Vape Nights 2015 Archives

Vaping Diaries #372: Blow E-Juice Interview

My interview with Blow E-Juice co-owner Farid Zahreddine comes with an added bonus. As expected, he told me about Blow E-Juice and its three launch flavors. In addition to learning about the company and its tasty dessert e-liquids, Farid went on an inspired rant of how it’s wrong for politicians to equate vaping with tobacco cigarettes. His passionate diatribe was a pleasant and welcome surprise.

As for the company itself, Blow E-Juice started in mid-2015. The owners are people that are passionate about vaping and got into the scene. In addition to appreciating the fact that vaping got them off of tobacco cigarettes, the owners were fascinated by the vaping community. As with many new and rapidly growing industries, the vaping business is relatively small and has a sense of family. The owners of Blow E-Juice seem to genuinely enjoy that aspect of vaping.

Moving onto the three Blow E-Juice vaping e-liquids, the company’s most popular flavor is Om Nom Nuke. It’s a savory dessert blend that combines toffee custard, vanilla ice cream, and caramel. It’s a very rich flavor that’s bursting with complexity. Vapers that enjoy simple, straightforward flavors will likely be overwhelmed by Om Nom Nuke. The bit of it I vaped was quite delicious.

Dolce Fuel is the company’s strawberry cheesecake e-liquid. While not as rich as Om Nom Nuke, it’s still quite flavorful. The company did a good job of mixing the cheesecake creaminess and the bright fruit notes. While there are a lot of strawberry cheesecake flavors on the market, I believe that Dolce Fuel is certainly worth a try.

To my surprise, my favorite Blow E-Juice flavor was the company’s simplest blend. Orgasmic Aftermath is a straight-up cheesecake. Perhaps I was influenced by its fantastic name, but I really enjoyed this straightforward cheesecake vape.

For more information on Blow E-Juice and to hear Farid’s fantastic rant, please check out the interview below.

Vaping Diaries #371: Hold Fast Vapors Interview

When I first met the Hold Fast Vapors crew, I was excited by the prospect of meeting a group of pirates that made vaping e-liquid. Sadly, Hold Fast Vapors doesn’t have any actual pirates on staff (or so the company claims), but what it does have is a bunch of delicious flavors. Senior account executive Connor O’Brien spent some time with me to talk about the company and three of its flavors.

The newest addition to Hold Fast Vapors is the Ironclad line. The Ironclad e-liquids use a higher percentage of vegetable glycerin (VG) for more vapor production. The first Irconclad flavor is Key Largo, a yummy Key lime sherbet. I very much enjoyed this e-liquid’s blend of light sweetness and tanginess. It was my favorite of the three flavors covered in this interview.

One of the earlier flavors in the Hold Fast Vapors line, Mutiny is a blend of pear, berries, and cream. It’s an interesting mix that stands out from the numerous berries-and-cream concoctions on the market. Mutiny’s use of pear gives it a tasty edge. While I’m generally not big on fruit vapes, I do enjoy fruit-and-cream blends. With its pear kick, Mutiny was a pleasant surprise.

The last flavor in the Hold Fast Vapors lineup is a dessert mix called Port Royal. Vapers with a sweet tooth will enjoy this medley of cake, maple sugar, and nuts. I love me some dessert vapes, so I was instantly drawn to this flavor and enjoyed the bit I had during my meeting with Hold Fast Vapors.

Connor told me to expect two more flavors in the Ironclad lineup, which makes sense considering that many vapers have moved to sub-ohm tanks. The extra VG will help them fog up some rooms with delicious vapor. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t reveal much about the flavors. Off camera, he said I’d have to walk the plank if he told me what the new flavors were. See, I knew they were pirates!

Vaping Diaries #370: Foggy Gnome Interview

Foggy Gnome had a number of interesting products for vapers on display at Vape Nights. Mark Gutensohn, the company’s head of sales and marketing, walked me through them. First, let’s talk about the three types of Foggy Gnome cotton. The company doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach for cotton, so if offers three varieties of wicking material. Gutensohn doesn’t believe there’s a “best” one of the three, but rather different types of vapers will have different preferences. Beyond that, the same vaper might find a different type of cotton will match a certain juice.

