TEREA Flavors Ranked: Strength, Menthol and Capsules

Short answer: this guide covers 34 TEREA flavors. If you mean flavor intensity, the strongest-tasting is Russet, which IQOS rates 9 on its 1–10 scale, followed by Bronze and Khaki (8). The lowest IQOS rating, 4, goes to Silver, Turquoise and Rigan. For cooling, only Blue, Kelly and Black Green sit in our Strong cooling group. Eight Pearl flavors have a built-in capsule you click to add a second flavor with cooling. Intensity describes taste, not nicotine.

This guide combines IQOS's published flavor descriptions with the flavor groups we use in our TEREA catalog. For adults 21+.

What is TEREA?

TEREA sticks are heated tobacco sticks made only for IQOS ILUMA devices. Each stick has a small metal element inside, coated with stainless steel. The ILUMA heats that element by induction, so the tobacco is heated from within and the holder has no heating blade to clean. IQOS calls this system SMARTCORE.

One stick lasts up to 6 minutes or 14 puffs, whichever comes first, after a preheat of about 20 seconds. On ILUMA i models, a feature called FlexPuff can add up to 4 puffs within the same 6 minutes, depending on how you puff. Each stick is single-use.

TEREA sticks work with the IQOS ILUMA family: ILUMA, ILUMA ONE, ILUMA PRIME, and ILUMA i, i ONE and i PRIME. They are not for older IQOS devices such as the IQOS 3 DUO; IQOS warns that using them there may damage the device.

How to read this TEREA flavors guide

What does intensity mean for a TEREA flavor?

IQOS rates many TEREA flavors on a 1–10 intensity scale (14 of the 34 in this guide have a published number). It defines intensity as the overall taste experience: more aroma and a fuller body mean a higher number. Published TEREA ratings run from 4 (Silver, Turquoise, Rigan) to 9 (Russet). IQOS gives no number to the Pearl capsule flavors.

Does a stronger TEREA flavor mean more nicotine?

The intensity number isn't a nicotine rating. IQOS uses it to describe taste only. All TEREA sticks contain nicotine, and this guide doesn't compare nicotine between flavors.

What do the charts in this guide show?

The charts use our store's simpler groups so 31 flavors fit on one map: taste strength Mellow, Balanced, Rich, Bold and cooling None, Light, Medium, Strong. We built them from IQOS's descriptions. They are groupings, not conversions of the IQOS numbers: Teak and Sienna both rate 7, for example, but we put Sienna one group higher because IQOS gives it more body.

What is a TEREA Pearl capsule, and how do you use it?

A Pearl stick has a small flavor capsule built in. Until you click it, the stick tastes of its tobacco blend. When you want the second flavor, click the capsule by crushing it lightly; IQOS says you can do this before or during use. The stick then picks up the capsule flavor, which comes with cooling in all eight Pearls, and once the capsule is crushed you can't undo it. If you never click it, you get the tobacco blend the whole way through.

All TEREA flavors at a glance

The same data in tables. "IQOS intensity" is IQOS's own 1–10 rating where one is published; strength and cooling are our store's groups.

Classic tobacco, no menthol

Flavor	IQOS intensity	Strength group	Cooling	Notes
TEREA Silver	4/10	Mellow	No cooling	Toasted tobacco with light spicy-herb notes.
TEREA Rigan	4/10	Mellow	No cooling	Mellow, aromatic tobacco with zesty and malty notes.
TEREA Soft Fuse	5/10	Mellow	No cooling	A delicate tobacco taste with fresh nuances.
TEREA Yellow	5/10	Balanced	No cooling	Zesty aroma notes over a mellow tobacco.
TEREA Gold	—	Balanced	No cooling	Rounded, toasted tobacco with woody notes and a hint of freshness.
TEREA Beige	—	Balanced	No cooling	Aromatic tobacco with warm spices and malty notes.
TEREA Amber	6/10	Balanced	No cooling	Rounded, toasted tobacco with light woody and nutty notes.
TEREA Teak	7/10	Rich	No cooling	Rounded, toasted tobacco with nutty aromas.
TEREA Sienna	7/10	Bold	No cooling	Rounded, toasted tobacco with woody and tea notes.
TEREA Bronze	8/10	Bold	No cooling	Aromatic tobacco with cocoa and dried-fruit notes.
TEREA Khaki	8/10	Bold	No cooling	Intense, warm tobacco with warm spices and malty notes.
TEREA Russet	9/10	Bold	No cooling	Toasted, malty tobacco with a rich, bold taste.
TEREA Kona	—	Bold	No cooling	A rich tobacco taste.

