ZYN Ultra Flavors Ranked, Plus 9 mg vs 11 mg

ZYN Ultra Flavors Ranked, Plus 9 mg vs 11 mg

ZYN Ultra ships in 8 flavors, each sold at 9 mg and 11 mg nicotine in 20-pouch cans: Arctic Mint, Fresh Spearmint, Wintergreen Blast, Peppermint Frost, Citrus Zest, Menthol Ice, Chill Mist and Signature Smooth. The FDA has authorized all eight at 9 mg but only Signature Smooth at 11 mg (August 21, 2026). The mints lead the ranking; the two unflavored cans close it.

Every ZYN Ultra Can: Flavor by Strength

Source: zyn.com product pages, FDA marketing orders (Aug 21, 2026), Northerner and Nicokick listings, checked Oct 17, 2026.

How We Ranked Them

No aggregated user poll exists for ZYN Ultra yet (the line launched in June 2026), so this order relies on what can be checked: FDA authorization status at the strength you are buying, whether the flavor appears in Northerner's 9 mg starter mixpack, and ZYN's own published flavor description. We compared brand labels, FDA filings and retailer listings. Nothing on this list was bought, lab-tested or use-tested for this ranking.

Disclosure: Roon sells a zero-nicotine caffeine pouch, and this ranking links to it. Every status, price and count below comes from ZYN, FDA and retailer pages, so you can check each one.

ZYN Ultra Flavors Ranked

1. Arctic Mint

ZYN's description: "An icy burst of invigorating mint flavor". FDA order name: Cool Mint. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized (PMI says applications for other 11 mg variants remain under scientific review). Included in Northerner's 9 mg mixpack.

Pick it if you want the closest Ultra analog to standard ZYN Cool Mint. Skip it if you find strong mint too sharp; Fresh Spearmint is softer.

2. Fresh Spearmint

ZYN's description: "A smoother, slightly sweeter mint". FDA order name: Spearmint. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized. In the 9 mg mixpack.

Pick it if you prefer a milder, sweeter mint. Skip it if you want intensity over smoothness.

3. Wintergreen Blast

ZYN's description: "Wintry mint refreshment with a hint of sweetness". FDA order name: Wintergreen. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized. In the mixpack.

Pick it if you already use standard ZYN Wintergreen and want the same flavor in the moister Ultra format. Skip it if wintergreen sweetness is not your thing.

4. Peppermint Frost

ZYN's description: "Classic mint flavor in a crisp, refreshing blend". FDA order name: Peppermint. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized. In the mixpack.

Pick it if you want what ZYN calls a classic, crisp mint, without the sweetness it mentions for Fresh Spearmint and Wintergreen Blast. Skip it if you already have Arctic Mint and find the two too similar.

5. Citrus Zest

ZYN's description: "A slightly tart blend of lemon and lime flavors with a hint of sweetness". FDA order name: Citrus. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized. In the 9 mg mixpack.

Pick it if you want any break from mint. This is the only flavored, non-mint Ultra. Skip it if citrus reminds you of medicine.

6. Menthol Ice

ZYN's description: "A refreshingly cool burst with minty undertones". FDA order name: Menthol. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized. Not in the 9 mg mixpack.

Pick it if you want more cooling than flavor. Skip it if you prefer a distinct mint taste over pure menthol.

7. Signature Smooth

ZYN's description: "An unflavored experience for pure nicotine enjoyment". FDA order name: Smooth. The only ZYN Ultra can that is FDA-authorized at both 9 mg and 11 mg.

Pick it if you specifically want an FDA-authorized 11 mg option, or you prefer no flavor at all. Skip it if you need flavor to enjoy a pouch.

8. Chill Mist

ZYN's description: "A refreshing, unflavored nicotine experience". FDA order name: Chill. Authorized at 9 mg; 11 mg not FDA-authorized.

Pick it if you want an unflavored can that ZYN describes as refreshing. Skip it if you want the plainest option; Signature Smooth is the other unflavored can.

For how all eight Ultra flavors map to standard ZYN equivalents, see the full breakdown in our post on how ZYN Ultra differs from regular ZYN. For the standard line, see every standard ZYN flavor ranked.

ZYN Ultra 9 mg vs 11 mg: What Changes

An 11 mg pouch carries about 22% more nicotine than a 9 mg pouch; both cost the same $4.69 per 20-pouch can at Northerner. Per can, the labeled totals are 180 mg (20 x 9) vs 220 mg (20 x 11).

Those are label numbers, not the amount your body absorbs. A 2020 pharmacokinetic study (Lunell et al., Nicotine & Tobacco Research; one author worked at Swedish Match, ZYN's maker) found that about 56% to 59% of the labeled nicotine was extracted from ZYN 3 mg and 6 mg pouches. No published absorption data exists for ZYN Ultra's 9 mg or 11 mg pouches yet.

The FDA authorization picture also differs by strength. All eight flavors are authorized at 9 mg; only Signature Smooth holds authorization at 11 mg. PMI says it began selling Ultra in June 2026 under recent FDA guidance, before the August orders. Authorization is not a safety finding. In the FDA's words about earlier ZYN orders, authorization "does not mean these tobacco products are safe, nor are they 'FDA approved.'"

