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Vaping Diaries #60: Goodejuice Review

I’ve recently had the pleasure of vaping three e-liquids from Goodejuice’s “House Brewed” line. The flavors covered in this review are Apple Cured, Wild Turkey Tobacco, and GJ4 Tobacco. These juices are a cut above the majority of tobacco e-liquids on the market since they’re made with macerated tobacco and triple-steeped using a “secret process.” Whatever that secret is, it produces a rich, flavorful, and authentic tobacco taste. Although I loved two of them and “only” liked one, I’m comfortable saying that all three are high-quality products that I consider artisanal juices.

As much as I enjoyed vaping these Goodejuice e-liquids, they’re not for everyone. Those accustomed to synthetic tobacco juices, which are quite enjoyable in their own right, might be shocked by these e-liquids. Although the three products I covered use different tobaccos and other flavors, there are some commonalities between them. (I’m going to guess that’s a result of the proprietary steeping process the company uses.) Some vapers have described Goodejuice’s House Brewed line as having pungent, musty, or funky qualities. Keep in mind that those adjectives aren’t being used in a negative way when describing these juices. The flavors are distinct and stand out, which is fantastic for tobacco lovers, but can be a bit much for those that occasionally enjoy a tobacco vape.

These juices are cleaner than many others made with naturally extracted tobacco (NET). Heavy NET e-liquids can murder equipment and aren’t recommend for carto/tank setups. Ahlusion aromatics, like the wonderful Honey Cured, are some of my favorites, but they’re tough on coils. While I don’t think they’re as carto-friendly as Heather’s Heavenly Vapes NET juices, these Goodejuice e-liquids work fine in carto/tanks, but they’ll certainly clog them up faster than non-NET juices.

Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Apple Cured: A fantastic apple flavor hits you right away and is quickly followed by a full tobacco taste. The organic apple flavoring is bright and sweet, with just a touch of acidic bite. While the flavors don’t blend together seamlessly in the way that many Ahlusion tobaccos do, they complement each other nicely. I usually don’t like juices that are very sweet, unless they also have complexity. Apple Cured definitely fits the bill. The delicious sweetness, authentic tobacco taste, and Goodejuice “funk” give this juice a nice complexity that made it a pleasure to vape.

Wild Turkey Tobacco: While I see lots of e-liquids made with Burley, Latakia, and Virginia tobaccos, Turkish (Oriental) tobacco e-liquids are less common. I was excited to try this one because I used to enjoy cigarettes made with Turkish tobacco. Wild Turkey delivers a dry and grassy taste that’s one of the better approximations of tobacco cigarette flavor that I’ve had. The description says that it’s “naturally sweet,” but I was only getting a slight sweetness from it, no matter what juice delivery system I used. Initially, I was only okay with this juice (though I totally respected the craft that went into it), but I grew to like it — just not as much as the other two.

GJ4 Tobacco: This is Goodejuice’s extracted-tobacco take on the hugely popular RY4 e-liquid. For those of you not familiar with the juice, RY4 was originally created by Janty using a mix of synthetic tobacco, caramel, vanilla, and other flavors. Over the years, juice vendors have deemphasized the tobacco in favor of the sweeter tastes. GJ4 takes it back with a vengeance. While it does have sweet notes, the smokey, flavorful, and musty tobacco flavor stands out. Fans of classic and modern RY4s might find it overwhelming, but I loved this one. The smokiness and mustiness of the tobacco give it a nice burnt-caramel taste, while the vanilla lingers throughout the vape. First and foremost is the fantastic tobacco flavor. Out of the three juice in this review, GJ4 was my favorite.

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.

Apple Cured Tobacco
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 2013

Wild Turkey
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 2013

GJ4
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 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.

Note: Obviously I made an exception to my normal review process, since these juices are cleaner than many NET juices.

Random Thoughts on Iron Man 3

After an action-packed ensemble adventure in The Avengers, Iron Man gets the stage to himself once more in Iron Man 3. The movie is definitely fun, but not as good as the first two Iron Man movies or The Avengers. Director Shane Black adds more humor and snark while retaining the awesome mech-fueled action of his predecessor, Jon Favreau. Unfortunately, his storytelling isn’t as tight and his movie doesn’t have as much heart. Here are some random spoiler-free thoughts on Iron Man 3.

