Monday 28 October 2013

Amelia by Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice

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 portions of this review have been quoted from my review of Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice's Forbidden Fruit. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/forbidden-fruit-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Who is Amelia?  I'm guessing this eponymous female is somebody close to the owners of Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice. A wife perhaps? Girlfriend? Daughter? Mother? I imagine some of you might actually know and as curious as I am, it's not essential to know who the bearer of this pretty name is, in order to write about the e-liquid, Amelia.

Amelia Earheart
However, I want to take this opportunity to briefly celebrate another Amelia; aviation pioneer, first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record.) and to and fro across the North American Continent, author, lecturer and advocate for women's rights, Amelia Earheart (July 24, 1897 – disappeared July 2, 1937). As a result of her aviation accomplishments she became the public face of a number of products in merchandising drives, including a range of women's clothing, luggage and briefly, Lucky Strikes cigarettes. Earheart was also instrumental in promoting commercial air travel. She "invested time and money in setting up the first regional shuttle service between New York and Washington, DC. She was a Vice President of National Airways, which conducted the flying operations of the Boston-Maine Airways and several other airlines in the northeast." Amelia Earheart disappeared without trace (near Howland Island in the approximate centre of the Pacific Ocean) while attempting to circumnavigate the planet. Amelia Earheart was a remarkable woman; in her own day she was an outstanding role model for aspiring aviators. In this day and age she stands out as an example of the finest human spirit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart

Now, let's talk about Amelia, the e-liquid from Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice. Amelia is described on the Elevated Vaping website as "Strawberries, but not candy-like strawberries; actual fresh real strawberries." (Punctuation added.) http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com/collections/jamesons/products/amelia

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice is one of three e-liquid ranges owned and operated by Eric TheDad, Executive Chef and all round nice guy. The other two ranges are the spectacularly popular The Standard and the new addition to the stable, The Blueprint Vapor. 

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice offer a range of five liquids: Forbidden Fruit (Sweet apple and tangy lime) http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/forbidden-fruit-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html, Peaches 'n Cream, Tanjello http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/tanjello-by-jameson-irish-vapor-juice.html, Melon Medley http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/melon-medley-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html and Amelia, each of which is available in nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg, comes in a 30ml bottle and costs US$25.00. Google will point you to a number of vendors who sell Amelia.

The bottle is a dark brown glass (which protects the nicotine within from the deleterious effects of UV light) with a (non-childproof) black plastic, screw top cap. There's no dropper attached to the cap so you'll need to use a syringe, eye dropper or pipette to fill your device, all of which are readily and cheaply available online or at your local pharmacy. The label is an elegant, faux "olde worlde" design. The printed weathered edges of the label, the choice of fonts, the crest, the decorative scrollwork and signatures of the creators all help to impart a sense of vintage and quality to the bottle and its contents.  The label contains the following information: the name of the liquid, the brand name, the phrases, "established 2012" and "quality crafted", a number denoting nicotine strength, a warning that the product contains nicotine and is not to be sold to minors. The following information also appears on the label; "Made from the finest local ingredients. Crafted locally in Southern California."

Obviously, judging the colour of the liquid through a dark brown bottle is slightly problematic, so I fill an eye dropper with the juice so that I can judge it aright. The colour of the liquid is close to a pure Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_(color) with a whisper of green, shifting the colour ever so slightly towards a Citrine Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrine_(colour) A short, vigorous shake of the bottle diffuses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which rise at a very sluggish rate against the force of gravity and the viscous, Vegetable Glycerin rich fluid. I hold the opened bottle under my nose and the unequivocal aroma of strawberry registers in my conscious awareness. To my nose it doesn't smell like a bowl of fresh strawberries, but nor does it smell like strawberry candy or syrup. The truth is in the tasting though...

I'm vaping Amelia in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There's five wraps of 0.2 (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 2.3ohms on the Provari. 

As I fire the device and draw the vapour through my mouth, along the length of my tongue, I immediately recognise the distinctive flavour of strawberry. Sustained inhalation produces a very fine grained tingle along the forward edge of my tongue alongside a slight amplification of sweetness. Having taken my fill of vapour, I draw in a small amount of fresh air. At this stage, the flavour broadens and deepens and while I hesitate to describe this as "actual, fresh, real strawberries", I'd have no trouble suggesting it's very much like a baked, strawberry flavoured dessert. A mousse or a flan perhaps; a fresh strawberry has a certain acidic tartness that accompanies the sweetness and in Amelia, this slight acidity is missing. When I exhale, the full bodied flavour is sustained without change, through to the aftertaste, where the sensation of having eaten a strawberry flavoured dessert is gustatorily confirmed.

A few minutes after my last vape, I do notice a very subtle acidic trace at the back of my throat.

Like many e-liquids on the sweeter end of the flavour spectrum, I experience a mounting of pressure at the back of my throat, rather than a throat hit as such. Vapour production is, as expected due to the high VG content, satisfyingly profuse.

Although I hesitate to affirm Amelia as a faithful approximation of "actual, fresh, real strawberries", it's certainly a full-bodied, rich, delectable and dare I say it, mouth watering vape. If it had been marketed as Strawberry Mousse, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid.


Thanks go to my brother, Gareth (Sous Chef) for his advice and confirmation of my analysis.

Sunday 20 October 2013

A Short Intermission

On Wednesday, 23 October my wife and I are relocating interstate. We're currently in Queensland, Australia and we're travelling 1,114 miles (1 793 km) south to Melbourne, Victoria. Reviewing will re-commence very soon.

Thursday 17 October 2013

Tanjello by Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice

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 portions of this review have been quoted from my review of Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice's Forbidden Fruit. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/forbidden-fruit-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html Quoted passages are in italics.

