Menthol e-liquid is one of the things that makes vaping as special as it is, and you’ll find the biggest selection of menthol vape juice in the UK right here at Simply ELiquid. The menthol flavour category is where the world’s top e-liquid makers really let their creativity shine, and when you experience what menthol can do to a vape juice – whether it’s used on its own or as part of a more complex flavour blend – you’re certain to become a fan for life.
What Is Menthol E-Liquid?
Menthol vape juice is any e-liquid that uses menthol or other similar agents to create a cooling sensation in the mouth and throat. When e-cigarettes were first invented, tobacco and menthol were the first two e-liquid flavours that appeared. The early e-liquid makers assumed that new vapers would primarily be interested in finding vape juices that replicated the flavours of cigarettes as closely as possible, but they were only partially right.
Although most new vapers do start with tobacco and menthol e-liquids, they often end up moving away from those basic flavours once they realise that vaping can be even more amazing when you aren’t trying to chase the flavour of the cigarettes that you’ve given up – and that’s where menthol e-liquid really shines.
Although today’s e-liquid makers still offer plenty of terrific plain menthol e-liquids, they’ve also discovered that menthol is often at its best when it’s used as just one colour in a wider palette of flavours.
What’s So Special About Menthol E-Liquid?
Here in the UK, menthol e-liquid has a unique appeal because menthol cigarettes were recently banned here. Menthol vape juice, however, was left exempt from the ban to provide menthol cigarette smokers an easy avenue for transitioning to a less harmful alternative. So, if you’re missing your menthol cigarettes, the only way for you to have that same type of experience is with a menthol e-liquid. The other thing that makes menthol e-liquid so special is the fact that a menthol vape juice can deliver a much more intense – far, far colder in the mouth and throat – than a menthol cigarette ever could. If you were the type of smoker who bought the menthol cigarettes with the little crush balls that made them even chillier, you are going to love menthol e-liquid because the coldest vape juices are really going to blow you away.
Does Menthol E-Liquid Taste Like a Menthol Cigarette?
The short answer to this question is “no.” It isn’t possible for a menthol e-liquid to taste like a menthol cigarette because nothing can truly replicate the flavour of burning tobacco. There are menthol e-liquids that attempt to duplicate the experience of smoking a menthol cigarette by combining menthol with food-grade flavours reminiscent of tobacco. However, most menthol vape juices skip the tobacco side of the equation entirely and instead focus on delivering the coolest and most minty flavours possible.
If you’re a smoker and haven’t switched to vaping yet, the idea that menthol e-liquid doesn’t taste like a menthol cigarette might disappoint you at first. However, you probably won’t feel that way after you’ve tried a menthol vape juice for the first time. The reason why the UK and other nations around the world are banning menthol cigarettes is because the menthol makes the harsh smoke easier to tolerate.
If you’ve been smoking for a while, you’ve probably convinced yourself that you enjoy the flavour of tobacco – but it wasn’t that way when you first started smoking. As soon as you taste the coolness of the menthol without the harshness of the smoke, you’ll realise that you never liked the smoke in the first place – you just liked the nicotine, and you can still have that.
What Flavours Blend Well With Menthol?
One of the things you’ll discover when you begin to explore the wide world of menthol e-liquid is that menthol is often at its best when it’s used as a component in a more complex flavour profile rather than simply being used on its own. Menthol blends well with almost anything, and it creates some rather unique flavour experiences. These days, e-liquid makers are creating “On Ice” versions of their most popular products, and that trend has resulted in a wide array of fruit, candy and other sweet flavours using menthol for a bit of added coolness. Menthol works especially well in beverage e-liquids because it helps to simulate the experience of drinking those beverages on ice.
What Are Some of the Other Cooling Agents in Menthol E-Liquid?
If you end up deciding that you’re a fan of menthol e-liquid, you’re probably going to want to learn as much as possible about how it’s made. Menthol, after all, isn’t the only cooling agent that’s used as a flavour enhancer in vape juice. Some of the most popular alternative cooling agents – with names like WS-3 and Koolada – were developed by the company Wilkinson Sword in the 20th century. The cooling agents were originally developed for use in products like shaving creams; a bit of coolness greatly increases comfort when shaving, but menthol vapour irritates the eyes, thus creating a need for alternative cooling agents.
Some of the WS cooling agents have been in use for so many years without any known health issues that they are now considered “Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS)” by world health authorities. As such, you’ll find some of those cooling agents in “menthol” e-liquids.
The WS cooling agents have done a great deal to expand the flavour possibilities with e-liquid because they’re just as potent as menthol in terms of cooling the throat, but they don’t affect the overall flavour of an e-liquid as much as menthol does. When menthol is used as a cooling agent, it gives the e-liquid a distinctly minty flavour. That’s fine if you’re trying to create an e-liquid that tastes like mint, but it’s less desirable in vape juices with sweeter flavour profiles. The WS cooling agents add the desired coolness while allowing the e-liquid’s other flavours to come through clearly. Some e-liquids even combine the WS cooling agents with menthol to provide a level of coldness so outrageous that you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.