French Vanilla 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.

The subject of this review, French Vanilla e-liquid, Double Strength is produced by Crave Gourmet EJuice http://www.craveejuice.com who are based in Vancouver, Canada.

What's the difference between Vanilla and French Vanilla? Apparently, the difference lies in the bases used to create ice cream. French Vanilla ice cream is made with eggs which are gently heated with lightly caramelised vanilla extract to form a rich, creamy custard base, while regular vanilla ice cream (Philadelphia Style) is made without eggs. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-23/features/sc-food-0218-qa-vanilla-20110223_1_nielsen-massey-vanillas-ice-cream-french-vanilla

It may be of interest to some of you, to know that Crave Gourmet EJuice "produce (their) vanilla extract using a blend of Tahitian and Tongo Vanilla beans." http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/canada-suppliers/257092-official-crave-gourmet-ejuice-canadian-thread-all-organic-ejuice-brewed-all-canadian-red-seal-chefs-6.html Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after Saffron, because of the intensive labour required to cultivate it. Originally from Mexico and Central America, attempts to grow it outside these regions were unsuccessful due to to the symbiotic relationship between the Vanilla Orchid and it's natural pollinator, the Melipona Bee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla "In 1841, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old slave who lived on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered the plant could be hand-pollinated. Hand-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant." http://www.silvercloudestates.com/vanilla_history.aspx

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. 

French Vanilla 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 French Vanilla 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£0.60.

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 clear with a subtle Ivory White hue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(color) When mixed with nicotine, PG and VG the liquid turns a pale pink/orange colour; something between a Peach Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Peach and an Apricot Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Apricot

As per usual, I'm vaping French Vanilla 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 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 and draw the vapour into my mouth. There's the immediate recognition of a rich vanilla at the level of pure sensation. Sweetness swirls about my mouth and it seems as if, like underwater flora, my taste buds sway in the pleasure of it. There's a richness to the flavour which I attribute to the creamy influence of egg on the somewhat tangy vanilla. I experience all of this in the first moments of drawing the vapour into my mouth and subsequent inhalation. As the breath turns and I begin to exhale I discern a subtle quality in the vanilla that reminds me of rum, which is unexpected, knowing as I do, that Crave Gourmet use no alcohol in their e-liquids. As I exhale, the flavour remains consistent; there's no amplification, softening or other transfiguration as the vapour leaves my body. Having exhaled completely, the flavour settles quietly into the mouth with a light, accompanying metallic tang around my forward teeth and gums. 

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

Even though French Vanilla is a custard-like preparation in the manufacture of certain ice-creams, the character of custard is less apparent than the straight flavour of a rich vanilla. As mentioned previously the influence of egg is certainly apparent, but it stops short of being an eggy flavour and it serves as it should, to impart a creamy richness to the overall flavour. I imagine this would be a challenge even in the preparation of the actual foodstuffs; to carry it off in the production of an e-liquid suggests to me a refined and very experienced palate. Thank god for chefs (who run e-liquid companies).

There's something homely and calming about the flavour of this liquid that draws me to it when I'm feeling tense or overwhelmed.

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.

Peach 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.

“My dear young fellow,' the Old-Green-Grasshopper said gently, 'there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven't started wondering about yet.” 

-Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2379261-james-and-the-giant-peach

When I was an eight year old lad, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl was one of my favourite stories. James Henry Trotter, the protagonist of the story loses his parents to a rampaging rhinoceros and is forced to live with his abusive aunt, Spiker and Sponge. A mysterious man gives the weeping boy a bag of crocodile tongues which he assures him are magical. On his way home, James trips and spills the tongues on a peach tree. One of the peaches grows to an enormous size and when James crawls through a tunnel in the giant peach he discovers a group of giant, sentient insects whom he befriends. A marvellous adventure ensues. "Because of the story's occasional macabre and potentially frightening content, it has become a regular target of the censors and is No. 56 on the American Library Association's top 100 list of most frequently challenged books." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_and_the_Giant_Peach

What child wouldn't identify with James's plight and yearn for an adventure like his? I certainly did.

You learn something every day! Peaches, as well as Plums, Cherries, Apricots and Almonds are part of the Rosaceae (Rose) family. The peach, Prunus Persica is native to, and was first cultivated in North West China (circa 2000BCE). China is still, to this day, the largest producer of Peaches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach

From China to Canada...

Crave Gourmet EJuice http://www.craveejuice.com/ are based in Vancouver, Canada and is run by Matt Faucher, who "...has been working in the hospitality industry for over a decade in a variety of kitchens, from high-end hotels to fine dining restaurants and home-style gastro pubs. His gastronomic journey has taken him from coast to coast in Canada and several places around the world. Chef Matty obtained his Red Seal Chef Certification in Halifax, Nova Scotia before moving to the West Coast of Canada and settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. His years of experience in the Culinary Arts help give (their) flavours the strength they need to stand apart from the rest!" http://www.craveejuice.com/pages/about

Chef Matt's a Red Seal Chef? What does that mean? See this for a brief explanation: https://www.go2hr.ca/training/professional-cook-program/what-red-seal-cook The fact that the head of Crave Gourmet is firstly, a Chef and secondly, a Red Seal Chef inspires confidence in me. I'm always intrigued by the e-liquids formulated by chefs because they generally have an intuitive and/or educated palate. They understand flavour and flavour pairing. The best chefs understand the journey flavour takes through the gustatory system and how and when certain flavours register in conscious awareness. They also know that the simplest things are often the most difficult to get right.

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. 

Peach 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 Peach 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£0.60.

