Disclaimer: This E-liquid was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of conducting a review. This fact notwithstanding, I will, as best I'm able, provide an honest, accurate and unbiased assessment of this product. Warning: this review contains a shameful product placement.
House of Liquid (HOL) http://www.houseofliquid.com/ who kindly provided me with a number of liquids for review, represent a handful of e-liquid brands. These are The Cellar, El Toro, eBaron Lab and Papillon Organic, all of whom produce exceptional liquids and according to Georgio, the proprietor of HOL, have a loyal following. As I mentioned in my review of El Toro's Guevara reserve http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/guevara-reserve-by-el-toro.html, HOL have earned my respect, not only for providing, without exception, delicious vapes, but also for their attitude and approach to responsible sourcing of ingredients. I quote directly from their site, "We are working hard to ensure that all our tobaccos used for the "steeping process" are naturally cultivated and pesticides free. We are using very respectable suppliers that are as committed as we are to natural products and against any form of child labour in the cultivation and production of the tobaccos".
Silverberry, the subject of this review is from eBaron Lab who also produce Brasileiro (tobacco with dark Brazilian coffee extracts), Cigare de Paris (a tobacco blend with bitter almond), Cinnamon Cookies and Frozen Orange (natural orange extract with strong peppermint).
Silverberry is available in 10ml (€6.95) and 30ml (€17.95) bottles at nicotine strengths of 6, 12 or 18mg. I can't find any reference to PG/VG ratios anywhere on the bottle or the HOL website.
The 10ml bottle I received is a clear PET plastic, which is rather firm and somewhat difficult to squeeze. The cap is a black plastic, childproof, screw top affair with a diagram on the top which explains the procedure for opening it. The cap also arrives with a tamper evident device; the type that leaves a plastic ring when opened, around the neck of the bottle. There is a dripper installed in the bottle, but I've found it to be a bit of a pain to use. I might not be using it properly but what tends to happen is that I squeeze the bottle with some force until a drop emerges, followed by a stream of liquid that doesn't stop until I turn the bottle right way up. I've had to decant the juice into a more manageable bottle.
The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the brand name, nicotine strength in mg, liquid contents in ml, an ingredients list, a batch reference number (in this case, ELS1/001. What, a batch especially for me?), warning symbols, first aid instructions, the advice to keep out of reach of children and to not release into the environment, an advisory that the liquid may contain traces of nuts, a best used by date, the HOL website address, the company's physical address and a telephone number.
The colour of the liquid is a clear buff brown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_of_brown#Buff and has the consistency of a light cooking oil. The aroma of the liquid is more suggestive of apple than anything else.
If you follow my reviews, you will know that I typically use an Igo-L on a mechanical mod with an 18650 battery when reviewing. Such is the case in this instance as well. Dripping atomisers (like the Igo-L, Cyclone or House of Mods' (HOL sister company) eBaron Pro and Spiral) are generally considered to accurately represent the intended flavour of a liquid.
The HOL website describes Silverberry as "A refreshing vape for fruit lovers. Natural berries and ripe apples in the most refreshing combination. Smooth and fresh but mighty strong with a hint of a mild sour aftertaste!"
I've found that drawing this vapour into my mouth before inhaling to maximise throat hit, does so at the considerable expense of flavour. To get the most out of Silverberry, flavour-wise, I've taken to inhaling it directly into my lungs. As I draw the vapour through my mouth and along the length of my tongue I taste a fruity sweetness and experience a very fine-grained fizziness. (I read somewhere that Vodka, when used to dilute VG, imparts a certain fizzy quality to the vapour.) Unlike a lot of e-liquids that I've tried recently the flavour seems consistent from the beginning of the inhalation through to the end of the exhalation and into the aftertaste. The flavour is that of a bowl of mixed berries with the addition of a sweet/sour apple and a distant note of lime. The intensity of flavour, to my taste buds anyway, is akin to the intensity of the actual fruit. I should add, if I didn't make myself clear already, that the flavour is reminiscent of fresh fruit and not a confectionery or syrupy approximation of it. It's incredibly refreshing.
For a 12mg juice, Silverberry has a savage throat hit; I had to experiment with my inhalation technique and the placement of the air hole on the atomiser to minimise this. Vapour production is excellent.
I've tried a number of the e-juices that House of Liquid represent and sell and they have all been of exceptional quality. Very satisfying vapes with full flavour, good throat hit and generous vapour production. eBaron's Silverberry is no exception and it's earned my high esteem.
