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 Licorice (Strong)! I first had this one back in June of 2016, when the white tobacco version launched:
Epok Licorice. That one was pretty popular, and
Epok Licorice Strong would follow in May of 2017. A nicotine pouch version,
Lyft Licorice Strong, would release in February of 2018. A few years after that,
Epok Purple Intense would release in Norway in January of 2020. The
flavor description for this one says "
Taste of licorice with hints of anise and salmiak. Feel the complexity, fullness and creaminess of Liquorice". 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.
Licorice isn't a common flavor when it comes to nicotine pouches, so this one is pretty unique. When you open the can, a smooth, present aroma of black licorice greets you. I also notice a subtle hint of anise, which is a nice addition. The portion is slim, soft to the touch, and with a moderate moisture amount. The flavor on this one is quite nice. It has a present taste of black licorice with a hint of anise to it. It has a little sweetness to it, but not so much that it's overpowering. In terms of strength, this one feels about the strong level. The flavor, on average, lasts about 40-45 minutes. If you've had the previous Lyft versions of this one, you'll find this one to be quite the same. The only difference being that this one has a new name to it.
Rating and Final Thoughts
I rated this one at 3.5/5. Yes, I know that may sound low, but I don't really use a lot of products like these. However, that's a pretty good score for me compared to other nicotine pouch products. If you like licorice though, this one is definitely worth a try. The Velo line as a whole is solid, and has the same product quality as the Lyft series. If you're looking for new products to try, there's lots of flavors in this line that you may enjoy!
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