E-Cigarettes Archives - Page 34 of 42

Vaping Diaries #76: Fancee Juice Review

Recently, I vaped three sweet e-liquids from Fancee Juice — Peppered ChocoMint, Pina Clouda, and MeeseTracks. The company claims that these juices are “hand crafted here in Michigan with USA made ingredients.” The juices I tried had a nice, moderate sweetness that let individual flavors and richness shine. As someone that dislikes cloying, in-your-face sweetness, I really appreciated Fancee Juice’s approach. These e-liquids are more “gourmet dessert” than “candy.”

In addition to serving up quality juices, Fancee Juice’s packaging is another extraordinary aspect of the company. The 30ml bottles in my order came in glass, the bottles were covered in cardboard tubes that were tied with string, and the box was lined with an artificial hay-like material. The packaging protects the bottles nicely and gives the goods a classy touch. As far as combining top-notch protection and charming presentation, Alice in Vapeland is the only vendor I’ve used that uses packaging comparable to Fancee Juice.

All three juices vaped cleanly, making them suitable for carto/tank, clearomizer, and dripping atomizer users. While I enjoyed the flavor and sweetness level of these juices, people that want more sweetness can opt for extra flavor. These e-liquids cost $19.99 for a 30ml bottle, making them slightly more expensive than most online vendors, but I think the price is worth it for many vapers. The juices are flavorful, well made, and come in fantastic packaging. Now onto the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Peppered ChocoMint: This is a blend of chocolate and peppermint. I’ve had a lot of bad chocolate e-liquids since I’ve been vaping; it’s one of those flavors that many vendors botch. The chocolate in this juice is really good — definitely one of the better ones I’ve tried. Combined with the peppermint, you get a flavor similar to an Andes Candies chocolate or a York Peppermint Patty. The blend was right in my wheelhouse, with plenty of flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. While the flavor combination is simple and straightforward, it would have been easy to mess up the mixture. For what I like, Fancee Juice did a good job the balance.

Pina Clouda: Based on the popular cocktail, this juice was more of a “pineapple and cream” than a “pina colada” to me. It’s certainly a tasty e-liquid, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. The pineapple and cream flavors dominate, while a little bit of coconut is in the background. I didn’t taste any rum at all. I would have preferred a little bit more coconut flavor and a nice rum kick. That said, I think a lot of people would enjoy this one, but to me it tasted more like Dole Whip than a pina colada cocktail.

MeeseTracks: This was my favorite of the bunch. I really enjoyed the delicious, Nutella-like flavor of this juice. Again, I’ve had lots of gnarly chocolate e-liquids in the past, so I really appreciated Fancee Juice’s chocolate flavor. Combined with the hazelnut flavor, MeeseTracks made for a rich and savory vape, with just the right amount of sweetness. Similar to Peppered ChocoMint, it would have been really easy to use the ingredients in this juice to create an unbalanced flavor that assaults your tastebuds with sweetness. Instead, Fancee Juice served up an e-liquid that lets you taste and enjoy the different flavors in the mix.

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.

Peppered ChocoMint
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 2013

Pina Clouda
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 2013

MeeseTracks
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 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.

Vaping Diaries #75: Vapor Stands Pie Slice Review

A couple of months ago, I wrote about Vapor Stands, a new Californian company that makes handmade e-cigarette holders. For the last few weeks, I’ve been using the company’s Pie Slice stand. This is a custom job that can be made with your choice of cherrywood, oak, or walnut. It can hold up to six vaping devices, with holes cut for your specific mods. The Pie Slice covered in this review uses all three woods and has holes for five mods.

After the wood is cut, it’s sanded to a super-smooth finish. After that, it’s coated with three layers of polyurethane for glossiness, protection, and durability. The looks are gorgeous and the craftsmanship is fantastic. The Pie Slice looks great in an office, the living room, and anywhere else you vape. When people visit my office, it’s often the first thing that catches their eye. It’s an attractive piece of woodwork.