As for the three specific types of Foggy Gnome cotton, first up is Southern Blend Organic Fogwick. This mix of short-fiber and long-fiber cotton retains the natural oils and waxes. For those looking for the purest flavor, Southern Blend Organic Bath is a good choice. It’s similar to the previous cotton, but undergoes an organic bath to remove the oils and waxes. Last, but certainly not least, is Sub-Ohm Gold Organic Fogwick. Aimed towards vapers that love low-resistance coils and high temperatures, this short-fiber cotton has the highest heat resistance of the three. Gutensohn was quick to point out that all Foggy Gnome cotton is American grown and mechanically processed in the United States.

On the box mod front, Foggy Gnome offers the Fogg Boxx. This parallel box mod is made from extremely sturdy 7075 aluminum. Gutensohn showed me a video of a Fogg Boxx being run over by a large truck. After driving over the Fogg Boxx, the driver got out of the truck and vaped on it. The box mod is available in seven different colors and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The Fogg Boxx is manufactured and assembled in the United States. In addition to its sturdy construction, I love that the Fogg Boxx looks different from all the Hammond-style box mods on the market.

To learn more about Foggy Gnome cotton and the Fogg Boxx, check out my chat with Mark Gutensohn below.

Vaping Diaries #367: Beard Vape Co Interview

My buddy Corey has been raving about Beard Vape Co ever since he discovered the company’s vaping e-liquids in 2014. At Vape Nights 2015, I finally got a chance to chat with the company. Beard Vape Co director of sales Lucas Kraft was kind enough to walk me through the company’s history, talk about three of its flavors, and tell me what’s coming next.

Beard Vape Co was started by a local Culver City vape shop. The company made more than 100 flavors to test out and kept a handful of its most popular ones to launch. Two of the brothers that started the company refer to their father as Beard. The company and its logo are an homage to pops, which is very cool.

The juice Corey is enamored with is No. 32, which tastes like a cinnamon funnel cake. The emphasis is on the baked goods side, with enough cinnamon so that you know that it’s there, but won’t overpower you. As a vaper that’s sensitive to cinnamon, the amount in No. 32 is just about perfect. While Corey found it first, No. 32 has become my favorite juice from Beard Vape Co.

Lucas also spoke about two of the company’s other flavors. No. 71 is the newest flavor from Beard Vape Co. It tastes similar to the peach o-ring candies you’ll find at a candy store. Lucas mentioned that this flavor wins over vapers that claim that they don’t like peach vapes or fruit vapes in general. No. 5 is Beard Vape Co’s take on the popular strawberry cheesecake e-liquid. Lucas mentioned that it’s one of the most popular flavors among the people that work in the company.

Currently available are Beard Vape Co’s limited edition holiday bottles. Lucas said that these bottles will appeal to the numerous collectors out there and give the company’s customers a new way to interact with them. Expect more limited edition bottles in the future.

To learn more about Beard Vape Co and its flavors, please check out my Vape Nights chat with Lucas below. You’ll also get to see a super-cool pumpkin carved with the Beard Vape Co logo!

This interview was brought to you by The Vapor Spot.

Vaping Diaries #365: Shado Vapor MGNT RDA Interview

One of the coolest atomizers I’ve seen all year, the Shado Vapor MGNT RDA has several unique features that make it stand out from the competition. At Vape Nights 2015, company cofounder Jeff Freeman walked me through the MGNT RDA. The atomizer’s magnetic top cap catches your eye immediately. It’s self-adjusting, which is convenient for two reasons. First, you don’t have to take the top cap completely off for dripping juice. Secondly, you don’t have to worry about losing airflow position. Since the MGNT RDA uses a top airflow design, it’s highly leak resistant. Under the hood, the MGNT RDA sports a three-post design, with a gold-plated brass center post that offers a combination of strong conductivity and corrosion resistance. The MGNT RDA has unique features, clean looks, and vapes great. Best of all, it’s relatively inexpensive at $60.

Jeff also told me about Shado Vapor’s e-liquids, made in conjunction with the excellent people at POET. Similar to POET’s excellent e-liquids, Shado Vapor has a pair of pleasantly atypical juices. First up is Rosy Lee, which is a sweet black tea latte. RPadholic N8R really enjoyed this juice at the show. While I also enjoyed Rosy Lee, I preferred Shado Vapor’s Liquid Courage. This flavor combines black sesame, vanilla, bourbon, and several other “secret” ingredients. As a huge fan of Asian desserts with black sesame, I’m loving Liquid Courage.

Closing things out, Jeff told me about some of the box mods he’s working on. He has single-battery and dual-battery boxes in the works. He plans on adding some security features to Shado Vapor’s box mods that have never been seen in vaping. While he wouldn’t give me exact details at this time, he said that he would be using Bluetooth connectivity and a companion app to enhance the functionality of his box mods. As a tech nerd, I can’t wait to see what he does with the Bluetooth features.