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 clear and without colour. Gently rocking the bottle moves the liquid about and it appears quite aqueous, despite it's apparent 100% vegetable glycerin content. It's very lubricious; it takes two and a half minutes to be a absorbed into my skin but remains very slippery for almost two minutes. Opening the bottle and holding it below my nose, I discern the unmistakable fragrance of a fresh peach.

As per usual, I'm vaping Peach in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There are five 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 juice, I've diluted it by adding an equal part of PG/VG/Nicotine base, rendering an 18mg nicotine strength liquid.

I begin to draw the vapour into my mouth and as with most fruit flavoured vapes, there's a wash of sweetness, though mild, throughout. Progressive firing of the device, heating the coil seems to intensify the sweetness. I continue firing the device and proceed to inhale and as I do so I recognise the general profile of a stone fruit (peach, apricot, nectarine, plum, cherry). Having taken my fill of vapour I draw a little fresh air into my lungs and somewhat appropriately, the flavour blossoms. Peach floods my gustatory system and continues to do so, even as I begin to exhale. This is fresh, "juice running between your fingers as you bite into it" peach. The level of sweetness is slightly less than an actual peach but otherwise it's an excellent approximation of the real thing. There's even the slight acidity one finds in the fruit. The aftertaste consists of a simple, refreshing, mouth cleansing echo that lingers and slowly fades. The vapour is dense and velvety smooth.

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

Crave Gourmet's Peach, Double Strength is simple, unadorned fare and makes no pretence of being anything other than what it suggests. Having said this, it does it exceedingly well. The flavour, as mentioned previously, is utterly authentic with nary a trace of artificiality about it. If you're a fan of fruit flavoured e-liquids, I'd suggest you try this particular juice. It's exceptionally good.

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

“The walls were wet and sticky, and peach juice was dripping from the ceiling. James opened his mouth and caught some of it on his tongue. It tasted delicious.” 

-Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2379261-james-and-the-giant-peach

Green Apple 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.

Preamble

Crave Gourmet EJuice http://www.craveejuice.com/ are based in Vancouver, Canada and was established in honour of "Carol Agnes Marie Faucher (April 16th, 1957 - September 18th, 2010 - 53 years old). Carol was a Pediatric RN and avid non-smoker. She believed that good health was a precious treasure that should be cherished; it could easily be lost as hers was. Carol always went out of her way to help people whenever she could, even if she could not help, she would be there for support." http://www.craveejuice.com/pages/about

Crave Gourmet EJuice profess to strive to achieve the Japanese Philosophy of Kaizen ("good change"). "Kaizen is a daily process, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work ("muri"), and teaches people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes. In all, the process suggests a humanized approach to workers and to increasing productivity: "The idea is to nurture the company's human resources as much as it is to praise and encourage participation in kaizen activities."" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen

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. http://www.craveejuice.com/collections/crave-pure-e-juice

The Review

Green Apple http://www.craveejuice.com/collections/diy-double-strength-ejuice/products/green-apple-double-strength 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 veersion for mixing with your own base and as an Extract for use by the experienced DIY mixer. The bottle of Green Apple 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£0.60.

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". As this liquid contains zero nicotine, I assume "Double Strength" refers to the potency of the flavouring.

The liquid is clear with a trace of Ivory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(color) The motion of the liquid in the bottle appears quite aqueous, but when I rub a drop of it between the tips of my thumb and forefinger, I find it highly lubricious. It takes almost four minutes before it's completely absorbed into my skin. The aroma proceeding from the opened bottle, held below my nose is almost as expected; it's a sweetened, crisp green apple but with the addition of something somewhat suggestive of cinnamon or cloves. I want to use the words "floral perfume" but there appears to be an ill-conceived and unjustified stigma attached to this phrase when used to describe e-liquids.

As per usual, I'm vaping Green Apple in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There are five 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 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 heat the coil and then I draw the vapour into and fill my mouth. It's immediately apparent at the level of pure sensation, that this is a fruit flavour, with a medial sweetness coursing into and throughout my mouth. I open the back of my throat to inhale the vapour, all the while continuing to fire the device and inhaling. When I finish inhaling and take my customary breath of fresh air to chase the vapour into my lungs, the flavour is revealed as a baked or stewed green apple, rather than the fresh, acidic, fresh fruit that I was expecting. As I begin to exhale, the flavour broadens to include seasoning, in the form of what I imagine to be a sprinkling of cinnamon and cloves. Having completely exhaled and subsequently allowed my mouth to rest for several minutes, the flavour lingers as a pleasant freshness. There's none of the tartness about the flavour of this liquid that one might expect from an actual green apple. The flavour is gentle, though full-bodied enough to be an authentic approximation of the cooked fruit. There is a floral aspect to the flavour but I find it quite agreeable. In this instance it works in the liquid's favour. The level of sweetness is finely judged; it's sweet enough to lend authenticity to the flavour without being cloying.

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

Don't expect the flavour of fresh fruit when considering Crave Goumet's Green Apple. There's no trace of the Malic Acid that lends apples (and other fruits with a degree of sourness) a certain amount of tartness. No tartness here. This is much more akin to a baked or stewed apple with the addition of sweetener, perhaps cloves and a pinch of cinnamon. The vape is smooth and gentle and leaves the mouth feeling cleansed and refreshed.