When Did Jon Favreau Get Old?!? — The first thing that caught my attention in Iron Man 3 has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. Seconds after the opening credits, I was shocked to see how old Jon Favreau looks. I knew he was getting larger, but his face was a harsh reminder of my own mortality. He’ll always be that fresh-faced newbie Angeleno in Swingers to me. I can’t believe that movie is as old as McKayla Maroney. Gah.

Jokey Jokesters — My friend Paul and I agreed that this movie had much more humor than its predecessors. The first two had funny moments, but the jokes were interspersed with a little bit of drama and lots of action. The gags in Iron Man 3 are more frequent and felt forced or excessive at times. Especially when…

…Tony Stark is Being a Dick — While Robert Downey, Jr. was expectedly excellent, some of the material he was working with had an unusual tone. The previous movies did a wonderful job of establishing Stark as a narcissistic and womanizing genius that has substance issues and a growing conscience. For some reason, this movie unveiled his dickish side. It lead to some funny exchanges, but seemed out of character. Stark can be stubborn, self righteous, and overzealous — both in the movies and the comics — but there are moments in Iron Man 3 where he’s unusually cruel. Even though Downey delivered the lines with aplomb, the meanness felt out of place.

Mandarin Surprise — When I found out that one of the Iron Man 3’s protagonists was the Mandarin, I was worried. The character works in comics, but is a bit too ridiculous for movies. The movie version of Mandarin was not at all what I was expecting and it totally worked. Keep in mind that I usually hate major deviations from the source material (Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, for example), so I was shocked by how delighted I was with movie Mandarin. Of course it helps that a master thespian like Ben Kingsley completely owned the role.

Executive Mocking Continues — I love how the Iron Man movies poke fun at real-life executives. In Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell showed qualities of Microsoft Bill Gates and Apple Steve Jobs while playing Justin Hammer. In this film, Guy Pearce takes several cues from Virgin Group Richard Branson. I’m looking forward to Iron Man 4, when Tony Stark will battle a Mark Zuckerberg pastiche, complete with a menacing hoodie powered by Extremis.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Abs — While I vehemently disagree with People Magazine crowning Ms. Paltrow as the most beautiful woman in the world (she wasn’t even the most beautiful woman in Iron Man 2), she’s still a lovely creature that takes exquisite care of her body. Borrowing a page from Padme Amidala’s playbook, Paltrow’s Pepper Potts shows a lot of skin during the movie’s climax. Her stomach looked marvelous and made me dream of what it would be like to eat sushi off of it. It was so yummy that I probably missed some cool tech sequences while I was mesmerized by Gwyneth’s abs.

No Dual Villains — One of the reasons I enjoyed Iron Man 2 so much is that it had separate villains for Iron Man and Tony Stark. I enjoyed that Whiplash menaced the superhero Iron Man, while Justin Hammer threatened businessman and technologist Tony Stark. This is a layered and complex hero, and I loved that the second movie had antagonists for different facets of the character. With that in mind, I was disappointed that the third movie didn’t do the same.

Pacing and Surprise — Iron Man 3 flows at a consistent but predictable pace. The first two movies did a better job of using humor, action, and drama to mix things up. While this movie isn’t paced poorly by any means, it just feels very by-the-numbers. That’s all on Shane Black, who simply isn’t as good at dealing with Iron Man as Jon Favreau was.

Bottom Line — Iron Man 3 is definitely entertaining and enjoyable. It has bigger and better action than the first two movies, but as a whole I don’t think it’s as good. The actors are better than ever in these roles, but the direction and writing have taken a dip. A few of my friends and a few critics have said that Iron Man 3 is the best in the series and the best Marvel movie to date. While I enjoyed it, I completely disagree with that assessment. After seeing Iron Man and Iron Man 2 in theaters, I wanted to see it again. After the Iron Man 3 screening, I’m content to wait for the Blu-ray.

