BAT has been gradually branding their Lyft nicotine pouches line to Velo, seemingly to have more international uniformity. It seems as though it is in the final stages, so I felt it was time to review the re-named Velo products so as to update my reviews here. Today we're talking about Velo Caribbean Spirit (Strong)! This one originally launched as part of the
first Lyft Lab series in July of 2020. It proved popular, and
Lyft Caribbean Spirit launched in February of 2021. A white tobacco version,
Epok Caribbean Sky, would launch in Norway in October of 2021. The
flavor description for this one says it has a "
taste of piña colada". Each can weighs 14.7 grams and has 21 portions, for 0.7 gram portions. The nicotine content is 10mg/portion, or 14.29mg/g (1.429%).
The road to Velo has been an interesting one, and I wanted to briefly cover it before the review. Back in 2014, Winnington in Sweden launched
Epok, a white tobacco product.
British American Tobacco purchased Winnington in 2017, and would launch
Lyft, a tobacco free nicotine pouch, in 2018. Epok would stay on the market in some smaller markets like
Norway and
Switzerland. In 2019, RJ Reynolds in the US would launch a long/slim nicotine pouch called
Velo that came in a square tin. This name would begin to translate internationally in 2020, with
some European markets rebranding their Lyft products to Velo. In 2021, BAT would acquire a company making
Dryft, and rebranded their US market mini-dry pouches to "
Velo", existing alongside the previously mentioned square-tin Velo products. And now, as we see in 2022, the Lyft brand is being completely phased out and transitioning to Velo.
When you open the can, it's like you're on a beach in the Caribbean. True story, a nice tropical aroma greets you as soon as the top pops. It's mostly a pineapple smell. The portions are slim, moderately moist, and pretty soft to the touch. The flavor is quite nice, and I don't really use nicotine pouches that often. It's a smooth, tropical flavor. It's mostly pineapple, with a subtle sweetness to it. In terms of strength, the nicotine level feels to be about the strong mark. The flavor, on average, lasts about 40-45 minutes. If you've had the Lyft version before, this one is basically the exact same thing. Really the only difference you'll encounter is that this one has a different name.
Rating and Final Thoughts
I rated this one at 3.33/5. That probably sounds low but keep in mind, I'm not the biggest user of nicotine pouches. But, I enjoyed this one. Honestly, when summer rolls around I may end up getting more of it. It's definitely something I'd like to have on the beach with me. If you're a nicotine pouch user, you may enjoy these, and the entire Velo line is worth checking out!
Comments
Post a Comment