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

Hecho A Mano - Cohiba Robusto by BlueprintDK

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

"Hecho A Mano" is Spanish and when translated to English renders as "handmade" or "hand crafted". The Cohiba Robusto is a highly desirable type of thick, Cuban cigar that delivers a rich complex of flavour. "Cohiba is the flagship brand of Habanos. It was created in 1966 for President Fidel Castro himself and was made at the then Top Secret but now world famous El Laguito factory. At first, it was only seen outside Cuba as gifts for Heads of State and visiting diplomats." http://www.jjfox.co.uk/b8/Cohiba-Cigars.php

The Cohiba Robusto cigar is "a perfect combination of strength and flavour, incredible construction and most importantly, consistency in quality (which) has made this the quintessential Robutos. Right from the start the strength and flavours of spice, wood and even wine perfectly mingle with the palate. There is even a hint of clove thrown in the mixer. This is a smooth and creamy cigar with great depth and variety... Cohiba Robusto - Delectable, medium to full, well balanced, outstanding Havana that is sweet, peppery and very easy to smoke." http://www.simplycigars.co.uk/cohiba-robusto-single-p-449.html

Cohiba Robusto cigars

At this point I want to touch on the notion of tobacco flavoured e-liquid. While it's not unheard of for a non-smoker to begin vaping, most of us are ex-smokers or at the very least dual users (vapers who continue to smoke because they're unable or are not ready to quit entirely, or they enjoy it too much to let it go). I would suggest that it's the nicotine for the most part that keeps smokers smoking, but there are a few, myself included, who enjoyed the simple ritual of opening a fresh packet of tobacco, smelling the slightly damp, earthy aroma and either rolling a handmade cigarette or tapping out a "tailor-made", striking a match and revelling in the flavour alongside the act of filling a room with lazy curlicues and veils of smoke. At some point, we all became aware of the deadly implications of this simple, pleasurable ritual. I for one, continued to cling to the bygone glamour associated with smoking, knowing all the time that it would most likely kill me if I didn't stop. Now that I'm a vaping purist, my all-day-vapes are still tobacco flavoured, and if the flavour is derived from tobacco leaves steeped in Propylene Glycol, then so much the better. My point is this: it's a minor species of hypocrisy to quit smoking and then vape and celebrate tobacco flavoured e-liquids. I'm the first to raise my hand and plead guilty; I love the taste of tobacco and I don't blame you at all if you do too. Shall we move along?

The e-liquid, Hecho A Mano - Cohiba Robusto (for the purpose of this review I'll refer to the juice, henceforth, as HAMCR) by BlueprintDK, Danish YouTube reviewer http://m.youtube.com/user/BlueprintDK, was originally made available to members of the VaporWall forum http://www.vaporwall.com and was designed to be vaped in genesis style atomisers with unoxidised, stainless steel wicks. Anything other than this would fail to deliver the flavour experience intended by BlueprintDK. When I first heard of Cohiba Robusto, I was still using a Vivi Nova and though I was keen to try the liquid, BlueprintDK suggested I would be wasting my money and fail to do the liquid justice in writing about it. My eagerness to try this liquid continued unabated and when Tek of VapingAce http://www.vapingace.com agreed to send me a bottle of the liquid I made the commitment to purchase a genesis style atomiser for the express purpose of tasting and writing about this seemingly demanding juice. I'm now the proud owner of a Vapinaze AC9.

HAMCR is extracted from naturally grown, pesticide free whole leaf tobacco which, when bought for non-industrial purposes is reputedly available in very limited quantities. I want to write that the leaves used for the production of this e-liquid are the same as those used in the production of the actual cigar, the Cohiba Robusto, but I can't find anywhere which states this explicitly. When tobacco leaves are steeped in Propylene Glycol, which I assume is the process used by BlueprintDK to produce his e-liquid, a certain amount of natural nicotine and Whole Tobacco Alkaloids are supposedly leached out of the leaves. (It should be noted that neither BlueprintDK nor Vaping Ace make any claims to this effect whatsoever.) As vapers we all know about the addictive quality of nicotine, but what is overlooked, for the most part as a result of ignorance, is that Whole Tobacco Alkaloids, commonly present in cigarettes is an integral component in the addictive quality of the inhaled smoke of combusted tobacco. Whole Tobacco Alkaloids are said to produce a mild state of relaxation, are reputed to assist in overcoming insomnia and satisfy the cravings that many vapers continue to endure when they stop smoking. For more information regarding Whole Tobacco Alkaloids see http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/aroma-ejuice/217205-whole-tobacco-alkaloid-wta-faq-info-aroma-ejuice.html

The Review

HAMCR is available from Vaping Ace as 10ml of flavour concentrate in a glass, 50ml bottle ($25.00). This affords the vaper the opportunity to fine tune the nicotine, Vodka, de-ionised water contents and PG/VG ratio to suit their personal preferences. Below is a table of the mixture I used for my bottle.

e-liquid-recipes.com

The bottle is brown glass which protects the liquid (nicotine content in particular) inside from the deleterious effects of UV light. The white, plastic screw top cap, though not childproof, arrives with a tamper evident seal around the neck of the bottle.  The label features the name of the liquid, a red triangle, which I assume is meant as some sort of warning motif, BlueprintDK's signature and an image of a self-assured man, cigar in hand, gazing into the camera's lens.

The diluted liquid is a very pale Straw Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_(colour) Writing about viscosity and lubricity in this instance would be meaningless, because each owner of this liquid would be mixing the flavour concentrate with nicotine, PG/VG and other additives to suit their own preferences. The aroma rising from the opened bottle held below my nose has a sweet, earthy quality and while it's undoubtedly tobacco, is somewhat reminiscent of Demerara sugar with the addition of a certain fruitiness approaching apricot and a whisper of vanilla.

I'm vaping HAMCR in an AC9 (genesis style atomiser) on a Poldiac running on an 18650 battery. There are four wraps of 0.32mm (28AWG) Kanthal wire around the unoxidised end of the stainless steel, 325 mesh wick which came in the AC9 Kit, producing a reading of 0.9 ohms on the Provari.

