Vanilla Trifecta by Drakes Vapes

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 Drakes Vapes Chai Town. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/chai-town-by-drakes-vapes.html Quoted passages are in italics.

"Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron, because growing the vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive. Initial attempts to cultivate vanilla outside Mexico and Central America proved futile because of the symbiotic relationship between the vanilla orchid and its natural pollinator, the local species of Melipona bee. Pollination is required to set the fruit from which the flavoring is derived. In 1837, Belgian botanist Charles François Antoine Morren discovered this fact and pioneered a method of artificially pollinating the plant. The method proved financially unworkable and was not deployed commercially. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a slave who lived on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered at the age of twelve that the plant could be hand-pollinated. Hand-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant.

The word vanilla, derived from the diminutive of the Spanish word vaina (vaina itself meaning sheath or pod), simply translates as little pod. Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people cultivated the vine of the vanilla orchid, called tlilxochitl by the Aztecs, and Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both vanilla and chocolate to Europe in the 1520s." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla

Now it's our great, good fortune to be (re)introduced to a trinity of vanillas in vaporous form by Drakes Vapes.

This is what the Vape Goddess website has to say about Drakes Vapes' Vanilla Trifecta, "A trifecta of vanillas and custards with a hint of magic. Made by Warlocks and Witches in a musky basement." http://www.vapegoddess.net/vanilla-trifecta/

Drakes Vapes is based in Newport Beach, California and was founded by Kevin Drake, professional musician https://soundcloud.com/kevindrake-1 and partner Meg Strouse, photographer, freelance journalist and founder of Vape Goddess. http://www.vapegoddess.net

Drakes Vapes offer a catalog of ten e-liquids: Alchemist ("A unique blend of fruits and absinthe..."), Chai Town ("smooth... creamy... spiced flavour"), Drakeula ("A refreshing mix of Blood Oranges, Black Cherries and Guava"), Echelon ("...pomegranate and sweet marshmallow..."), Figen Kanel ("...daring mix of fruits and cinnamons..."), Melon Fiasco ("...cantaloupe and watermelon..."), O-Face ("Sweet on the inside, sour on the outside; move over Lucille Ball, there's a new sassy Ginger in town"), Punky Bruiser ("Sweet and sassy...fruity tartness..."), Yolo! ("Lemonade with hints of Lavender...") and Vanilla Trifecta.

Each of the liquids is available in a 30ml bottle at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg. All liquids are mixed to a 50:50 PG/VG ratio.

The Drakes Vapes range is available online from the Vape Goddess website http://www.vapegoddess.net, Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, Vapor Solutions http://www.vapor-solutions.com, Electronic Cigarettes Inc. http://www.electroniccigarettesinc.com, et. al. Search Google for a more comprehensive list of stores selling the Drakes Vapes line.

The bottle is an Iodine Blue, cylindrical glass with a black plastic, screw top cap. The cap isn't childproof, so care should be taken in the use and storage of this liquid. There's also no dropper insert attached, so a syringe, eye dropper or pipette, all of which are readily available from your local pharmacy or online, will need to be used for transferring the liquid to your preferred atomiser. The label includes the following information: the brand/company name, the name of the liquid, liquid contents specified by a pictogram which I struggle to decipher, nicotine strength in milligrams, a description of the flavour profile, a list of ingredients, a warning to keep out of the reach of children and pets and an advisory notice specifying that the liquid is not to be sold to minors.

Given that the bottle is a dark blue and the liquid within appears black, I've used an eye dropper to observe and identify the colour of the juice which is a clear, Peach Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange#Peach A deep, sustained snift at the opened bottle reveals an aroma rich in vanilla that cools the nostrils towards the finish. There's a vaguely alcoholic quality about this cooling effect, though there's no corresponding odour. Brief inhalations of the aroma seems to add a certain egg yolk-like aspect to the fragrance which is very reminiscent of custard.

I've been vaping Vanilla Trifecta in a Killer on a GP Paps Lux and an Igo-L on a Poldiac. For the purpose of this review I'll be using the Killer which is built with a pre-made, low resistance coil/wick and is running on a GP Paps powered by an 18490 battery.