The name of the e-liquid, Tanjello, by Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice is a playful heterograph of the name of the fruit, Tangelo. (A heterograph is a word with different spelling, (somewhat) different meaning but the same pronunciation as another word.) The reason I wrote "(somewhat) different meaning" is that Tanjello, the e-liquid, like the fruit tangelo, is essentially tangerine flavoured, but the substitution of "...gelo" for "...jello" shifts the meaning of the word to include the notion of that playful, wobbly, gelatinous stuff most of us as youngsters adored and which some of us, as adults, still adore. Now, I'm faced with a quandary; do I write about the heterographic Tangelo or do I wax lyrical about the Tangerine?

... [give me a moment, I'm thinking] ...

Let's start with this: "The tangelo is a citrus fruit hybrid of (the) tangerine and pomelo or grapefruit. Sometimes referred to as honeybells, tangelos are the size of an adult fist, have a tangerine taste, and are juicy at the expense of flesh. They generally have loose skin and are easier to peel than oranges, readily distinguished from them by a characteristic "nipple" at the stem." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangelo So, essentially tangelos taste like tangerines. Wikipedia said it, so it must be true.

Tangerines. "The tangerine is an orange-colored citrus fruit which is closely related to the mandarin orange... Tangerines are smaller than common oranges, and are usually easier to peel and to split into segments. The taste is considered less sour, but sweeter and stronger, than that of an orange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangerine

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice is one of three e-liquid ranges owned and operated by Eric TheDad, Executive Chef and all round nice guy. The other two ranges are the spectacularly popular The Standard and the new addition to the stable, The Blueprint Vapor. 

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice offer a range of five liquids: Forbidden Fruit (Sweet apple and tangy lime) http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/forbidden-fruit-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html, Peaches 'n Cream, Tanjello, Amelia (strawberry) and Melon Medley http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/melon-medley-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html, each of which is available in nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg, comes in a 30ml bottle and costs US$25.00. Google will point you to a number of vendors who sell Tanjello.

The bottle is a dark brown glass (which protects the nicotine within from the deleterious effects of UV light) with a (non-childproof) black plastic, screw top cap. There's no dropper attached to the cap so you'll need to use a syringe, eye dropper or pipette to fill your device, all of which are readily and cheaply available online or at your local pharmacy. The label is an elegant, faux "olde worlde" design. The printed weathered edges of the label, the choice of fonts, the crest, the decorative scrollwork and signatures of the creators all help to impart a sense of vintage and quality to the bottle and its contents. The label contains the following information: the name of the liquid, the brand name, the phrases, "established 2012" and "quality crafted", a number denoting nicotine strength, a warning that the product contains nicotine and is not to be sold to minors. The following information also appears on the label; "Made from the finest local ingredients. Crafted locally in Southern California."

Judging the colour of the liquid through a dark brown bottle is impossible, so I fill an eye dropper with the liquid. The colour of the liquid is a semi-opaque, Melon Orange. To my eye, this particular hue looks almost pink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Melon. Vigorously shaking the bottle, diffusing tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid, sees them moving against the combined forces of gravity and the viscosity of the juice at a very sluggish pace, suggesting a high Vegetable Glycerin content. Even at 30 - 40 centimetres away from my nose, the aroma from the bottle is potent and is unmistakably that of a fruit from the Orange family, if not tangerine itself.

I'm vaping Tanjello in an Igo-L on a Provari running on an 18650 battery. There's five wraps of 0.2 (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 2.3ohms. I've set the voltage output to 4.5.

I fire the device, draw the vapour into my mouth and the flavour of warm, sweet citrus washes across my taste buds. There's an almost imperceptible fine grained fizziness experienced foremost on the tip and almost immediately thereafter, along the length of the tongue. As I finish inhaling vapour, I follow through with a short breath of fresh air to chase the warm volume into my lungs and as I do so the flavour of tangerine crystallises and assumes a level of substance that declares, clearly and without equivocation, "I am Tangerine!" With a capital T. The flavour continues, full bodied and unabated through the exhalation and into the last lingering moments of the aftertaste, accompanied by a very mild acidic tang on the tip of my tongue.

Throat hit at 18mg nicotine content is substantial, kicking like the proverbial mule and as a VG laden juice, vapour production is also significant. The texture of the vapour as I inhale is velvety, warm and utterly luxurious.

Any person skilled in their craft will tell you that the most difficult thing to do well, is the very thing that looks simplest to the untrained eye. Tanjello makes no pretence of being anything other than the flavour of a single fruit and it does this with flying colours. The flavour is authentic, tasting absolutely like the actual fruit. The only thing missing is the juice running between your fingers. This is a rare achievement and something to be celebrated. It takes a refined palate, experience and skill to produce a convincing fruit flavoured e-liquid. Hats off Jamesons!

Tanjello is well worth your hard earned roubles.

Monday 14 October 2013

Forbidden Fruit by Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice

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 portions of this review have been quoted from my review of Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice's Melon Medley. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/melon-medley-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Forbidden Fruit. It doesn't seem so long ago that I touched on the subject of the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. I wrote the following: "When you and I bite into the humble apple, we don't often, if ever, think upon the Judeo-Christian notion of its role in Adam and Eve's fall from grace. My personal belief is that we don't know for certain that a first man and woman, going by the names Adam and Eve ever actually existed. Even if they did exist and they ate some form of forbidden foodstuff, we can't be certain that it was an apple. There are traditions that suggest the forbidden fruit may have been anything from a pomegranate to some sort of entheogen (a psychotropic plant). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit At any rate, the apple has become a theological signifier of "temptation" which has accrued a formal stigma or an association with all that is "evil"." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/midnight-apple-by-halo.html

Further to this, is the expansion of the notion of "forbidden fruit" to include anything "indulgent or pleasurable" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit, usually of a sensual nature that is illicit in some way. Like rainbow coloured sex for example (in some regions), or e-liquids that contain nicotine. It may come as a surprise to you, though probably not, that e-liquids containing nicotine are illegal in some countries. Therefore, e-juice itself might be considered, in some regions, a "forbidden fruit".

