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 T-Juice's Afro Dizziac. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/afro-dizziac-by-t-juice.html Quoted passages are in italics.
Earlier this month (7th August 2013) I posted a review of T-Juice's http://t-juice.com/ sampler tin, "Let There Be Juice: Volume 1". http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/let-there-be-juice-volume-1-by-t-juice.html One of the six liquids included in "Let There Be Juice: Volume 1" is Strawberri, the subject of this review.
The Strawberry as we know it today, the fruit much loved and appreciated the world over for it's intense red colour and sweet, juicy flesh is relatively modern. The strawberry has obviously existed since time immemorial; the Romans loved it, "the Mapuche and Huilliche Indians of Chile cultivated it" but it was always a wild species of fruit until "the first garden strawberry was grown in France during the late 18th century". ("The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis, which was brought from Chile by Amédée-François Frézier in 1714.") (http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Fragaria/index.html) The strawberry has long been acknowledged for its medicinal properties and in particular, was believed to be useful in the treatment of depressive illnesses. The French king, Charles V ("the wise") (1338 – 1380) had 1,200 strawberry plants in his Royal garden. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry Although he openly mourned the death of his wife and several of his children, I'm sure he was an otherwise rather chipper chap. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chipper
It's believed T-Juice provided Charles V with their E-Liquid, Strawberri, the flavour of which was extracted from the King's own supply of strawberries. Do you believe me?
T-Juice are a UK company based in Northwest London. Their catalogue consists of 26 E-liquids which range from deserts and fruits to menthols and tobaccos. They appear to take the creation of their juices very seriously; sourcing all their ingredients from the EU or US, acknowledging the art and science of flavour crafting, recognising the roles of each of the senses in the apprehension of flavoured vapour and allowing for the quality assurance provided by a panel of seasoned vapers.
T-juice describe Strawberri thus, "Get a bucket of strawberries, a sprinkling of raspberries, mix them up and then add a hint of cream and what you have is T-juice’s fantastic Strawberri E-liquid. If it was that simple then everyone would do it. Behind the very berry taste are some mouth watering ingredients to make this a real winner with all the fruit flavour vapour lovers out there." http://t-juice.com/strawberri.html
The bottle included in Let There Be Juice: Volume 1 contains 5ml of liquid. When bought as an individual bottle, Strawberri is available in a 10 (£5.95) or 30ml bottle (£15.95) at nicotine strengths of 0, 3, 8, 11, 16, 24 or 33mg with a PG/VG ratio of 80/20.
The 5ml bottle that T-Juice uses is a clear, easily squeezed plastic with a 1cm long needle type dropper and a red, childproof, screw top cap. The label includes the following information: the name of the juice in a theme appropriate font, the phrase "Premium UK E-Liquid", liquid content in ml, nicotine content in mg, an ingredients list, the address, website and phone number of the manufacturer, a batch number, a best used by date, storage advice, safety instructions ("Keep out of reach and sight of children") and warning symbols. The label also advises that the liquid may contain traces of nuts.
The colour of the liquid is a clear, intense Aureolin yellow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aureolin In terms of viscosity, the liquid appears quite aqueous. When I rub a drop of the liquid between my thumb and forefinger it appears quite lubricious, taking four to five minutes before being absorbed completely into my skin. Holding the opened bottle to my nose and taking a slow, sustained and shallow whiff, I recognise that the aroma could either be an approximation of the fresh fruit, but with the softening effect of cream tempering the slightly acidic aspect of the former, or of a strawberry syrup.
The sample sent to me for review is 16mg nicotine strength and I'm vaping it in an Igo-L on a mechanical mod running on an 18650 battery. I don't have the means to check the ohms of the coil but there's four wraps of 0.2 Kanthal wire (32 AWG) around three strands of 2mm Silica wick, which should give you an idea of what I'm working with.
So, strawberry... When I first fire the device and pull the vapour into my mouth, there's the sensation of mild sweetness and the recognition of the distinctive flavour of strawberry. As I inhale the mouthful of vapour and continue to fire the device and inhale more, I become aware of a smooth, somewhat creamy consistency and flavour in addition to the strawberry. There's also the perception of a whisper of acidity along the length of my tongue. At a certain point I finish inhaling the vapour and follow through with a brief breath of fresh air and hold for a moment or two. It's at this point that the flavour of strawberry and cream blossoms, almost explodes, fully realised into my conscious awareness. This is sweet, juicy, fresh and beautifully ripened fruit without blemish! The flavour catches in the back of my throat and it's remarkably like breathing through a mouthful of the actual fruit. With the turn of the breath towards exhalation and through to the aftertaste, the strawberry persists but the cream flavour is intensified. The marriage of strawberries and cream lingers on the palate for the duration of the aftertaste, fading gracefully over a period of more than a few minutes... Until the next inhalation, which otherwise amplifies the flavour. The presence of raspberries is certain, but it rests quietly in the background, only manifesting in my awareness if I seek it out.
I'm not experiencing significant throat hit, but there's that all too familiar mounting of pressure at the back of the throat which builds to a mild degree of discomfort if ignored. Vapour production is substantial. In terms of mouthfeel, the dense and velvety consistency of the vapour adds a further level of authenticity to this adaptation of a much loved fruit and summertime dessert.
Too often, e-liquids advertised as fruit flavours turn out to be candy flavoured approximations which in themselves are not bad, but aren't necessarily what you'd expect or want from a fruit flavoured vape. Strawberri is real fruit. It tastes like the real thing, especially during the brief holding of the breath after inhaling and the subsequent exhalation. The flavours of cream and raspberries are also evident and lend welcome dimension to this delicious vape. The various flavours arise and recede to and from conscious awareness at different points in the breath cycle, which makes this an e-liquid with much to offer the connoisseur of flavour who deliberates over each stage in the journey of vapour through the gustatory system. For those of you who aren't concerned with all the fine gradations of sensation and just want something delicious to vape, Strawberri's your liquid too.