I've seen enough genesis style atomiser reviews to know that I need to tip the device to ensure the wick is saturated with fluid, so this is what I do. I fire the Poldiac and I hear a satisfying sizzling and crackling as the liquid is vaporised. I draw the vapour into my mouth and I experience a mild sweetness along the forward edge of my tongue which is followed by a broadly sensed awareness of an umami flavour throughout my gustatory system. Taking a few primer puffs before inhaling intensifies these broad flavours. When I've taken my fill of vapour and chase it into my lungs with a short breath of fresh air I begin to taste the tobacco and I become cognizant of the complexity of flavour at play here. The tobacco is smooth and luxurious with a fruity quality which most closely approximates the flavour of apricot. As I hold my breath and then begin to exhale, I discern subtle and fleeting notes of a toasted nuttiness, black pepper, lemongrass and occasionally, what I imagine to be a fusion of cloves and cinnamon. There's a light woodiness at the bottom end that begins with the inhalation and follows through to the aftertaste. The tobacco predominates in the aftertaste alongside the very mild flavour of black pepper. Just a whisper. There's also a mild metallic tang around my forward teeth and gums. I've found, after some experimentation, that to coax the nuances of flavour out of this liquid, it needs to be vaped much like one would smoke a cigar: brief, shallow inhalations which allows for a constant stream of fresh vapour to wash across the taste buds. Unlike the smoking of a cigar, there's no ashiness in the flavour at all.

Again, to write about throat hit and vapour production is meaningless as each vaper's mixture of nicotine content, PG/VG and the addition of other substances will render these aspects of the vape differently.

Several high profile reviewers have likened Hecho A Mano - Cohiba Robusto to RY4 e-liquids. I'm afraid I'll have to beg to differ. I find this liquid to be unashamedly and resolutely tobacco flavoured, unafraid to stand on it's own two feet without the assistance of either vanilla or caramel. This is a hardcore, though entirely accessible tobacco vape that offers a complexity of flavour not often encountered in e-liquids and as such would appeal to anybody who favours a savoury flavour profile, tobacco connoisseurs, or those with an adventurous palate. The Cohiba Robusto is the King of Cigars and BlueprintDK's juice is a worthy homage.

Here again, is where to get it: http://www.vapingace.com

Lucky Pear by NamberJuice

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 NamberJuice's Moot's Juice. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/moots-juice-by-namberjuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Lucky Pear by Namberjuice http://namberjuice.com/ is "One of Nick's all time favorite juices in our line... It is one of his go-to Las Vegas vapes." http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/lucky-pear.html

The Rabbit foot. This somewhat grisly artefact has been associated with good luck since 600 BC when the Celtic People of Europe followed ritualistic procedures for the killing of the rabbit and obtaining it's hind foot. Apparently, the belief that humans with lycanthropic powers assumed the form of rabbits to achieve their ends, nefarious or otherwise and that obtaining the hind foot of one of these beings, in its state as a rabbit, shot or captured in a cemetery and by the light of a full moon conferred good fortune on the owner. Variations on each of these conditions were held to be true by different peoples; full moon, new moon, Friday, a rainy Friday, Friday the thirteenth were all said to be requisite and/or favourable conditions for the obtaining of the foot. (1)

Modern folklore suggests that the gambler is often the bearer of such an item. If not a rabbit's foot, then some other token of good fortune. For example, the Touch Piece, which is often a coin which needs to be on the person, in a pocket and regularly touched for it to be effective. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_piece The human race, to a great extent, are a superstitious lot and we rely on amulets (which protect from malignant energy) and talismans (which attract benevolent energy) more often than we realise. Grimmgreen's Lucky Pear is a talisman in liquid and vaporous form. It's the Vaper's rabbit's foot or Touch Piece.

Good luck!

Lucky Pear is an e-liquid by NamberJuice, the relatively new company set up by pillars of the vaping world, Nick "GrimmGreen" Green and Amber "VapeBabe" Johnson, both YouTube celebrities, reviewers, commentators and all-round nice people. GrimmGreen has been talking about all things vaping since 2009 and from then till now has had approximately three and a half million views of his videos. Here's a link to GrimmGreen's blog: http://www.grimmgreen.com/ and here's a link to his YouTube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/GrimmGreen VapeBabe has been posting videos to YouTube since 2010 and has also amassed a sizeable following. She also maintains a blog dedicated to seeking out and discussing all things vaping for the female market. In her own words, "...we (women) are out here, we have money, and we are more than willing to throw it at (vendors) if they invest in our interests!" http://www.thevapebabe.com/post/11008147355/hey-everyone-just-getting-this-site-up-and Here's a link to her Youtube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheVapeBabe and a link to her blog: http://www.thevapebabe.com/

NamberJuice currently have a catalog of twenty one flavours, divided into two ranges; Namber Originals and Namesakes, with a third range, Tumbleweed Tobacco coming soon. Their liquids range from confectionary and desserts through to beverages and tobaccos. Each of their liquids are available in a 15ml bottle ($10.00) at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg

Lucky Pear, from the Namber Originals range is described as "A delicate and slightly sweet, juicy pear (which) meets crisp light mint! This pear is the real deal, no artificial taste here." http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/lucky-pear.html There are sixteen customer reviews for Lucky Pear, as of the writing of this review, with an average rating of 4.2/5 stars.

The bottle is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic with an attached plastic dropper insert. The black plastic screw top cap is childproof. When it arrived, the bottle was sealed from head to toe in a seemingly vacuum sealed plastic and I had to use a steak knife to remove it! The design on the label is striking with it's geometric design in red, white and black. The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the phrase "The all original" preceding the brand name, the phrase "Quality E-Liquid", nicotine contents in mg, liquid contents in ml, a batch (lot) number, a "born on" date, an ingredients list, a warning that the liquid may contain concentrated flavours and nicotine, a declaration that the liquid contains artificial flavouring, an advisory notice to keep out of reach of children and pets and the NamberJuice address.

