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Vaping Diaries #79: Five Pawns Review

If you’re looking for complex e-liquids with amazing flavors then you should definitely check out Five Pawns. In a very short time, the company has become one of the best e-liquid vendors in the world, as far as quality goes. Its juices have a complexity that I’ve only seen from a handful of other companies.

Positioned as premium e-liquid, Five Pawns juices come in glass bottles covered with cardboard tubes. The box protects the bottle and adds a classy look. Each bottle lists the mix date, lot number, and bottle number. The packaging reminds me a lot of Apple products; slick labeling and packaging envelope a superior product, enhancing the experience.

A lot of people get sticker shock when they see the price of Five Pawn’s e-liquids — $27.50 for the standard line and $37.50 for the Reserve line (30ml bottles). Yes, they’re expensive compared to other online vendors, but as I learned during my interview with Five Pawns president Rodney Jerabek, the business focuses on retail. Since Five Pawns doesn’t want to undercut its retail partners, the online prices are the same as retail prices. With many brick-and-mortar shops selling average juice (or worse) for $1 per milliliter, the Five Pawns prices are inline. Of course it all comes down to taste. To me, these juices are absolutely worth the price and I’ll definitely be buying more bottles in the future. That said, I totally understand why some people think they’re too expensive. As they say in Thailand, “Up to you.”

The three juices covered in this review are Bowden’s Mate, Absolute Pin, and Castle Long Reserve. The last juice is particularly unique, as it’s aged for three weeks in a treated oak barrel. All three juices are rich, flavorful, and complex. If you’re the type of vaper that enjoys simple and straightforward juices (which can be delicious in their own right) then these might not be for you. If you appreciate complex flavors and unique mixes of multiple ingredients then you should definitely check out these juices. Here are the the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Bowden’s Mate: This is a sweet, creamy, and minty e-liquid. The French vanilla and mint hit me right away on the inhale. A nice chocolate followed those flavors. Yes, there are many vendors that make an “Andes Candies” type of juice, but this one is better than any that I’ve tried. Five Pawns’ French vanilla is wonderfully delicious and totally makes this juice, making it different from the other chocolate/mint flavors out there. Like other Five Pawns e-liquids, it’s finely crafted and the flavors come together splendidly.

Absolute Pin: Absinthe fans must give this juice a try. The tasting notes mention a “subtle absinthe undertone,” but the anise dominated the flavor to me. (To be fair, I’m pretty sensitive to anise due to several unfortunate Jaegermesiter-fueled evenings.) Complementing the anise are caramel, cinnamon, and Irish cream. It all comes together for a ridiculously complex and boldly flavorful juice. It’s definitely not an all-day vape for me, as I can only take anise in small doses, but I really appreciate the blend. I never thought absinthe and caramel would work so well together. A few friends of mine that love absinthe juices mentioned that this is one of the best and most unique blends they’ve tried.

Castle Long Reserve: The insert included with the bottle says, “What’s in this bottle is special.” That’s not pretense or exaggeration. This is a truly special e-liquid. Toasted almond and coconut hit me right away, followed by vanilla. The vanilla flavor in this juice isn’t as dominant as it is in some other Five Pawns flavors; it’s more complementary, while still adding to the deliciousness. Further in the background is a touch of bourbon. The flavors come together amazingly. Castle Long Reserve is a finely crafted juice that’s easily one of the best and most unique I’ve ever had.

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.

Bowden’s Made
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Mix Date: March 22, 2013
Uncapped: May 23, 2013 7:22PM
Vaped: June 6-10, 2013

Absolute Pin
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Mix Date: March 22, 2013
Uncapped: May 23, 2013 7:22PM
Vaped: June 6-10, 2013

Castle Long Reserve
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Mix Date: May 25, 2013
Uncapped: July 5, 2013 6:40PM
Vaped: July 15-19, 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.

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Preview/Interview

Last week I caught a demo of Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, a unique platform/music game developed by Threaks and being published by Reverb. Executive producer Ted Lange took me through the game and chatted with me after the demo. Beatbuddy features a story by Rhianna Pratchett and music from Austin Wintory (Journey). Lange described the game as being “familiar and different.” It has platform elements that will instantly feel familiar to gamers that have played loads of Mario and Sonic games, but also has a distinct art style and makes very unique use of music.