Vaping Diaries #57: Ahlusion Review IV

Ah, another Ahlusion review. These are always fun to do because the company is so good. My excellent friend Glenda was over this week and tried some of the Ahlusion goods I had. She had a moment that reminded me of one of Alan Rickman’s lines in Bottle Shock; she got quiet after vaping them and said, “All these Ahlusion juices…are…so good!” Anyway, back to the review. This time around I vaped the company’s Boba Tea with Lychee, Honey Cured, and Peachy Criminal. Two of the e-liquids were outstanding — easily two of the best I’ve had in 2013. The other was good, but not what I was expecting. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Boba Tea with Lychee: Raina and I covered plain Boba Tea in January and enjoyed it. I had high hopes for this juice, since I often order boba with lychee in real life. As far as the lychee flavor goes, it’s spot on — very clean and flavorful. Unfortunately, there’s too much of it. It drowns out the milk tea flavor associated with boba. The milky sweetness that I like in plain Boba Tea is overpowered by the lychee, making this juice more like Lychee with Boba Tea than Boba Tea with Lychee. While this juice was definitely well made, the flavor wasn’t quite what I wanted or expected.

The good news is that Ahlusion has changed the formula from when I ordered the juice. The company says that it should be more balanced out now. Considering that the majority of my Ahlusion experiences have been fantastic, I’m willing to give the company the benefit of the doubt and will revisit the flavor in a future review.

Honey Cured: This juice is part of Ahlusion’s phenomenal aromatic line of tobacco e-liquids, which includes two of my favorite tobacco e-liquids: Blue Grass Burley and Vurley. Like those two fine juices, I absolutely love this one, but it’s a little bit different than its sisters. For people intimidated by the aromatic line, this is a great starter juice since it’s not as bold as the others. It’s still way more flavorful than the majority of tobacco e-liquids on the market, but the somewhat lighter tobacco combined with the sweet honey taste makes it more approachable than the other aromatics I’ve enjoyed.

As for the honey flavor itself, its very sweet and natural-tasting. Normally, I don’t enjoy e-liquids that are too sweet, but this one is amazingly well balanced. The strength and complexity of the tobacco combines with the bright honey sweetness perfectly. I’m often amazed by how masterful Ahlusion is with blending flavors. Honey Cured is another example of why the company is better than the vast majority of its competitors. Like the other aromatic juices, this one isn’t ideal for carto/tanks; it tastes great in a clearomizer and tastes divine in a dripping atomizer.

On a side note, I spilled some of this juice on my sleeve and a cute girl in an elevator thought it was “hot” cologne. This is the first e-liquid I’ve vaped that lead to a coffee date. Bonus! (Also, hi Kyung!)

Peachy Criminal: I love peach. I love tobacco. Ergo peach-tobacco e-liquids should be a homerun for me. As I learned with HHV’s Georgia Peach Tobacco, that’s not necessarily the case. Fortunately, this juice surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Some people feel that this juice has too much going on, but I completely disagree. I loved the blend of Smooth Criminal’s nutty and sweet tobacco combined with a fantastic peach flavoring. It comes together brilliantly. Whereas HHV’s juice tasted like the flavors were fighting for supremacy, the flavors in this e-liquid complemented each other marvelously, resulting in a blissful vape.

One caveat with this juice is that you should give it a long steep. For me, the juice started to “bloom” five weeks in and really started to change after two months. Some people like to steep their Smooth Criminal for as long as four months. In my experience, five weeks is good, but two months is better.

While I loved Honey Cured (as I thought I would), I’m going with Peachy Criminal as my favorite of this batch. I’ve had other full-bodied tobacco e-liquids that I’ve enjoyed as much or more than Honey Cured, but I’ve never had a better peach tobacco than Peachy Criminal.

Boba Tea with Lychee
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Vaped: April 4-10, 2013

Honey Cured
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: April 5-10, 2013

Peachy Criminal
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Vaped: April 5-10, 2013

Random Thoughts on Pain & Gain

The maestro extraordinaire of big, dumb movies, Michael Bay, is with Pain & Gain. While it’s certainly not his biggest movie (hard to top space rocks and transforming robots), it’s definitely his dumbest…but in a good way. For a large portion of the flick, Bay’s manic directing style, hilarious performances, and sharp writing come together marvelously. The only problem is if you know about the real-life story Pain & Gain it based on. If you do, then having a blast with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can be uncomfortable and morally questionable. Here are some spoiler-free thoughts on the movie.

