Vaping Diaries #54: Highbrow Vapor Review

While I rarely come across three e-liquids that I don’t like in a single review (though it does happen), it’s also rare for me to love all three e-liquids from a single review. Yet that’s the case with the three Highbrow Vapor juices I recently vaped. It was a pleasure puffing away at the company’s Limoncello, Tabac de Perique, and Buttered Rum and Then Some e-liquids. These are definitely three juices that I’d recommend to fellow vapers and want to vape again in the future. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Limoncello: A few Highbrow Vapor fans have said that this juice tastes like lemon Italian ice and I think that description is right on the money. Specifically, it reminded me of the Marino’s Italian ice that I enjoyed as a kid. You get a pleasant and sweet lemon flavor, with a touch of tanginess. Out of the three flavors in this review, this is the most straightforward and probably the one with the broadest appeal. While Italian ice is a treat for a hot summer day, this is a delicious juice any time of the year.

Tabac de Perique: Juices made with perique flavor are some the most divisive out there. Perique has a very distinct taste, which some people describe as “musty” or “funky.” Personally, I enjoy perique, but understand why some people don’t. This juice isn’t as “funky” as some of the other perique juices I’ve had because burley tobacco is in the mix. The burley does a great job at complementing the perique and toning down the qualities that some people find overwhelming. It comes together for a very rich and flavorful tobacco blend that’s nutty and sweet. It was tough picking a favorite out of these three juices, but this was the one I always reached for first.

Buttered Rum and Then Some: Closing things out is a moderately sweet e-liquid with lots of complexity. Highbrow describes it as having “buttered rum, vanilla bean, hazelnut, hints of cinnamon, and nutmeg” flavors. The lovely thing about this juice was that different flavors become more pronounced depending on the wattage. For dessert vapes, I prefer juices that have complexity and aren’t overly sweet. With that in mind, this one was an absolute homerun (it’s baseball season!). Vapers that prefer really sweet juices might not like this one as much as I did, but for what I enjoy, it was truly outstanding.

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.

Limoncello
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 2013

Tabac de Perique
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 2013

Buttered Rum and Then Some
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 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 #54: Highbrow Vapor Review

While I rarely come across three e-liquids that I don’t like in a single review (though it does happen), it’s also rare for me to love all three e-liquids from a single review. Yet that’s the case with the three Highbrow Vapor juices I recently vaped. It was a pleasure puffing away at the company’s Limoncello, Tabac de Perique, and Buttered Rum and Then Some e-liquids. These are definitely three juices that I’d recommend to fellow vapers and want to vape again in the future. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Limoncello: A few Highbrow Vapor fans have said that this juice tastes like lemon Italian ice and I think that description is right on the money. Specifically, it reminded me of the Marino’s Italian ice that I enjoyed as a kid. You get a pleasant and sweet lemon flavor, with a touch of tanginess. Out of the three flavors in this review, this is the most straightforward and probably the one with the broadest appeal. While Italian ice is a treat for a hot summer day, this is a delicious juice any time of the year.

Tabac de Perique: Juices made with perique flavor are some the most divisive out there. Perique has a very distinct taste, which some people describe as “musty” or “funky.” Personally, I enjoy perique, but understand why some people don’t. This juice isn’t as “funky” as some of the other perique juices I’ve had because burley tobacco is in the mix. The burley does a great job at complementing the perique and toning down the qualities that some people find overwhelming. It comes together for a very rich and flavorful tobacco blend that’s nutty and sweet. It was tough picking a favorite out of these three juices, but this was the one I always reached for first.

Buttered Rum and Then Some: Closing things out is a moderately sweet e-liquid with lots of complexity. Highbrow describes it as having “buttered rum, vanilla bean, hazelnut, hints of cinnamon, and nutmeg” flavors. The lovely thing about this juice was that different flavors become more pronounced depending on the wattage. For dessert vapes, I prefer juices that have complexity and aren’t overly sweet. With that in mind, this one was an absolute homerun (it’s baseball season!). Vapers that prefer really sweet juices might not like this one as much as I did, but for what I enjoy, it was truly outstanding.

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.

Limoncello
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 2013

Tabac de Perique
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 2013

Buttered Rum and Then Some
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 14, 2013
Uncapped: February 16, 2013 5:31PM
Vaped: March 24 – April 2, 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.

The Post-WrestleMania Raw Phenomenon

The Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania has always been a charged event. The audience has lots of hardcore wrestling fans from out of town and there’s a lot of residual energy from the biggest pro-wrestling event of the year. The last two post-WrestleMania Raws have been particularly noteworthy. In 2012, the crowd was absolutely nuts for Bryan Danielson, since many felt that he was shafted by only getting 18 seconds of WrestleMania wrestling time. This year, the smarks (smart marks) totally took over the show; they completely overshadowed the Sheamus vs. Randy Orton match with out-of-nowhere chants (Mike Chioda?!?), made Fandango’s theme song shockingly popular, and became a bigger part of the show than most of the in-ring action.

Some are calling the post-WrestleMania Raw “Smarkageddon,” while others are using the terms, “Monday Night Marks,” and (my personal favorite), “Smarks After Dark.” Whatever label you prefer, it’s a beautiful case of the inmates running the asylum. If you missed out on the shenanigans then check out the clips below.

It’s too bad the WWE didn’t post the entire Sheamus vs. Orton match. The crowd was so unruly that it caused Orton to forget a line and had both wrestlers distracted at various points in the match. It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen from a WWE crowd. I’m used to such behavior at smaller, smark-filled shows like those held by Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate, and Pro-Wrestling Guerilla, but I’ve never seen it happen with a crowd that big, sustained for the entire show.

