Last year, Raina and I reviewed three e-liquids from E-Juice Plus. These relatively inexpensive juices were unique in that they had ganoderma extract. Ganoderma is a mushroom used in Eastern medicine for a variety of ailments. While I can’t make any claims about the health benefits (or lack thereof) of ganoderma, what I can say for sure is that it alters the taste of e-liquids. It adds an earthiness that can complement certain flavors and mute others.
A few things have changed since my last E-Juice Plus review. The base price for a 60ml bottle has increased to $22.45 (currently on sale for $19.98), while the ganoderma option has lowered to $3. While the standard price is slightly higher than it was before, the sale price is actually lower. Additionally, the company has switched from flip-top bottles to dripper bottles. I like the new bottles much, much better.
This time around, I chose E-Juice Plus’ Caramel, Tiramisu, and Vanilla to review. These flavors have a mild to moderate sweetness. In two of the cases, I enjoyed what ganoderma brought to the overall experience. In the other, the addition was to the juice’s detriment. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.
Caramel: A mild and enjoyable caramel flavor is given some “oomph” from the ganoderma earthiness. The end result is something similar to salted caramel (which was the dessert rage here in Los Angeles from 2011-2012). Vapers with a sweet tooth will probably find the overall flavor lacking, but those that enjoy mild to moderate flavors will likely dig this juice. Subjectively, this was my favorite of the bunch, since I’m a sucker for salted caramel.
Tiramisu: This juice had the strongest flavor of the three, but still relatively moderate compared to other e-liquids I’ve tried. The ganoderma’s presence was slight. The overall flavor was very much like the popular dessert, but with a touch of earthiness. Objectively, this flavor was the best of the three. I’d recommend this one over the other two, even though I vaped more Caramel.
Vanilla: This juice was the only disappointment of the lot. There’s a nice vanilla flavor there, but there’s not enough of it. It was way too mild for my tastes and I’m someone that can appreciate mild e-liquids. I’m not sure if it was because of a lack of flavor in the recipe or the ganoderma overshadowing the flavor (probably both), but the end result was something that tasted like a watered down milkshake.
E-Juice Plus Juice Formula
10% Basic juice
15% PG
45% VG
10% Ganoderma
20% Flavor (50/50 VG/PG)
Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.
Caramel
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013
Tiramisu
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013
Vanilla
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013
Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013)
RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juice; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.
