Vanilla Cuban Mod Mate by Nasty 50ML

Overview

The Vanilla Cuban Mod Mate by Nasty 50ML by Mod in Vanilla Cuban at 0mg. Free UK delivery over £20, same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 4pm.

Overview: what Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban is

Mod Mate by Nasty 50ML Vanilla Cuban is a 50ml shortfill e-liquid from the Nasty Juice stable, built around a vanilla-sweetened, cigar-style tobacco flavour. It belongs to the Mod Mate range, which Nasty designed for refillable sub-ohm and higher-power kits, the sort of devices that suit a thicker, high-VG liquid. This is a bottle of e-liquid, not a disposable and not a pre-filled pod, so you need your own refillable tank or pod-mod to use it.

The product arrives as 50ml of nicotine-free liquid in a 60ml bottle. That headroom is deliberate. UK rules cap nicotine-containing e-liquid bottles at 10ml, so a larger bottle can only be sold at 0mg, and the spare 10ml of space lets you add one standard 10ml nicotine shot if you want to vape with nicotine. Shortfills emerged in response to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, and the format is now the usual route for people who vape at higher wattages.

Because this is not a single-use product, it also sits outside the UK ban on disposable vapes that came into force in June 2025. You are buying liquid that you pour into equipment you can recharge, re-coil and keep for years, which is a different proposition from a throwaway device that ends up in a recycling bin after a few days.

Key facts at a glance:

• Capacity: 50ml of liquid in a 60ml bottle
• Nicotine as sold: 0mg/ml, so nicotine-free until you add a shot
• Base: high-VG blend, typically 70VG/30PG on the Mod Mate range, so check the label on the bottle in your hand
• Flavour: vanilla with cigar-style tobacco
• Suited to: sub-ohm tanks and direct-to-lung pod-mods running roughly 0.15 to 0.4 ohm mesh coils
• Age: sold to adults aged 18 and over only

The sections below cover how the liquid performs, how it tastes, how to add nicotine, which hardware suits it and how it compares with other options, so you can decide whether it fits before you order.

Performance and vapour delivery

Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban is formulated for direct-lung (DL) vaping, where you draw a long, steady breath straight into the lungs instead of holding the vapour in your mouth first. A high-VG base produces dense vapour and a softer throat hit at 0mg to 3mg, which is the combination most sub-ohm users look for. VG is thicker than PG and carries less of the sharp catch in the throat, and it produces more visible vapour on each draw.

Because this is an e-liquid, there is no fixed puff count printed on the pack the way there is on a disposable. What you get depends on your device, your power setting and how long you draw. As a working estimate, a 50ml bottle gives you roughly this many four-second draws:

• Low power, around 25 to 35W on a 0.4 ohm coil: about 1,200 to 1,600 draws
• Mid power, around 45 to 60W on a 0.2 to 0.3 ohm coil: about 600 to 900 draws
• High power, around 70 to 80W on a 0.15 ohm coil: about 450 to 600 draws

These figures come from typical energy use per draw and typical coil efficiency, so treat them as a planning guide rather than a promise. A long draw, a very low-resistance coil or a heavy chain-vaping pattern will push consumption up, while short draws at lower wattage will stretch the bottle.

In daily terms, a moderate sub-ohm user tends to get through 3 to 5ml a day, which puts a 50ml bottle at somewhere between ten days and a fortnight. A heavy user at 8 to 10ml a day will empty it in five or six days. For comparison, a pre-filled UK pod or disposable could never hold more than 2ml, so one bottle of Mod Mate holds the equivalent of about 25 of those fills.

Throat hit and vapour feel. At 0mg the draw is smooth and almost silky, with very little throat sensation. At 3mg there is a gentle, rounded hit that most people find comfortable at 40 to 60W. Push the wattage well above the coil's recommended range and the hit sharpens, the vapour turns hot, and the flavour thins out as the liquid starts to burn instead of vaporise.

