Supplied by IVG for review
https://ivapegreat.com/collections/ivg-bar-favorites
£3.99 each or 3 for £10 (Free Delivery)
IVG are one of the big hitters in the e-liquid market with an already huge range of shortfills and nic salts, so it was no surprise to see them bringing out a range of on-trend ‘disposables’ style juices. What was a surprise was just how many new flavours they have launched. Twenty one! This is a bit daunting as a reviewer I have never had so many to review at once, but on the bright side, I really liked IVG’s existing nic salt range so I was looking forward to getting stuck into this lot.
Anyone that has tried disposables will know that the biggest appeal they have are the actual flavours. As much as I hated the principle of throwaway vapes, I just loved the flavours so much, they were nothing like any other nic salts I had experienced, but I just couldn’t resolve the planet harming e-waste they produced so I refused to buy disposables.
Thankfully e-liquid manufacturers switched on to the need for separate 10ml bottles for the vast majority of us ‘proper’ vapers to use in our own REUSABLE hardware such as tanks/pods etc. I have already reviewed a few, such as ELFLIQ and VAPE69, but I am especially happy to see IVG come up with their own range as they are one of the few e-liquid manufacturers I genuinely trust.
So onto the actual e-liquid. They come in two strengths; 10mg and 20mg, with a 50PG/50VG mix in a 10ml bottle supplied in a little box which has similar colourful artwork to the rest of the IVG range.
The 21 flavours should have something for everyone. While I recognise most as regular disposable flavours, I noticed a few unique blends which explains why there are so many to choose from:
- Blackcurrant mango
- Blue razz lemonade
- Blue slush
- Blueberry cherry cranberry
- Blueberry pomegranate
- Blueberry sour raspberry
- Fizzy cherry
- Fresh Mint
- Lemon Peach Passion fruit
- Mixed berries
- Pink fizz
- Red apple ice
- Red Rush Ice
- Sour raspberry pomegranate
- Bar Favourites Strawberry raspberry
- Strawberry watermelon bubblegum
- Tropical island
- Watermelon
- Watermelon cherry
- Watermelon cotton candy
- White Peach
Bar Humbug
Disposables are often called ‘Bars’ as ‘Planet-killer-eco-junk’ doesn’t sound as attractive, and they are generally filled with heavily sweetened e-liquid which requires hardware which could handle them. Usually over-sweetened e-liquids kill coils quickly in more traditional or older stock coil tanks or pods, but recently hardware manufacturers have cottoned on to the need for coils and pods to handle these latest juices. My advice would be to choose a pod with around 0.8ohm released from 2022 beyond, pods and coils around 1.2ohms struggle due to the smaller wicking ports and narrower coils which gunk up too quick. A few I would trust to handle sweet liquids are:
Eleaf IORE lite 2
TECC Arc Impact
Joyetech Evio Pod kit
VooPoo Doric Q
Freemax Galex Pod Kit
Uwell Caliburn A3
Uwell Crown D
VooPoo Argus Z
Uwell Sculptor
Freemax Galex Nano
Vaporesso XROS 3/3 mini
VooPoo Argus P1
The list could go on and on but if you stick to the ‘0.8ohm’ as a guide, you should be safe. There’s one in particular that stands out as a cheap and bar-like vape that works a charm, and that’s the new VooPoo Doric Q which looks and acts like a disposable but is refillable and rechargeable.
I prefer something a bit nicer to look at so my tool of choice for these e-liquids is any of the VooPoo ARGUS range with a 0.8ohm pod.
WMC - Weapon of Mass Consumption
I had a dilemma due to the sheer amount of flavours to test, I simply didn’t have enough new pods or coils for each one. Also it would have taken me weeks to test the lot fully, so I mixed them up and I resorted to using a Vandy Vape Simple X dripper and the Vapefly Galaxy MTL RTA for speed.
But you don’t quite get that disposable-like vape from them so I recommend you stick with a mesh pod for regular use.
Right then, let’s wolf down these buggers………..
I’ve split them into four lots chosen at random:
Pink Fizz
"Sweet pink grapefruit and lemonade with a cool touch."
What a great start! I wouldn’t have chosen this one by the flavour description but I would have been missing out. The sweet and cool mix of these two fruits reminds me of a very refreshing fizzy pop, and the aftertaste is quite addictive. Although I’m not a grapefruit lover, I am a fan of this one, it is not too sweet and is a great ADV (All Day Vape)
Watermelon
"Packed full of watermelon giving you the taste of summer."
