Dr Frost Arctic Edition Shortfill E-Liquid – Strawmelon Ice

Strawmelon Ice: strawberry and watermelon under a sheet of frost

Dr Frost built a reputation on one simple promise, which is that fruit tastes better when it comes with a proper chill, and Strawmelon Ice is one of the cleanest expressions of that idea. As a shortfill e-liquid it is aimed at vapers who want to control their own experience, mixing to the strength they prefer and running it through a tank or pod that lets the flavour breathe. Two summer fruits, strawberry and watermelon, are pressed together and then laid on a bed of ice. The result is juicy, refreshing and genuinely thirst-quenching, the vaping equivalent of chilled fruit straight from the fridge on a hot day.

Peeling back the layers of the flavour

Take a slow draw and strawberry leads the way first. It is a ripe, rounded strawberry rather than a sweet-shop one, closer to the real fruit with a soft natural sugar and just a whisper of that green, leafy freshness you get from the top of a berry. It is bright without being sharp, and it sets a mellow, fruity tone before anything else steps in.

Watermelon then joins in the middle, and this is where the blend earns its name. The melon brings a watery, cooling juiciness that dilutes any heaviness in the strawberry and stretches the flavour out into something long and quenching. The two fruits genuinely marry rather than sitting side by side, so you get a single strawmelon character instead of two separate notes taking turns. On the exhale the ice takes over. It is a clean, crisp menthol coolness rather than a numbing polar blast, the kind that tidies up the fruit and leaves your breath feeling fresh. The aftertaste is light, sweet and cool, fading like the last of an ice lolly rather than clinging to your tongue.

The mood and the moment for it

Strawmelon Ice is a warm-weather flavour through and through. It is what you want in the garden, at a barbecue, on a long drive with the windows down, or after any bout of exercise when your mouth is dry and you crave something cold and fruity. The cooling makes it feel almost hydrating, which is why so many people reach for iced fruit blends the moment the temperature climbs.

It also suits the vaper who likes a lighter, more refreshing profile as their daily go-to. Because the sweetness is measured rather than dessert-heavy, it does not tire the palate quickly, which makes it a strong all day option for anyone who finds candy flavours too much over long stretches. If you tend to vape steadily throughout the day rather than in short bursts, this kind of balanced fruit and ice is easy company.

How it stacks up and what to pair with it

Placed next to a plain strawberry ice, Strawmelon feels more three-dimensional, because the watermelon opens the flavour out and adds that juicy stretch a single berry cannot manage on its own. Against a straight watermelon ice, it is warmer and sweeter, with the strawberry giving it more body. Compared to tropical iced blends built on mango or pineapple, it is softer and more European in feel, less exotic and more like a British summer fruit bowl given a frosty edge.

For rotation, the smart move is to pair it with something from a different flavour family so your palate does not settle into one groove. A dessert, tobacco or drink-based liquid provides a strong contrast on the days you want a change, then coming back to Strawmelon feels fresh again. If you would rather stay in the fruit lane, alternate it with a darker berry such as blackcurrant or blueberry, or a citrus-forward option, both of which highlight different parts of your palate. Keeping two or three distinct profiles in rotation is the single best way to stop any iced fruit from going flavourless through overexposure.

Getting the most from a shortfill, and other practical notes

As a shortfill, this liquid rewards a little care. If you are adding nicotine, give the bottle a proper shake and then let it stand for a short while so everything blends evenly, as a rushed mix can taste slightly thin or uneven on the first tank. In the UK, remember that shortfills are typically sold nicotine-free so you top up with a nic shot to reach your chosen strength, and finished nic salt style strengths are capped at 20mg/ml, with nicotine strictly for over-18s.

To taste it at its truest, run it through a clean coil that suits a higher-VG juice, and prime a new coil fully before you start so you get the fruit clearly rather than a muted first few pulls. Many people find iced blends like this taste sharpest when the liquid and the device are at a normal room temperature rather than piping hot, so if the kit has been sitting in the sun, the cooling can feel oddly dulled until it settles. Store the bottle upright, away from heat and direct light, and keep the cap sealed between uses, since prolonged exposure to warmth and air can slowly steep the fruit into something darker and less crisp than intended.

On value, a shortfill format generally gives you a lot of liquid for the money compared with buying small bottles or single-use bars, which is part of why the format is popular with steady daily vapers. The trade-off is that you do the mixing yourself, so it suits people who are happy to spend a moment preparing their liquid in exchange for a lower running cost and more control over strength.

There is also a nice trick for keeping the flavour lively over a long bottle. If you notice the strawberry starting to feel a touch flat after heavy use, a fresh coil almost always brings it straight back, because iced fruits in particular lose definition on a tired coil faster than they lose it in the bottle. Treating your coil as part of the flavour, not just part of the hardware, is one of the quiet secrets to getting the best from any shortfill.

Who should think twice

If you dislike menthol or any cooling sensation, the ice here is woven through the whole profile rather than sitting quietly in the background, so it will not disappear for you. Vapers who prefer very sweet, confectionery-style fruit may also find this too natural and too restrained for their taste. And because it is a shortfill, anyone who wants a grab-and-go product with zero preparation might be happier with a prefilled pod or bar instead.

Flavour FAQ

How strong is the ice in Strawmelon Ice?

It is a moderate, refreshing cool rather than an extreme freeze. You will feel a clean menthol crispness on the exhale that sharpens the fruit and leaves your mouth feeling fresh, but it stops well short of the throat-numbing chill that some dedicated extra-ice liquids aim for.

Which fruit comes through more, strawberry or watermelon?

Strawberry tends to lead on the inhale while watermelon fills out the middle and adds juiciness, so neither truly dominates. The pleasure of this blend is that the two fold into a single strawmelon flavour, with the balance shifting slightly depending on your coil and the strength you mix it to.

Is it better in summer than in winter?

It shines in warm weather, where its cooling, quenching character feels most at home, but plenty of people happily vape iced fruits all year round. If you want something cosier for cold months, keep a warmer dessert or drink flavour on hand and treat Strawmelon as your bright, refreshing change of pace.