Drawing the vapour into and through my mouth floods my taste buds with a mildly sweetened and gently spiced flavour. There's a certain measure of warmth, not temperature-wise, to the flavour which is vaguely reminiscent of the warmth experienced in the stomach following a shot of whiskey. (Please don't misunderstand this as suggesting there's a whiskey-like warmth generated in the stomach by this liquid. It's merely an illustration to describe the quality of flavour.) It produces a sensation of comfort and the illusion of fortification against the wintry elements. As I chase the vapour into my lungs with a breath of fresh air, the flavour is declared in all it's glory. This is a luxurious, buttery vanilla that expands and mutates into an egg yolk-rich custard as I begin to exhale. Towards the end of the exhalation and through to the last moments of the aftertaste, the flavour shifts towards that of a sweet, vanilla ice cream. There are whispers of caramel throughout, though I suspect this to be the result of sugars within the liquid actually caramelising on the coil, rather than the addition of flavour additives.

Each time I pick up the device for a vape, the first inhalation passes without any throat hit whatsoever. With subsequent inhalations however, there is a distinctive rasp at the back of the throat which passes for a very satisfactory throat hit. Using the Killer, this liquid produces very generous plumes of vapour, which in a still room, builds successive, delicate veils which shift and undulate to relaxing effect.

If there was an equivalent of comfort food in vaporous form, Drakes Vapes' Vanilla Trifecta would be it. There's a gentle, unintrusive, though flavour-rich quality to this liquid that renders it a capable all-day-vape and as mentioned earlier, that elusive warmth seemingly produced by the flavour itself, provokes in me an association with the darker and colder months. Perfect fireside vaping.

Yolo! By Drakes Vapes

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 Drakes Vapes Chai Town. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/chai-town-by-drakes-vapes.html Quoted passages are in italics.

From my review of another vendor's lemonade e-liquid, quoted here as equally applicable:

"Lemonade takes a number of different forms and means different things to different people, depending on where they are in the world. I'm led to believe that in the United States, Lemonade is a beverage whose ingredients consist of water, lemon juice and sugar. In Australia and the United Kingdom (the locales with which I'm familiar), Lemonade is a carbonated drink sold in cans, whose flavour in my opinion, bears little resemblance to lemon. In these countries, the beverage known as Lemonade in the US is called "homemade lemonade". I personally prefer the uncarbonated variety.

The taste of (Drakes Vapes' Yolo!) conjures for me the images and sensations of hot Saturday afternoons. The smell of freshly cut grass and the distant sounds of children playing under a sprinkler. My parents sitting sweatily in front of the rotary fan watching the tennis. Some of us drinking coke; the rest of us drinking homemade lemonade. I can still hear the ice cubes tinkling in the glasses as we each shift in our torpid discomfort and the feel of the condensation on the outside of the glass dripping onto my t-shirt.

I remember a hot summer evening when I was in my early twenties... a storm was approaching, but it always seemed to feel hotter right before the storm struck and I was miserable. I was sitting next to an open window, watching Werner Herzog's, Aguirre: The Wrath of God and drinking homemade lemonade. As the film's climax approached, the storm hit and I remember the relief of the cool breeze that the cold front brought with it.

A simple pleasure; Lemonade, but it's these small, simple pleasures in life that attach to meaningful memories and make us the people we are. This is what (Drakes Vapes' Yolo!) does for me." http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/pink-lemonade-by-midas-vape.html

This is what the Vape Goddess website has to say about Drakes Vapes' Yolo!, "You Only Live Once..... right!? Well, in that case, live a little and tickle your taste buds with Drake's unique twist on a classic. Lemonade with hints of Lavender, YOLO will leave you wanting more and wondering what the @#$% you just vaped. Enter a zen-like state of relaxation and satisfaction that you can't get from your average vape." http://www.vapegoddess.net/yolo/

Drakes Vapes is based in Newport Beach, California and was founded by Kevin Drake, professional musician https://soundcloud.com/kevindrake-1 and partner Meg Strouse, photographer, freelance journalist and founder of Vape Goddess. http://www.vapegoddess.net

Drakes Vapes offer a catalog of ten e-liquids: Alchemist ("A unique blend of fruits and absinthe..."), Chai Town ("smooth... creamy... spiced flavour"), Drakeula ("A refreshing mix of Blood Oranges, Black Cherries and Guava"), Echelon ("...pomegranate and sweet marshmallow..."), Figen Kanel ("...daring mix of fruits and cinnamons..."), Melon Fiasco ("...cantaloupe and watermelon..."), O-Face ("Sweet on the inside, sour on the outside; move over Lucille Ball, there's a new sassy Ginger in town"), Punky Bruiser ("Sweet and sassy...fruity tartness..."), Vanilla Trifecta ("A trifecta of vanillas and custards with a hint of magic") and Yolo!