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice's Forbidden Fruit is a clear reference to the Judeo-Christian notion of the Apple as prohibited snack. Fortunately for us, Jameson's aren't content to serve us straight apples; Forbidden Fruit is the intriguing blend of apple and lime. That sounds rather inviting... and there's no sin involved either.

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice is one of three e-liquid ranges owned and operated by Eric TheDad (Facebook alias), Executive Chef and all round nice guy. The other two ranges are the spectacularly popular The Standard and the new addition to the stable, The Blueprint Vapor. 

Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice offer a range of five liquids: Forbidden Fruit (Sweet apple and tangy lime), Peaches 'n Cream, Tanjello, Amelia (strawberry) and Melon Medley http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/melon-medley-by-jamesons-irish-vapor.html, each of which is available in nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg, comes in a 30ml bottle and costs US$25.00. Google will point you to a number of vendors who sell Forbidden Fruit.

The bottle is a dark brown glass with a (non-childproof) black plastic, screw top cap. If like me, you receive a bottle without a dripper integrated into the cap, you'll need to use a syringe, eye dropper or pipette to fill your device, all of which are readily and cheaply available online or at your local pharmacy. The label is an elegant, faux "olde worlde" design. The printed weathered edges of the label, the choice of fonts, the crest, the decorative scrollwork and signatures of the creators all help to impart a sense of vintage and quality to the bottle and its contents.  The label contains the following information: the name of the liquid, the brand name, the phrases, "established 2012" and "quality crafted", a number denoting nicotine strength, a warning that the product contains nicotine and is not to be sold to minors. The following information also appears on the label; "Made from the finest local ingredients. Crafted locally in Southern California."

The colour of the liquid observed in a filled eye dropper is a clear, pale Vanilla Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_(color) Vigorously shaking the bottle disperses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which rise to the top at a snail's pace which suggests a high Vegetable Glycerin content. Lightly moving the liquid about in the bottle to observe it's level of viscosity suggests a density akin to a light cooking oil. Rubbing a drop of the liquid between the tips of my thumb and forefinger reveals a highly lubricious character, but within a minute and a half the slipperiness is replaced by a lightly tacky quality. It's completely absorbed into my skin within two and a half minutes. The aroma is interesting: at first the apple is most volatile (the top note) but sustained nasal inhalation reveals lime and what I imagine to be vanilla. It smells a bit like a Crème Caramel where the caramel is replaced by fruit.

I'm vaping Forbidden Fruit in an Igo-L on a Provari running on an 18650 battery. There's five wraps of 0.2 (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 2.2ohms. I've set the voltage output to 4.5.

It would be a mistake to assume that anything crafted by Eric TheDad is as straightforward as the label would have you believe. I fire the device and draw the warm vapour into and through my mouth where the taste buds are flooded with flavour. There's the fruity notes, broadly perceived as they always are on the inhalation, but there's also a strong, but very pleasant sensation of prickling acidity, which I'd associate with the Malic Acid which gives apples and many other fruits their sour character. Actually, it's probably a combination of Malic Acid and the Citrus acid of the lime and it should be noted that the sourness is relatively mild and tempered with a suitable degree of sweetness. Sustained inhalation, straight into the lungs intensifies the fine grained tang along the length of the tongue, but I notice it as most prominent on the tip and forward edge of the tongue and while the flavour is broad, it's unmistakably that of apple. Finishing inhalation of vapour and chasing the dense volume into my lungs with a short breath of fresh air enlivens the flavours and gives them definition. At this point the flavour of lime crystallises and dominates through to the aftertaste, where it softens and melds with the lingering flavour of apple. It's very refreshing and leaves the mouth feeling cleansed in the same way that eating Sashimi does.

Throat hit at 18mg nicotine content is suitably strong and unlike my experience of many other sweetened vapes, there's no sensation of "mounting of pressure at the back of the throat". My strong suspicion is that the Vegetable Glycerin content is high and this is evidenced in the profuse amounts of dense, white vapour produced as I exhale.

Apple and Lime! It's either a happy accident or the work of an experienced palate that these two flavours come together in a way that quite simply works. It doesn't just work though, it delights the mouth in a way that so infrequently occurs. Given that Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice is the stablemate of The Standard, whose juices are all delicious, I'd suggest that Forbidden Fruit is the work of a man, (Eric TheDad, Executive Chef) who knows flavour, how and when different flavours are compatible and how and when different flavours are apprehended in their journey through the gustatory system.

Forbidden Fruit is delicious, refreshing and a pleasant surprise within the domain of pure sensation. The levels of sourness, sweetness and flavour strength and ratio are, in my view, perfectly judged. The various flavours involved, also appear to conscious awareness at different stages in the cycle of inhalation/exhalation and aftertaste, which adds welcome dimension to the vape.

No sin either!

Friday 11 October 2013

G-35 by The Standard

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 portions of this review have been quoted from my review of The Standard's Dead Man's Party. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dead-man-party-by-standard.html Quoted passages are in Italics.



Strap in my friend; don't put your hands outside the cart; we're headed into dark territory. If you're so inclined, make ready your shield of faith.

Most often, I'll use the name of the e-liquid or the brand name to provide cues to writing an introduction for a review, but when the name of the liquid being reviewed is a seemingly meaningless alphanumeric string, I could be considered, as the expression goes, "all at sea". http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/all-at-sea.html My one saving grace however, might be the imagery on the label of G-35 itself. Featured here is a leopard-like pattern in black and turquiose overlaid with a white line drawing of what appears to be a fly (it could be a bee or a wasp, but for the moment I'll call it a fly) and so, I recall the book "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies about a group of British school boys who are stranded on a tropical island and attempt to govern themselves according to the ways and means in which they've been educated and trained throughout their relatively short lives. Of course, being of Imperial stock, young and of the male gender their best laid plans go horribly awry and they descend into murderous savagery. The end.