Menthol

Flavor	IQOS intensity	Strength group	Cooling	Notes
TEREA Turquoise	4/10	Mellow	Light cooling	Lightly toasted tobacco, crisp menthol, zesty notes.
TEREA Green	5/10	Mellow	Medium cooling	Lightly toasted tobacco, balanced menthol, green minty notes.
TEREA Willow	—	Balanced	Medium cooling	Crisp menthol with citrus and spicy herbs.
TEREA Zing Wave	—	Balanced	Medium cooling	Refreshing citrus and spicy-herb notes.
TEREA Blue	7/10	Balanced	Strong cooling	Deep menthol and peppermint over a mellow tobacco.
TEREA Kelly	—	Rich	Strong cooling	A tobacco blend with intense menthol and lime.
TEREA Black Green	—	Not rated	Strong cooling	Intense, cold menthol with green-fruit aromas over a mellow tobacco blend.

Fruit and menthol

Flavor	IQOS intensity	Strength group	Cooling	Notes
TEREA Purple Wave	5/10	Balanced	Medium cooling	Menthol with dark forest-fruit notes.
TEREA Summer Wave	—	Balanced	Medium cooling	Crisp menthol, bold fruity notes and a floral touch.
TEREA Laguna Swift	—	Balanced	Medium cooling	Crisp menthol with tropical fruit aromas.
TEREA Ruby Wave	—	Rich	Medium cooling	Deep menthol, red berries and a floral undertone.
TEREA Bright Wave	—	Not rated	Not rated	Cool menthol with a fresh green-fruit aroma.

Pearl capsule

The click adds the second flavor; all eight are in our Medium cooling group after the click.

Flavor	Strength group	Before the click	The click adds
TEREA Tidal Pearl	Balanced	Woody, tea-toned tobacco	Delicate mint
TEREA Oasis Pearl	Balanced	Creamy, nutty toasted tobacco	Passion fruit and menthol
TEREA Starling Pearl	Balanced	Toasted tobacco with woody and tea aromas	Strawberry, basil and menthol
TEREA Provence Pearl	Balanced	Full-bodied, malty tobacco	Grape and menthol
TEREA Sun Pearl	Rich	Toasted tobacco with spicy herbs	Watermelon and menthol
TEREA Abora Pearl	Rich	Full-bodied, malty tobacco	Green apple and menthol
TEREA Twilight Pearl	Rich	Full-bodied, malty tobacco	Blueberry and menthol
TEREA Riviera Pearl	Bold	Toasted tobacco with woody and tea aromas	Raspberry and floral notes with cooling

Not yet described: TEREA Sakura Wave exists as a name, but we found no official description of its taste, cooling or capsule, so it isn't rated here.

Which TEREA flavor is the strongest?

If you mean flavor intensity, the strongest-tasting TEREA is Russet: IQOS rates it 9 out of 10, the highest number it publishes for TEREA. If you mean cooling, Blue, Kelly and Black Green are the only flavors in our Strong cooling group. Taste and cooling are separate scales, so the two answers differ.