Each of the liquids is available in a 30ml bottle at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg. All liquids are mixed to a 50:50 PG/VG ratio.

The Drakes Vapes range is available online from the Vape Goddess website http://www.vapegoddess.net, Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, Vapor Solutions http://www.vapor-solutions.com, Electronic Cigarettes Inc. http://www.electroniccigarettesinc.com, et. al. Search Google for a more comprehensive list of stores selling the Drakes Vapes line.

The bottle is an Iodine Blue, cylindrical glass with a black plastic, screw top cap. The cap isn't childproof, so care should be taken in the use and storage of this liquid. There's also no dropper insert attached, so a syringe, eye dropper or pipette, all of which are readily available from your local pharmacy or online, will need to be used for transferring the liquid to your preferred atomiser. The label includes the following information: the brand/company name, the name of the liquid, liquid contents specified by a pictogram which I struggle to decipher, nicotine strength in milligrams, a description of the flavour profile, a list of ingredients, a warning to keep out of the reach of children and pets and an advisory notice specifying that the liquid is not to be sold to minors.

Given that the bottle is a dark blue and the liquid within appears black, I've used an eye dropper to observe and identify the colour of the juice. It's a perfectly limpid Ivory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(color) The opened bottle releases the unequivocal aroma of fresh lemon.

Having tried Yolo! In an Igo-L and a Quasar I've decided to use an AC9 (Genesis style rebuildable atomiser) for this review as it appears to best lay bare all that this juice has to offer. I'm vaping Yolo! in an AC9 with a glass tank on a Nemesis running on a freshly charged 18350 battery. There's 3/4 wraps of 0.32mm (28AWG) Kanthal wire around oxidised stainless steel 325 mesh and the atomiser is reading 0.9ohms on the Provari.

I fire the device and draw the vapour into my mouth and as I do so I experience a fine grained tingling on the tip and upper, forward edge of my tongue which I recognise as the chemesthetic reaction of acidity on my palate. I experience the broad flavour of lemon and an accompanying sweetness as I inhale and then as I follow through with a breath of fresh air I sense the gentle fragrance of lavender at the back of my throat. When I exhale, the lavender subsides and the primary flavour of lemon re-asserts itself through to the last lingering moments of the aftertaste. Although the lavender is most noticeable at that point when I breath in a small amount of fresh air to follow the vapour into my lungs, there is a mildly floral quality to the flavour of this vape that softens the acidity of the lemon from beginning to end. I know that the term "floral" is often used in a derogatory sense when describing e-liquids but in this instance when the floral aspect is intentional, the use of the word is entirely appropriate; it's an inspired choice of flavours, resulting in a flavour pairing that leaves me awed by the palate that devised it. Furthermore, the balance of sourness and sweetness has been perfectly adjudged, rendering an exquisitely refreshing representation of homemade lemonade.

I'm finding that there's no throat hit but exhaling sometimes produces a mildly sharp spike of acidity at the back of the throat. Vapour production is suitably substantial; the combination of 50% Vegetable Glycerin and the genesis style atomiser produces very worthy clouds indeed.

On the whole, Yolo! is a gentle creature; the lemon flavour, though acidic, isn't overly sour and the lavender, while mixed quite sparingly, blossoms intensely at various stages in the vape and manages to soften the whole experience in a thoroughly agreeable manner. The degree to which this juice is sweetened is, to my palate, just right and while I don't experience any throat hit (I'm not a big fan of throat hit anyway...) the vapour production is sensational. Highly recommended.