Celebrating Villains: For those of you not familiar with Pain & Gain’s plot, it’s based on a true story about a group of criminal bodybuilders in Florida. From what I’ve read about the “Sun Gym Gang,” some of the facts in the movie are accurate, many situations are embellished, and most of the characterizations are way off. In the movie, they’re portrayed as bumbling idiots. While they were somewhat inept in real life, a lot of what they did was cleverly sinister.

The problem some people have with this movie is that the Sun Gym Gang murdered, tortured, extorted, and more. The movie can be lots of fun when you forget that it’s based on actual people and events, but when you remember, it’s hard not to feel guilty and/or uncomfortable. An action-comedy based on people that killed and performed grisly acts can be tough to enjoy.

A Perfect Blend…For a While: The first half of Pain & Gain works so well. Bay’s style is what it is — a frenetic pace that can be exasperating. This time around, it’s complemented (covered up?) by witty writing by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. I loved the job those guys did with Captain America: The First Avenger and I’m looking forward to their work in the upcoming Cap/Thor movies. The three leads — Wahlberg, The Rock, and Anthony Mackie (Papa Doc from 8 Mile!) — handle the dialogue and Bay’s breakneck pace skillfully (more on them later).

After the villains’ first successful caper, the movie stalls out. When the tone gets more serious, the movie becomes less fun and somewhat tedious. It’s a strange case of the writing changing the feel of the movie. Throughout it all, the visual style is the same — lots of motion, dramatic cuts, fast pace, etc. When the writing focuses on comedy, like much of the first half, the flow is wonderful. When the second act develops and serious events happen later in the film, the blend isn’t as smooth.

Charming Idiots: The lead actors are so charming in their stupidity, but they’re also diverse in their idiocy. The Rock is particularly excellent as the moron that’s sensitive and religious…and also fond of snow (the snorting kind). The role was perfect form him; he got to show off his athletic and comedic chops, while showing a somewhat effeminate soft side. The character was in his wheelhouse and he knocked it out of the park.

I’ve been a fan of Mackie’s ever since 8 Mile and it was fun to watch him excel in this movie. The smartest idiot of the group, this character is loyal to his friends, has a predilection for plus-size women, and is suffering from…performance issues.

On paper, Wahlberg’s character is supposed to be the least likable, but Marky Mark’s boyish charm is tough to resist. His character is the idiot that doesn’t realize the full extent of his stupidity. There are times when Wahlberg is so charming that you find yourself rooting for him…and then you remember that he’s a murderous conman…and you feel guilty for rooting for him.

The Rock, Wahlberg, and Mackie were wonderfully entertaining idiots in this movie. It would have been easy to have them simply be a gang of fools, but thanks to good writing and great performances, each character displays a distinct form of idiocy.

Hey, Remember the ’90s?: I loved all the ’90s music and clothing used in the movie. It was a marvelously ridiculous decade and it’s no wonder that these marvelously ridiculous events happened back then. The Zubaz pants, Stryper references, and “Blaze of Glory” soundtrack brought me back that glorious time. Hmmmm, I wonder if Zubaz are ready an ironic comeback. That would be cool.

Bottom Line: I absolutely loved the first half of Pain & Gain. It was funny and thrilling. All three leads rocked, while Ken Jeong, Rebel Wilson, and Ed Harris were great in their smaller roles. Tony Shalhoub was fantastic as the unlikable victim. Bar Paly, I could stare at for hours (bonus photo below!). It all comes together so well…

…until the writing starts to flatten out and the tone becomes more serious. What starts out as a super-entertaining action-comedy becomes a mediocre and macabre movie in the second half. I definitely enjoyed Pain & Gain and it’s something I will definitely watch on cable. I’m certain that I’ll see it dozens of times on TV and I’m also certain that I’ll fall asleep or change the channel during the second half of the movie for the majority of those viewings.