Four of the five holes on this particular Pie Slice were cut for fairly standard-sized mods. The other hole was cut specifically for an Alt Smoke Silver Bullet, which is larger than normal. Vapor Stands cut the holes perfectly and even contacted a few of the manufacturers to verify the proper size. The bottom of the holes are covered with felt, so that the mods have a soft base to sit on.

The Vapor Stands Pie Slice is a great American vaping product. It’s a gorgeous stand that’s extremely well made and backed by great customer service. $55 is a reasonable price for a custom handmade stand that’s crafted in the USA. If you appreciate woodwork and want a handsome stand for your vaping devices then I highly recommend this product.

Links: Vapor Stands Official Site

Vaping Diaries #74: Best Vaping E-Liquids of 2013 (Thus Far)

Since half the year is over, I wanted to use this column to talk about some of the best e-liquids I’ve tried in 2013. While most of these juices aren’t new, they were all new to me. Most of them have been reviewed in previous Vaping Diaries columns, while a few of them will be reviewed in the near future. Given my love for NET (naturally extracted tobacco) e-liquids, it wasn’t surprising that most of my favorites used real tobacco. However, a few synthetics and one dessert flavor made the list. Janty’s DK RY4 is considered by many to be the original RY4 and I’ve yet to taste a synthetic RY4 that’s as good. Five Pawns’ Gambit is ridiculously complex. As for the rest, here’s my list:

Peachy Criminal (Ahlusion) — A mild but complex tobacco accompanied by Ahlusion’s delicious, natural peach flavor
Honey Cured (Ahlusion) — A striking blend of strong, authentic tobacco and a bright honey sweetness
Vurley (Ahlusion) — A delicious burley tobacco complemented perfectly by sweet vanilla
Gambit (Five Pawns) — Easily the most complex dessert vape I’ve ever had
Louisville (Want2Vape) — A delicious burley tobacco with a slight, slight touch of sweetness
Patriot (Goodejuice) — Burley boldness, distinct perique, and sweet cavendish make up this delightful tobacco blend
GJ4 (Goodejuice) — The classic RY4 formula with an authentic tobacco “oomph”
DK RY4 (Janty) — Often copied, but never duplicated, this is the best synthetic RY4 I’ve ever had
Full Virginia Flake (Mountain Oak Vapors) — A NET RY4 that emphasizes sweetness, but with authentic tobacco in the background
Organic RY4 (Orb Vapor) — An atypical RY4 that’s given a nice twist through hazelnut and French vanilla flavorings

Vaping Diaries #73: Ahlusion Review V

Here’s a review of three dessert juices from one of my favorite e-liquid companies in the world, Ahlusion. In addition to making some of the best tobacco, fruit, beverage, and dessert e-liquids I’ve tried, Ahlusion’s customer service and packaging are top notch. While I really appreciate those aspects of the company, it all comes down to the juice and these three range from very good to great.

The flavors reviewed this time around are Pralines and Cream, Rick’s Request (rice pudding), and Maple Dream. All three are clean vapes that work fine with any juice delivery system. Two of them are very sweet, while one is moderately sweet. In general, I dislike overly sweet juices, unless they have complexity. These three juices definitely fit that bill. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Pralines and Cream: This is a really sweet juice based on the classic New Orleans praline recipe of pecans, sugar, and cream. At the time I ordered this juice, an almond option was available for those that prefer French pralines. I found the juice to be very sweet, but some of my friends thought it wasn’t quite sweet enough for a true NOLA pralines taste. I really enjoyed the blend of nuttiness, creaminess, and sweetness in this juice. While it wasn’t one of the best Ahlusion juices I’ve had, it was very good and much better than most juices out there. Unfortunately, this juice has been taken off the menu. I’m hoping that Ahlusion brings it back with an even better formula.