I bloody love watermelon as a real fruit, but as an e-liquid it is usually naff and too sweet, but IVG have got it spot on. The taste of watermelon is unmistakable and accurate, it is sweet but not too sickly thankfully. This one is more of a treat rather than an ADV as it could become boring.
Blackcurrant Mango
"Sweet blackcurrants and exotic mango that will excite your tastebuds."
Blackcurrant and what?! Who would think to put mango with blackcurrant? IVG that’s who….
It actually works as it creates an interesting tang, the blend feels well balanced as you can pick out each fruit. There’s a hint of ice which makes it smoother. The aftertaste lingers well and makes it moreish, a very interesting and different recipe that is lush, but it is another one I would use as a treat rather than an ADV - top marks for coming up with something different.
White Peach Raspberry
"Filled with aromatic white peach combined with sweet raspberries, presenting you with a mouth full of flavour."
White Peach? That’s a new one on me. The aroma grabbed me as I opened the bottle and it smelt lush, better still, it vaped great (IVG). Peach alone in e-liquid is generally overpowering, but this one is toned down and the raspberry note messes with your mind a bit as the two fruits battle for dominate. I’m going to get corny by saying this one ‘dances on your tongue’ in the aftertaste, one of my favourites so far.
Blue Razz Lemonade
"Excite your taste-buds with tangy blue raspberries mixed with refreshing lemonade."
Blue razz is one of the most popular with disposable users and for good reason, it just works as a vape flavour as it is fruity and refreshing. IVG have got it just right and it is the strongest candidate for an ADV so far. As I approach the end of the first batch, the quality of these IVG Bar Favourites is shining through already.
I had five new pods for the VooPoo ARGUS P1 so I tested this batch in the way they were intended with a 0.8ohm mesh pod.
Mixed Berries
"Ripe mixed berries leaving you wanting more."
Another ‘Bar Favourite’ which is pretty much Vimto flavour. It tastes quite intense and I sensed a hint of menthol in there to tone it down and it left a lasting aftertaste. I liked it but it’s not on par with the rest so far, perhaps I was expecting too much?
Red Rush Ice
"Enjoy the fresh taste of your favourite energy drink, combined with a menthol exhale."
No bull I feckin love this one! It’s Red Bull in disguise, but IVG’s mix is more intense than others I’ve tried. It tastes much nicer than the actual drink throughout and the aftertaste does leave you wanting more. I did detect a subtle hint of menthol but it was too mild to class as a menthol flavour (thankfully). An ADV for me.
Red Apple Ice
"Sweet and crisp taste of red apple with a cool finish."
Apple-ogies IVG, but I found this one to be quite harsh on my throat. The apple tasted nice, but the menthol was too strong for my tastes. If you like menthol then I think you will like it, I would have called it Menthol Apple.
Watermelon Cherry
"Cherries and watermelon so luscious the flavour will burst in your mouth."
IVG have fine-tuned this one perfectly, the cherry kick to the watermelon almost creates its own fruit somehow. They blend into one lush flavour and neither is overpowering. As IVG claim; it is indeed luscious and it won’t leave you melon-choly.
Blueberry Sour Raspberry
"Refreshingly sweet blueberry and raspberry, with a little sour kick."
I wasn’t expecting too much from this meh mix, anything with ‘sour’ in it is a turn-off for me, but it was a hidden treasure as this one is delicious! I think it is down to the recipe balance as nothing is too dominant. The blueberry is clear on the inhale, and the rest settles on your tongue in the aftertaste, it reminded me of a fruitella chew. It’s close to an ADV, but is most definitely a treat.
Squonky Donkey – time get my beloved Simple EX (not my dim-witted ex-girlfriend). I was surprised how well it worked compared to mesh pods, and I was able to get an accurate flavour from this next batch.
Tropical Island
"Packed full of sweet pineapple, melon and kiwi leaving your mouth watering."
This one is a common flavour in general. IVG do it well as they have the balance just right with pineapple being the dominant flavour, but you can detect the others in the aftertaste along with a subtle ice kick. It is very flavourful which makes a good treat and an ADV for fruit lovers.
Strawberry Raspberry
"The ultimate summer flavour, ripe strawberries paired with fresh raspberries."
I’m not quite sure about this one, I could never decide whether it was strawberry with raspberry or the other way round. After a while I decided it is more like raspberry strawberry, and that’s not a bad thing as the two fruits blend well together, but I did find it a bit sickly as an ADV.
Blue Slush
"That nostalgic blue slush flavour with a cooling exhale."