Wicking. Thick liquid needs a wick that can feed fast enough. On a well-matched mesh coil, the flavour stays consistent right down to the last few millilitres in the tank. On a coil that is too tight for a 70VG liquid, or one run too hard, you may notice the cotton drying out and the last few draws turning harsh. The practical rule is simple: match the coil and the wattage to the liquid, and let the liquid do the rest.

Flavour profile

Vanilla Cuban is a two-layer flavour, a tobacco base with a vanilla top. Taste is personal, and flavouring is not the same as burning leaf, so read this description as a guide to what the liquid is aiming for rather than a guarantee of how it will land on your palate. The word Cuban points to a cigar-style tobacco character, not to the actual use of Cuban leaf.

On the inhale expect a dry, slightly nutty tobacco note with the warm, woody depth that the name suggests: think cured leaf and a hint of cigar box rather than the sharp edge of a cigarette. The vanilla arrives alongside the tobacco rather than on top of it, rounding off the rougher edges.

On the exhale the vanilla moves forward. It is smooth and creamy, closer to vanilla bean or a light custard than to a sugary dessert. The sweetness sits in the middle of the range, between a plain tobacco liquid and a full custard-and-cake style juice, which is why it appeals to vapers who want tobacco character without the dryness.

The finish is a lingering soft vanilla with a faint dried-leaf aftertaste. It is not a heavy or syrupy aftertaste, though sweet profiles can feel more noticeable over a long session.

Power and nicotine both shift the balance:

• Lower wattage within the coil's range: cooler vapour, more tobacco and cigar character, a drier finish
• Higher wattage within the range: warmer vapour, more pronounced vanilla and a sweeter, creamier exhale
• 0mg: the smoothest version, where the vanilla is most obvious
• 3mg and above: a firmer tobacco edge that some ex-smokers prefer because the throat sensation echoes smoking

Flavour fatigue and coil life. Vapers who stick with a single sweet flavour all day sometimes find it dulls over a week or two. A common fix is to keep a second, different bottle in rotation, for example a cooler menthol or a plain tobacco. Sweetened liquids also leave residue on the coil faster than unsweetened ones, so plan to change coils every one to two weeks, or sooner if the vanilla starts tasting flat or slightly burnt. A fresh coil brings back the tobacco detail as well as the sweetness.

Bottle design and build quality

Mod Mate shortfills are supplied in a 60ml plastic bottle with a narrow nozzle designed to fit the small fill ports on sub-ohm tanks and pod-mods. The squeezable plastic lets you control the flow, and the nozzle is usually tight enough to avoid spills when you pour into a 2ml tank. Wipe the nozzle after each use so that the cap seals cleanly and the liquid does not creep out around the threads.

The label carries the information that UK law expects on a vape liquid: flavour name, ingredients, volume, batch details, a best-before date and the usual warnings. Even at 0mg, look at the label before you open it, since the Mod Mate range comes in several variants and strengths of base liquid over time. If the pack says something different from the description here, go by the pack.

The 60ml size matters for another reason. The unused 10ml of space is there for a nicotine shot, and the bottle is built to take that shot without overflowing, provided you add exactly one 10ml shot. Adding more than that, or topping up with another liquid, will overfill the bottle and make it hard to shake properly.

Looking after the liquid:

• Store upright, in a cool, dark place away from radiators and direct sunlight, which degrade flavour and darken the liquid
• Keep the cap on tightly between fills to limit oxidation
• Do not leave the bottle in a hot car or a coat pocket for long periods
• Once a nicotine shot has been added, keep the bottle out of the reach of children and pets, and label it clearly
• Use within the best-before date, and discard any liquid that has gone cloudy or smells off

Recycling. Rinse empty bottles and check what your local council accepts for plastic bottles, since collection rules differ across the UK. Empty nicotine shot bottles can retain residue, so handle them with care and follow your council's guidance for nicotine containers. The cardboard outer, if there is one, goes in standard paper and card recycling.

Build quality is straightforward: a plain, functional bottle designed to be used and thrown away. There is no premium packaging, which keeps the cost per millilitre down.

Battery and charging for your device

The liquid has no battery of its own, so charging and runtime come down to the device you pair it with. Because Mod Mate is made for higher-power vaping, battery choice matters more than it does for a low-wattage pod.

