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. Pertinent passages of this review have been quoted from my review of House of Liquid's Minotaur. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/minotaur-cellar-by-house-of-liquid.html Quoted passages are in italics.
Chivalry was a philosophy and code of conduct instituted during the Medieval era for the guidance of Knights in their pursuit of victory in warfare and in the protection of those who could not protect themselves. The code also extended to obedience to and protection of those in positions of authority and the (Christian) church. Honour, nobility, discipline, generosity, faithfulness and perserverence were valued principles of the code and Knights were expected to live up to these ideals. Rewards, cowardice and inappropriate behaviour towards women were eschewed. Chivalry bears a remarkable similarity to the Japanese code of Bushido. Also, Richard the Lionheart said of his enemy, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, (Saladin) during the Third Crusade (1189-1192AD) to retake the Holy Land for Christianity, that he was an exemplar of the Chivalric code. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry
The House of Liquid http://www.houseofliquid.com/ draws on tradition, mythology and bygone modes of conduct to lend a certain gravitas to their new range of E-liquids, The Cellar, in the same way that banks and courts of justice use neo-classical architecture to lend an associative air of authority, stability and reliability to their institutions. This reveals a mind knowledgeable about the psychology and practice of branding and marketing. Either you have the money to pay a professional in this field or you know this stuff yourselves. Is there nothing you don't do well, House of Liquid? Seriously, call me a fanboy but you can colour me impressed.
House of Liquid have been promoting and preparing for the release of The Cellar range http://www.houseofliquid.com/category-s/1844.htm of E-liquids for months. The Cellar range comprises three E-liquids: Minotaur, Reserve and Chivalry. These three liquids are very special in my view because they mark a very particular attitude and approach to the crafting of flavour for consumption in vaporous form. Each of these liquids have begun with the steeping of tobacco leaves in Propylene Glycol and then transferred into various wooden barrels for further steeping for at least thirty days.
In a previous review of a House of Liquid juice, I asserted that they are Europe's premier producers and distributors of e-liquids. They are responsible for the formidable El Toro range of tobacco liquids, the Papillion range of organic liquids, the eBaron Lab range of concept liquids and now The Cellar range of specially steeped tobacco liquids. Each and every one of the liquids that I've vaped from House of Liquid (I've vaped most of them) has been exceptional. Each range has a loyal following and for good reason. The tobacco liquids of the El toro range, for example, are manufactured by first obtaining specific tobacco leaves from various parts of the world and then steeping those leaves in Propylene Glycol for a number of days to extract the natural essence and flavour. Not only do these juices produce the most authentic tobacco tasting vape but (House of Liquid do not make any claims to this effect) it's rumoured that these liquids contain a certain amount of natural nicotine and tobacco alkaloids.
Georgio, the man at the helm of House of Liquid, is assertive in his adherence to the principles of naturally grown and pesticide free raw ingredients. House of Liquid are also opposed to any form of child labour in the cultivation and production of the tobaccos used in his e-liquids.
Georgio and his team go to great lengths to ensure a phenomenal vaping experience for their customers. It's this and their principled attitudes and approaches that garner them such loyalty from their customers. Including myself. Cigarillos Naturales is my all-day-vape.
Each of the liquids in The Cellar range are available in 10 (€6.95) and 60ml (€25.95) bottles at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg.
The 10ml bottle is a very dark brown, almost black plastic which protects the nicotine within from the destructive effects of ultraviolet light. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja01846a026 The screw-top cap is a (very) childproof, black plastic with a tamper evident seal around the base of the cap where it meets the neck of the bottle. The label is beautifully designed with a sepia toned photograph of wooden barrels with a Grecian helmet and the name of the liquid in chartreuse, superimposed. I really enjoy this attention to detail; considered choice of bottle and accomplished graphic design substantially enhance the enjoyment of the product for me. The label also includes the following information: the brand name, the name of the company, nicotine strength in mg, liquid contents in ml, an ingredients list, an advisory notice that the liquid may contain traces of nuts, the name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer, age and toxicity warning graphics, a tactile, warning triangle sticker which complies with EU laws regarding the storage of toxic substances and the words "Contains Nicotine". On the back of the bottle is a folded attachment (glued on) which contains a toxicity warning and first aid instructions in thirteen languages.
The colour of the liquid is Citrine, a yellowish brown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrine_(colour) Chivalry has the distinctive aroma of sodden wood with intermittent notes of tobacco.
From the House of Liquid website: "Hard core tobacco steeped liquid matured for at least 30 days inside an old Scottish whiskey barrel. Smoky peat wood and strong whiskey aromas have been infused naturally into this liquid. The old wood has polished and filtered the juice... Please note that no flavourings have been added to this product to enhanced (sic) the taste."
I'm vaping Chivalry in an Igo-L on a mechanical mod powered by an 18650 battery at approximately 3.7 volts. I don't have the hardware to measure the ohms of my coil but I can tell you that there are four wraps of 0.2 Kanthal wire around three strands of Silica wick. To begin, I fire the device and slowly draw the vapour into my mouth, giving my taste buds the maximum time possible to bathe in the flavour. The flavour has a primarily umami quality with a slight sweetness to it. I taste the wood of the barrel and the whiskey and the tobacco. As I exhale, there is a smoky quality to the flavour which lingers in the aftertaste. If I inhale the vapour as I normally would, I experience sweetness borne on a silky smooth vapour coursing through my mouth. I would attribute the texture and refined mouthfeel to the polishing and filtering effects of the wooden barrel, within which the liquid was steeped. As I finish inhaling and follow with a short, sharp breath of fresh air and then hold, the flavour of tobacco unfolds. On the exhalation the tobacco notes are joined by the whiskey and woody notes with a diaphanous undercurrent of smokiness. Again, the smoky notes predominate in the aftertaste. There's also the presence of a metallic tang about my teeth and gums, which I personally find rather agreeable.
I'm not experiencing a throat hit as much as a building of pressure at the back of the throat. The amount of vapour produced by Chivalry is prodigious.
As noted previously, the vapour itself is silky smooth and is a pleasure to either inhale straight into the lungs or allow to play about the tongue. Like its brand sibling, Minotaur, Chivalry is a luxurious, complex and refined e-liquid which delivers flavour to conscious awareness at different points in the inhalation/exhalation cycle. Again, this is a tobacco flavoured e-liquid for the "advanced user", the so-called tobacco connoisseur, but anybody with an adventurous palate would reap the significant rewards this liquid has to offer.