To learn more about the MGNT RDA, the Shado Vapor e-liquids by House of POET, and the upcoming Shado Vapor box mods, check out my Vape Nights chat with Jeff below.

This interview was brought to you by Revol Vapors.

Vaping Diaries #364: Fa-Q Vapes Interview (Vape Nights)

At Vape Nights 2015, Apollo Ecigs lounge operations manager and co-founder of Unstoppable Cyrus Malekzadeh told me about the company’s Fa-Q Vapes line of e-liquids. Aimed at RDA users, Fa-Q Vapes uses max VG formulations for maximum vapor production. While there are a number of juices out there geared towards “cloud bros,” Fa-Q Vapes also features some unique flavors that help it stand out from the competition. Cyrus told me about three flavors in the line.

Based on the popular Girl Scout cookie, Miss Samoa is Fa-Q Vapes’ best-seller. As you’ve probably figured out, it’s a blend of caramel, chocolate, coconut, and cookie. If you’ve never had a Samoa cookie then run out and grab a box. They’re awesome. Miss Samoa does a very good job at replicating the flavor. This is excellent on several levels. First, you get the joy of Samoa cookies without the calories. Secondly, Miss Samoa is available year-round, as opposed to not being able to find a Girl Scout when you need a Samoa cookie fix.

While I was disappointed to learn that Fa-Q Vapes’ Imperial Milk is not a milk-based e-liquid for Storm Troopers in the Star Wars universe, I was happy to learn that it’s an inventive flavor. Not wanting to mimic the numerous strawberries-and-cream flavors already on the market, the company put a unique twist on fruits and cream by mixing dragon fruit and cream. This juice was a very pleasant surprise for me.

Another Fa-Q Vapes pastry treat, Fauxstess Cupcakes replicates the flavor of Hostess Cupcakes. It’s a lovely mix of chocolate cake, chocolate icing, and cream filling. Similar to Miss Samoa, you get the pleasure of the baked goods without the calories. Cyrus was particularly proud of this flavor, since chocolate vapes can be very difficult to pull off.

To learn more about Fa-Q Vapes and these three flavors, check out my chat with Cyrus below.

This interview was brought to you by Flavaho.

Vaping Diaries #363: Trinity Glass Tanks Interview

Trinity Glass Tanks had several excellent products on display at Vape Nights 2015. Sales manager Fabian Turcutto was kind enough to walk me through the company’s lineup. First up is the Sub X for the Kanger Subtank Mini. Made primarily of pyrex glass, the Trinity Glass Tanks Sub X is a beautiful upgrade to the hugely popular Subtank Mini. The base of the product is made from 303 stainless steel and hugs the Subtank Mini base firmly. In addition to the obvious aesthetic upgrade, Trinity Glass Tanks claims that the Sub X helps provide better flavor, since the e-liquid is touching more glass than metal. The Sub X is available in an all-clear model, as well as one with a black tip. As a huge fan of glass vaping products (I greatly prefer the feel and look), I love what the Sub X brings to the table.

For cloud chasers rocking a Kennedy RDA, Trinity Glass Tanks has a competition glass cap. It carries over the ample airflow that the Kennedy RDA is known for, but improves flavor because of its pyrex construction. Naturally, glass has a gorgeous look to it as well and it’s fun watching vapor settle in your atomizer (seriously, it never gets old for me). Fabian said that Trinity Glass Tanks is working on a drip tip for the Kennedy RDA for those that prefer the standard metal cap. The drip tip will be pyrex and you won’t see any o-rings or metal.

Closing things out, Trinity Glass Tanks had a number of new drip tips on display. They’re available in various finishes and materials. You can see the new drip tips in the video below. To learn more about the Trinity Glass Tanks Sub X for the Kanger Subtank Mini and the competition glass cap for the Kennedy RDA, check out my Vape Nights 2015 chat with Fabian.

This interview was brought to you by Revol Vapors.

Vaping Diaries #362: Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice Interview

It was nice catching up with Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice owner Joseph Upton at Vape Nights 2015. I met him last year at VapeCon USA 2014 and was impressed with his style of juice making. Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice offers some unique flavors and puts a novel twist on several familiar tastes. At Vape Nights 2015, Joseph told me about the three newest additions to the Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice lineup.