Common power sources for sub-ohm vaping include:

• Integrated pod-mod batteries of about 1,500 to 3,000mAh, charged over USB-C
• Removable 18650 cells, typically 2,500 to 3,500mAh at 3.7V nominal, in single- or dual-cell mods
• 21700 cells of about 4,000 to 5,000mAh in larger mods for people who vape throughout the day

As a rough guide to runtime, a 3,000mAh cell stores about 11 watt-hours. At 60W, after losses to heat and conversion, that works out to roughly 100 to 150 four-second draws per charge. A 1,500mAh integrated battery gives about half of that at the same wattage, which can mean a midday top-up for heavier users. Dropping to 30 to 40W on a 0.4 ohm coil roughly doubles the draws per charge and also stretches the liquid, so lower power helps on both fronts.

Charging sensibly keeps the cells healthy and reduces risk:

• Use the cable supplied with the device, or a reputable USB-C cable and a standard 5V charger
• Charge on a hard, flat, non-flammable surface, never on a bed, sofa or under a pillow
• Do not leave a device charging unattended overnight
• With removable cells, use a dedicated external charger and check the wrap for tears before each charge
• Carry spare cells in a plastic case, never loose in a pocket with keys or coins
• Retire cells that are swollen, hot in normal use or visibly damaged

UK nicotine cap. The legal cap on nicotine strength in the UK is 20mg/ml and applies to all nicotine e-liquids and to the pre-filled pods and disposables that used to dominate the market. This bottle is sold at 0mg, and any nicotine shot you add must also respect that 20mg/ml ceiling.

Recycling devices and cells. Lithium cells must never go in household bins or kerbside recycling, because crushed cells start fires in bin lorries and sorting plants. Many vape shops and electrical retailers run in-store take-back for old devices and batteries, and council household waste recycling centres accept them too. The Recycle Your Electricals postcode search is a quick way to find the nearest vape-recycling drop-off point.

Coil and mesh technology to pair with it

The coil is where this liquid either works well or does not. A high-VG liquid like Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban needs a coil with enough wicking surface and a wide enough cotton channel to keep up. Mesh coils meet that need better than most round-wire designs.

Why mesh suits a thick liquid. A mesh coil is a flat sheet of fine metal screen with cotton behind it. The screen has a large surface area, so it heats up quickly and evenly, and the cotton can pull in more liquid per second than a thin round wire can. The result is more consistent flavour from the first draw to the last and less risk of dry spots. Mesh coils also tend to give a slightly warmer, more detailed flavour, which suits the layered tobacco and vanilla in this liquid.

Recommended coil ranges for this liquid:

• 0.15 to 0.25 ohm mesh: large clouds and warm vapour at about 60 to 80W, with the highest liquid consumption
• 0.25 to 0.4 ohm mesh: balanced flavour and vapour at about 40 to 60W, a sensible starting point for most people
• 0.4 to 0.6 ohm mesh or restricted direct-lung coils: lower power at about 25 to 40W, longer battery life and a tighter draw

Always work within the wattage range printed on the coil. Running below that range can leave a flat, cool, muted flavour, while running above it burns the cotton and ruins the vanilla.

Mouth-to-lung (MTL) pods. Most small MTL pod kits are tuned for thinner 50/50 liquids and nicotine salts, with 0.8 to 1.2 ohm coils and tiny wicking holes. A 70VG liquid can struggle there, giving weak flavour, gurgling and dry hits. If your device is a tight MTL pod, a lower-VG liquid will serve you better.

Priming and bedding in. A new coil needs time to soak. Drip a few drops straight onto the cotton, fill the tank, wait five to ten minutes, and take a few draws with the power off before firing. Then start at the low end of the wattage range and work up. Skipping the soak is the most common cause of burnt coils.

Tank capacity. Tanks sold in the UK hold a maximum of 2ml by law, so at higher wattages you will be topping up several times a day. This is normal for sub-ohm vaping and one reason the 60ml bottle with a narrow nozzle is practical to carry.