Rick’s Request: This is a rice pudding e-liquid that was named after an Ahlusion customer. It’s a very rich and creamy juice that’s probably the most polarizing of the three in this review. Some of my friends loved it, while some thought it was too perfumey or had a taste reminiscent of potpourri. I really enjoyed this one. It didn’t quite taste like rice pudding to me — more like several elements of rice pudding. It’s a delicious blend of cream, cinnamon, and a moderately sweet raisin flavor. It’s definitely one of the more unique juices I’ve tried this year. One thing to keep in mind is that Rick’s Request should get a long steep. The smell started to change at the five-week mark and my dripping tests showed that the flavor started to bloom (for me) shortly after that. Some people I know let this juice steep for four months before enjoying it.

Maple Dream: Unsurprisingly, this was my favorite juice of the bunch. I’ve enjoyed Ahlusion’s maple flavoring in Maple House Blend and I’m currently enjoying it in Maple Burley. This is a sweet and bright juice, with a nice, creamy undertone. When a lot of people hear maple, they think of maple syrup. That’s not what you’re getting here. This is a natural and flavorful maple sugar flavor. For me, this wasn’t quite as sweet as Pralines and Cream, but sweeter than Rick’s Request. As I’m partial to Ahlusion’s unique maple flavor, I found this juice to be delicious.

Pralines & Cream
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Rick’s Request
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Maple Dream
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Vaping Diaries #72: Innokin iTaste VV 3.0 Review

Innokin is back with the third version of the iTaste VV. Gone is the pen-cap cover, which some people loved and some people hated. The finicky magnet adapters have been dropped in favor of an eGo-threaded 510 connection. Battery life has been slightly improved too. The two big additions are a resistance (ohms) meter and variable-wattage performance.

The iTaste VV 3.0 competes with products like the eGo Twist and the KGO VV. Those products offer similar form factors and battery life, as well as variable-voltage versatility. The iTaste trumps them by offering both variable-voltage and variable-wattage performance. This is a big deal. As far as I know, Innokin is the only vendor that offers a relatively small e-cigarette with variable-wattage. On features alone, this is a best-in-class product, but how is its performance and value? Read on to find out.

What’s in the Kit: The iTaste VV 3.0 comes in a Full Kit and Express Kit. The Full Kit (pictured above) includes a battery, five iClear 16 clearomizers, a retractable Micro USB cable, a wall adapter, a detailed instruction manual for the device, and a leaflet for clearomizer instructions. The Express Kit comes with a battery and a retractable cable sans wall adapter.

Construction and Build Quality: The build quality of the device is good, but not great. Since it’s aimed towards newer vapers or heavy vapers looking for a secondary device, top-of-the-line materials aren’t used, which is totally expected. Most of the device is inexpensive metal (copper, aluminum, and zinc), while the accents and buttons are plastic. Like the other Innokin devices I’ve reviewed, this one features a bright and clear LCD display.

For a device this small and light, it feels solid…until you move it. This is a minor nitpick, but I didn’t like how the buttons rattled when the device was moved. The rattling adds a sense of cheapness to an otherwise solid device.

Ergonomics and Design: Unlike most of its competitors, the iTaste VV 3.0 features a square design. I love the look of the device; the lines are clean and the device is generally handsome. The squareness is practical too, since it won’t roll off of surfaces like round devices. The device is comfortable to hold and the buttons are accurate. There isn’t much you can do with vaping devices of this style, but Innokin’s design stands out.

Operation: The instruction manual does a great job of explaining the iTaste VV 3.0’s functions. It’s easy to switch between variable-wattage and variable-voltage mode, check atomizer resistance, and change voltage or wattage. The device can be adjusted from 3.3 to 5.0 volts in 0.1-volt increments, as well as 6.0 to 11.0 watts in 0.5-watt increments. The only thing I didn’t like on the operation side is that you’re forced to see the puff counter before you can adjust voltage or wattage. While I understand that the puff counter is a popular feature in some regions, most American vapers don’t care about it.

Performance and Battery Life: I was surprised and impressed by the device’s performance. Output was generally consistent over the numerous voltage and wattage settings I tried. The iTaste VV 3.0 delivered a satisfying vape with the various clearomizers, carto/tanks, and dripping atomizers I used with it. Vapers accustomed to large and powerful mods that are looking for a backup or stealth device will be happy with what this device delivers.

