How Does Nicotine Affect Flavors?

[Calam]

I vape 0mg exclusively. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing a flavor element due to the lack of nicotine.

I often see people describe flavors that I like as having a "peppery" or "smoky" taste. Thing is, I never get that from my liquids (unless there's cinnamon or clove or something spicy in it).

This sometimes includes people describing an ejuice as "tasting" just like a cigarette (I see this mostly amongst people trying e-cigs for the first time or trying cig-a-likes, for some reason). I suspect a lot of these reviewers are commissioned, i.e. V2 reviews, however I know a lot of them aren't, and people really do think things like V2 Red tastes like a cigarette.

Which makes me wonder: how much is "taste", and how much is sensation? I suspect people are describing something as tasting like a cigarette, when really they're feeling the nicotine.

I realize taste is subjective, but I really don't get some of the flavor notes that people are getting from certain juices. Is nicotine a part of that? If you vape your favorite juice at 0 nic, does it taste different to you? Or just feel ​different?

 

[Crunchy2k]

I made some 12mg/ml bare joose and the nicotine flavor was very light most like ground pepper. It was more a feeling than a taste. You are not missing anything as the feeling is masked when any flavors are added. I DIY all my jooses now using TFA flavoring levels of 2% for absinth to 10% for any flavor I haven't tried yet.

Not having any nicotine in your joose, allows you to use a wider selection of flavors and concentrations. Some of these flavors change the pH of the juice. An acidic pH will turn nicotine into its lower bio-active salt form. I tend to pay attention to this and use pH paper on my jooses for .....s and giggles.

 

[JmanEspresso]

I used to vape 18mg liquid 24/7, and I would keep a bottle, perhaps 2, or 24mg if i wanted a kick.

Since transitioning to vaping subohm on rebuildables, I just cant vape that high nic level, nor do i need too. Now I vape somewhere around 6. 6mg is my first choice for buying, but 12mg is also good. Lower than 6mg doesnt do it for me, and higher than 12mg is too much. some juices, even 12 is too much.

The first thing I noticed when I started buying low nic juice, happened when I bought juice I had already had a couple times at 18mg, now at 6mg. the lower nic level definitely TASTED better most of the time. Sometimes there was no real change, but mostly, the lower nic version had a better flavor. Cleaner, crisper, brighter, sweeter.. whatever the juice was already, it was better at low nic. One juice in particular for me, changes wildly between two nic levels. Mothers milk at 6mg, is a wonderful strawberry cream that I can vape all day long. At 12mg, the delicious flavor is in the background, in favor of a harsh spicy note that overwhelms the palate. Now, thats an extreme case, most juices dont change that radically from 6 to 12mg, but.. obviously, some do.

The overall theme, is lower nic, TASTES better.


But, taste is everything. Sure, its a major part.. but so is the nicotine. I can't vape 0mg at all. It doesn't do anything for me, i get no satisfaction from it. I just take longer and bigger drags trying to get some sort of sensation in my throat, but nothing happens ever. Is the flavor awesome at 0mg? Yeah, if the juice is good. But I need that feeling in my lungs, and thats where the nic comes in.


FOR ME, lower nic is a better tasting juice. Low nic is still satisfying because subohm vaping provides so much atomization of the liquid so quickly. Most liquids I tried TASTED better the lower the nic.. BUT, If a juice tasted nasty at one nic level, Ive never had it taste great at a different nic level.



Edited to add:

FURTHERMORE: If you don't currently have a nicotine habit, there is reason to add one to your lifestyle. If you were never a smoker, dont bother with nic'd eliquid. If you are a former smoker who gets enough satisfaction from 0mg liquid to keep not smoking cigarettes, then dont bother with nic'd liquid. There is NO GOOD REASON, to add a nicotine habit to your lifestyle "just because".

 

[Dougiestyle]

I normally vape 20mg (have for over 3 years). This weekend one of our local group members left behind an almost empty bottle of liquid that I enjoyed the scent of. I snarfed his discarded bottle and dripped a couple drops in my RDA. The flavor was as nice as I expected. It was lacking the "peppery" hint of nicotine and all the sensation (lung hit/ throat hit). The vapor just didn't seem as "full". I will buy this liquid soon with the nicotine that I like.

I hope you understand what I'm getting at. If you've been at 0mg and satisfied with the quality of vapor, there's not much to gain by adding nicotine.

I'd be happy to send you a small quantity of 60mg or 100mg PG base if you'd like to experiment without the expense of buying bulk. Just PM me if you'd like.

 

[ycromo]

no sure on the effect on flavor, but i have this rule when buying juice: tobacco flavors 18mg, other flavors 12mg.
i'm in the process of reducing to 12mg tobacco, 6mg others. eventually i expect to go to 6mg tobacco, 0mg others.
i feel there is a contribution to flavor from the nicotine, that makes more sense with tobacco flavors.