NB. Due to the citrus Ph. levels in Yolo! it's strongly advised that you don't use this juice in plastic tanks. Etching, cracking and frosting have been known to occur with citrus juices in plastic tanks. Stick to stainless steel or glass to preserve your investment. AC9 owners: your PMMA tank is vulnerable to this juice. I hope you read my review closely enough to discern I was using a glass tank. http://shop.vapinaze.com/collections/frontpage/products/glass-steel-tank-for-the-ac9

Melon Fiasco by Drakes Vapes

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 Drakes Vapes Chai Town. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/chai-town-by-drakes-vapes.html Quoted passages are in italics.

When I quit smoking and first began vaping, a watermelon e-liquid, a rebadged Chinese product was the second flavour I tried. It was OK; it tasted like a watermelon candy, but this was enough to set me on the road seeking an authentic, summer or tropical fruit flavoured vape. Something refreshing, mouth cleansing and evocative of balmy summer evenings. I've tried a number of these by various vendors and some are more convincing than others. It's my great pleasure, now, to put Drakes Vapes Melon Fiasco in the vapour-taster spotlight.

This is what the Vape Goddess website has to say about Melon Fiasco, "If a Cantaloupe loving a Watermelon is wrong, we don't want to be right. Beaming with juicy flavor, consider this hot mess a success for your palate and your new trusty wingman." http://www.vapegoddess.net/melon-fiasco/

Drakes Vapes is based in Newport Beach, California and was founded by Kevin Drake, professional musician https://soundcloud.com/kevindrake-1 and partner Meg Strouse, photographer, freelance journalist and founder of Vape Goddess. http://www.vapegoddess.net

Drakes Vapes offer a catalog of ten e-liquids: Alchemist ("A unique blend of fruits and absinthe..."), Chai Town ("smooth... creamy... spiced flavour"), Drakeula ("A refreshing mix of Blood Oranges, Black Cherries and Guava"), Echelon ("...pomegranate and sweet marshmallow..."), Figen Kanel ("...daring mix of fruits and cinnamons..."), O-Face ("Sweet on the inside, sour on the outside; move over Lucille Ball, there's a new sassy Ginger in town"), Punky Bruiser ("Sweet and sassy...fruity tartness..."), Vanilla Trifecta ("A trifecta of vanillas and custards with a hint of magic"), Yolo! ("Lemonade with hints of Lavender...") and Melon Fiasco.

Each of the liquids is available in a 30ml bottle at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg. All liquids are mixed to a 50:50 PG/VG ratio.

The Drakes Vapes range is available online from the Vape Goddess website http://www.vapegoddess.net, Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, Vapor Solutions http://www.vapor-solutions.com, Electronic Cigarettes Inc. http://www.electroniccigarettesinc.com, et. al. Search Google for a more comprehensive list of stores selling the Drakes Vapes line.

The bottle is an Iodine Blue, cylindrical glass with a black plastic, screw top cap. The cap isn't childproof, so care should be taken in the use and storage of this liquid. There's also no dropper insert attached, so a syringe, eye dropper or pipette, all of which are readily available from your local pharmacy or online, will need to be used for transferring the liquid to your preferred atomiser. The label includes the following information: the brand/company name, the name of the liquid, liquid contents specified by a pictogram which I struggle to decipher, nicotine strength in milligrams, a description of the flavour profile, a list of ingredients, a warning to keep out of the reach of children and pets and an advisory notice specifying that the liquid is not to be sold to minors.

Given that the bottle is a dark blue and the liquid within appears black, I've used an eye dropper to observe and identify the colour of the juice. It's a clear Ivory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(color) The expressure of aroma from the opened bottle is strongly reminiscent of melon flavoured, gelatinous candy, which I suspect can be attributed to the amount of sweetener used. 

I'm vaping Melon Fiasco 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 2.5ohms on the Provari.

Firing the device and drawing the vapour into and through my mouth sees an intensely sweet wash along the length of my tongue. From the outset, I'm aware (at the level of pure sensation) that I'm tasting melon, but at this stage I'm not conscious of what type of melon it is. As I inhale a small amount of fresh air to follow the vapour into my lungs, the flavour of cantaloupe leaps forcefully into conscious awareness, followed by the slightly lesser presence of watermelon. As I exhale, the two flavours marry and exert a sweet fusion of Cucurbitaceaen influence on my taste buds. The aftertaste is refreshing and mouth cleansing. There's no trace of artificiality or candy-like approximation about the flavour and to my taste buds, Melon Fiasco almost tastes like the actual fruits; a smidgeon of sourness and slightly less sweetness would render the illusion complete. Obviously, when talking about taste we're in subjective territory, so my latter comments should be taken with a grain of salt.