First is Famous Joe, which is based off of Joseph’s love of root beer barrel candies. As he was talking about the juice, I could see his face light up. It’s as if he was thinking about when he was a kid and could purchase several of these candies for a nickel. RPadholic N8R, being much more of a candy vaper than I am, was taken by this juice. It’s a faithful representation of the old-school candy.

Next up is Vanilla Blow, which should appeal to vapers that like savory e-liquids, as well as those that enjoy a candy twist. As you’ve probably figured out from the name, vanilla is the primary flavor in Vanilla Blow. It’s a rich and thick vanilla that’s topped off by a bit of candy cinnamon at the end. It’s unusual to find an e-liquid that should make savory guys and candy guys happy, but Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice’s Vanilla Blow should do the trick.

Last, but not least, is a fruit concoction called Dragon Blow. A fruit-forward vape, this juice mixes together dragonfruit, pomegranate, and melon. Joseph described this juice as having a “floral” quality to it. While I find most fruit vapes banal, I enjoyed the unique mix of dragonfruit and pomegranate in Dragon Blow.

While Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice has a wide variety of flavors, Joseph isn’t done creating just yet. He told me about plans to introduce a few new lines of juice in the future. To learn more about the three Joe Blow’s Incredible Juice flavors mentioned above and hear about Joseph’s future plans, check out the interview below.

This interview was brought to you by The Trifecta, available at The Vapor Spot.

Vaping Diaries #361: A Planetary Elixir (APE) Interview

A Planetary Elixir (APE) is a new line of vaping e-liquids made by Intergalactic Industries, creators of the Doomsday mechanical mod. At Vape Nights 2015, I caught up with owner John Dela Rosa to learn more about the company and its three launch flavors. Keeping with Intergalactic Industries’ space theme, A Planetary Elixir was inspired by Albert, the first monkey to go into outer space. To use John’s words, “He was amazing and we’re trying to make an amazing juice.”

A Planetary Elixir has launched with three flavors. Way Milky blends the flavors of Chocolate Rice Krispies, milk, and bananas. The hint of banana helps the juice stand out from the numerous cereal flavors on the market. Out of the three flavors, it’s John’s personal favorite. But First Coffee comes from John’s Starbucks habit. It’s a mix of espresso and toffee. It’s one of the more savory coffee vapes I’ve had. Last, but not least, is Tea Time. Aimed at fruit lovers, this juice is a melange of watermelon and white tea.

As for future products, John said that the next juice from A Planetary Elixir will feature tea. On the hardware side, he said that Intergalactic Industries is working on a Doomsday II mod. While the original Doomsday was a mechanical tube mod, the next Doomsday will be a variable-wattage box mod. John said that he’s working with engineers on the chip and hopes to introduce the Doomsday II in the future. Like the original tube mod, the upcoming box mod with be manufactured in the USA.

To learn more about A Planetary Elixir and the upcoming Doomsday II from Intergalactic Industries, check out my Vape Nights 2015 with John below. If you dig what the company is doing, John asked that you follow the company on Instagram.

This interview was brought to you by Tiki Juice.

Vaping Diaries #360: Mr. and Mrs. Sweet Interview

Mr. and Mrs. Sweet is a new line of vaping e-liquids made by Drip of Choice Labs. If you’re a fan of candy-flavored juices then you’ll definitely want to check out this line. At Vape Nights 2015, Mr. and Mrs. Sweet mad mixer Britten Allen told me about the line, its launch flavor, and the next flavor he’s working on.

As some of you have probably guessed, this juice line gets it name from the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Instead of competing secret agents, Britten and his girlfriend at making vaping e-liquids. Which is good, because there’s a lot less gunfire involved. The first juice in the Mr. and Mrs. Sweet lineup is called Roxx. This flavor is a strawberry-watermelon concoction based on the Pop Rocks candy. Coming sometime around January 2016 is the next Mr. and Mrs. Sweet flavor, which is based on the blue gummi shark candies. Britten is currently working out the balance of blue raspberry sweetness and marshmallow savoriness for this juice.

While candy e-liquids aren’t usually my thing, I dig what Britten is doing with Mr. and Mrs. Sweet. The line is distinct from his Drip of Choice line and fills a niche. In Southern California, candy vapes are very, very popular and it’s no surprise that Mr. and Mrs. Sweet has been met with great fanfare. Many SoCal vapers dig Britten’s work from his previous companies and they love candy juices. Ergo they love his latest e-liquids.

To learn more about Mr. and Mrs. Sweet, check out my Vape Nights 2015 chat with Britten Allen below.

The interview was brought to you by The Big Levapeski.