The iTaste VV 3.0’s battery capacity is rated at 800 mAh. This is enough for casual vapers to get through the day, but not nearly enough for heavy vapers. On the days that I used the iTaste VV 3.0 as my sole vaping device, I used around three full battery charges, which was inline with my expectations. The device does offer Micro USB passthrough, enabling simultaneous charging and vaping. If you’re a frequent vaper that’s looking to use this as your only device then I’d suggest getting two batteries.

Verdict: The Innokin iTaste VV 3.0 is the best small vaping device I’ve ever used. It performs well, delivers the battery life you’d expect from a device this size, and offers variable-wattage performance. As far as I know, it’s the only device this size that offers variable wattage, which adds nice convenience and great versatility for beginning vapers or those that don’t have the Ohm’s law vaping chart memorized.

The iTaste VV 3.0 Express Kit has a retail price of $49.99, while the Full Kit lists for $69.99. I’ve seen the former for as low as $25 and the latter for as low as $40. At those prices, both kits are fantastic values. The Full Kit is a great choice for people starting out with vaping or those upgrading from cig-alike products. The Express Kit works well for experienced vapers looking for a backup or stealth device. As of this writing, I believe that the iTaste VV 3.0 is the best vaping device in its category.

Vaping Diaries #71: Want2Vape Signature Blends Review

The three Want2Vape Signature Blends I recently vaped — Louisville, London, and Paris — are among the richest, most flavorful, and most authentic tobacco e-liquids I’ve had. All three are made with naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) and I highly recommend them to vapers that are serious about tobacco flavor. For those that have only tried or are accustomed to juices made with synthetic tobacco, the Signature Blends will probably be intimidating — these e-liquids are far more striking and complex compared to what most vendors push as “tobacco.” As a fan of tobacco e-liquids, especially NET juices, I was dazzled by the true tobacco flavor these juices bring to the table.

As much as I enjoyed vaping Louisville, London, and Paris, these e-liquids come with a couple of caveats. First, they’re very harsh on equipment. They’re among the heaviest NETs I’ve had and they gunk up coils faster than the vast majority of juices I’ve vaped. Using them in a carto/tank is a waste of time, in my opinion; you’ll probably gunk up the cartomizer after vaping a milliliter or two. These juices are best for dripping, but a clearomizer will work well too (rinsing the clearo out after every fill and giving the coils a dry burn). While this might seem inconvenient to some people, I believe that the incredible tobacco flavors these juices deliver are worth it. Second, at $19 for a 30ml, these juices are slightly expensive. Ahlusion has e-liquids similar to two of the Signature Blend juices reviewed here and Mountain Oak Vapors has one; both companies are a bit cheaper than Want2Vape.

Vapers that love genuine tobacco flavor or those that complain about e-liquids not tasting like tobacco should give Want2Vape’s Signature Blends a shot. These are top-notch juices that deliver phenomenal tobacco flavor. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Louisville Blend: This juice is based on burley tobacco, which is one of my favorites. It’s the brightest of the three, serving up a rich tobacco taste with a slight sweetness. When I say sweetness, it’s all relative. My friend (and NET connoisseur) Jeremy said it best, “Louisville has practically no sweetness in comparison to most liquids, but in a W2V stash, it is one that has more brightness than the rest and that slight touch of sweet. Honestly, I don’t see most vapers being able to get that touch of sweet in Louisville, but it’s in there.” The sweet notes were especially pronounced when I vaped this juice in a Kanger T3 clearomizer. Since I’m a mark for burley, this juice was my favorite of the three.

London Blend: This blend is a mix of Virginia, Oriental, and Latakia tobacco that replicates the taste of English pipe tobacco. If you’re looking for a straight-up, no-nonsense tobacco taste without any sweetness then this is the juice for you. It’s bold and flavorful. According to my tastebuds, it’s the most complex juice of the three. It’s similar to Ahlusion’s Devil Dog! and Mountain Oak Vapor’s Apache, but in my opinion is far more approachable than the former (which puts hairs on your chest) and a bit more approchable than the latter.