If I inhale directly into my lungs, there's a mounting of pressure at the back of my throat, which, beyond a certain point becomes uncomfortable. If however, I draw the vapour into my mouth and inhale the mouthful, there's a significant throat hit. Vapour production is substantial with great volumes of the stuff cascading into the room around me and forming veils and drifting curlicues.

Melon Fiasco is a no-nonsense adaptation of two of summer's finest fruits. Watermelon seems a common enough option within the wider e-liquid market, but watermelon and cantaloupe combined into a robustly flavoured, throat hitting, vaporously generous e-liquid that is (without a doubt) supremely evocative of balmy summer evenings is a much rarer thing. 

Chai Town by Drakes Vapes

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.

"Masala chai is a flavoured tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs. Originating in South Asia, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and tea houses. Although traditionally prepared by decoction, retail versions include tea bags for infusion, instant powdered mixtures, and concentrates. In many places, there is a misconception that "chai" in itself is made with cardamom, ginger, and the other common spices. However, chai is simply the Hindi word for tea and can be prepared black, with milk, without sugar, etc." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai

Here's a recipe for "Chai Tea": http://www.chai-tea.org/rec/rec101.html

This is what the Vape Goddess website has to say about Drakes Vapes' Chai Town, "Forget the overly spicy alternatives, Chai Town is a smooth and creamy vape. Providing a sensory overload with flavors bursting out of every seam, it's hard to pinpoint exactly which flavors go into one bottle of Chai Town. For those looking for a smooth yet spiced flavor that won't bore your taste buds, you've found your go-to vape." http://www.vapegoddess.net/chai-town/

Drakes Vapes is based in Newport Beach, California and was founded by Kevin Drake, professional musician https://soundcloud.com/kevindrake-1 and partner Meg Strouse, photographer, freelance journalist and founder of Vape Goddess. http://www.vapegoddess.net

Like the vast majority of us, Drake adopted vaping as a means to replace his cigarette addiction with something a lot safer. He quit smoking at his young daughter's request. Like a number of his peers he found the available e-liquids (at that time) unsatisfactory and set about mixing his own. He was so enamoured of the results that he vaped bottle after bottle of his DIY efforts and proceeded to share the fruits of his labours with his friends. Suitably impressed, they encouraged him to make his juices available to the wider public. This he did and thus was born Drakes Vapes.

Drakes Vapes offer a catalog of ten e-liquids: Alchemist ("A unique blend of fruits and absinthe..."), Drakeula ("A refreshing mix of Blood Oranges, Black Cherries and Guava"), Echelon ("...pomegranate and sweet marshmallow..."), Figen Kanel ("...daring mix of fruits and cinnamons..."), Melon Fiasco ("...cantaloupe and watermelon..."), O-Face ("Sweet on the inside, sour on the outside; move over Lucille Ball, there's a new sassy Ginger in town"), Punky Bruiser ("Sweet and sassy...fruity tartness..."), Vanilla Trifecta ("A trifecta of vanillas and custards with a hint of magic"), Yolo! ("Lemonade with hints of Lavender...") and Chai Town.

Each of the liquids is available in a 30ml bottle at nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg. All liquids are mixed to a 50:50 PG/VG ratio.

The Drakes Vapes range is available online from the Vape Goddess website http://www.vapegoddess.net, Elevated Vaping http://elevated-vaping.myshopify.com, Vapor Solutions http://www.vapor-solutions.com, Electronic Cigarettes Inc. http://www.electroniccigarettesinc.com, et. al. Search Google for a more comprehensive list of stores selling the Drakes Vapes line.