The liquid is a clear, dark Rust Brown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_(color) A vigorous shake of the bottle, diffusing bubbles of air throughout the liquid sees them defying gravity and the viscosity of the liquid reasonably quickly. A drop of the liquid rubbed between the tips of my thumb and forefinger is absorbed I to my skin within forty seconds. It immediately feels slightly tacky, so lubricity is low. All of this suggests a low VG content. The aroma that rises from the opened bottle, held below my nose is a blend of mint and pear. This mixture approximatse the aroma of cough lollies.

I've been vaping Lucky Pear in both an AC9 (Genesis style atomiser) (WOW!) and an Igo-L on a Poldiac. For the purpose of this review I'm using an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 18650 battery. I don't have the means to check the ohms of the coil, but if it helps you to know, there's a four/five coil of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick.

I take a slow, sustained inhalation of vapour and it registers as sweetness along the forward edge of my tongue. Almost immediately, I experience the cooling sensation of the mint from the mid section of my tongue through to the back of my throat. If I draw the vapour into my mouth without inhaling the sweetness enfolds and almost seizes my tongue, while I perceive the coolness of the mint as a secondary event . Inhaling the vapour draws the chill toward the back of my throat where it intensifies the longer I draw. Although the NamberJuice website suggests the presence of mint, I experience chemesthetic chill rather than the flavour of mint per se; this is true when I vape Lucky Pear in both the AC9 and the Igo-L. As I finish inhaling and draw fresh air into my lungs, the chill is amplified to the level of a cold burn and I recognise the pear flavour as a type of candy rather than the fresh fruit. However, it may very well be a species of pear with which I'm unfamiliar. Whatever the case, you should make your own decision about the character of the pear flavour at play in this juice. As I exhale, the cold burn amplifies even further and dominates the pear flavour. The aftertaste consists of a cool residue along the length of my tongue and at the back of my throat with the resurfacing of the subdued pear flavour. 

When using both the Igo-L and the AC9, throat hit is significant, as is the chemesthetic reaction afforded by the mint. Vapour production is very generous, especially when the AC9 is used.

I would like to say that Lucky Pear is accurately cast as a pear flavoured juice, but I experienced the mint as the primary element with the pear lending an auxiliary sweetening and fruity influence. Please note that I'm personally not a big fan of Menthol type juices, so my assessment of this liquid will be necessarily biased. Don't let my personal bias sway you either way. In and of itself, this is a very finely tailored juice; the flavour is full-bodied and nicely balanced against the cooling effect of the mint. If you're partial to Menthol/Koolada/Mint flavoured vapes with fruity attributes, then I'd suggest this as a worthy addition to your vaping diet.


(1) Ellis, Bill: Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture (University of Kentucky, 2004) ISBN 0-8131-2289-9

Cartomator Crush by NamberJuice

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 NamberJuice's Moot's Juice. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/moots-juice-by-namberjuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Every conceivable human endeavour and interest has some sort of association, society, organisation, group, league, guild, order, union, auxiliary, fraternity, federation, company, brotherhood, sisterhood, set, circle, clique, chapter, church, synagogue, mosque, sangha, workshop, conference, seminar or meet where those of a like mind can get together and talk about whatever it is that takes their fancy.

We're social creatures. We want to be with others of a like mind, we want to be liked and sometimes we're content with being disliked. Whatever the case, we often need the friction, good or bad, of social intercourse to establish and ratify identity. ...and to keep us distracted from that final mystery that awaits every last one of us. Reasons to be cheerful. http://youtu.be/qcjh1a9Yoao

The subject of this review, Cartomator Crush was born of the relationship of two people, who shared a table with friends at a vaping mega-meet, VapeBash 2013, where hundreds of people got together to share their love of all things vaping. The people at VapeBash 2013 were a small group of people representative of a wider community who interact via Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+ and other Internet based social networks. Smaller groups are meeting in bars, coffee shops and restaurants the world over, to discuss their mods, their juices and every other aspect of this revolutionary alternative to smoking cigarettes.

This is what NamberJuice http://namberjuice.com/ say on their website about the genesis of this juice: "Namber Juice and Vaperfexion have been friends for a long time and to celebrate their friendship we made "Cartomator Crush" as a VapeBash 2013 juice..." http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/cartomator-crush.html

NamberJuice is a relatively new company set up by pillars of the vaping world, Nick "GrimmGreen" Green and Amber "VapeBabe" Johnson, both YouTube celebrities, reviewers, commentators and all-round nice people. GrimmGreen has been talking about all things vaping since 2009 and from then till now has had approximately three and a half million views of his videos. Here's a link to GrimmGreen's blog: http://www.grimmgreen.com/ and here's a link to his YouTube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/GrimmGreen VapeBabe has been posting videos to YouTube since 2010 and has also amassed a sizeable following. She also maintains a blog dedicated to seeking out and discussing all things vaping for the female market. In her own words, "...we (women) are out here, we have money, and we are more than willing to throw it at (vendors) if they invest in our interests!" http://www.thevapebabe.com/post/11008147355/hey-everyone-just-getting-this-site-up-and Here's a link to her Youtube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheVapeBabe and a link to her blog: http://www.thevapebabe.com/

NamberJuice currently have a catalog of twenty one flavours, divided into two ranges; Namber Originals and Namesakes, with a third range, Tumbleweed Tobacco coming soon. Their liquids range from confectionary and desserts through to beverages and tobaccos. Each of their liquids are available in a 15ml bottle ($10.00) at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg

Cartomator Crush, from the Namber Originals range is described as a "strawberry pink champagne flavor" http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/cartomator-crush.html There are five customer reviews for Cartomator Crush, as of the writing of this review, with an average rating of 4.8/5 stars.