Paris Blend: This juice was the most surprising of the bunch. There aren’t many e-liquids that deliver the taste of a cigarette, but this is one of them. Want2Vape compares the flavor to European cigarettes like Gauloises, but to me it tastes like the Du Maurier cigarettes that are popular in ~~Canadia~~ Canada. So yes, this is one of those rare juices that tastes like a cigarette, but a very specific cigarette taste. I was surprised and impressed by the flavor — definitely one of the most unique NETs I’ve tried. This juice also stands out for using an unusual 5/95 PG/VG ratio. This is a wonderful juice that makes me want to wear a beret and sleep with married women (that’s what French people do, no?).

Louisville
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

London
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

Paris
5/95 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

Vaping Diaries #70: Five Pawns Tasting Room Tour

Last month I paid a visit to Five Pawns HQ in Irvine. In my interview with company president Rodney Jerabek, I learned about the company’s history and the story behind its fantastic e-liquids. In this video feature, Rodney and I talk about the Five Pawns tasting room. Blending high comfort and high style, this is one of coolest and classiest vaping lounges I’ve ever been to. The tasting room has super-cushy bar stools, a comfortable couch, art by Shepard Fairey, and some rare mechanical mods. Naturally, customers can sample and purchase Five Pawns e-liquid — including the barrel-aged Reserve Line — but they’ll also be able to try flavors that are in development. The company will use the tasting room for focus groups, allowing customers to try new flavors as they’re being fine tuned before they hit store shelves.

Check out the video above to see and hear more about the Five Pawns tasting room.

Vaping Diaries #69: Ovale USA eVic Replacement Tubes Review

Ovale USA has released three replacement tubes for the popular eVic vaping device. The tubes are available in black, white, and glossy chrome. The tubes currently cost $11.99 and are a great way to spruce up your eVic.

The replacement tubes are made from the same material as the original tube, so they maintain the eVic’s thin-and-light feel. Some people love how light the eVic is, while others believe that the thin metal tube feels a bit cheap. Yes, there are third-party tubes made from stainless steel and aircraft aluminum, but they’re much more expensive than these tubes. For the price, I think these are a great way to give your eVic a different look.

All three colors look great. Personally, I like the white model best, closely followed by the black one. The black and white tubes have a matte finish that feels good in your hand and resists fingerprints. While the glossy chrome finish looks sweet, it’s a fingerprint magnet (totally expected). Those that are anal with their mods will probably spend a lot of time wiping prints off the glossy chrome tube.

Even though I wish my eVic had more heft (I was particularly envious of my friend Andrew’s stainless steel eVic tubes by Kir Fanis), I’m a fan of these Ovale USA replacement parts. They’re inexpensive and a nice way to change your eVic’s aesthetics. They’re especially nice for people that like accessorize or mix-and-match.

Vaping Diaries #68: American eLiquid Review

If you’re a vaper that enjoys 0mg nicotine juices or someone that’s looking to eventually reach 0mg then you should give American eLiquid a look. The company sells juices that are made in the USA, using American-sourced ingredients. One unique American eLiquid practice is that its 0mg juices cost less than ones with nicotine — $10 less than 36mg juices and $5 less than juices at lower nicotine levels. A company rep told me that this was a “job well done” reward for 0mg vapers.

I recently vaped three of the company’s juices: Pineapple, English Toffee, and X1. While none of them blew me away, I enjoyed two of the juices and was surprised by the uniqueness of the third. Read on for the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Pineapple: This is a simple and straightforward flavor that I enjoyed. When vaped in a carto/tank or clearomizer, it tastes like grocery store pineapple juice. When dripped directly into an atomizer, it tastes closer to a fresh pineapple, though not quite. Flavor strength and sweetness are moderate, making it suitable for all-day vaping.