Beelzebub
From there my mind takes a leap to the demon Beelzebub (Ba‘al Zəbûb), whose name variously means "Lord of the Flies", or "Lord of the (Heavenly) Dwelling". According to one source, Beelzebub is one of the three primary antagonists, alongside Lucifer and Leviathan in the revolt against God in the Judeo-Christian Sacred texts. It's said of Beelzebul (a variation on the name Beelzebub), that he "cause(s) destruction through tyrants, ...cause(s) demons to be worshipped among men, ...excite(s) priests to lust, ...cause(s) jealousies in cities and murders, and ...bring(s) on war." Much has been written of him by various scholars throughout history, but one thing always remains the same: his identification with the fly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebub A friend of mine, Performance Artist, Barry William Hale in collaboration with two others have formed a group called NOKO to explore the intersection between "magical ritual work, contemporary experimental sound and visuals (to) form highly original assemblages in a live multi-media environment." http://other-magazine.com/99/ Beelzebub features heavily in their work.

And with that edifying lot under our belts, let's talk about G-35, the e-liquid from The Standard.

G-35 ("A mix of coconut, pineapple and mango (tropical fruits! The Lord of the Flies!) with a hint of menthol!!") is one of six e-liquids in The Standard range. The others are Cell Block Four (Créme Brûlée with hints of citrus) http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/cell-block-four-by-standard.html, Curious Jorge (Banana banana banana and then some more Banana!!") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/curious-jorge-by-standard.html, Frankenvape ("Kiwi Marshmallow and lots of goodness") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html, Irie Nights ("Jamaican rum and brown sugar party") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/irie-nights-by-standard.html and Dead Man's Party ("Blueberry Lemonade Thingamajig") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dead-man-party-by-standard.html

The Standard Range is available from a seemingly vast number of brick and mortar stores throughout the United States as well as a number of online stores, including but not limited to Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, My Vapor.Gasm http://www.shopmvg.com, Aqueous Vapor http://aqueousvapor.com and LiteCigUSA http://www.litecigusa.net/default.asp. (There are too many stores to list here. Google is your friend)

It's said that a good meal begins by pleasing the eyes; the same could be said of vaping. "The artwork and design of everything from The Standard is exceptional. As an artist, I really appreciate it when some care and attention to detail is given to the design of the packaging and presentation of a product." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html Each of the juices are elegantly bottled in a thick, cuboid, glass bottle with a label that wraps around two and a quarter of the sides. The label includes the following information: the brand name, the name of the liquid, nicotine strength in mg, the brand website address and a warning that the liquid contains nicotine and should be kept away from children. Although it's not explicitly stated on the label, the bottle contains 30ml of fluid. The black screw top cap is not childproof so extra care should be taken in storing and using this e-liquid away from children and pets. There's no attached dropper either, so you'll need a syringe or eye dropper, (both of which are readily available at pharmacies or online) to transfer the liquid into your favourite device.

The colour of the liquid is a clear, vibrant Canary Yellow (Process Yellow) http://colors.findthedata.org/q/561/10859/What-are-the-CMYK-values-of-Canary-Yellow Briefly and vigorously shaking the bottle disperses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which defy gravity and the seemingly substantial viscosity of the juice at a very sluggish pace which suggests a high Vegetable Glycerin content.

For the purpose of this review I'm using an Igo-L on a Provari running on an 18650 battery. While the wick and coil aren't freshly wound, each part of the atomiser has been washed thoroughly in warm, soapy water and rinsed in hot, flowing water. The coil has been dry burned to further remove any excess moisture and residue from the previous e-liquid. The coil has five wraps of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 2.2 ohms.

I begin by setting the Provari to 4.6 ohms, fire the device, inhale and am immediately struck by the flavour of G-35. Whoah! In my review of Cell Block Four http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/cell-block-four-by-standard.html I suggested that the name of the brand, The Standard, was a (somewhat bold) setting of a benchmark, of sorts ("the standard by which all others are measured..."). The entire range, in my experience is of a very high calibre and G-35 is a worthy addition to the range; it's amazing!

Let's back up a little. I dial the voltage output down to 3.6 and draw the vapour into my mouth which is flooded with an admittedly pallid amount of vapour. Nevertheless, sweetness fills my mouth and the broad flavours of tropical fruits are apparent, with the addition of a warm, sweet coconut hovering above it all. When I finish inhaling vapour and draw in a little fresh air, the flavour of pineapple comes to the fore with a slight, acidic tang on the tip of my tongue. Exhaling sees the pineapple soften slightly while the gentler flavour of mango surfaces. The aftertaste is dominated by the suggestion of pineappley acidity. Very mild.

I dial the voltage output back up to 4.6, fire the device and inhale. Bam! A hot stream of intensely flavoured vapour courses into my mouth, dominated and recognised immediately as coconut, with the fruity notes submerged and relegated to medium notes. As I inhale, the sweetness of the fruits is intense along the length of my tongue with the coconut providing a volatile top note. This is absolutely authentic coconut which tastes absolutely like the real thing. (I know; I used the same word twice in the one sentence.) As I finish inhaling and follow through with a breath of fresh air to chase the vapour into my lungs, the flavour of coconut peaks before subsiding, during exhalation, in deference to the pineapple and mango. The aftertaste is again dominated by the flavour of pineapple  with the accompanying mild, acidic tang on the tip of my tongue. While the description of this liquid mentions a hint of Menthol, I'm not aware of it at any stage in the vape, so I'd suggest it's presence may be to simply "brighten" the fruit flavours. Of course, your experience may be different.

Throat hit is significant at higher voltages, but there's also a suggestion of that "mounting of pressure at the back of the throat" that I so often experience with liquids on the sweeter end of the spectrum. Vapour production is also satisfyingly substantial.

Allow me to apologise if I've been subtle in my praise of G-35. This is quite simply the best tropically oriented e-liquid I've yet had the pleasure of vaping. Don't walk; do yourself a favour and run to your nearest brick and mortar or online vendor and purchase a bottle or two of this "nectar of the gods".

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Irie Nights by The Standard

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 portions of this review have been quoted from my review of The Standard's Dead Man's Party. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dead-man-party-by-standard.html Quoted passages are in Italics.