Vaping Diaries #55: Vapor Zeus Review

For the last few months, I’ve been using Vapor4Life’s latest e-cig, the Vapor Zeus. This is an easy-to-use vaping device that delivers a surprising amount of power. Like most products in the V4L arsenal, the Vapor Zeus is an 808D-threaded product. Unlike most fixed-voltage vaping-devices that put out 3.7 volts of power, the Vapor Zeus delivers 5.0 volts. If you’re looking for a simple e-cig and want strong performance without having to worry about different voltage or wattage settings then this product is definitely worth a look.

What’s in the Kit: The Vapor Zeus is available in a kit that comes with one battery, two Smileomizer cartomizers, a wall charger, a MiniUSB cable, and a 30ml bottle of e-liquid. The automatic kit currently lists for $89.95, while the dual-mode kit runs $99.95. Vapers that are just interested in the battery, which uses an 808D connection, can pick one up for $54.95 (automatic) and $64.95 (dual-mode).

The V4L Smileomizers are pretty unique. The vast majority of cartomizers on the market hold 1.0 to 1.5ml of e-liquid. The Smileomizers hold 3.5ml, which is as much or more than what many clearomizers and tanks hold. Next to dripping, standalone cartomizers offer the simplest vaping experience. A lot of people don’t mind the extra work that comes with carto/tanks or the inconsistency of many clearomizers, but those looking for absolute ease-of-use will appreciate what the Vapor Zeus and Smilomizers offer.

Construction and Build Quality: The construction of the Vapor Zeus is totally straightforward. It’s a simple battery that resembles a long and thin cigar. The coating has a slightly rubberized feel that adds some grip. The device is available in black and brown. I liked both colors, but preferred the black version.

Ergonomics and Design: The Vapor Zeus is thin enough to be pocketable, but its length — particularly with the included Smileomizer cartomizer — might be a bit much for some vapers. Personally, I was happy with its dimensions, but understand that some people might think that it’s a tad too long.

Performance and Battery Life: For a simple vaping device, the Vapor Zeus delivers a lot of power. The five-volt performance gives it a kick that most devices of this style lack. I was initially surprised and quickly delighted by the big-time flavor and vapor production this baby put out. As for battery life, the 900 mAh got me through roughly half a day of heavy vaping. While passthrough charging will enable some people to use this as a sole vaping device, heavy vapers — especially those that aren’t always near a PC or wall outlet — should consider picking up two batteries.

As for the difference between the automatic and dual-mode models, I greatly preferred the dual-model version. The automatic mode has an expectedly tighter draw and I prefer an airier one. While I generally used the dual-mode model in manual mode, I really appreciated the option of having the automatic mode available. This e-cig is too heavy for most people to use hands-free all the time, but it’s totally doable for short sessions. I enjoyed being able to type while enjoying a satisfying vape.

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Verdict: As far as performance goes, the Vapor Zeus is a winner. I haven’t used a fixed-voltage device of this style that offers this much performance. The kit is complete and comes with everything a vaper needs to get started. It’s a fantastic choice for those just starting out with vaping and good choice for advanced vapers that want a simple backup. Like most V4L products, it’s back by great service that includes a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 90-day warranty.

All that said, I think that the kit is a bit overpriced. The good news is that Vapor4Life often sends out newsletter coupons. So while I think that the Vapor Zeus is definitely a great product, my personal recommendation is to wait for a good newsletter coupon before picking one up.

Random Thoughts on Oblivion

One-line summary of Oblivion: Ethan Hunt, Nelson Mandela, and Jaime Lannister fight an evil space triangle.

What? That’s not enough to get you to see the movie? Fine, I’ll share some random thoughts on it so that you can see if the movie is worth your money. While I very much enjoyed Oblivion, I feel that it’s important to note that I had really low expectations going into last Monday’s screening. First, I’m still not over my disappointment with G.I. Joe: Retaliation, so I was kind of down on 2013 movies in general. Secondly, I read a couple of reviews that said that the movie was like a stereotypical high-school cheerleader: beautiful to look at, but not a lot there. While the movie’s cinematography was definitely superb, I also enjoyed the story and performances. Oblivion didn’t blow me away by any means, but I had fun with it as a sci-fi spectacle with a touch of romance. Now for some random thoughts (with minor spoilers)!