YUM! IVG have done a wonderful job with this mix, it was one I did like in a disposable but it was often too overpowering. IVG have toned it down a touch with the perfect menthol balance to make it more of an ADV with that classic cool tongue effect.
Strawberry Watermelon Bubblegum
"A mixture of refreshing strawberry and watermelon flavours with a sweet bubblegum that goes down an absolute treat."
I’ve never heard of a bubblegum with these fruits, but now I want some! This one is absolutely lush, there’s definitely a bubblegum note but the strawberry and watermelon compliment it so well. It’s like nothing I have tasted before, better still, it is a great choice as an ADV.
Lemon Peach Passion Fruit
"Exotic passionfruit and Sweet peach with an added lemon tartness."
This one is the most interesting and complex flavour so far and it is an instant favourite. It’s difficult to pick out the individual flavours as the peach and passionfruit blend together which tastes good, but the lemon zest is the genius ingredient as it brings it all together into quite a unique flavour. There’s a few more to go yet, but this one is standing out as the pick of the bunch so far, an ADV and a treat.
RTA time using the superb Kizoku Techmod and Limitless MTL RTA. For the first time ever, I am getting disposable flavours I enjoy but in my favourite way of vaping (DIY coils with miniscule waste).
Fizzy Cherry
"Luscious cherries with an added fizzy kick."
I LOVE cherries but I’ve struggled to find a decent cherry nic salt that doesn’t make me cough. I have now found one thanks to IVG. You get that distinct sweet cherry taste throughout but it feels smooth and the aftertaste is even nicer, a possible ADV but most definitely a treat.
Fresh Mint
"Packed full of flavour Enjoy the classic taste of mint with an icy touch!"
I’m not really a mint fan with e-liquids. Trying to put my bias aside, I found this one quite chewing gum-like, a very fresh inhale and exhale. I’m confident mint or menthol fans will enjoy this one as the quality of the blend is on par with the rest of the range.
Blueberry Cherry Cranberry
"Aromatic blueberries and ripe cherries blended with bitter cranberries."
This recipe is the most interesting so far, I couldn’t quite get my head around what I was tasting but it tasted good for sure. If someone handed me an unlabelled bottle of this and asked me to guess what flavours were in it, then I wouldn’t have an igloo, but that aside, I did enjoy it as a whole new flavour to me but not quite an ADV.
Watermelon Cotton Candy
"The taste of fluffy cotton candy, with hints of cream and watermelon, for a novel twist on a classic taste."
I had to revisit this one a few times as I just didn’t get it, the watermelon always came through but not the cream or cotton candy. I had to admit defeat so I can only call this one Sweet Watermelon Ice. It was nice enough but was not up there with the rest.
Sour Raspberry Pomegranate
"Freshly sweet raspberries and tangy pomegranate, with a little sour kick."
This one was much clearer to define the flavours, in fact the description is spot on and it works as a vape flavour. It’s quite a strong flavour though and that gives it a bit of a throat kick and a sour aftertaste. I mostly enjoyed this one for its unique flavour for a change rather than an ADV.
Blueberry Pomegranate
"The sweet aromatic taste of blueberries with a slight tang of pomegranate."
IVG nailed it again, these two fruits go together perfectly. The sweet blueberry is the dominant flavour and carries the pomegranate throughout, and the aftertaste is where you pick out the two flavours separately. The result is lush and makes a great ADV and treat, one of the best.
Overall the IVG Bar Favourites Salts range is an outstanding success, there were only a couple I wouldn’t buy again personally but they are down to subjective tastes. The vast range of 21 flavours should have something for everyone but the other added benefit is you can pick-n-mix for variety while trusting the brand.
Most importantly, this range of e-liquids is the perfect reason to drop those e-wasteful disposables, there’s no reasonable argument why disposables are better than reusable vapes anymore, in fact, with the right pod or tank you will get a much better, cheaper, reliable and planet friendly vape. For example, you can get a Doric Q for £6.99 and a single bottle of IVG for £3.99 (though 3 for £10 is wiser) so for 11 quid, you get the equivalent of five disposables. After that, it gets cheaper as you only need refillable pods at £5.99 for two, and a pod can last up to 20ml so it works out at under £1 per 2ml to run.
It also opens up the way to progress into even cheaper ways to vape with even less waste by going down the DIY route where you make your own wire coils and use ridiculously cheap cotton wick (a build cost me less than 10 pence).
Thanks to IVG for providing the full range of 21 flavours to test, it has been a genuine treat.
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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