Beatbuddy stars a globular hero named Beat. He’s one of three musical spirits, along with Harmony and Melody (though he totally looks like a water-type Pokemon to me…perhaps Manaphy’s cousin). The evil Prince Maestro wants to enslave music, while the ethereal music spirits think that music should be free for everyone. It’s up to Beat to lead the charge and liberate music. (Rumor has it that Beat, Harmony, and Melody are in cahoots with Kim Dotcom.)

As I mentioned in the intro, the game features unique use of music. Each level’s track is broken up so that different objects and enemies represent different musical instruments. For example, a menacing creature will pulsate to the rhythm of the track’s bass drum, while obstacles will move in time with the hi-hat. As Beat moves closer to a particular enemy or object, the corresponding instrument’s sound will become louder. The music — and the individual instruments that make the track — define the level as much as the art and layout. It’s a unique twist that adds a cool layer of interactivity.

The game’s art is beautiful and distinct. In an age where 3D rules the roost, it’s refreshing to see a videogame with hand-painted art. The color palette and style give the game a charming look, while the use of layers gives it a pseudo-3D feel.

Check out my interview with Ted to learn more about the game. As a fan of old-school NES and SNES platformers, as well as a fan of music games, I’m really looking forward to Beatbuddy. After you’ve watched the vid, leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section (please!).

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians will be released on August 6, 2013 for Windows PC, Mac OS X, and Linux for $14.99.

Vaping Diaries #78: CravinVapes Review

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.

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

Vaping Diaries #77: Innokin iTaste 134 Preview

The Innokin iTaste 134 is one of the most unique vaping devices I’ve seen all year. This 18650-battery mod has extremely distinct looks, an unusual weight and heft for a digital mod, and an atypical slider to adjust wattage. It’s very cool and very macho, but there are a few things to think about before you plop down money for a pre-order.

The iTaste 134’s design is striking. It totally reminded me of Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s character in Predator. (The one that “Ain’t got time to bleed,” and proclaimed himself to be, “A goddamn sexual tyranasaurus.”) This is the vaping device that he’d use. It has very bold lines that give it a masculine appearance.

Vapers that prefer thin-and-light mods will find the iTaste 134 intimidating. It’s one of the largest and heaviest devices I’ve used. It’s even bigger than an Alt Smoke Silver Bullet with a Kick extension, a device many consider to be large. Personally, I prefer mods that have a nice heft, so I’ve been enjoying the iTaste 134. Keep in mind that I’ve only had it for a few hours. I’m curious to find out if the weight will bother me after extended usage.

To change the device’s output, you have to twist a sliding mechanism. This is common with smaller vaping devices, like the eGo Twist, but something I haven’t seen in a mod that uses 18650 batteries. The lowest setting is 6.5 watts. From there, you can adjust in 1-watt increments from 7-watts to 12-watts. The iTaste 134’s highest setting is 12.5 watts. While many vapers will be fine with this setup, those that like to fine-tune their wattage will have to compromise. Another factor to keep in mind is that while the slider mechanism makes the iTaste 134 very easy to use, it also means that the device can’t do things that those with digital screens can do, such as displaying resistance (ohms) and precise battery levels.

The iTaste 134 comes in a nice decorative box. Included are the unit and one iClear 30 clearomizer. Innokin is still determining the MSRP (which should be finalized next week). I’ve seen pre-orders for the iTaste 134 as low as $99 and as high as $160.

While this is definitely a very cool and very distinct device, I need to spend more time with it in order to judge its performance. Stay tuned for the full review in the near future.

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.

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

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 #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

E3 2013: Wolfenstein — The New Order Interview

I stopped by Bethesda’s E3 2013 booth to chat with MachineGames gameplay designer Sabine Rösgren to talk about Wolfenstein: The New Order. The game is set in an alternate version of the ’60s where the Nazis won World War II. Naturally, it’s up to William “B.J.” Blazkowicz to save the day. Wolfenstein: The New Order combines gameplay elements from the old-school Wolfenstein games with modern touches like laser weapons and giant robots. Check out the video above for more details from Rösgren. And yes, I totally bombed this interview because I instantly had a major, major crush on Sabine. Bethesda needs to warn people before they have to interview dreamy Swedish women that sound like Bjork.