XQS Pipe Candy is a 2024 release from XQS International in Halmstad, Sweden, created to mimic the scent of classic pipe tobacco blended with soft caramel. Each slim portion contains 8 mg of nicotine, placing it in the medium-strong segment where flavour leads and the buzz follows gently. The can holds 20 portions, weighs 13 g net and is decorated with vintage candy stripes that stand out on shelf displays.
The flavour arc opens with a sweet liquorice top note, developed from natural extract sourced in Calabria. Within two minutes a warm caramel layer moves forward, rounding the liquorice and removing any bitter edge. After fifteen minutes the sweetness fades and a faint smoky undertone appears, reminiscent of toasted Virginia pipe tobacco. Users report that the taste stays consistent for twenty-five minutes, then tapers off before any artificial aftertaste emerges.
Portion fabric is spun from triple-layer micro-fleece, 0.17 mm thick and snow-white. The outer shell is perforated with 1 000 micro-holes per cm², allowing rapid nicotine release while preventing small particles from escaping. Inner layers trap moisture, so drip volume stays below 0.02 ml per portion. Low drip means the throat hit remains smooth even at 8 mg strength, a balance that newcomers to the strong category find welcoming.
Manufacturing runs on a six-week rotation
XQS produces XQS Pipe Candy in small batches of 35 000 cans to maintain freshness. Every batch passes a 48-hour climate test at 30 °C and 70 % humidity; if nicotine degradation exceeds 1 % or liquorice aroma drops below 90 %, the batch is discarded. This strict protocol shortens shelf life to twelve months unopened, yet guarantees that the first pouch from the last can tastes identical to day one.
Lab sheets posted by Eurofins show heavy-metal values below 0.03 ppm and zero tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Liquorice extract is verified at 0.7 %, within a 5 % tolerance that satisfies Swedish food safety law. Microbial screening registers under 100 cfu/g, confirming that the plant fibers are cleaner than many rival brands.
Retail price sits at €4.60 per can inside the EU and 46 SEK in Sweden. Online bulk boxes of ten cans drop the unit cost to €3.80, a discount that fuels cross-border shipments to countries where flavoured pouches face restrictions. Customs officers usually wave the pouches through because the contents are tobacco-free, yet Norway and Finland still levy nicotine tax at 2.20 € per gram, raising the retail price to €6.80 per can.
User feedback clusters around two poles
Former smokers praise the pipe-tobacco nuance, claiming it removes the urge for a post-meal cigarette and saves 200 DKK per week. Office workers in Copenhagen report keeping a can at their desk to pair with black coffee, rotating between XQS Pipe Candy and XQS Twin Apple after lunch to reset the palate. On the downside, the sweet profile feels heavy during workouts; runners prefer menthol variants when heart rate climbs above 150 bpm.
Environmental notes are printed inside the lid. The can is made from 75 % recycled HDPE and can be deposited in Nordic plastic-return machines for a €0.10 refund. Portion fabric biodegrades 60 % within 120 days under industrial compost, slightly slower than pure cellulose because of the bonding agent, still outperforming traditional tea-bag material.
Seasonal data show sales spikes between 14:00 and 16:00, aligning with the Swedish fika break. Stockholm convenience stores reorder XQS Pipe Candy every six days, while Malmö suburbs restock weekly. Online baskets often pair it with XQS Blue Mint, creating a two-flavour rotation that covers sweet and fresh profiles throughout the day.
Whether you need a dessert-style start to the afternoon or a calorie-free companion to your coffee, XQS Pipe Candy delivers 8 mg of nicotine wrapped in liquorice caramel aroma that lasts for twenty-five minutes of balanced pleasure.