The word Irie is an acronym for the Rastafarian pledge, "I respect I eternally", which is an elegant way of saying "I'm at peace with you, me and the world around us". (How beautiful! I can't tell you how I crave that state of being.) Have you ever noticed that it's the last moments of the day, before rolling over and going to sleep, when your guard is down, emotionally and mentally, that your worries and fears assault you? The night stirs in us primal sensations below the level of emotion; not so irrational fears that have moved men and women alike to seek a safe haven, since time immemorial, to see them safely through to the light of morning. To me the phrase, and name of the liquid being reviewed in this instance, is a reference to a night without worries and fears; a night where a gaze into the black sky dotted with far away suns brings a sense of peace and contentment. Or perhaps, it's the sound of nothing beyond the wind through nearby trees... an occasional dog barking in the distance. For you it might be the knowledge that your family slumbers quietly and safely behind locked doors, surrounded and comforted by the effects and events of their day to day lives, whether they be photographs, a child's box of treasures or the simple presence of each other... small things, unpretentious things that bring pleasure, joy and peace.

Ah, gentle night. Irie Nights. I wonder if the taste of Jamaican Rum and sugar will ease me into a calm, serene night.

Irie Nights ("Jamaican rum and brown sugar party") is one of six e-liquids in The Standard range. The others are Cell Block Four (Créme Brûlée with hints of citrus) http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/cell-block-four-by-standard.html, Curious Jorge (Banana banana banana and then some more Banana!!") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/curious-jorge-by-standard.html, Frankenvape ("Kiwi Marshmallow and lots of goodness") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html, Dead Man's Party ("Blueberry Lemonade Thingamajig") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/dead-man-party-by-standard.html and G35 ("A mix of coconut, pineapple and mango with a hint of menthol!!"). Each of the juices are available with nicotine contents of 0, 6, 12 and 18mg.

The Standard Range is available from a seemingly vast number of brick and mortar stores throughout the United States as well as a number of online stores, including but not limited to Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, My Vapor.Gasm http://www.shopmvg.com, Vape Revolution http://shop.vaperev.com, Aqueous Vapor http://aqueousvapor.com and LiteCigUSA http://www.litecigusa.net/default.asp. (There are too many stores to list here. Google is your friend)

It's said that a good meal begins by pleasing the eyes; the same could be said of vaping. "The artwork and design of everything from The Standard is exceptional. As an artist, I really appreciate it when some care and attention to detail is given to the design of the packaging and presentation of a product." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html Each of the juices are elegantly bottled in a thick, cuboid, glass bottle with a label that wraps around two and a quarter of the sides. The label includes the following information: the brand name, the name of the liquid, nicotine strength in mg, the brand website address and a warning that the liquid contains nicotine and should be kept away from children. The black screw top cap is not childproof so extra care should be taken in storing and using this e-liquid away from children and pets. There's no attached dropper either, so you'll need a syringe or eye dropper, (both of which are readily available at pharmacies or online) to transfer the liquid into your favourite device. Although it's not explicitly stated on the label, the bottle contains 30ml of fluid.

The colour of the liquid is a clear, vibrant Canary Yellow (Process Yellow) http://colors.findthedata.org/q/561/10859/What-are-the-CMYK-values-of-Canary-Yellow Briefly, vigorously shaking the bottle disperses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which defy gravity and the seemingly substantial viscosity of the juice at a very sluggish pace which suggests a high Vegetable Glycerin content. The liquid feels very lubricious to the touch, yet a drop of it rubbed between the tips of my thumb and forefinger is completely absorbed into my skin within a minute and a half.

For the purpose of this review I'm using an Igo-L on a Provari running on an 18650 battery. The coil has five wraps of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick. The atomiser is reading 2.3 ohms and I've set voltage output to 4.6.

I fire the device and draw the warm vapour into my mouth and immediately sense a sweet and slightly sour composition. If I inhale directly into my lungs the sweetness is accentuated and the sourness drops away altogether. The longer I inhale the more defined the flavour becomes; at this early stage of the process, the flavour of Demerara sugar begins to stir and enter conscious awareness. As I finish inhaling and draw in a breath of fresh air, as is my custom, the flavour and sweetness of unprocessed sugar blossoms and peaks in intensity. When the breath begins to turn the flavour of sugar subsides slightly as the mildly sour, tropically piquant flavour of rum moves to dominate the gustatory senses. The flavour of rum continues to dominate through to the aftertaste, where it, in turn relaxes, allowing the flavour of sugar to re-emerge, settling into the hollows of my cheeks and under my tongue.

Throat hit is significant, especially when the vapour is drawn into and fills the mouth before inhaling. As it enters the mouth the vapour is silky smooth and when exhaled is quite substantial, filling the room ahead of me with thick veils of lazy curlicues.

Irie Nights is such a pleasure to vape. The rum and sugar flavours are carefully balanced and the rum is not so strong that it overwhelms at any stage. There's no sense that you're tasting anything other than what is claimed for this liquid; in other words, there's no taint of artificiality about it. It surprises me how many e-liquids make for suitable summertime evening vaping. Irie Nights is an essential liquid for those times when you're sitting on the balcony/patio/terrace/veranda enjoying the sights, sounds and sensations of a balmy night. Or dreaming of them. Whether or not Irie Nights leaves you feeling at peace with yourself and the world around you is uncertain, but it would certainly contribute to that precious state if you were fortunate enough to "be in that place". 

Monday 7 October 2013

Dead Man's Party by The Standard

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.


Preamble

"Hurray! The gay dancers, you whose bellies are gone! 
You can cut capers on such a long stage! 
Hop! Never mind whether it's fighting or dancing! 
- Beelzebub, maddened, saws on his fiddles!"