The bottle is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic with an attached plastic dropper insert. The black plastic screw top cap is childproof. When it arrived, the bottle was sealed from head to toe in a seemingly vacuum sealed plastic and I had to use a steak knife to remove it! The design on the label is striking with it's geometric design in red, white and black. The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the phrase "The all original" preceding the brand name, the phrase "Quality E-Liquid", nicotine contents in mg, liquid contents in ml, a batch (lot) number, a "born on" date, an ingredients list, a warning that the liquid may contain concentrated flavours and nicotine, a declaration that the liquid contains artificial flavouring, an advisory notice to keep out of reach of children and pets and the NamberJuice address.

The liquid is a clear Lemon Yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_yellow#Lemon and has the consistency of a light undiluted syrup. Giving the bottle a vigorous shake suspends diminutive bubbles of air throughout the liquid, which defy gravity and the viscosity of the liquid at a very slow pace. A drop of the liquid rubbed between the tips of my thumb and forefinger feels initially very lubricious but is completely absorbed into my skin within a minute and a half. The aroma rising from the opened bottle, held below my nose and discerned with a sustained, shallow inhalation is of a sweet strawberry syrup. Knowing that this is a strawberry and pink champagne liquid, I searched for the aroma of champagne but without success. No matter; the proof is in the tasting.

Over the last three days I've vaped Cartomator Crush in a Killer/Big Boaby Tank and the Igo-L. I'm reviewing Cartomator Crush with an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 18650 battery. I don't have the means to check the ohms of the coil, but if it helps you to know, there's a four/five coil of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick.

I fire the device and draw a sweetened vapour into my mouth. Progressive heating of the coil intensifies the sensation of sweetness and there's a fine grained tingling sensation on the tip of my tongue which I attribute to the possible presence of vodka. With subsequent inhalations this tingling resolves into a slightly acidic tang. The taste sensation is immediately apparent as being that of berry. Intellectually I know it's strawberry, but at the level of pure sensation, the taste buds and retronasal apprehension of aroma identify the flavour as a light berry. Alongside this is a trace of sourness, which I'd suggest is the broad introduction of champagne to the palate. As I finish inhaling the vapour and chase it into my lungs, before holding the breath for a moment or two, the gentle flavour of strawberry arrives in conscious awareness. When the breath turns and I begin to exhale, the flavours of the berry and the secondary hint of champagne are raised up and intensified. There's a very light dryness to the flavoured vapour as it's exhaled; not unlike the sensation in the mouth following a mouthful of Sauvignon Blanc. The aftertaste is a very light, refreshing savour of the aforementioned flavours.

Throat hit, when vaped in the Killer/Big Boaby Tank can be significant, though it's often accompanied by a burnt taste. I'd suggest this is the fault of the hardware rather than the juice itself. The Igo-L however, renders a lighter throat hit but a more forceful mounting of pressure at the back of the throat. Vapour production, when vaped in the Killer is substantial, while the vapour generated by the Igo-L is rather light.

I love the idea of a juice mixed specifically to celebrate an event, as was Cartomator Crush for VapeBash2013. It bespeaks a love and dedication of not just the juice itself but a deep appreciation of the community for whom it's intended. I applaud this and I'd like to extend my thanks to Namberjuice for making it available, after the fact, to the wider vaping community. Obviously, this is a predominantly strawberry flavoured vape, but there are subtleties and nuances of flavour and mouthfeel that raise it above the everyday strawberry liquid. Cartomator Crush is a treat and you owe it to yourself to spend some unhurried, considered time with it.

Atlanta Peach Leaf by NamberJuice

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 NamberJuice's Moot's Juice. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/moots-juice-by-namberjuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

When NamberJuice co-founder, Amber Johnson graduated from college, she spent two years living in Atlanta. Apparently all the streets in Atlanta are named "peach-something". http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/atlanta-peachleaf.html I'll be right back, I'm going to explore Atlanta via GoogleMaps.

...

OK, I found a place South of Atlanta called Peachtree City, and within Atlanta itself there is indeed, a West Peachtree Street, NW Peachtree Street, Peachtree Street NE, Peachtree Street SW, West Peachtree Street NE, Peachtree Circuit NE, Peachtree Park Drive NE, Peachtree Hills Avenue NE, PeachTree Way NE, Peachtree Hills Circuit NE, etc., etc. "...there are 71 streets in Atlanta with a variant of "Peachtree" in their name." http://www.pba.org/programming/programs/atlantasounds/1294/ Amber wasn't kidding! Atlanta Peach Leaf, the subject of this review is a fitting name for this peach and tobacco flavoured e-liquid.

Atlanta Peach Leaf is an e-liquid by NamberJuice http://namberjuice.com/, the relatively new company set up by pillars of the vaping world, Nick "GrimmGreen" Green and Amber "VapeBabe" Johnson, both YouTube celebrities, reviewers, commentators and all-round nice people. GrimmGreen has been talking about all things vaping since 2009 and from then till now has had approximately three and a half million views of his videos. Here's a link to GrimmGreen's blog: http://www.grimmgreen.com/ and here's a link to his YouTube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/GrimmGreen VapeBabe has been posting videos to YouTube since 2010 and has also amassed a sizeable following. She also maintains a blog dedicated to seeking out and discussing all things vaping for the female market. In her own words, "...we (women) are out here, we have money, and we are more than willing to throw it at (vendors) if they invest in our interests!" http://www.thevapebabe.com/post/11008147355/hey-everyone-just-getting-this-site-up-and Here's a link to her Youtube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheVapeBabe and a link to her blog: http://www.thevapebabe.com/

NamberJuice currently have a catalog of twenty one flavours, divided into two ranges; Namber Originals and Namesakes, with a third range, Tumbleweed Tobacco coming soon. Their liquids range from confectionary and desserts through to beverages and tobaccos. Each of their liquids are available in a 15ml bottle ($10.00) at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg

Atlanta Peach Leaf, from the Namber Originals range is described as a "new and improved sweet peach tobacco (which) has a delicate and smooth tobacco flavor underneath a bright, juicy, ripe peach. Not too sweet, not too much tobacco, just a very well balanced flavor." http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/atlanta-peachleaf.html There are twenty three customer reviews for Atlanta Peach Leaf with an average rating of 4.2/5 stars.