English Toffee: This was my favorite of the three e-liquids. It has a moderate sweetness and decent complexity. The caramelized sugar is complemented nicely by a buttery savoriness. Candy heads might find the sweetness lacking, but to me, toffee isn’t supposed to be overly sweet the way that children’s candy tends to be. I believe the company got the sweetness level just right — sweet enough that you can taste it, but not so much that it overshadows the buttery richness.

X1: This is one of the most unique juices I’ve tried this year, but it’s also not for me. It’s a tobacco juice mixed with various sweet flavors and a noticeable kick of anise. There’s a bit of cocoa (not chocolate) that’s well done too. The end result, for my tastebuds anyway, is a funky RY4 laced with anise. While I enjoy small amounts of anise in e-liquid, X1 had too much for me. I’m glad I tried the juice and I recommend giving it a shot if you’re looking for something different, but it just wasn’t my thing.

Pineapple
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

English Toffee
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

X1
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

Vaping Diaries #67: Five Pawns President Interview

Here’s an interview I conducted with Five Pawns president and founder Rodney Jerabek. I first came across Five Pawns e-liquids at Vaping Ape LA and was immediately impressed. The company makes some really delicious juices that are unusually rich and complex. It was great spending time at Five Pawns HQ and learning more about the company. In the video above, Rodney talks about the company’s origins, what goes into a Five Pawns e-liquid, why the juice costs what it does, the wood-barrel steeped “Reserve” line, and more.

There are a few things that make Five Pawns’ offerings unique. Let’s start with the e-liquids themselves. They’re made with natural ingredients, including some that are sourced locally. Many e-liquids use one, two, or three flavors in addition to the standard ingredients of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerol, and nicotine. Five Pawns juices contain up to 11 ingredients. This makes for some of the most distinct, complex, and flavorful juices I’ve tried.

Most e-liquid vendors have dozens of flavors available and it’s extremely rare for an e-liquid company to do many different types of flavors well. Off the top of my head, the only juice maker that excels in so many different areas is Ahlusion. Jerabek compared Five Pawns’ approach to In-N-Out Burger, a (glorious) fast food chain that offers a simple menu with everything on the menu done really well. To kick things off, he wanted the company to offer five juices that are all done really well.

Similar to fine wines and scotches, Five Pawns e-liquids are made in small batches. Typically, each batch results in 160 30ml bottles of juice. The bottles have the mixing date, lot number, and bottle number printed on them. The juices are pre-steeped so they’re good to go when you buy them in a store or receive them in the mail.

Jerabek’s background is in design, which is obvious from the company’s packaging. Five Pawns e-liquids come in clear glass bottles with some of the best labels I’ve seen. The bottles are placed in handsome cardboard tubes that remind me of liquor or perfume boxes. It makes for a high-end experience, similar to how Apple packaging enhances the experience of a great product.

Some vaping enthusiasts had sticker shock when they saw that Five Pawns’ online prices were $27.50 for a 30ml bottle. Jerabek was very honest about the pricing. First, he noted that he doesn’t want to compete with his retail partners; the prices available on the Five Pawns web site are the same that you’ll find in stores. He’s also positioning Five Pawns as a high-end e-liquid company, which is completely understandable considering the top-notch ingredients and packaging. With all of that in mind, $27.50 is a reasonable price for these great juices. I’ve seen mediocre and less-than-mediocre e-liquids sell for $25 for 30ml at retail — stuff that wasn’t 1/10 as good as Five Pawns juices.

As a Southern California resident, I’m jazzed that Irvine-based Five Pawns is off to a great start. The company makes some fantastic juices and the people I’ve met from there are super-cool. I also love the company’s artisanal approach to making e-liquids. I’m a fan of companies that excel while being different and I believe that Five Pawns fits that description. Stay tuned for a Five Pawns juice review and a video feature on the company’s awesome tasting room.

(Also, please excuse my horrible voice in the video. I’m even more nasally than usual. Ha! I was horribly congested that day. Actually, I still am…. Hmmmm, I need to fix this before E3 2013. Oy.)