Arthur Rimbaud, Dance of the Hanged Men


Dead Man's Party, the subject of this review, reminds me of the imagery associated with Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican holiday which remembers and celebrates family members and friends who have died. While it's often associated with and celebrated on the same days as the Catholic holidays All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day (November 1 and 2), "...scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (the Queen of the Underworld)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

Dia De Muertos is a subject close to my heart. When I was working on LittleBigPlanet http://littlebigplanet.com/en/?t=GB for Playstation3 at Media Molecule I spent a lot of time researching and creating artwork around the theme of Dia De Muertos. So much so, that I lived and breathed that particular Mexican holiday for a number of weeks. I wish I'd had Dead Man's Party to vape on at the time!

In a recent review of another e-liquid by an artisan juice maker, I wrote the following which is equally applicable to Eric TheDad, Executive Chef and head honcho at The Standard, Jameson's Irish Vapor Juice and The Blueprint Vapor: "(Eric TheDad) is an artisan juice maker, which means that he has a small range of juices, which he's undoubtedly spent a great deal of time developing and fine tuning to a high level of sophistication. I imagine he will have deliberated over each of his liquids to an exquisite degree to ensure they delivered a very particular flavour with the appropriate amount of throat hit and vapour production. He might have agonised over the density and texture of the vapour; adjusting PG/VG ratios so that the vapour felt a particular way in the mouth. How much sweetener should be used? Would the addition of Vodka produce a sparkle at the back of the throat? How does that feel and is it desirable within the context of the flavour? Would the addition of a few drops of Menthol brighten the flavour at all? How much Menthol can be added to a juice before it intrudes and/or begins to dominate? Mixing juice requires patience, a finely tuned palate, a working knowledge of flavour pairing, the delivery of flavour in vaporous form and how the human gustatory and olfactory systems apprehend it. Beyond this lies the world of branding and marketing which requires another range of skills altogether. The artisan juice maker is an artist who delivers a particular type of experience via vapour to his or her audience. Next time you take a vape, give yourself a moment or two to really pay attention to the vapour being drawn into and through your mouth and reflect on the sensations occurring there and the deliberations the juice maker made in order to deliver that particular experience to you." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/710-by-mad-murdock.html

While I'm at it, I want to mention what an amazing chap Eric TheDad is. Not only is he an accomplished chef (I haven't tasted his food, but I've seen photos) but he's the bearer of a refined palate, has an eye for design, is acutely savvy when it comes to business (he'll deny it) and is an all round nice guy. I had the pleasure of speaking to him on the phone and even though he doesn't need reviews at this stage to move his merchandise, he was very happy to send some samples for me to write about. He and his team will turn up to a brick and mortar opening and give away bottles of liquid for half an hour. That's very generous but it's also exceedingly savvy marketing.

The Review

Dead Man's Party ("Blueberry Lemonade Thingamajig") is one of six e-liquids in The Standard range. The others are Cell Block Four ("Créme Brûlée with hints of citrus") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/cell-block-four-by-standard.html, Curious Jorge ("Banana banana banana and then some more Banana!!") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/curious-jorge-by-standard.html, Frankenvape ("Kiwi Marshmallow and lots of goodness") http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html, Irie Nights ("Jamaican rum and brown sugar party") and G35 ("A mix of coconut, pineapple and mango with a hint of menthol!!"). Each of the juices are available with nicotine contents of 0, 6, 12 and 18mg.

The Standard Range is available from a seemingly vast number of brick and mortar stores throughout the United States as well as online at Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, My Vapor.Gasm http://www.shopmvg.com, Vape Revolution http://shop.vaperev.com, Aqueous Vapor http://aqueousvapor.com and LiteCigUSA http://www.litecigusa.net/default.asp. (There are too many stores to list here. Google is your friend)

Each of the juices are elegantly bottled in a thick, cuboid, glass bottle with a label that wraps around two and a quarter of the sides. It's said that a good meal begins by pleasing the eyes; the same could be said of vaping. "The artwork and design of everything from The Standard is exceptional. As an artist, I really appreciate it when some care and attention to detail is given to the design of the packaging and presentation of a product." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/frankenvape-by-standard.html The artwork on the Dead Man's Party label features a number of skeletons eating, drinking and dancing which is very similar to the imagery often associated with Dia De Muertos. The label includes the following information: the brand name, the name of the liquid, nicotine strength in mg, the brand website address and a warning that the liquid contains nicotine and should be kept away from children. The black screw top cap is not childproof so extra care should be taken in storing and using this e-liquid away from children and pets. There's no attached dropper either, so you'll need a syringe or eye dropper, (both of which are readily available at pharmacies or online) to transfer the liquid into your favourite device. Although it's not explicitly stated anywhere, the bottle contains 30ml of fluid.

The colour of the liquid is a more deeply saturated Apricot Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Apricot A brief, vigorous shake of the bottle disperses minuscule bubbles of air throughout the liquid, which defy gravity and the viscosity of the liquid at a snail's pace, suggesting a high vegetable glycerin content. The aroma that escapes the opened bottle, held below my nose alternates between the sweet and sour of lemonade and the summery blueberry. 

I've been vaping Dead Man's Party in both an Igo-L and a Killer/Big Boaby (tank) but for the purpose of this review I'll be using the Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. The coil is freshly wound with five wraps of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick. The atomiser is reading 2.2 ohms on the Provari.

I fire the device and begin to gently inhale, and as I do so my mouth fills with a velvety smooth, dense vapor laden with a fruity sweetness. There's also a sensation of fine grained sizzling or tingling on my tongue which I'd attribute to the presence of vodka. Having inhaled as much vapour as I'm able, I follow through with a short, shallow intake of fresh air which chases the denser volume into my lungs. I then hold my breath for a moment or two. During these latter two stages in the inhalation process, the flavour of blueberry unfurls, followed almost immediately by the flavour of homemade lemonade. As I slowly exhale, the lemonade flavour grows in intensity until it dominates the blueberry. Exhaling more quickly and with some force seems to marry the blueberry and lemonade which produces an exotic, seemingly unlikely flavour pairing that nevertheless works surprisingly well. It's very moreish. The blueberry returns in force to dominate the gustatory sense for the duration of the aftertaste, alongside a light acidic tang on the forward edge of my tongue.