The bottle is an Iodine Blue, cylindrical glass with a black plastic, screw top cap. The cap isn't childproof, so care should be taken in the use and storage of this liquid. There's also no dropper insert attached, so a syringe, eye dropper or pipette, all of which are readily available from your local pharmacy or online, will need to be used for transferring the liquid to your preferred atomiser. The label includes the following information: the brand/company name, the name of the liquid, liquid contents specified by a pictogram which I struggle to decipher, nicotine strength in milligrams, a description of the flavour profile, a list of ingredients, a warning to keep out of the reach of children and pets and an advisory notice specifying that the liquid is not to be sold to minors.

Given that the bottle is a dark blue and the liquid within appears black, I've used an eye dropper to observe and identify the colour of the juice. The liquid is a clear, light Carrot Orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot_orange#Carrot_orange Opening the bottle some fifteen to twenty centimetres (6 - 8 inches) from my nose releases a potent aroma. Holding the bottle below my nose enables me to fine tune my perceptions. At first I detect cloves and nutmeg with a finishing trace of cinnamon. As I further investigate the aroma, I wonder if my senses are deceiving me, as I begin to sense caramelised banana. I close the bottle and rest for a moment before trying again; a volatile top note of nutmeg dissipates quickly and gives way to clove. Again there's the subtle trace of cinnamon finishing the inhalation. Brief, shallow inhalations appear to draw out a hint of ginger. I wonder if what I interpret as banana, might in fact be Ethyl Alcohol which is often used as a medium for organic flavours.

For the last week I've been vaping Chai Town in an Igo-L, a Killer and a Quasar. For the purpose of this review I'll be using the Killer which is built with a pre-made, low resistance coil/wick and is running on a GP Paps LUX powered by an 18490 battery.

As I fire the device and begin to draw the vapour into my mouth, I sense a medial sweetness washing throughout as well as a fine grained "sizzle" on the tip of my tongue. There's the broad apprehension of spices which lean towards those commonly found in Chai Tea; nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom. As I chase the vapour into my lungs with a breath of fresh air and pause for several moments, the flavours of cardamom and nutmeg are fully realised alongside a whisper of ginger. These persist through the exhalation with the addition of a slightly fruity aspect and a sweet creaminess which lends body to the flavour. The aftertaste is where all the flavours come together and as they linger, there's a very pleasant, sweet, mild spiciness that is very redolent of South Asian cuisine.

I don't experience a throat hit, nor any sort of mounting of pressure at the back of the throat, but as should be expected from a juice that's 50% Vegetable Glycerin, the vapour production is very generous; especially so when vaped in the Quasar.

Apart from the name of the juice, it's not actually described by Drakes Vapes as being a Chai flavoured e-liquid; it's characterised as being a "smooth... creamy... spiced flavour". Neither I nor two other Chai drinkers felt that Chai Town tasted particularly like Chai. This pedantry aside, Chai Town is, in it's own right, a delicious vape and quite unlike anything else I've had the pleasure of tasting. It is indeed smooth, creamy and saturated with spiced flavours which are unsurprisingly, evocative of South Asia. Very highly recommended!

Dragon Jazz by Toasty 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 are quoted from my review of Toasty Juice's Sub-Zero. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sub-zero-by-toasty-juice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

Preamble

"And for the first time in hundreds of years the night came alive with the music of dragons"

-George R.R. Martin

The following lyrics are from the song "Black Dragon" by Swedish band, Dissection. It's not Jazz, but it is nevertheless, a powerful invocation of what might be called "Dragon energy". The dragon or winged serpent is a spiritual concept common to many and various ancient (and not so ancient) cultures and is understood nowadays as a metaphor for Kundalini energy. Please understand that the lyrics presented here should not be read literally. These are spiritual concepts couched in the language of mythology and actually refer to the liberation of the human psyche from bondage. (We, in the western world, have a narrow view and understanding of the representation of good and evil. In many other cultures, it's recognised that what may appear evil, is in fact good and that what may appear good, may in fact, be evil.) Enlightenment, or happiness, peace and understanding independent of circumstances, is the goal.

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! 

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! 

We invoke thee, Black Dragon of Chaos 

We evoke thee, O mighty dragon force 

Awaken now from your aeonic slumber -- rise up from the abyss 

Dragon of forgotten lore - let your Chaos rule forever more 

Lotan - Raise your seven heads and let the ancient ones rule again 

Apep - Dragon of devouring darkness, supreme ruler of emptiness 

Open up your black diamond eyes and rejoice as Ra's creation dies 

Jormungand - Lord of the poisonous sea, fulfill the twilight prophecy 

Unleash your hatred upon all life and kill this world in the final strife 

Tiamat - Queen of the formless deep - The Eleventh seal is now broken 

Hark to your children's invocations and awaken from your dreadful sleep 

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! 

