CravinVapes is an e-liquid company out of Angola (the one in Indiana, not the one in Africa). The company makes a variety of juices at affordable prices and claims to “use USP food grade flavors and organic extracts.” 30ml bottles cost $12, which is on the lower end of the spectrum for made-to-order juices from American vendors. The juices come in plastic bottles with subtle labels.
For this review, I chose three dessert flavors: Vanilla X, Sunkiss Float, and Maple Nut Bestie. I was pleasantly surprised by two of the flavors and found the other to be just okay. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.
Vanilla X: There are thousands of vendors that sell vanilla e-liquids and I was pleased to find a superior one in Vanilla X. This is a rich, creamy, and sweet vanilla that has a thick texture. The vendor describes this e-liquid as having a touch of custard-like flavor. It’s great on its own, but also handy as a mixer. If you have a juice that needs a kick of creaminess and sweetness, add some Vanilla X and you’re good to go.
Sunkiss Float: In my head, this juice was supposed to have the great taste of Vanilla X, complemented by a tangy orange flavor. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out. It’s not a bad juice by any means, but there are many orange creamsicle e-liquids out there that are better. The orange flavor is underwhelming and the recipe is a bit off. The qualities that I enjoyed in Vanilla X were tough to detect in Sunkiss Float.
Maple Nut Bestie: I’m usually not a fan of candy e-liquids, but I’m a sucker for Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies so I had to try this one. The company did a very good job of replicating the flavor. You get peanuts, toffee, and maple syrup in a mix that blends together nicely. Yes, it’s a very sweet flavor and has some artificial tastes, but so does the candy that it’s based on. While it’s out of my wheelhouse, I enjoyed this juice.
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.
Vanilla X
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: March 11, 2013
Uncapped: March 23, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: June 1-5, 2013
Sunkiss Float
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: March 11, 2013
Uncapped: March 23, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: June 1-5, 2013
Maple Nut Bestie
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: March 11, 2013
Uncapped: March 23, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: June 1-5, 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.