The mild sensation of tingling on the tongue, as you vape Dead Man's Party, is as close a simulacrum of the fizziness that you usually get with carbonated beverages, as you could get in a vape. I found the throat hit to be mild, while the mounting of pressure at the back of the throat during inhalation, that I so often speak of is considerable. Vapour production is also significant.

I've come to expect excellence from The Standard and in Dead Man's Party my expectations are fully realised. The flavour pairing is inventive and works surprisingly well. The tingling sensation and mild, lingering acidity on the tongue are suggestive of having actually imbibed lemonade. This is a satisfying vape which does indeed begin by delighting the eye, and in my case anyway, provokes the imagination. 

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Black Cherry Tobacco by Crave Gourmet EJuice

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 portions of this review are quoted from my review of Crave Gourmet's Green Apple. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/green-apple-by-crave-gourmet-ejuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Given my predilection for tobacco flavoured e-liquids, you'll understand that I approach Crave Gourmet EJuice's http://www.craveejuice.com Black Cherry Tobacco with more than a little enthusiasm. Call it flurry, call it ferment; I'm a-looking forward to it. I've tried tobacco juices with peach, tobacco juices with mesquite, with apple and menthol, Graham Crackers, tropical fruit, kettle corn and waffles, butterscotch, maple syrup, chocolate, sun cured, spiced, variations of the RY formula and matured in whiskey and brandy barrels. My all day vapes are tobacco flavours by a particular European company. I'm not an expert on tobacco e-liquids by any means, but I've tried a few. This is the first time I've come across a tobacco juice with Black Cherry.

Crave Gourmet EJuice are based in Vancouver, Canada and offer several ranges of product including Gourmet EJuice, divided into four categories; Crave Pure EJuice, Chef's Premium Brew, Gourmet EJuice and Tobacco EJuice (48 flavours), Flavour Shots (8 flavours) and DIY, divided into three categories (Organic flavours (57 flavours), Tobacco flavours (6 flavours) and Double Strength EJuice (64 flavours). Crave Gourmet's liquids are made entirely with organic ingredients and the Vegetable Glycerin is derived from sweet Potatoes. Not only is there no nicotine content in these juices and extracts, but there's also no Propylene glycol, Acetone, Alcohol, Acetyl Propionyl or Diacetyl. 

Black Cherry Tobacco is available as a regular e-liquid (albeit sans nicotine; the sale and supply of nicotine e-liquids in Canada is illegal), a Double Strength solution for mixing with your own base and as an extract for use by the DIY mixers amongst you. The bottle of Black Cherry Tobacco under consideration in this instance is from the Double Strength range. These bottles come in sizes of 30ml ($17.95), 120ml (4oz) ($30.95), 240ml (8oz) ($50.95), 480ml (16oz) ($89.95), 960ml (32oz) ($144.95) and 3.7l (1 gallon) ($299.95). NB. I assume these figures are in Canadian currency. As of the date of the writing of this review one Canadian dollar is equivalent to US$0.96 and GBP£0.59.

The 10ml sample bottle I have in front of me is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic that arrived in a tamper evident plastic film which covered it from top to bottom. The cap, which was also tamper evident (with a plastic ring around the neck of the bottle attached to the cap), is a white plastic, non-childproof screw top. The bottle has an attached dropper insert for easy dripping, which is easily removed if you want to decant the liquid into a larger bottle and add your own nicotine/PG/VG base. The label includes the following information in English and in French: the company name, the name of the liquid, an ingredients list, the company website address and the phrase "Double strength".

The liquid is a limpid, pale Citrine Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrine_(colour) The motion of the liquid in the bottle appears quite aqueous and when I rub a drop of it between the tips of my thumb and forefinger, I find it lightly lubricious. It takes almost three minutes before it's completely absorbed into my skin. The aroma proceeding from the opened bottle, held below my nose is sweet, closely approximating the fragrance given off by a Cadbury's Cherry Ripe chocolate bar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_Ripe_(chocolate_bar) Cherry Ripe is an Australian confectionery, so I imagine most of you won't be familiar with it. Imagine cherries, coconut and dark chocolate and you'll have the aroma of Crave Gourmet EJuice's Black Cherry Tobacco.

As per usual, I'm vaping Black Cherry Tobacco in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There are 5 wraps of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm silica wick. The coil is measuring 2.7ohms on the Provari. As this is a double strength flavoured juice, I've diluted it by adding an equal part of PG/VG/Nicotine base, rendering an 18mg nicotine strength liquid.

I take a few primer puffs to progressively heat the coil and as I do so I experience the flavour of a mild, smooth tobacco which is ever so slightly suggestive of banana and Graham Crackers. Please don't misunderstand me as suggesting the presence of these flavours; it's simply a case of the tobacco having a character which inclines towards them. As I draw the vapour into and through my mouth, inhaling, I sense a gentle sweetness along the forward edge of my tongue followed closely by the recognition of the umami note of the tobacco throughout my mouth. There's a very subtle expression of fruit as I finish inhaling vapour and draw in a breath of fresh air before holding it all in my lungs momentarily. When I exhale the tobacco continues to dominate through to the early stages of the aftertaste. The black cherry doesn't fully manifest until a number of minutes later; it's almost an echo without a source. The flavour is authentic; there's no unpleasant artificiality about the flavour at all

Given that I've altered the VG/PG ratio and added nicotine, it would be somewhat meaningless to discuss throat hit or vapour production.

Black Cherry tobacco is a very gentle flavour; the tobacco is mild and pleasant, if not soothing. The bias towards fruit is very subtle and rather than being intrusive in any way, the Cherry flavour begs forgiveness and requests an invitation in the politest terms possible. Once again, we have a juice in Black Cherry Tobacco that introduces flavour at different locations in the mouth and at different stages in the inhalation/exhalation/aftertaste cycle. I've subsequently filled the Killer/Big Boaby tank with this juice and I'm pleased to say that the character of the juice remains true (I do however need to let the atomiser stand for a minute or two between puffs due to the high VG content). I loves me a good tobacco and this, my friends, is good.

