Insert lame title about juice here.
After several thousand words about batteries and vessels, we come to the final piece of the vaping puzzle (unless you’re using pre-filled carts, in which case you’re done), the liquid.
It has many names, many many flavors and is available through tons of different vendors. The basics are relatively similar across the board…it’s a mix of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine and flavoring. Some have a bit of food-grade alcohol in them too, which I believe is just to thin it out. That’s it though…4, maybe 5 ingredients. No ammonia, no tar, no cyanide, no ingredients that I can neither pronounce nor spell.
I once read somewhere that cigarette smoke has something like 4,000 different chemicals in it. I’m sure e-cigarette vapor won’t provide any direct health benefits, unless someone makes a liquid with vitamin C in it or something, but I have to assume I’m a lot better off with 3,996 fewer chemicals being sucked into my lungs 10 or so times a day.
As I mentioned, there are loads of liquid vendors out there, not to mention a large DIY subculture. The aspiring chef in me wants to try making his own liquid, but isn’t ready for the advanced classes. I’ve tried a bunch of different liquids from different vendors. Rather than spending 6 months writing one post, I’m going to break these up by vendor.
The hardcore vaping aficionados will talk about VG \ PG ratio, measure vapor production in cubic millimeters, wax poetic about throat hit and countless other topics, almost like they’re discussing a bottle of wine. There’s nothing wrong with this, and I’m not knocking these people at all, but for me, the evaluation is much more simple…do I like it or not, and why?
First up, Vapor4Life. I start with them because I’ve tried more of their liquids than anyone else’s. It all started with that Facebook contest. When I won, I decided to order some stuff so BH didn’t have to send my prize without getting a little business. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made since the decision to start vaping. In a word, V4L’s liquids are amazeballs. I’ve tried a bunch, and have yet to find one I didn’t like. Some, of course, are better than others, and I plan on giving my honest opinions of every one of them.
Now, this is all completely subjective, and what appeals to me might be awful to you. You may notice a trend starting here…there are no fruit flavors to be found. The reason is pretty simple. I don’t like them, so I don’t buy them. The liquids I’ve tried include a mix of tobacco, coffee, candy and baked goods. These are listed in no particular order, but again, these are my opinions and my opinions only.
Borrowed from their site (hopefully they won’t mind). It’s after midnight, and if the wife woke up to me trying to photograph my vape stuff, she might hurt me…
Colonel Caramel: a caramel flavored tobacco. My only experience with tobacco before vaping came from combustion in a cigarette. This tastes different than a cigarette, as it’s pretty tough to replicate the flavor of “burning,” but this isn’t bad. It has the pleasant, burnt flavor of caramelized sugar, with a little bit of a kick (I’m assuming that’s the tobacco). For a while, I was chain smoking this one, and while I’ve backed off a bit, it’s still highly enjoyable.
Richmond Tobacco: Very mellow, with a slight sweetness (not nearly as pronounced as the Colonel), maybe some nuttiness…I don’t really know, but it’s good.
Kamel: I didn’t like this one the first time I tried it. I put it away for a while, and ended up trying it again after a cigarette relapse and realized why I didn’t react favorably at first taste…it’s about as close as you’re going to get to cigarette flavor, but less unpleasant. It was a pretty strong taste that burned a little (also known as throat hit) and was a good, less disgusting version of a cigarette. While Kamel is not a part of my regular rotation, I use it whenever I have a craving for a real cigarette and it does the trick. If you’re trying to closely replicate the smoking experience with an e-cig, flavor and all, Kamel is a great choice.
Parliament: Another tobacco flavor that mimics a popular brand of cigarettes. If this is what a cigarette is supposed to taste like, those tobacco people got it all wrong. This is much more pleasant than the brand for which it is named. Even better, you don’t stink afterwards.
RY4: This is a pretty popular variety, and most companies have at least one variation. It’s usuall a tobacco flavor with vanilla and caramel, but some companies put their own spin on it. From one vendor to the next, the taste and feeling can vary tremendously, despite being the same. V4L’s version of this vaping classic is my favorite so far. It has a clean tobacco taste, the vanilla adds a nice sweetness, while the caramel balances the two very nicely. One thing I’ve noticed with liquids is that the flavor can change from one “vessel” to another, and even if you switch a cartomizer from one battery to another. This can take something delicious and turn it unpleasant very quickly. I’ve noticed this with RY4 more than other flavors, but V4Ls offering is the most consistent of the bunch.