Story and Writing: Like so many sci-fi movies before it, Oblivion tells the tale of a post-apocalyptic Earth. Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper, a repairman who is stationed on Earth to oversee the mining of the planet’s remaining natural resources. He lives in a lovely sky studio (that looks like it was designed by Philippe Starck) with his lover and computer operator Victoria Olsen. The two believe that they’re on the final two weeks of their mission, counting down the days before they can go to Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) and rejoin the rest of humanity…but things aren’t what they seem.

Jack, being the naturally curious repairman that he is, believes that something is amiss and suffers from constant flashbacks (that may or may not have been the result of too many viewings of Sleepless in Seattle). Through a series of plot twists, he’s captured by the Scavengers. He believed that the Scavs are aliens that destroyed the Earth, but in reality they’re just a bunch of guys that dress like the Helghast from Killzone and know the truth behind Earth’s demise. Some critics have said that the movie’s writing is derivative; while it’s true that it borrows several conventions and twists found in other sci-fi movies, I thought that it was put together in a way that stands on its own.

Cinematography: This is one of the most beautiful movies I’ve seen in the last five years. There are several shots that will take your breath away (like in the old Tom Cruise movie). By my completely unscientific estimation, at least 50 percent of the movie consists of scenes featuring Cruise by himself. The DP and director did a masterful job with these scenes, creating palpable feelings of isolation and desolation. (Shooting Cruise by himself also helps mask his height. Bonus!) If you’re a sci-fi or videography fan then it’s worth paying money to see this movie on the big screen. Some of the shots are that good.

Music: One of the few problems I had with the movie was with the score. There are three scenes where the score’s sound is pumped up to create a sense of drama. The technique only worked in the last instance, which was near the end of the movie. That scene felt appropriately climactic and triumphant, aided by the stentorian score. In the other two scenes I was wondering, “Why is the music so loud?” It felt out of place at best and forced at worst. Overall this was a minor problem, but the pair of scenes that featured inappropriately loud music pulled me out of the fantasy and reminded me that I was in a movie theater in Culver City. That’s not what you want a movie’s soundtrack to do.

The Kingslayer: It was fun seeing Nikolaj Coster-Waldau outside of HBO’s outstanding Game of Thrones. He doesn’t do a whole lot and my friend Paul theorized that some of his scenes were added after he became famous. Certainly some of his action sequences feel tacked on and don’t really serve much of a purpose other than to get moviegoers to think, “Sweet! Jaime Lannister is a badass with guns as well as swords!”

Bottom Line: Oblivion is an undeniably beautiful movie. It’s full of scenes that look amazing and will dazzle moviegoers. The movie’s story is the easiest part to criticize. I understand why some people feel that it borrows from several other sci-fi films and mashes them up into a hodgepodge that doesn’t quite work, but I disagree with that opinion. For me, Oblivion was just on the right side of the line between having a plot that’s entertainingly smart and one that’s too clever for its own good (see Prometheus). While I don’t think it will go down as a sci-fi classic, it’s a fun movie that deftly blends drama and action, while topping it off with a bit of romance.

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.

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

Vaping Diaries #54: Highbrow Vapor Review

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

Vaping Diaries #52: Goody Vapes Review

While I was in the Philippines last month, I vaped three e-liquids from Goody Vapes — Caramel Apple, Horchata, and S’More Goody Juice. These liquids are made-to-order using “100% USP grade” ingredients. One pleasant surprise about these juices is how carefully they’re packaged; unlike most vendors that use plastic bottles, Goody Vapes wraps the bottles in bubble wrap, tapes them securely, and places them in a padded envelope with foam peanuts. This is common for vendors that ship e-liquids in glass, but I’ve never seen it with plastic bottles before. I love the extra care the company provides. As for the juices themselves, I liked one of them and really enjoyed the other two. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

[Special thanks to RPadholic Big Blak for serving me up some fresh, new music!]