Some dirt-sheet writers feel that the crowd response “sent a message” to WWE and will start a trend of the audience upstaging the talent. While I expect several chants of Fandango’s “ChaChaLaLa,” I sincerely doubt there will be another show with a crowd as boisterous as the last Smarkageddon…until next year’s Smarkageddon.

What did you make of this year’s post-WrestleMania Raw? Do you think there will be a crow like that again in the near future? Or do you not expect to see an audience like that until Smarkageddon 2014?

Verizon Wireless Changes Upgrade Terms

Verizon Wireless has announced several changes to how upgrades work for its postpaid customers. In the past, customers were able to get upgrade pricing 20 months into an existing contract in exchange for extending the contract by two years. That deal is over. Instead, customers will have to wait for the entire length of the contract to expire before being eligible for upgrade prices. Here’s an excerpt from a post by Verizon’s executive director of corporate communications Brenda Raney:

In alignment with the terms of the contract, customers on a two-year agreement will be eligible for an upgrade at 24 months vs. today’s early upgrade eligibility at 20 months. This change aligns the upgrade date with the contract end date and is consistent with how the majority of customers purchase new phones today.

In the immortal words of Lando Calrissian, “This deal is getting worse all the time!”

Some tech pundits have speculated that Verizon’s chief competitor, AT&T, will follow suit. Many also believe that the Sprint and T-Mobile, the (distant) third- and fourth-largest carriers in the U.S., will capitalize on the move and emphasize the more lenient terms each company offers.

For you Verizon customers out there, does this change your view on the company? Are you less likely to renew your contract because of the new terms? Or is it not a big deal to you?

Source via Droid-Life

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Unfortunately, that gnarly flu-like thing I had last week returned on Wednesday. Fortunately, I’m going to use that as an excuse to play more Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Mac OSX). I’ve finished two games (assassin, fighter-thief) and I think I’ll start two more. This time I’m going to go with a kensai, with the intent to get him to level 13 in Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhance Edition before dual-classing him into a kensai-thief. I think I’ll give the shadowdancer thief kit a shot too. I love playing as a thief and backstabbing, so this kit should be a good fit for me.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Kick-Ass 2 Trailers

Here are a pair of trailer for Kick-Ass 2. The first one gives all the major characters equal time, while the second focuses on Hit Girl. As a fan of the comics and the first movie, I’m super looking forward to this one. Also, Chloe Moretz is on the cusp of becoming a beautiful woman. It’s borderline inappropriate to even be talking about it…which is fun in that Hermione kind of way. Anyway, check out the clips when you get a chance and let me know what you think (of the movie and Chloe). Are you looking forward to Kick-Ass 2?

How To Make a Fandango Ringtone With iTunes

For smarks, the hottest thing in the WWE is Fandango’s theme song, “ChaChaLaLa.” There are several reasons why the song is over; it’s an intricate, interesting, and ironic issue (the three Is, get it?!?). I’m not going to get into it right now, but what I will get into is how to make your very own Fandango ringtone. The current version of iTunes makes it super-easy to create your very own “ChaChaLaLa” ringtone for your iPhone. Here’s the rundown. Continue reading “How To Make a Fandango Ringtone With iTunes”

Vaping Diaries #53: A Visit to Vaping Ape Los Angeles

Earlier today, I had a fun meeting with Mr. Xia from Innokin. Since we planned to connect in Hollywood, I thought I’d stop by Vaping Ape Los Angeles. It’s a new shop, close to the bustling intersection of Hollywood and Highland. The store had a soft opening last week and things are off to a promising start. Vaping Ape LA has a chill vibe and a cool staff, making it a great place to shop, hang out, and vape.

The company is still acquiring more hardware and e-liquid (remember, soft opening), but the initial selection is pretty good. On the hardware front I noticed ProVape, Ovale, Boge, and Vape Affinity products. E-liquid selection currently includes Villain Vapors, Vaping Monkey, E-Liq Cube, and Naughty by Vapor (the company’s house juice…which I sincerely hope is followed up by A Tribe Called Vape). In the near future, Vaping Ape LA will have several new hardware and juice selections from some of the top companies in vaping.

As far as lounging goes, there’s a couch and a few chairs inside. There are also tables and chairs just outside of the shop, which is great because the weather in Los Angeles is fantastic 80 percent of the year.

For e-liquid sampling, Vaping Ape LA has carto/tanks loaded with every juice offered in the store. The shop provides drip tips for you to use and you can sample away. I tried a pair of E-Liq Cube juices, as well as every flavor in the Naughty by Vapor Line (after being followed by A Tribe Called, Vape La Soul should be next).

I really enjoyed chatting with the Vaping Ape LA team. Everyone was friendly and knowledgable. Everyone was also Filipino-American and I happened to be wearing one of my Manny Pacquiao t-shirts. I’m pretty sure that it was kismet that I wore that shirt and chose to visit the shop on this day. I think it means that it’s my destiny to hang out at Vaping Ape LA more. Ha!

Stay tuned for a video interview on the shop in the near future. For now, check out the Vaping Ape LA photo gallery below.

[nggallery id=126]

Vader’s Little Princess Lands in April

I rarely buy physical books, but I couldn’t resist the utterly charming Darth Vader and Son. It’s a cute, cartoonish take on what it would have been like if Darth Vader raised Luke Skywalker. I’m totally psyched for the follow up, Vader’s Little Princess. As you’ve probably figured out, this book is a whimsical take on the father-daughter relationship between Darth Vader and Prince Leia. The images released totally have me sold. If you need more convincing then check out the video below.

Vader’s Little Princess is set for an April 23, 2013 release.