Coil life. Expect one to two weeks from a coil with a sweet liquid, a little more at low power. Change it when the flavour fades or the draw turns harsh, not after a fixed number of days.

Nicotine strength guidance

Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban is sold at 0mg/ml. Whether you stay at 0mg or add nicotine depends on how you vape, and how much nicotine you are used to. Nicotine is addictive, and anyone who does not already use nicotine products should stay with 0mg or not vape at all.

The 60ml bottle takes one 10ml shot. Mixing one shot into the 50ml of liquid gives:

• 0mg: no shot, a nicotine-free vape
• About 3mg/ml: one 18mg/ml 10ml shot gives 3.0mg/ml in the full 60ml. A 20mg/ml shot gives about 3.3mg/ml
• About 5mg/ml: two 18mg/ml shots need a larger bottle, since 50ml plus 20ml makes 70ml, and give roughly 5.1mg/ml
• About 1.6mg/ml: half a shot, 5ml of 18mg/ml, into 50ml gives roughly 1.6mg/ml, though it needs careful measuring with a clean syringe

Who might choose what. Ex-smokers moving from around ten or fewer cigarettes a day often settle at 3mg in a sub-ohm kit. Heavier smokers sometimes need 5 to 6mg, although high nicotine at high wattage makes for a harsh, hot throat hit that many find uncomfortable. If you are in that group, a nicotine salt in a lower-power device may suit you better. People who have been vaping for a while and want to cut down often step down from 3mg to 1.5mg and then to 0mg.

Wattage affects how much nicotine you take in. Higher wattage produces more vapour per draw, so the same strength delivers more nicotine at 70W than at 30W. If 3mg feels too strong at high power, drop the wattage or the strength before changing anything else.

UK rules. Nicotine e-liquids in the UK are capped at 20mg/ml, and the same cap covers the nicotine shots you add to a shortfill. Nicotine bottles cannot exceed 10ml, which is why shortfills come at 0mg in a larger bottle with room for a shot. Disposables and pre-filled pods are limited by the same 20mg/ml ceiling, and single-use disposables themselves can no longer be sold.

Safety. Keep nicotine shots away from children and pets, wash your hands if liquid gets on your skin, and store the mixed bottle clearly labelled. The NHS describes vaping as much less harmful than smoking, but not risk-free, and it is not recommended for anyone who has never smoked.

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban is aimed at a fairly specific vaper. It is a good match if several of the following describe you:

• You use a sub-ohm tank or a direct-to-lung pod-mod with a 0.15 to 0.4 ohm mesh coil
• You like a tobacco flavour with a rounded, creamy edge and are not looking for a plain, dry tobacco
• You prefer low nicotine, between 0mg and about 3mg, and want thick, smooth vapour
• You want a bottle that lasts you more than a week and costs less per millilitre than pods or small nicotine salt bottles
• You are comfortable mixing a nicotine shot and keeping a small stock of coils

It is also a sensible choice for ex-smokers who found that plain tobacco liquids were too harsh or too thin and want something with more body. The vanilla smooths the tobacco character, which can make the switch from smoking easier to stay with.

Who should look elsewhere. This is not the right bottle for everyone:

• Anyone under 18. Vapes cannot legally be sold to under-18s, and carriers may refuse to hand over parcels without proof of age
• Non-smokers. If you do not already use nicotine, there is no health case for starting
• Tight mouth-to-lung pod users. A 70VG liquid is likely to wick poorly in small, high-resistance pods
• Heavy smokers needing high nicotine. A shortfill with a single shot caps out at about 3mg, and the practical route to higher strength is a nicotine salt
• Anyone who dislikes sweetness. The vanilla is present throughout, and if you want a dry, bitter tobacco taste, a plain tobacco liquid will be closer to that
• People who want a grab-and-go device. A refillable setup needs charging, coil changes and refills, and a disposable-style experience is simply not on offer

If you are brand new to vaping, you can still use this liquid, but it is worth pairing it with a beginner-friendly sub-ohm kit and asking a local vape shop or an NHS stop smoking service for advice on strength. If you are using vaping to quit smoking, support from a stop smoking service roughly doubles the chance of success compared with going it alone, according to NHS guidance.