The most intense TEREA flavors

TEREA Russet has the highest IQOS rating, 9 out of 10: rich, toasted and malty. Bronze and Khaki follow at 8, then Sienna, Teak and Blue at 7. Kona has no published number; our store groups it with the bold tobacco flavors.

TEREA menthol flavors with the strongest cooling

Blue, Kelly and Black Green are the only flavors in our Strong cooling group. IQOS describes Blue's menthol as deep and the most intense of Turquoise, Green and Blue. Kelly pairs intense menthol with lime over a tobacco blend. Black Green is labeled "Intense & Frosty".

Why intense and cold are not the same

A flavor can be cold but light on tobacco: Black Green pairs intense, cold menthol with a mellow tobacco blend. A flavor can also be intense with no menthol at all, like Russet. If you want a fuller tobacco taste, move up the intensity scale; if you want more cooling, move toward Blue, Kelly or Black Green.

Which TEREA flavors are the mildest?

The mildest TEREA flavors by IQOS's rating are Silver, Turquoise and Rigan (4 out of 10). If you want no menthol, pick Silver or Rigan; if you want a little menthol, pick Turquoise. Soft Fuse, Yellow, Green and Purple Wave sit just above them at 5. In our store groups, Soft Fuse and Green are Mellow too.

Classic tobacco TEREA flavors, from mellow to bold

TEREA Silver

IQOS intensity 4/10. Toasted tobacco lifted by light spicy-herb notes. With Turquoise and Rigan, it has the lowest IQOS rating, and it has no menthol. If it feels too light, Amber is the next step up.

TEREA Rigan

IQOS intensity 4/10. Mellow, aromatic tobacco. Rated 4, the same as Silver, with zesty and malty notes instead of Silver's herbs.

TEREA Soft Fuse

IQOS intensity 5/10. A delicate tobacco taste finished with fresh nuances, one step above Silver on IQOS's scale.

TEREA Yellow

IQOS intensity 5/10. Zesty aroma notes over a mellow tobacco. Yellow has no menthol: the zest is an aroma, not cooling.

TEREA Gold

Rounded, toasted tobacco with woody notes and a hint of freshness. Gold is a classic tobacco flavor, not a menthol.

TEREA Beige

Balanced, aromatic tobacco with warm spices and malty notes. IQOS sums it up as mild and malty.

TEREA Amber

IQOS intensity 6/10. Rounded, toasted tobacco with light woody and nutty notes. Amber sits in the middle of the range: fuller than Silver, lighter than Teak or Sienna. A good middle-ground pick if you are not sure where to start.

TEREA Teak

IQOS intensity 7/10. Rounded, toasted tobacco with nutty aromas. The step between Amber and the boldest flavors.

TEREA Sienna

IQOS intensity 7/10. Rounded, toasted tobacco with woody and tea notes. IQOS calls it smooth and woody. We put it in our Bold group because IQOS gives it more body than Teak.

TEREA Bronze

IQOS intensity 8/10. Aromatic tobacco with cocoa and dried-fruit notes, labeled "Rich & Warm". Don't let the cocoa and dried fruit fool you: Bronze is one of the most intense TEREA flavors.

TEREA Khaki

IQOS intensity 8/10. An intense, warm tobacco with warm spices and malty notes.

TEREA Russet

IQOS intensity 9/10, the highest number IQOS publishes for TEREA. Toasted, malty tobacco with a rich, bold taste. Unlike Bronze, it has no fruit notes: just rich, toasted, malty tobacco.

TEREA Kona

A rich tobacco taste. IQOS publishes no intensity number for Kona; our store groups it with the bold flavors.

TEREA Amber vs Sienna vs Russet

Amber (6/10) is the lightest of the three: toasted, woody and nutty. Sienna (7/10) adds tea notes and more body. Russet (9/10) is the most intense: rich, toasted and malty.

Which TEREA flavors are menthol?