The bottle is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic with an attached plastic dropper insert. The black plastic screw top cap is childproof. When it arrived, the bottle was sealed from head to toe in a seemingly vacuum sealed plastic and I had to use a steak knife to remove it! The design on the label is striking with it's geometric design in red, white and black. The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the phrase "The all original" preceding the brand name, the phrase "Quality E-Liquid", nicotine contents in mg, liquid contents in ml, a batch (lot) number, a "born on" date, an ingredients list, a warning that the liquid may contain concentrated flavours and nicotine, a declaration that the liquid contains artificial flavouring, an advisory notice to keep out of reach of children and pets and the NamberJuice address.

The colour is a limpid Ivory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(color) Observing the liquid in the bottle suggests a viscosity similar to a light, undiluted drinking cordial. However, a short, vigorous shake of the bottle, diffusing diminutive air bubbles throughout, sees them rising to the top at a very sluggish rate, suggesting a high VG content. A drop of the very lubricious liquid rubbed between my thumb and forefinger, remained slippery until the last half minute of the four and a half minutes it took to be absorbed into my skin. Opening the bottle below my nose releases an aroma which is redolent of a tobacco with biscuity or cookie-like notes and a slender trace of peach candy.

I'm reviewing Atlanta Peach Leaf with an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 18650 battery. I don't have the means to check the ohms of the coil, but if it helps you to know, there's a four/five coil of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick.

As I first draw the vapour into my mouth, I'm deceived. My mouth fills with the flavour of what I imagine to be maple syrup. With the second inhalation this has disappeared and the character of this juice conforms to my expectations. Drawing the vapour into my mouth again fills it with a mild sweetness and a milder still tanginess which I immediately recognise as having a fruity quality, but tempered with a more umami note. Having filled my lungs with vapour and a small amount of fresh air, for that brief moment before I begin exhaling the flavour resolves into the peach which I've been expecting. As soon as I begin to exhale the peach subsides a little in favour of a light tobacco flavour with a slightly biscuity inclination which dominates through to, and for the duration of the aftertaste.  The aftertaste finishes with a light metallic tinge around my teeth and gums. I want to suggest there may be a drop or two of Menthol in the mix; not enough to register as flavour or to serve as a cooling agent, but just a smidgeon to brighten the peach flavour.

I find the throat hit to be mild and as with every sweetened juice I recall vaping, there's a mounting of pressure at the back of my throat as I inhale. In this case however, it's very mild and at no stage does it become uncomfortable. Vapour production is substantial enough to be convincing.

Atlanta Peach Leaf is delightful. It's sweet without being cloying and the expression of juicy peach married to the light, biscuity tobacco works like a perfectly realised dream. Well done NamberJuice! Without any reservation whatsoever, I can recommend this as an all day vape. In fact, in the next day or two I'll be filling my Kayfun Lite with it. If I notice any change in the subtle balance of flavour when vaped in the K-Lite, I'll be sure to let you know.

Caramelized Banana by NamberJuice

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 NamberJuice's Moot's Juice. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/moots-juice-by-namberjuice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Caramelised bananas and walnuts atop buttermilk pancakes, with butter and Maple syrup are one of those desserts (or breakfasts) that absolutely delight me. Ye gods, I love it! So, the opportunity to write about this liquid fills me with an excited expectation of revisiting an element of this beloved food. Even if it's a near approximation of the flavours I love, I'll be happy.

Grimmgreen likes banana too. Of the twenty one flavours on offer from NamberJuice http://namberjuice.com/ three of them are variations on banana flavour. Says Nick, "One of the first flavors I tried back in January 2009 when I started vaping was a china (sic) made banana flavor, and I LOVED it.  I could not get enough of it.  It was blowing my mind that only a few weeks earlier I had stinky, burnt, gross tobacco flavor in my lungs, and now I had this amazing creamy banana flavor satisfying my nicotine cravings. When Amber and myself first started dating, one of the first flavors that she mixed up and gave to me was a menthol / banana juice.  I thought it was pretty stellar and vaped the whole bottle away in a few days." http://namberjuice.tumblr.com/

Caramelized Banana is an e-liquid by NamberJuice, the relatively new company set up by pillars of the vaping world, Nick "GrimmGreen" Green and Amber "VapeBabe" Johnson, both YouTube celebrities, reviewers, commentators and all-round nice people. GrimmGreen has been talking about all things vaping since 2009 and from then till now has had approximately three and a half million views of his videos. Here's a link to GrimmGreen's blog: http://www.grimmgreen.com/ and here's a link to his YouTube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/GrimmGreen VapeBabe has been posting videos to YouTube since 2010 and has also amassed a sizeable following. She also maintains a blog dedicated to seeking out and discussing all things vaping for the female market. In her own words, "...we (women) are out here, we have money, and we are more than willing to throw it at (vendors) if they invest in our interests!" http://www.thevapebabe.com/post/11008147355/hey-everyone-just-getting-this-site-up-and Here's a link to her Youtube channel: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheVapeBabe and a link to her blog: http://www.thevapebabe.com/

