What Is Wacky Explosion?

Wacky Explosion Ice Juice 120ml is a shortfill e-liquid from Downtown Vapoury's Explosion series — the same South African range that built its name on bold, fruit-forward profiles at an accessible price point. But Wacky Explosion is different from the rest of the line-up. Instead of a pure fruit profile, it takes its cue from the iconic king-size bubblegum of the 1980s — the kind that came in bright packaging and was a tuck-shop staple — and layers it with what the brand calls an "extra icy twist."

Like the full Explosion series, it runs on a 70VG/30PG base and comes in at 120ml. It is available in 0mg, 3mg, and 6mg nicotine strengths, giving sub-ohm vapers the flexibility to choose a level that matches their device and usage. At R200, it sits at the same price point as the rest of the series: high quality without the premium price tag. For vapers who want a candy profile with serious cooling, this is the Explosion flavour built specifically for that brief.

At a Glance

The Ice Level — Measured Against the Range

The Explosion series spans a wide spectrum of cooling intensity. Peach Explosion sits at the bottom with a light, barely-there exhale coolness. Berry and Passion sit in the middle with moderate ice that refreshes without dominating. Mango pushes further with a noticeable chill. Wacky Explosion sits at the far end — the ice is not a finishing note here, it is a primary feature.

Where Peach Explosion uses ice to lift the fruit, Wacky Explosion uses the bubblegum to give the ice something to cling to. The result is a liquid that feels closer to a menthol bubblegum than a bubblegum with menthol. For vapers in hot climates — particularly KZN and Gauteng summers — that distinction matters. This is the liquid you reach for when the humidity is high and you want a vape that cools you down physically, not just flavour-wise.

Nicotine Options — 0mg, 3mg, and 6mg

Wacky Explosion is available in multiple pre-mixed nicotine strengths, giving sub-ohm vapers the flexibility to choose a level that suits their usage frequency and device wattage. Unlike most Explosion shortfills which are 0mg and require a nic shot, Wacky Explosion comes pre-mixed — no mixing required.

The 70/30 VG/PG Split

At 70VG/30PG, Wacky Explosion is built for direct-to-lung vaping and sub-ohm coils. The VG-heavy base produces thick, smooth vapour clouds, while the 30% PG carries both the bubblegum sweetness and the menthol crispness. In an ice-dominant liquid, the PG matters more than usual — menthol compounds bind well to PG, and the 30% ratio ensures the cooling sensation transfers efficiently from the coil to your throat.

This ratio is not designed for pod systems or MTL devices. 70VG is too thick to wick efficiently in tight coils at low wattage — persistent dry hits are the result, and with a heavy menthol liquid, a dry hit is a uniquely unpleasant experience. Wacky Explosion performs at its best in a sub-ohm tank or a higher-output DTL pod mod at 25W and above.

Flavour Breakdown

The bubblegum profile in Wacky Explosion is deliberately nostalgic. It is not trying to replicate fresh fruit or a modern candy — it is aiming for the specific taste of 1980s South African tuck-shop bubblegum: sweet, slightly powdery, with that artificial fruitiness that somehow works better than it should. The ice then takes that base and freezes it.

The Nostalgia Factor — Why the Bubblegum Base Works

There is a reason Downtown Vapoury references that "iconic king-size bubblegum from the 1980s" in the product description. For South African vapers of a certain age, that is an immediate sensory trigger — the bright packaging, the powdery coating, the sweetness that lasted exactly three minutes before the flavour ran out. Wacky Explosion captures that opening rush of sweetness, but unlike the real thing, the flavour does not fade. The ice gives it longevity by shifting the focus from pure sweetness to a sweet-cool interplay that stays interesting across a full tank.

Is the Ice Too Much?

For vapers who already add menthol shots to their liquids, Wacky Explosion is the answer to a prayer — finally, a liquid that arrives with the ice already dialled up. For vapers who find Peach Explosion's light cooling pleasant, Wacky will feel aggressive. It is not a background note; it is a co-lead. The bubblegum prevents it from tasting like pure menthol, but the ice is unmistakably the dominant characteristic. If you dislike menthol, this is not the liquid to gamble on. If you love menthol, this is the most ice-heavy option in the entire Downtown Vapoury range at this price point.

Which Devices Work Best

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  Sub-ohm tanks (0.2Ω–0.5Ω, 30W+)

  The natural home for Wacky Explosion. The 70VG base produces best vapour density and full ice expression at 30W and above. In sub-ohm coils, the menthol has room to expand — the warmth of the coil actually helps the cooling sensation feel more pronounced, a paradox that makes high-wattage vaping with ice liquids uniquely satisfying. GeekVape Zeus Z, SMOK RPM 3, Vaporesso GTi, and VOOPOO PnP-X coils all handle it well.
• ✓
  DTL pod mods (0.3Ω–0.6Ω, 25W+)

  Higher-output pod mods running sub-ohm coils handle 70VG well at 25W+. The VOOPOO Drag X, Argus Pro, and similar devices at medium-to-high wattage settings produce clean, intense ice from this liquid. The restricted airflow of a pod mod can actually concentrate the menthol, making it feel even stronger — ideal for vapers who want maximum impact.
• ✗
  MTL pods and low-wattage devices

  Avoid. The 70VG base won't wick efficiently in tight pod coils below 20W, and a dry hit on a heavy menthol liquid is punishing. Additionally, the concentrated menthol in a restricted airflow MTL device can be overwhelming — what feels refreshing in a wide DTL draw feels harsh in a tight MTL pull. If you use an MTL device, look for the Explosion MTL or Nic Salt ranges instead.

Adding a Nic Shot — Do You Need To?

Unlike most Explosion series shortfills which come as 0mg and require a nic shot, Wacky Explosion comes pre-mixed at your chosen strength. The 3mg variant is complete and ready to vape straight from the bottle — no nic shot required, no measuring, no mixing. Fill your tank and vape.

If you specifically want to adjust the nicotine level — say, stepping up to 6mg when only 3mg is available — you can add a small VG-based nic shot to the bottle. Here's how to do it without affecting the 70/30 ratio significantly:

How It Compares in the Explosion Range

Wacky Explosion is the outlier in the series — the only one built around candy rather than fruit, and the only one where ice is the headline rather than a supporting act. Here's how it sits against the rest of the range:

Wacky Explosion is the right choice for vapers who find most fruit e-liquids too sweet, too loud, or not cold enough. Its heavy ice makes it the most refreshing option in the range for hot weather, and its candy base gives it an all-day-vape quality that pure menthol liquids often lack — there is enough sweetness to keep the palate engaged, but not so much that it cloys.

What Vapers Are Saying

Wacky Explosion 120ml is still building its review base on the product page, but the Explosion series as a whole carries strong social proof — Downtown Vapoury holds a 4.6 out of 5 star rating across more than 2,100 reviews on Judge.me, and the series consistently ranks among the store's top-selling freebase lines. Here's what the broader feedback pattern tells us about how Wacky fits into the range:

The pattern is consistent: Explosion series vapers fall into two camps — those who want moderate, fruit-forward flavour, and those who want maximum intensity. Wacky Explosion is unambiguously built for the second camp. If you are in the first camp, Peach or Passion will serve you better. If you are in the second, Wacky is the peak of the range.

Frequently Asked Questions