NB. For those of you in the Australasian and South-East Asian regions who'd like to purchase Crave Gourmet EJuice products, I'd suggest you look at Crave Gourmet resellers, Ecig Life, http://www.electroniccigarettelife.com.au based in Melbourne, Australia.

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Wildberry Blast by Crave Gourmet EJuice

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 portions of this review are quoted from my review of Crave Gourmet EJuice's Green Apple. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/green-apple-by-crave-gourmet-ejuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Wildberry Blast, the subject of this review is described by Crave Gourmet EJuice as a blend of wild strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. http://www.craveejuice.com/products/organic-wild-berry-blast It may interest you to know that the following are also technically berries: avocado, banana, coffee, grapes, honeysuckle, persimmon, pumpkin, tomato, oranges, kumquats, lemons, capsicum and... potato. Botanically defined, a berry is any flesh fruit produced from a single ovary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry Thank goodness Crave Gourmet chose to exclude these from their WildBerry Blast! A few of them would have been palatable, but pumpkin, potato and avocado... No thank you.

Crave Gourmet EJuice are based in Vancouver, Canada and due to that nation's laws regarding the sale and supply of e-liquids containing nicotine, they offer a catalog of entirely nicotine free juices.

Crave Gourmet EJuice offer several ranges of product including Gourmet EJuice, divided into four categories; Crave Pure EJuice, Chef's Premium Brew, Gourmet EJuice and Tobacco EJuice (48 flavours), Flavour Shots (8 flavours) and DIY, divided into three categories (Organic flavours (57 flavours), Tobacco flavours (6 flavours) and Double Strength EJuice (64 flavours). Crave Gourmet's liquids are made entirely with organic ingredients and the Vegetable Glycerin is derived from sweet Potatoes. Not only is there no nicotine content in these juices and extracts, but there's also no Propylene glycol, Acetone, Alcohol, Acetyl Propionyl or Diacetyl. 

Wildberry Blast is available as a regular e-liquid (albeit sans nicotine; the sale and supply of nicotine e-liquids in Canada is illegal), a Double Strength solution for mixing with your own base and as an extract for use by the DIY mixers amongst you. The bottle of Wildberry Blast under consideration in this instance is from the Double Strength range. These bottles come in sizes of 30ml ($17.95), 120ml (4oz) ($30.95), 240ml (8oz) ($50.95), 480ml (16oz) ($89.95), 960ml (32oz) ($144.95) and 3.7l (1 gallon) ($299.95). NB. I assume these figures are in Canadian currency. As of the date of the writing of this review one Canadian dollar is equivalent to US$0.97 and GBP£0.59.

The 10ml sample bottle I have in front of me is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic that arrived in a tamper evident plastic film which covered it from top to bottom. The cap, which was also tamper evident (with a plastic ring around the neck of the bottle attached to the cap), is a white plastic, non-childproof screw top. The bottle has an attached dropper insert for easy dripping, which is easily removed if you want to decant the liquid into a larger bottle and add your own nicotine/PG/VG base. The label includes the following information in English and in French: the company name, the name of the liquid, an ingredients list, the company website address and the phrase "Double strength".

The liquid is a crystal clear Peach Orange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Peach The liquid in motion, within the bottle gives the appearance of being quite aqueous and much less viscous than I'd imagine a wholly VG liquid to be. Rubbing a drop of the liquid between the tips of my thumb and forefinger reveals a medially lubricious quality; the liquid is wholly absorbed into my skin in several seconds short of a minute. 

As per usual, I'm vaping Wildberry Blast in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There are 5 wraps of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm silica wick. The coil is measuring 2.2ohms on the Provari. As this is a double strength juice, I've diluted it by adding an equal part of PG/VG/Nicotine base, rendering an 18mg nicotine strength liquid. With the bottle opened and held below my nose, I discern a top note of blackberry with a secondary or middle note of blueberry.

When I fire the device I draw the vapour into my mouth and I taste a very mild sweetness. Following this I take a few primer puffs to heat the coil and as a result the sweetness is amplified. Alongside this is a mild, inoffensive sourness. It's immediately apparent at the level of pure sensation, that this is a berry flavoured juice, though the individual and distinct flavours of the various berries involved aren't apprehended until later in the cycle of inhalation and exhalation. Having taken my fill of vapour, I inhale a modest amount of fresh air and hold my breath momentarily. At this point I experience first and foremost the flavour of strawberry, followed almost immediately by the flavour of blueberry. As I exhale, these flavours soften a little and take a back seat to the darker, sturdier flavour of blackberry which dominates through to, and for the duration of the aftertaste. 

Given that I've altered the VG/PG ratio and added nicotine, it would be somewhat meaningless to discuss throat hit or vapour production.

Wildberry Blast is one of those few juices I encounter whose various flavours manifest at various stages in the vape cycle and in conscious awareness. Each of the berries in this mix are pronounced, with clearly distinct identities, and contribute to the full bodied, finely balanced totality of flavour. This signifies a deep understanding by the Mixer (Chef Matt I assume) of flavour and it's apprehension in and through the gustatory system,  Hats off! Nevertheless, it's not an overly complex flavour and each of it's individual components are entirely complimentary to each other. As suggested on the Crave Gourmet EJuice website, this is perfect summertime (or dreaming of summertime) vaping http://www.craveejuice.com/products/organic-wild-berry-blast; very refreshing and somewhat mouth cleansing. Thank ye gods, Chef Matt didn't decide to push the boundaries too far by including potato, pumpkin or avocado.

NB. For those of you in the Australasian and South-East Asian regions who'd like to purchase Crave Gourmet EJuice products, I'd suggest you look at Crave Gourmet resellers, Ecig Life, http://www.electroniccigarettelife.com.au based in Melbourne, Australia.