These TEREA flavors have menthol from the first puff, from lightest to strongest cooling: Turquoise; then Green, Willow and Zing Wave; then Blue, Kelly and Black Green. Four Waves (Purple, Summer, Ruby and Bright Wave) and Laguna Swift add fruit to the menthol, and the eight Pearls add cooling when you click the capsule. Our menthol and Pearl comparison goes deeper on the menthol sticks.

What is TEREA Turquoise?

TEREA Turquoise is a light menthol: lightly toasted tobacco with crisp menthol cooling and zesty notes, rated 4 out of 10 for intensity. Of Turquoise, Green and Blue, IQOS ranks Turquoise's menthol as the most delicate, so it's the pick if you want menthol that stays light.

TEREA Green

IQOS intensity 5/10. Lightly toasted tobacco with balanced menthol cooling and green, minty notes. Cooler than Turquoise, still light on tobacco.

TEREA Willow

Crisp menthol cooling with citrus nuances and spicy-herb aromas.

TEREA Zing Wave

Refreshing citrus and spicy-herb notes. IQOS files Zing Wave with its menthol flavors, and we rate its cooling Medium.

TEREA Blue

IQOS intensity 7/10. Deep menthol and peppermint over a mellow tobacco. It sits in our Strong cooling group with Kelly and Black Green.

TEREA Kelly

A tobacco blend with intense menthol and lime. Pick Kelly if you want strong cooling and a fuller tobacco taste in the same stick.

TEREA Black Green

Intense, cold menthol over a mellow tobacco blend, with green-fruit aromas. IQOS labels it "Intense & Frosty".

TEREA Blue vs Turquoise vs Green: which menthol is the most intense?

Blue has the most intense menthol of the three, Green is in the middle and Turquoise is the most delicate. That is IQOS's own order. Turquoise and Green also rate lower for intensity than Blue (4 and 5 against 7).

Which TEREA flavors have no menthol?

Silver, Rigan, Soft Fuse, Yellow, Gold, Beige, Amber, Teak, Sienna, Bronze, Khaki, Russet and Kona. Silver and Yellow are often taken for menthol, but neither has any cooling.

Fruit and menthol TEREA flavors

These five pair menthol with fruit and have no capsule, so the fruit is there from the first puff. Laguna Swift belongs here even without "Wave" in its name. Zing Wave is listed with the menthols because its notes are citrus and herbs, like Willow.

What does TEREA Purple Wave taste like?

Purple Wave is menthol with dark forest-fruit notes, usually described simply as berries and menthol, rated 5 out of 10 for intensity. Many people simply call it "purple TEREA".

TEREA Summer Wave

Crisp menthol with bold fruity notes and a floral touch.

TEREA Laguna Swift

Rounded tobacco with crisp menthol and tropical fruit aromas.

TEREA Ruby Wave

Aromatic tobacco with deep menthol, red garden berries and a floral undertone.

TEREA Bright Wave

Cool menthol with a fresh green-fruit aroma.

TEREA Pearl capsule flavors: before and after the click

Every Pearl starts as a tobacco stick. The click adds the second flavor, and in all eight it comes with cooling. IQOS gives the Pearls no intensity number, so the strength groups below are our store's estimates. For a closer look at menthol and the click, see our TEREA menthol and Pearl comparison.

What is TEREA Oasis Pearl?

TEREA Oasis Pearl is a balanced, toasted tobacco with gentle creamy and nutty notes. Click the capsule and it picks up passion fruit with menthol cooling.

TEREA Tidal Pearl

Rounded, toasted tobacco with gentle woody and tea notes. The click adds a delicate mint. Before the click, there is no cooling at all.

What flavor is TEREA Starling Pearl?

Starling Pearl starts as toasted tobacco with woody and tea aromas. The click adds strawberry and basil with menthol.

TEREA Provence Pearl

Full-bodied, toasted tobacco with malty notes. The click adds grape with menthol.

TEREA Sun Pearl

Toasted tobacco with light spicy-herb notes. The click adds watermelon with menthol.