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! 

Leviathan - Tortuous one, by your Wrathful Chaos our war will be won 

Bring forth your darkness, grant us your grace and enlighten us in your wicked ways 

Typhon - Lord of dark desires, purify us with your smokeless fires 

Make us at one with thyself and walk the earth once again 

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam! 

Tohu Tehom Theli Than Leviathan Tanin'iver Taninsam!

Dissection, Black Dragon

http://youtu.be/MC2bDJOah2I

I consider it quite fitting that the dragon depicted on the label of Toasty Juice's Dragon Jazz is a black silhouette.

The Review

Toasty Juice is a fledgling operation, owned and operated by Assad Nasralla, based in New Jersey, USA which operates a Facebook page through which he can be contacted. Search for Toasty Juice or (be)friend and message Assad himself to order his liquids.

Toasty Juice offer a range of three distinct liquids; Sub-Zero ("Sweet minty Absinthe with... layers of flavor)", Green Machine ("A Kiwi/Peach Absinthe with citrus undertones") and Dragon Jazz ("A dragon fruit cocktail Absinthe with a Jazzy exhale"). Each liquid is available in a 30ml bottle (US$20.00) at nicotine strengths of 6, 12 and 18mg.

The bottle is a reasonably robust, clear glass with a black, plastic, screw top cap and an inbuilt eye dropper with a pointed tip for easy access to your preferred atomiser. The label features the charming hand-drawn artwork of Andrew Hsu (Andrew Hsulamander on Facebook) and includes the name of the liquid and nicotine strength as a percentage. In the case of the review sample, the nicotine strength is 1.2%, which might otherwise be listed as 12mg.

The colour of the liquid is a clear Imperial Red http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_red#Imperial_red A brief, vigorous shake of the bottle diffuses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which rise to the top at a snail's pace, indicating a high Vegetable Glycerin content. As the Dragon Jazz bottle (and it's stablemates, Sub-Zero and The Green Machine) has (have) been steeping, completely sealed (!), these last few weeks, the room has filled with the aroma of anise. Opening the bottle, holding it below my nose and taking slow, sustained nasal inhalations, with the purpose of identifying aroma, I detect the volatile top note of the anise with a lesser, middle note of somewhat exotic, fruity sweetness. I use the word "exotic" because I recognise the aroma as being of a fruity character, but it's not a fruit that I'm gustatorially familiar with. (Did I just abuse a word?)

I'm vaping Dragon Jazz in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 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.

I must confess I've never eaten a Dragon Fruit, but that won't hinder me from describing my experience of Dragon Jazz at the level of pure sensation. I fire the device and wait a moment before putting the drip tip to my lips and begin drawing the vapour into and through my mouth. My immediate perception is of an intense sweetness, followed closely and then dominated by the characteristic, earthy flavour of anise. The longer I draw, the more pronounced becomes the anise flavour and what begins as a fine grained tingling along the length of my tongue, manifests more resolutely as a numbing sensation. Having taken my fill of vapour, I follow through with a breath of fresh air to chase the denser volume into my lungs and as I do so I become aware of a sweet, mildly flavoured fruitiness at the back of my throat and along the insides of my cheeks. Dragon Fruit is said to be a mild, if not bland fruit, so I don't expect to be overwhelmed by the flavour, and yet it's assertive enough in this instance that I'm quite aware of it. The fruity flavour predominates as I exhale but immediately I finish exhaling, the anise reappears and assumes primacy through to the last lingering moments of the aftertaste. At some point during the aftertaste, I become aware of a trace of bitterness throughout my mouth accompanied by a metallic tang around my forward teeth and gums

Given that this is a 12mg liquid, I don't expect any sort of significant throat hit but the chemesthetic reaction provoked by the anise is a very worthy substitute. Vapour production is excellent.