French Vanilla: I expected something subtle, and while this wasn’t it, it was good. I’ve tried a few other vanillas, and this is #1. The best way to describe it is to compare an inexpensive vanilla ice cream (or frozen dairy dessert) to a pint of the ultra-premium stuff. The cheap one is vanilla-nothing else, no doubt about it. You compare that to the high-end stuff that has hints and notes and a flavor profile that changes. It’s obvious why one can be had for the change between the couch cushions and the other costs half of a paycheck, but both are good for what they are. The French vanilla liquid isn’t going to be a journey for the taste buds or anything like that. It’s a good, straightforward vanilla. It can be a little overpowering, so I generally mix with another flavor and it works brilliantly.
Hazelnut Coffee: Just like vanilla. It tastes like its name, although the hazelnut is stronger than the coffee. It’s not a bad thing by any means, especially if you like hazelnut, but if you want coffee with a hint of flavor, it might be too strong. V4L makes some plain coffee flavors too, which mix well with this one.
Cafe Mocha: Not a plain coffee flavor, but much more mellow than the hazelnut. Both the coffee and chocolate flavors come through nicely and combine for a good flavor. It’s good on its own, but also mixes well with hazelnut coffee and French vanilla.
Champagne: I bought this because it was on sale. It was my first “tastes like xxxx” flavor, and while I wasn’t expecting much, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s not evaporated Dom Perignon or anything, but was much nicer than most sparkling wines I’ve consumed over the years. It would be perfect if it gave you a buzz.
DJ Black: When I was in school, desperately trying to fit in, cigarettes weren’t the only dumb things I used in my quest for acceptance. Every once in a while, I’d become a hipster asshole (before we knew what to call them) and buy a pack of cloves. For those unfamiliar, cloves are cigarettes made with tobacco and cloves. It’s a cigarette with a nice spicy taste to it, and some sort of sweetener on the filter that made you want to lick your lips after having one. They were generally stronger than regular cigarettes, but tasted much better. They’re not sold everywhere, but when I saw them, I tended to pick them over regular cigs, despite the fact that they always gave me a sore throat. DJ black replicates the nice taste perfectly, without the burning feeling. My first taste brought back memories of jamming to Dave Matthews in the dorms with a ton of booze and a few packs of Djarums, right down to the tingly feeling in the tongue that a real clove gives you. While it was the nicest part of the clove without the nastiness, it was also strong. I liked the taste, but could only take a few puffs before having to switch to something more mellow. I’d break it out every now and again, and enjoyed it, but much like a regular clove, it wasn’t something I could handle regularly. I filled a nano with some over the weekend, and the flavor had weakened a bit. It was no longer overpowering. It had basically become everything a clove should have been. If there’s a way to replicate the “sweet lips” taste, I’d buy this by the gallon.
Cinnamon Roll: Very good, but one of the few that doesn’t taste like its namesake. It’s a good, strong cinnamon flavor, but more of a cinnamon candy flavor. This isn’t bad, but I was expecting Cinnabon and got atomic fireball. I was never a fan of the candies, but this is a tasty liquid. At the suggestion of BH, I mixed it to try and get more of a cinnamon roll flavor, and found it with both pancake and waffle. It also mixed nicely with French vanilla, mocha and parliament. A little overpowering on its own, but makes a great mixer.
Pancake and Waffle: I’m putting these two together because they’re pretty similar and pretty odd…let’s be honest. If you’re looking to quit smoking, you probably wouldn’t expect to do it by inhaling pancake flavored vapor. Given how different a pancake or waffle can taste from one batch to the next, it’s tough to say how close these come to the originals, but on the basis of a completely generic yummy breakfast, both do a good job. Both are combinations of butter and maple syrup, and both are good. I may be totally off, but I think the waffle is more syrupy while pancake has a stronger butter flavor. Both are good solo, and mix well with flavors like cinnamon roll, vanilla amend hazelnut coffee. They’re a little “out there” as far as I’m concerned, and while they’re enjoyable, they’re best in small doses.
White Chocolate: I try to be objective…I really do, but it’s hard with a flavor like this. I’ve always liked white chocolate, and (in my completely unqualified opinion), you basically have good and bad, without much middle ground. With regular chocolate, there are hundreds of varieties, with tons of variables impacting taste and overall experience, but with white chocolate, it’s really just good or not good, and V4L’s white chocolate liquid is damn good. It’s got a slight, but noticeable sweetness, and somehow manages to give off a creaminess with it, despite being vaporized nicotine.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of Vapor4Life’s liquids, but have yet to find a dud. They have a bunch of “themed” sampler packs, which are nice for variety, but for single flavors, you’re limited to 30ml bottles. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given the overall quality of their liquids, but it’s a bit of a gamble if you’re trying an unfamiliar flavor.
The liquids average $12.50 a bottle, which is pretty reasonable. They’ve almost always got a promo of some sort running, which can get you a potentially significant discount on top of it. Check them out at www.vapor4life.com.
Healthy for the Wedding 