TEREA Abora Pearl

Full-bodied, toasted tobacco with malty notes. The click adds green apple with menthol.

TEREA Twilight Pearl

Full-bodied, toasted tobacco with malty notes. The click adds blueberry with menthol.

TEREA Riviera Pearl

Toasted tobacco with woody and tea aromas. The click adds raspberry and floral notes with cooling.

Which TEREA flavor is best for you?

There is no single best TEREA flavor, but there is usually a best one for your taste:

• Light, plain tobacco: Silver or Rigan.
• Light and delicate: Soft Fuse.
• Everyday balanced tobacco: Amber.
• Fuller and nutty: Teak.
• Bold tobacco: Russet, Bronze or Sienna.
• Light menthol: Turquoise, then Green.
• Deep menthol: Blue.
• Strong menthol with more tobacco: Kelly.
• Fruit and menthol: Purple Wave, Summer Wave or Ruby Wave.
• Two flavors in one stick: a Pearl, such as Oasis Pearl or Sun Pearl.

If you want to move up gradually:

• Tobacco: Silver → Amber → Teak or Sienna → Russet.
• Menthol: Turquoise → Green → Blue → Kelly.

In our store's paid orders in 2026, the most-ordered TEREA flavors were Blue, Yellow and Silver.

TEREA flavors FAQ

How many TEREA flavors are there?

This guide covers 34 TEREA flavors: 13 classic tobacco, 7 menthol, 5 fruit-and-menthol flavors (four Waves plus Laguna Swift), 8 Pearl capsule flavors and Sakura Wave, which is not yet described. IQOS has released other TEREA names too; this guide sticks to these 34. The lineup changes over time, so some flavors come and go.

Which TEREA is menthol?

Turquoise, Green, Willow, Zing Wave, Blue, Kelly and Black Green have menthol from the first puff. Four Waves and Laguna Swift add fruit to the menthol. The Pearls add cooling when you click the capsule.

Is TEREA Silver menthol? Is TEREA Yellow menthol?

No. Silver is toasted tobacco with light spicy-herb notes, and Yellow is mellow tobacco with a zesty aroma. Neither has menthol.

Do all TEREA flavors have the same nicotine?

IQOS doesn't publish one nicotine figure for every flavor, so this guide doesn't compare them. Its intensity numbers describe taste, not nicotine, and every TEREA stick contains nicotine.

How long does one TEREA stick last?

Up to 6 minutes or 14 puffs, whichever comes first. On ILUMA i models, FlexPuff can add up to 4 puffs within the same 6 minutes.

Can you use a TEREA stick twice?

No. Each stick is single-use, and IQOS says not to re-insert a used one. On ILUMA i and i PRIME, Pause Mode can hold one session for up to 8 minutes if you start it within the first 3 minutes or 8 puffs; the 14-puff limit still applies.

Can I use TEREA in an IQOS 3 DUO or an older IQOS?

No. TEREA sticks are made for the IQOS ILUMA family only. IQOS lists the older ORIGINALS devices, including the IQOS 3 DUO, as incompatible and warns that using TEREA in them may damage the device.

TEREA vs HEETS: what's the difference?

HEETS are the sticks for older, blade-heated IQOS devices. TEREA sticks are for ILUMA, which heats the stick from inside by induction. They are not interchangeable: TEREA don't go in blade devices, and HEETS don't work in ILUMA.

TEREA vs LEVIA: what's the difference?

LEVIA are also SMARTCORE sticks for IQOS ILUMA, but they contain no tobacco: a plant-based cellulose plug carries the flavor and nicotine.

What do the TEREA colors mean?

Many TEREA flavors are named after a color, and people often use the color as shorthand: "purple TEREA" usually means Purple Wave. The color is a name, not a taste guide: TEREA Blue is a deep menthol, not a blueberry flavor, and Yellow has no menthol at all.