For more on how strengths compare across the full ZYN line (1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 11 mg in the US), see the ZYN strengths guide.

Is ZYN Ultra 11 mg FDA Authorized?

Only one flavor is: Signature Smooth 11 mg. The remaining seven 11 mg cans on zyn.com are not FDA-authorized. PMI states that pre-market applications for other ZYN Ultra 11 mg variants "remain under scientific review at FDA". PMI began selling Ultra under recent FDA guidance before all authorizations were in hand.

What Happened to Deep Freeze and Wintergreen Chill?

Both Deep Freeze and Wintergreen Chill are FDA-authorized 9 mg ZYN Ultra products listed in the August 21, 2026 order. Neither appears on zyn.com, Northerner or Nicokick as of October 17, 2026. PMI's release lists their FDA order names but gives them no commercial (shelf) names.

Ultra Cost per Pouch

At a single-can price of $4.69 on Northerner and Nicokick, ZYN Ultra works out to $0.23 per pouch ($4.69 / 20). Northerner's 25-can tier drops to $4.49 per can ($0.22 per pouch). Nicokick's 50-can tier drops further to $2.99 per can ($0.15 per pouch).

State and local taxes are not included. For a state-by-state breakdown, see the ZYN price guide.

Before You Buy a 9 mg or 11 mg Pouch

Nicotine is addictive. ZYN Ultra cans carry the required warning: "This product contains nicotine." ZYN.com restricts access to adults 21 and older.

Do not use nicotine pouches if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a heart condition, without talking to a clinician first. Keep cans away from children: a 2025 study in Pediatrics (Olivas et al.) found that nicotine pouch ingestions among children under 6 rose 763% from 2020 to 2023 and were more likely to cause a serious medical outcome than other nicotine product formulations.

If you do not currently use nicotine, do not start. If you want help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Related from Roon

• ZYN Ultra vs regular ZYN: format, price and FDA status compared
• Every standard ZYN flavor ranked
• ZYN strengths explained
• ZYN 1.5 mg: who it's for and how it compares

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pouches are in a ZYN Ultra can?

Every ZYN Ultra can holds 20 pouches, regardless of flavor or strength. That is five more than a standard ZYN can, which holds 15. At the $4.69 single-can price, that works out to about $0.23 per Ultra pouch.

Is ZYN Ultra moist?

Yes. PMI calls ZYN Ultra "a moist oral nicotine pouch" with "higher moisture content" than standard ZYN, and says it is free of tobacco leaf. Northerner describes the format as "slightly moist, all-white pouches" (Northerner ZYN Ultra listing, checked Oct 17, 2026), with a 0.8 g pouch.

How long do you keep a ZYN Ultra pouch in?

ZYN's product pages say to leave the pouch in place for "up to one hour". That is the brand's stated upper limit, not a target.

Is there a ZYN Ultra Coffee or Cinnamon flavor?

No. None of the 16 ZYN Ultra SKUs on zyn.com carry Coffee, Cinnamon or any other standard-line flavor outside the eight listed above. Those flavors remain exclusive to standard ZYN (3 mg and 6 mg). Whether PMI will bring more flavors to Ultra has not been announced.

A Pouch Ritual Without the Nicotine Number

This entire page is about choosing a nicotine strength and a flavor. If you have been reading it and realized you are more interested in stepping off the nicotine ladder entirely, that is worth exploring.

Roon is a Cool Mint caffeine pouch, not a nicotine product and not a substitute for one. Each pouch pairs 80 mg caffeine with 60 mg L-theanine, 25 mg methylliberine (Dynamine) and 5 mg theacrine (TeaCrine). The methylliberine slows how fast your body clears caffeine: a randomized, double-blind crossover study (n = 12) found co-administration cut caffeine's oral clearance from 41.9 to 17.1 L/hr and stretched its half-life from 7.2 to 15 hours, with no higher peak (study). That study used 100 mg methylliberine and 150 mg caffeine, roughly 4x and 1.9x Roon's per-pouch doses, so the direction of the mechanism applies, not the exact magnitude. A longer half-life is not the same as hours of felt energy: expect roughly 6 to 8 hours from a pouch, and keep your last one at least 8 hours before bed.

If you're ready to quit nicotine pouches without losing the habit that works for you, try Roon. Prices start from $9.16 per tin on a 12-tin subscription (15 pouches, zero nicotine, zero sugar; contains sucralose).

Sources

• FDA: "FDA Authorizes 11 New Nicotine Pouches" (Aug 21, 2026)
• FDA: "FDA Authorizes Marketing of 20 ZYN Nicotine Pouch Products" (Jan 16, 2025)
• PMI release on ZYN Ultra authorization (Aug 2026)
• PMI release: ZYN portfolio expansion (Sept 9, 2026)
• Lunell et al., "Pharmacokinetic Comparison of a Novel Non-tobacco-Based Nicotine Pouch (ZYN)," Nicotine & Tobacco Research (2020)
• Olivas et al., nicotine pouch ingestions in young children, Pediatrics (2025)
• ZYN Ultra product pages (zyn.com)
• Northerner: ZYN Ultra listings
• Nicokick: ZYN Ultra listings
• Caffeine and methylliberine PK study, Journal of Exercise and Nutrition

Written by Roon Team