I approached Dragon Jazz with a measure of curiosity; Dragon Fruit was an entirely unknown quantity to me. Whether or not this is a faithful representation of the flavour of the fruit is immaterial, because this is after all, primarily an Absinthe vape. However, as far as I'm concerned, it works exceedingly well. The balance of fruit against the anise is finely balanced with the interplay of sweetness, earthiness and bitterness adjudged perfectly. Very tasty indeed.

The Green Machine by Toasty 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 are quoted from my review of Toasty Juice's Sub-Zero. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sub-zero-by-toasty-juice.html Quoted passages are in italics.

The Green Machine. I'm reminded of heavy factory machinery which is traditionally painted in a particular hue called "Safety Green" which protects the metal of the machinery from rust and because of its distinctive, vivid colour, workers know to be careful wherever they see the green (nice theory). I once read (forgive me, I don't have a reference or link) that this particular colour was also meant to keep workers calm and cheerful, which is probably a requisite if wages are less than fair and working conditions are less than safe.

The Green Machine is Toasty Juice's second offering in their Absinthe Triad. Interestingly, Absinthe was also known as "la fée verte" (the green fairy) so my imagination is sent into overdrive, playing with the associations and ideas that can be derived from the marriage of green fairies with green machines.

Toasty Juice is a fledgling operation, owned and operated by Assad Nasralla, based in New Jersey, USA which operates a Facebook page through which he can be contacted. Search for Toasty Juice or (be)friend and message Assad himself to order his liquids.

Toasty Juice offer a range of three distinct liquids; Sub-Zero ("Sweet minty Absinthe with... layers of flavor)", Green Machine ("A Kiwi/Peach Absinthe with citrus undertones") and Dragon Jazz ("A dragon fruit cocktail Absinthe with a Jazzy exhale"). Each liquid is available in a 30ml bottle (US$20.00) at nicotine strengths of 6, 12 and 18mg.

The bottle is a reasonably robust, clear glass with a black, plastic, screw top cap and an inbuilt eye dropper with a pointed tip for easy access to your preferred atomiser. The label features the charming hand-drawn artwork of Andrew Hsu (Andrew Hsulamander on Facebook) and includes the name of the liquid and nicotine strength as a percentage. In the case of the review sample, the nicotine strength is 1.2%, which might otherwise be listed as 12mg.

The colour of the liquid is a slightly opaque, darker antifreeze green. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antifreeze_in_the_radiator.jpg A brief, vigorous shake of the bottle diffuses tiny bubbles of air throughout the liquid which rise to the top at a snail's pace, indicating a high Vegetable Glycerin content. As the Green Machine bottle (and it's stablemates, Sub-Zero and Dragon Jazz) has (have) been steeping, completely sealed (!), these last few weeks, the room has filled with the aroma of anise. Opening the bottle below my nose and taking shallow, sustained nasal inhalations, with the intent of analysing the fragrance of the liquid, I'm assaulted by the potency of the anise and I'm aware of a certain fruity undercurrent, though positively identifying these as either Kiwi Fruit or Peach would be an act of imagination, rather than perception.

I'm vaping The Green Machine in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 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.

I fire the device and take a slow, deep inhalation of vapour. The first sensation I experience is a mild sweetness along the forward edge of my tongue, followed closely by that distinctive, earthy flavour and mild numbing quality of the anise. The flavour is broad until I take a breath of fresh air to chase the vapour into my lungs, at which point the anise is fully realised and is joined by the subtler fruit flavours. With each inhalation and exhalation the fruit seems to vary between the Kiwi Fruit and the peach. I never seem to be aware of both these flavours simultaneously. Towards the end of the exhalation and into the first moments of the aftertaste, I'm aware of a very mild, lemony influence, but I don't think I'd recognise it if I didn't know it was there. The aftertaste is dominated by the anise but there is a certain residual freshness about my mouth which is very appealing. There's also a metallic tang around my lower teeth and gums.

Throat hit is almost entirely absent which is to be expected from a 12mg juice. Vapour production is excellent with dense volumes of white vapour issuing into the room around me.

The Green Machine is an undeniably Absinthe flavoured liquid, but the addition of the various fruit accents tip the overall flavour into a somewhat refreshing, summery vape. Intriguing name, vivid green colour, full bodied flavour, anaesthesia, voluminous vapour... What's not to like?