How to mix and use it

Using a shortfill takes a few more steps than opening a disposable, but the routine becomes automatic within a day or two. Here is the process from sealed bottle to first draw.

• Step 1, wash and clear a space. Work on a clean, flat surface with kitchen roll nearby. If you are adding nicotine, keep it away from children and pets.
• Step 2, decide on strength. For 0mg, skip the next two steps. For about 3mg, you need one 10ml nicotine shot of 18mg/ml or 20mg/ml.
• Step 3, add the shot. Open the 60ml bottle by removing the cap and pulling out the nozzle. Pour in the full 10ml shot, then refit the nozzle and cap firmly.
• Step 4, shake. Shake the bottle for 30 to 60 seconds to blend the nicotine into the base. Check the colour is even.
• Step 5, let it settle. Leave the bottle for a few hours or overnight with the cap on and the nozzle in. Many vapers find the flavour rounds off after 24 to 48 hours, although you can vape it straight away.
• Step 6, fill the tank. Remove the tank top or open the fill port, angle the nozzle against the side and fill to just below the maximum line to avoid flooding the airflow tube. Close the port and wait five to ten minutes for the cotton to soak.
• Step 7, set power and vape. Start at the low end of the coil's wattage range, take a few gentle draws, then increase until the flavour and warmth feel right.

Everyday handling. Top up before the tank runs below a quarter full, since a dry coil burns quickly. Shake the bottle gently before topping up, especially if you added nicotine. Wipe the tank threads and nozzle after each refill so that stray liquid does not leak around the seals.

Where to vape. Check the rules wherever you are. Vaping is banned on public transport and in many workplaces, and venues such as bars, trains and hospitals set their own policies. Never vape where it is prohibited, and stay clear of children and pregnant women.

Storage after mixing. A bottle with a nicotine shot in it is a nicotine product. Label it and keep it in a cool, dark place out of sight. Use the mixed liquid within the best-before date on the bottle, and keep any unused nicotine shots in their original packaging.

Troubleshooting common problems

Most problems with a shortfill come down to the coil, the power setting or how the tank has been filled. Here are the usual causes and fixes.

• Burnt taste. Most often a coil that was not soaked before use, a coil past its life, or wattage above the printed range. Replace the coil, prime it properly, and start at the low end of the range. Chain vaping also overheats the cotton, so leave a pause between draws.
• Weak or flat flavour. Check the coil first, since sweet liquids gunk up quickly. Try a new coil, rinse the tank and drip tip, and make sure the power is not set too low. Vape tongue can also dull taste, so switch to a different flavour for a day.
• Dry hit. The cotton is not getting enough liquid. Check the level in the tank, wait for the coil to soak after a fill, shorten your draws, and lower the wattage. If it keeps happening on a new coil, the coil may be too restrictive for a 70VG liquid.
• Gurgling or spitting. Too much liquid is reaching the coil or the airflow is blocked. Dab the airflow channel and chimney with kitchen roll, and make sure the tank is not overfilled.
• Leaking. Check the O-rings, the coil seat and the fill port. Hot cars and flights also push liquid out through the air vents, so store the tank upright.
• Harsh throat hit. The nicotine is too strong for your wattage, or the power is too high. Reduce wattage, shorten your draws or drop to a lower nicotine strength.
• Liquid too thick to pour or the nozzle drips slowly. A cool bottle makes high-VG liquid thicker. Let it sit at room temperature for a while, or stand it in warm, not hot, water for a few minutes.
• Bottle looks cloudy or smells odd. Do not use it. Contact the retailer with the batch number.
• Device does not fire or shuts down. Check the battery charge, clean the connection point on the coil and device, and make sure the tank is screwed down correctly.

Battery safety. If a battery gets hot, swells, hisses or smells of chemicals, stop using it, put it somewhere safe on a non-flammable surface away from anything combustible, and do not charge it again. Dispose of damaged cells at a battery drop-off point, not in household bins.

