earthy notes you might
expect from a more natural interpretation.
This is complemented by a more subdued
candy blueberry, which adds subtle floral
notes to the mix, along with a slightly
deeper sweetness. The mix is finished
with a very mild coolant, which does not
interfere with the mix at all. The result is a
classic blue raspberry candy flavour that’s
sure to be a crowd pleaser. IVG describe Summer Blaze as a blend of
Sicilian lemonade and mixed berries with
coolant. The mixed berries take centre
stage here, with a full-bodied candy
blackcurrant being the most dominant.
This lends a sticky dark sweetness to
the mix, along with some very mild floral
notes. There also appears to be a good
helping of candy raspberry, which further
increases the sweetness on offer, along
with some brighter notes. The lemonade
element of Summer Blaze sits in the
background, but it still has a great effect
on the profile, with its combination of
candied and natural lemon flavour. The
sharper notes of the lemon contrast nicely
with the berries and give an accurate
beverage connotation. A moderately
strong coolant finishes the mix, and the
result is a very well-balanced fruit vape
that could well be all day material for lots
of people. Rainbow Blast is described as sour
mixed fruit candy, leaving much to the
imagination of the consumer. There’s a
lot going on with this mix, with a variety
of berries and citrus, so it’s difficult to
pinpoint every part of the profile. The
most pronounced notes, though, are a
heavy candy lime and strawberry. The
lime is particularly dominant, and brings
plenty of sweetness to the mix, along
with a good helping of tartness. This is
balanced by the candy strawberry, which
enhances the sweet notes of the lime,
and ensures that the sharper notes are
toned down. Besides this, there seem to
be other berries and perhaps lemon in the
background, but these notes are more
accents than anything, and it’s anyone’s
guess as to what they truly are. A solid
candy vape.
SPEARMINT
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling
A slightly simpler mix from the IVG Salt
line. The top note here is an intense,
sweet spearmint, which is a spot-on
representation of the kind that you would
expect from chewing gum. This is great
as a palate cleanser, and also seems to
totally avoid the dreaded vaper’s tongue
problem, even when used for an extended
period of time. This top note is supported
by IVG’s signature bubblegum base,
though it’s used more sparingly here. The
bubblegum reinforces the sweetness of
the spearmint, whilst adding that familiar
sticky mouth-feel that many vapers have
come to love. If you’re looking for a
stripped back profile that’s refreshing and
doesn’t fade in terms of flavour intensity,
this is a great option.
BUBBLEGUM
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling
Bubblegum was the flavour that put IVG
on the map, so it only makes sense that
it’s now been made available in their
new Salt range. The top note here is a
vivid candy bubblegum that you’ll almost
certainly recognise, unless you’ve been
living under a rock for the last 18 months.
This brings plenty of sweetness to the
mix, and a somewhat sticky mouth-feel
to boot, and is a very good replication
of the sweets that it’s inspired by. There
also seems to be a very subtle mint in the
background, which works well with the
bubblegum top note and ensures that this
is a light and refreshing candy vape.
KIWI LEMON COOL
VG/PG ratio: 50/50
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling
Kiwi is a fairly uncommon fruit in the
context of e-liquid profiles, but when
it’s done right, the result is usually a
compelling vape. IVG’s take on this fruit
is well done indeed. It has elements of
a natural kiwi, with a slight tartness and
juicy mouth-feel, but also brings some
candied connotations to the mix with a
good helping of sweetness. The kiwi is
complemented nicely with a moderately
strong candied lemon. This sharper
note of the candied lemon does well
to enhance the tartness of the kiwi and
give a satisfying boost to the throat hit.
The blend is finished with a mild coolant,
which imparts no menthol flavour, making
for a light fruit vape, suited to anyone
looking for something a little different.
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