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.
Créme Caramel is a delicate dessert, typically served cold, composed of a base layer of custard with a soft upper layer of caramel (unlike Creme Brûlée which has an upper layer of hard caramel). It's often served with a thin sauce, cream and if your lucky, some form of garnish. The words "créme caramel" are French and literally mean "caramel custard". When done right, simply laying the edge of a spoon on the top of the dessert should be sufficient to slice into it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crème_caramel
Caramel, from the Medieval Latin, Cannamellis, meaning “sugar cane” is made by "slowly heating sugar to "around 170°C (340°F). As the sugar heats, the molecules break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic color and flavor. A variety of candies, desserts, and confections are made with caramel: brittles, nougats, pralines, crème brûlée, crème caramel, and caramel apples." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel “Caramel candy (which I'll refer to later) is a soft, dense, chewy candy made by boiling a mixture of milk or cream, sugar(s), butter, and vanilla flavoring." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/1607743655/davidleboviswebs
Organic Creme Caramel is an E-liquid from Virgin Vapor, who describe it as "tasting like gooey, sticky, sweet and delicious caramel" On the Creme Caramel page there are twenty six customer reviews with an average rating of five out of five stars. http://www.virginvapor.com/collections/organic-e-liquid/products/organic-creme-caramel-e-liquid The emphasis appears to be more on the caramel than on the dessert for which it's named.
Virgin Vapor http://www.virginvapor.com/ is an award winning, small company based in the United States, run by Annette Rogers and her team. While there may be others who do the same, Virgin Vapor is the first company I've come across who offer 100% organically flavoured e-liquids. They offer two ranges; Virgin Vapor Line, within which the flavour essences are suspended in an ethyl alcohol base (Ethanol?); and the Absolute Virgin Line which offers an ethyl alcohol free alternative. Virgin Vapor are keen to point out that the ingredients for their liquids are sourced for the most part, from within the US. The flavourings for the Absolute Virgin Line are sourced from the EU. The nicotine used in all their liquids is sourced from hand picked tobacco leaves grown in North Carolina. Furthermore, none of their liquids contain "artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or any other additives." http://www.virginvapor.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions
The Virgin Vapor Line is a range of eighty eight e-juices with flavours ranging through tobaccos, desserts, fruits, beverages and confectionary to the more exotic floral offerings. The Absolute Virgin Line offers forty liquids with a similar to, though obviously less extensive spectrum of flavours than the Virgin Vapor Line.
Virgin Vapor e-liquids are available in 1/4 ounce (7.39ml)($6.99), 1/2 ounce (14.78ml)($11.50) and 1 ounce (29.57ml)($19.99) bottles at nicotine strengths of 0 (zero), 5 (Extra Low), 8 (Low), 12 (Medium), 18 (High) and 24mg (Extra High) with PG/VG ratios of 0/100 or 50/50.
The bottle is brown glass. This gets the Vapour-Taster seal of approval: brown glass stops UV light from degrading the nicotine content. The black plastic, screw top cap has an inbuilt glass dropper with a pointed tip which makes it easier to direct the flow of liquid into any device with a narrow opening (cartomisers, The Killer, etc). Owners of devices with smaller filling ports like certain cartomiser tanks, or the Kayfun, for example, will need to use a syringe. The label includes the following information: the name of the liquid, the name of the company, nicotine strength, PG/VG ratio, batch number, the company's website address, a notice of age requirement and an admonition to keep out of the reach of children.
The colour of the liquid is a limpid, pale Sunset Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_(color). To my eye, the liquid seems to move about in the bottle quite aqueously, which surprises me considering it's 50% Vegetable Glycerin. Actually, thinking about it, the ethyl alcohol, within which the flavour compounds are suspended would also dilute the VG, rendering it more aqueous. A vigorous shake diffuses tiny bubbles throughout the liquid which rise to the top at a sluggish pace. The liquid is initially very lubricious; rubbing a drop of the liquid between my thumb and forefinger causes it to be absorbed into my skin within two minutes. The aroma issuing from the opened bottle is that of a creamy caramel with a fleeting note of vanilla. Given that the organic flavour is suspended in an ethyl alcohol solution, there's also a slight alcoholic redolence underlying the upper sweet notes.
As I fire the device and draw the vapour into my mouth, sweetness, alongside what I'd call an "inclination towards" saltiness (very, very slight) washes in and around my taste buds. Knowing that I'm vaping caramel influences my gustatory system and the flavour is apparent even on the inhalation. The vapour is saturated with flavour and I'm already enjoying this immensely. As I finish inhaling vapour, catch a small amount of fresh air at the back of my throat and hold my breath for a moment or two the caramel flavour expands and it takes on a rich, buttery and creamy character. When the breath turns and I exhale, the flavour is fully realised and it tastes just like the "soft, dense, chewy (caramel) candy" I mentioned above. In addition to the caramel is vanilla which lends it's characteristic flavour and texture to the mix. The vapour is silky on both the inhalation and exhalation with a mild chemesthetic burn if exhaled nasally. The aftertaste is dominated by the buttery richness of the caramel with a slight metallic tang around my teeth and gums. Also worth noting, is that at no time was I aware of the ethyl alcohol in the liquid influencing the flavour of the vapour and for those of you wary of intoxication beyond the stimulus of the nicotine: rest easy, there isn't any.
There's a persuasive throat hit involved in the vaping of this juice and the exhaled vapour is as profuse as you would expect from a juice with a PG/VG ratio of 50/50. If I use the word "cumulonimbus" you'll understand what I'm suggesting, right?
As far as I'm aware, this is my first experience of vaping an organic flavoured e-liquid and I must say it's rather pleasant. The flavour is rich and full bodied, throat hit (amplified by the alcoholic content) is satisfying, as is the generous vapour production. While I wouldn't say it tasted of Creme Caramel, the dessert, the flavour is a very convincing caramel candy: buttery, creamy, sweet caramel with subtle hints of vanilla. Beautiful.