Value for money

Judging value on a shortfill means looking at cost per millilitre and cost of running the whole setup, not only the shelf price of the bottle.

Cost per millilitre. Divide the bottle price by 50 for the cost per ml, and add the price of a nicotine shot divided by 60 if you use one. Do the same sum for a 2ml disposable or pod, or for a 10ml nicotine salt bottle. Shortfills almost always work out cheaper per ml than 10ml bottles and far cheaper than pre-filled pods, and the gap grows the more you vape.

Running costs. The bottle is only part of the picture. A sub-ohm vaper should budget for:

• Coils, usually a few pounds each and lasting one to two weeks, so two to four coils per bottle for a heavier user
• Nicotine shots, if you vape at 3mg, a small extra cost for each bottle
• Replacement batteries or charging cables every year or two
• The kit itself, which is a one-off cost that pays itself back within weeks for someone who would otherwise buy disposables or pods

Where the value is. One 50ml bottle can last a moderate user ten days or more, and the liquid can be vaped at low power to stretch it further. The big sizes mean fewer deliveries and less packaging, and the flavour is consistent from the first fill to the last.

Where the value is weaker. If you only vape occasionally, 50ml will take a long time to finish and the liquid may be past its best before you reach the end. If you vape at high wattage all day, the cost of coils and battery wear adds up, and a nicotine salt in a low-power device might be cheaper overall. A sweet liquid also wears coils faster than an unsweetened one, which raises the running cost slightly.

Price changes. Vape pricing in the UK moves with taxes, supply costs and promotions, so check the current price on the product page rather than relying on past figures, and compare against other 50ml shortfills in the same flavour family. Buy within your means, and remember that the cheapest route to quitting smoking is a device and liquid you will actually stick with.

Overall, Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban offers fair value for sub-ohm users who want a tobacco-and-vanilla flavour in a large bottle. It is not the right purchase for someone who needs a fixed-cost, no-maintenance device.

How it compares with alternatives

A fair comparison depends on what you need from the liquid. Here is how Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban stacks up against the main alternatives UK vapers consider.

Against other 50ml shortfills. Brands such as IVG, Doozy Vape Co and Dr Vapes also sell 50ml high-VG shortfills in the same price bracket, and several offer tobacco-and-custard or tobacco-and-vanilla blends. The differences come down to sweetness level, how strongly the tobacco shows through, and how smooth the throat hit is at 3mg. Nasty Juice has been a well-known name in this category for several years, so you are buying a recognised brand rather than an unknown label, but your own palate is the deciding factor. If you can, try a flavour at a vape shop or buy a single bottle before committing to several.

Against plain tobacco shortfills. Plain tobacco liquids are drier and more bitter, and they suit people who want the closest echo of smoking. Vanilla Cuban is softer and sweeter, which many vapers prefer, though some find the sweetness distracting and would be better served by a dry tobacco.

Against nicotine salts. Nic salts, usually sold in 10ml bottles at 10mg or 20mg, deliver nicotine faster and more smoothly at low power in small pod kits. They suit heavier smokers and anyone using a tight mouth-to-lung device. They cost more per millilitre and do not produce as much vapour. Mod Mate is the better fit for sub-ohm users who want vapour volume and flavour at lower strengths, while salts are better for those chasing satisfaction from a small device.

Against disposables and pre-filled pods. A disposable gives convenience, but single-use devices are now banned in the UK and were always poor value per millilitre. Pre-filled pods are capped at 2ml, so they cost more over time and create more waste. A refillable kit with a shortfill has a higher upfront cost and a bit of a learning curve, but it is cheaper, more repairable and creates far less electronic waste.

Where Mod Mate Vanilla Cuban is weaker. It is a single flavour direction, so it will not suit people who want fruit, ice or sweets. It needs mixing and a compatible device, and it is not tuned for high nicotine. Independent taste tests of this specific bottle are limited, so reviews should be read with some caution.

Bottom line. If you vape sub-ohm, like vanilla with tobacco, and want a large bottle at a fair price per millilitre, it earns its place on the shortlist. If your device or nicotine needs point elsewhere, there are better-matched options.