Caramel Apple: Caramel is the dominant flavor of this juice, which was totally fine with me. I really enjoyed the rich and creamy caramel flavor that’s accompanied by a touch of apple. Vapers that are looking for a stronger apple flavor won’t enjoy this one as much as I did. I don’t know about you, but when I buy a caramel apple, it’s for the caramel first and the apple second. So with that perspective in mind, I was very pleased with this juice.

Horchata: As a 13-year resident of California, I’ve had lots of delicious horchata, so I was really looking forward to this juice. It’s a lovely blend of a milky base, a strong cinnamon flavor, and a touch of vanilla. The interesting thing about this juice was that when I cranked up the wattage to 8.5, a pastry-like taste was added to the mix — almost like I was dipping a churro into some horchata. Bonus! This was definitely my favorite of the three.

S’More Goody Vapes: This juice is the classic campfire blend of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. The chocolate dominates the flavor and the graham cracker is definitely noticeable, but I didn’t got much of marshmallow taste no matter what wattage or juice delivery system I tried. The marshmallow was too subtle for me and I wanted more of it. One surprise with juice was the throat hit; I usually don’t discuss this factor because it can be manipulated by nicotine content and PG percentage, but for a 0mg 50/50 juice, this had a surprisingly satisfying amount of throat hit, especially considering its flavor. While it’s definitely a good juice, I enjoyed the other two more.

Caramel Apple
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 7, 2013
Uncapped: February 11, 2013 7:22PM
Vaped: March 11-18, 2013

Horchata
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 7, 2013
Uncapped: February 11, 2013 7:22PM
Vaped: March 11-18, 2013

S’More Goody Juice
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Mix Date: February 7, 2013
Uncapped: February 11, 2013 7:22PM
Vaped: March 11-18, 2013

Vaping Diaries #49: Volcano Review

Volcano is one of the most visible e-cig brands in America. The company has several mall kiosks throughout the country and a pair of excellent vapor cafes. The company’s Lavatube line is one of the most popular mods out there. So how are Volcano’s e-liquids? I vaped Bonzai Banana, Lahaina Lychee, and Pipeline Peach to find out. The short version is that I can’t recommend any of these juices. One of them was passable, while the other two didn’t appeal to me at all. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Bonzai Banana: This juice has a very artificial and candy-like taste. My brother likes this one because it reminds him of banana taffy, but I couldn’t stand it. You know how a banana scratch-and-sniff sticker smells? That’s how this e-liquid tastes. Even though I prefer natural fruit flavors, I understand that some people enjoy candy-like e-liquids. That said, I honestly don’t see the appeal of this particular take on banana and think that my brother is a bit nuts for liking it (though to be fair, he’s only been vaping since December and hasn’t tried many “good” juices).

Lahaina Lychee: I was really looking forward to this one because lychee is an uncommon e-liquid and most popular vendors don’t offer this flavor. I absolutely love the fruit — both fresh and canned. This juice has a mild lychee taste, but it’s also accompanied by some bitterness and a pungent aroma. Additionally, it doesn’t have the sweetness I expect from lychee. While it wasn’t as bad as its banana brother, I thought that this juice was mediocre at best — the lychee flavor wasn’t strong enough and too many other characteristics spoil the overall taste. I have a bottle of Ahlusion’s Boba Tea with Lychee that I’ll be reviewing in the future; the lychee flavor in Ahlusion’s juice is exponentially better than the one in Volcano’s.

Pipeline Peach: This is a pretty average peach juice with a candy flavor. It reminded me of Haribo Gummi Peaches. Again, I prefer natural fruit flavors — especially when it comes to peach — but I can see how some people would like this juice. That said, it’s pretty average. If you’re looking for a candied peach taste then I recommend Backwoods Brew’s Peach; it’s much better and a little bit cheaper than Volcano’s juice. While this juice was “pretty average,” as I mentioned earlier, that also makes it the best of the three.

Bonzai Banana
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 2013

Lahaina Lychee
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 2013

Pipeline Peach
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 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) juices; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.