NamberJuice currently have a catalog of twenty one flavours, divided into two ranges; Namber Originals and Namesakes, with a third range, Tumbleweed Tobacco coming soon. Their liquids range from confectionary and desserts through to beverages and tobaccos. Each of their liquids are available in a 15ml bottle ($10.00) at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg

Caramelized Banana, from the Namber Originals range is described as "Caramel candy mixed with a delicious banana flavor. Sweet and smooth, this juice could easily substitute as a tobacco type flavor... This flavor was inspired by the very first DIY attempt Amber made in 2010. She sent her crisp caramelized banana flavor to Nick via snail mail in the early stages of their relationship, so of course they honored that memory by creating a similar flavor for Namber Juice." http://namberjuice.com/namber-originals/all-flavors/caramelized-bananas.html There are twenty six customer reviews for Caramelized Banana, as of the writing of this review, with an average rating of 4.2/5 stars.

The bottle is a semi-opaque, easily squeezed plastic with an attached plastic dropper insert. The black plastic screw top cap is childproof. When it arrived, the bottle was sealed from head to toe in a seemingly vacuum sealed plastic and I had to use a steak knife to remove it! The design on the label is striking with it's geometric design in red, white and black. The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the phrase "The all original" preceding the brand name, the phrase "Quality E-Liquid", nicotine contents in mg, liquid contents in ml, a batch (lot) number, a "born on" date, an ingredients list, a warning that the liquid may contain concentrated flavours and nicotine, a declaration that the liquid contains artificial flavouring, an advisory notice to keep out of reach of children and pets and the NamberJuice address.

The colour of the liquid seems to most closely approximate an Atomic Tangerine Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Atomic_tangerine Looking at the liquid in the bottle, it seems reasonably aqueous but dispersing minuscule bubbles of air throughout with a vigorous shake of the bottle, sees them rising to the top at a very slow pace, suggesting a high viscosity. It's also very lubricious: rubbing a drop of the liquid between the tips of my thumb and forefinger takes almost five minutes before it's absorbed into my skin. At the three minute mark, the liquid became slightly tacky. When I hold the opened bottle below my nose and take a sustained, shallow inhalation, I smell ripe banana.

I'm reviewing Caramelized Banana with an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 18650 battery. I don't have the means to check the ohms of the coil, but if it helps you to know, there's a four/five coil of 0.2mm (32AWG) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick.

I fire the device and draw the vapour into my mouth. The back of my throat is closed, so my mouth fills with, and is bathed in sweet vapour. I take a number of short draws without inhaling and with each successive draw the sweetness intensifies. When I finally draw the vapour into my mouth before inhaling, the sweetness is very intense and I experience the broad flavour of caramelised banana. Before too long I've inhaled as much vapour as I can and I follow through with a breath of fresh air to ease it all into my lungs. At this point the flavour of banana caramelised with Demerara sugar is fully realised. The caramel is sweet and unlike some other caramel flavoured e-liquids I've tried recently, there's no saltiness at all. The banana flavour is without doubt that of a cooked banana. As I exhale, the flavours are softened slightly; the caramel begins to give way and the banana dominates through to the aftertaste. There's also a slight metallic tang around my lower, forward teeth and gums. 

Like many dessert or fruit oriented e-liquids, I don't experience a throat hit when vaping Caramelized Banana. I do however, experience a significant mounting of pressure at the back of my throat during inhalation. I find that I need to modify my inhalation technique significantly in vaping this juice because the sensation of pressure builds more rapidly than I've previously experienced. Short, shallow inhalations seem to not only benefit the flavour payload, but it helps to avoid the discomfort that comes with inhaling too much vapour. As a consequence of not being able to take sustained inhalations, I found vapour production to be somewhat on the light side.

Caramelized Banana is an unpretentious juice. There doesn't appear to be any secondary or tertiary flavours lurking below the surface, so it's a case of what you see is what you get. It does this very well; the flavour is rich and full bodied and tastes exactly like the foodstuff it mimics. While NamberJuice suggest this could be a worthy substitute for a tobacco flavoured liquid, I personally find it a little too sweet for this to be the case. Nevertheless, I do like it very much and it's something that I'll happily vape with a cup of tea or coffee. 

When you eat a banana, the flavour you experience is derived primarily from one particular chemical; Isoamyl Acetate. This chemical is also released as a pheromone by bees when they sting something to attract other bees in the area and provoke them to sting as well. It can be synthesised by catalysing a mixture of Isoamyl Alcohol and Acetic Acid with Sulphuric Acid. Besides it's use as a flavorant it's commonly used as a solvent and was previously used in the aircraft production industry to stiffen and wind-proof exterior fabric surfaces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoamyl_acetate I wonder if you can see where I'm going with this. Unless you're new to e-cigarettes and the liquids we use to fill them, you're most likely familiar with Propylene Glycol. I'm not suggesting that PG is equivalent in structure or origin to Isoamyl Acetate, but it is "generally recognised as safe" for human consumption by the US Food And Drug Administration. "(It's) used as an humectant (E1520), solvent, and preservative in food and for tobacco products... It is also used in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Propylene glycol is a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable and topical formulations, such as Diazepam and Lorazepam that are insoluble in water, use propylene glycol as a solvent in their clinical, injectable forms." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol Next time somebody mentions "antifreeze" when discussing Propylene Glycol, casually mention Isoamyl Acetate.

N.B. I'm not a scientist by any means. I'm an artist and a writer, so my dear reader, if you're a scientist and you discern flaws in my understanding of the above chemicals, do please leave a comment below and set me straight.