Aztec by Tark Vemada

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 Tark Vemada's Matador. http://vapour-taster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/matador-by-tark-vemada.html Quoted passages are in italics.

The Aztecs are arguably best known for their practice of ritual human sacrifice, but it's understood that they believed sacrificial death fast-tracked an individual's spirit to a superior resting place in the afterlife. Not at all the barbaric and terrifying murder that we, in our distant "civilised" minds imagine it to have been. Imagine if you will, a kindly old man, something like the parish priest, coming to you the night before you depart for Paradise. You sit together and chat, perhaps eating together before he prays with you. He blesses you and you're filled with a feeling of love and excited expectation. Our contemporary conception of death would be utterly alien to them. It was no more feared than any other of life's great and wonderful adventures. Furthermore, a person's experience of the afterlife was determined by the manner in which they died, rather than the manner in which they lived.

"There were different realms a person could go to in their afterlife. Warriors who died in battle or by sacrifice either went to a paradise in the east and joined the sun’s rising in the morning, or joined the war god Huitzilopochtli in battle. Women who died in childbirth were considered just as courageous and honorable as warriors who died, and thusly went to a paradise in the west and joined the sun’s descent in the evening. People who died from lightning, drowning, certain diseases, or particularly violent deaths went to Tlalocan, a paradise presided over by the god Tlaloc located within the Aztec’s thirteen heavens.

In contrast, those who died of most illnesses, old age, or an unremarkable death went to Mictlan, the Aztec underworld. Once in Mictlan, a person had to traverse through a harsh terrain with many trials in order to descend from Mictlan’s top level to its final ninth level. This grim path for those who died in more ordinary ways highlights how Aztecs perceived both life and death; in general, there was greater esteem for people who died from premature but honorable deaths than for people who avoided these endings and managed to grow into old age." http://fortheloveofchristi.org/2013/02/ancient-aztec-perspective-on-death-and-afterlife/

I like it.

Tark Vemada's Aztec is a custard flavoured e-liquid. Amid much pomp and ceremony, I copy and paste from another website, for your pleasure and instruction, a recipe for actual custard.

How to make actual custard:

Ingredients

4 free-range eggs

100g/3½oz golden caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour, optional

300ml/1 pint double cream

300ml/½ pint full-fat milk

1 vanilla pod

Preparation method

Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl. (You will not need the whites for this recipe. You can use them to make meringues.)

Add the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until pale and thick.

Add the cornflour and whisk well to incorporate into the egg yolks.

Put the cream and milk into a medium saucepan.

Cut the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife, then add to the milk and cream.

Heat the cream mixture to just below boiling point. Take the vanilla pod out and set aside (it can be dried out and placed in sugar to make vanilla sugar).

Slowly pour the hot cream and milk onto the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go.

Transfer the custard to a clean pan, and set it over a very low heat.

Stir the custard constantly with a wooden spoon, paying special attention to the corners of the pan, until it is steaming and has thickened slightly. The custard is ready when you can draw a clear line through it on the back of the wooden spoon. This can take up to 10 minutes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/how_to_make_custard_82327

The Mod&World website describes Aztec as "Sweet creamy vanilla is a real treat. Fall in love with the rich flavor and aroma of freshly prepared vanilla custard. Both Genesis and Silica will bring out the flavor equally well. Proudly made in the USA with the finest ingredients." http://www.modnworld.com/Tark-s-Aztec-Juice-p/sra.htm

Tark's Select Reserve range comprises six juices. These are: Old Gold ("classic RY4"), Matador ("strong, sweet, cigar tobacco... with a kick"), Port Royal ("exotic Carribean flavor with coconut and fruity notes"), Maghrib ("exotic... dried fruit and oriental desserts"), Troy ("...layered, mild, sweet tobacco with subtle apple under notes") and Aztec.

Each liquid is available as a 50/50 PG/VG juice with nicotine content of 6, 12 or 18mg and in bottle sizes of 20 ($13.99), 30 ($18.99) and 100ml ($38.99). Apparently, special orders for 100% VG and various nicotine contents can be placed upon request.

The Select Reserve range is available from the Mod&World website at http://www.modnworld.com/default.asp

The 30ml bottle is a brown (protecting the nicotine within from ultraviolet light damage), glass cuboid with rounded edges and a black, plastic (non-childproof) screw-top cap. The label is reminiscent of 19th century product labels and contributes an air of historicity and a measure of glamour associated with "the other" to the product. The label includes the following information: the brand/range name, the name of the liquid, nicotine content in mg, liquid contents in ml, the name/website of the manufacturer, an advisory notice that the liquid within contains nicotine and a warning to keep out of reach of children, a skull and crossbones graphic and an image of a child's face with a red "X" superimposed on it. Whether or not this is intentional, I enjoy the humorous subtext of these latter two elements.

The liquid, as observed in an eye dropper is a clear Vanilla Yellow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_(color) Holding the opened bottle below my nose and taking a shallow, sustained whiff, I discern an immediate sweet/sour alcoholic brightness, somewhat reminiscent of the aroma of Rum. Within a second this gives way to the sweetened warmth of an egg yolk-rich vanilla custard. 

I'm vaping Aztec in a Quasar on a Provari running on an 18490 battery. I've built a single coil with six wraps of 28AWG (0.32mm) Kanthal wire around three strands of unbleached cotton twine and the atomiser is reading 1.1ohms on the Provari. (Mod&World recommend a setup that produces between 1.2 and 1.5ohms in order to fully appreciate the flavour of their liquids) I've set voltage output to 3.8 and I've almost completely closed off the Quasar's airflow holes which favours flavour but at the expense of throat hit and vapour production.

I fire the device and draw the vapour through my mouth to the back of my throat and as I do so I apprehend a medial sweetness which builds in intensity. There's a silky smooth quality to the vapour which makes for a pleasurable mouthfeel. I recognise the flavour of a creamy vanilla which seems to mature as I finish inhaling vapour and follow through with a small breath of air. As I begin to exhale the richness of egg yolk shifts the flavour towards that of a finely crafted custard. Throughout the vape there's the subtlest suggestion of rum which lends a trace of alcoholic warmth to the flavour. The aftertaste is a very pleasant lingering of vanilla, Demerara sugar and vanilla with a slight metallic tang around the teeth and gums.

Throat hit is variable depending on your preferred nicotine content and atomiser set up. On my set up with 18mg nicotine content, I experience a very worthy kick at the back of my throat. Vapour production is outstanding.

Aztec is a refined, elegant product. The presentation of bottle and label and the historical and cultural associations derived from the name alongside the experience of the vaped liquid itself contribute to the cluster of sensations that suggest this is a quality product; Tark Vemada is a clever marketer as well as a very talented juice craftsman. Aztec offers a robustly authentic flavour which I've enjoyed immensely these last few weeks. There's a number of vendors offering variations on vanilla custard flavoured liquids but this is one of the best that I've tried and the association with the Aztec people and their culture, albeit borrowed, is irresistible.

Matador by Tark Vemada

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.

"A torero is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight. The main performer is the leader of an entourage and the one who kills the bull, being addressed as maestro (master) and his formal title is matador de toros (killer of bulls), but the word "matador" by itself is not used in Spanish. The term torero encompasses all who fight the bull in the ring (picadores and rejoneadores). The other bullfighters in the entourage are called subalternos and their suits are embroidered in silver as opposed to the matador's more-theatrical gold." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torero

The Matador de Toros is an iconic figure; at once a strident symbol of Mankind's (Spain's...) perceived dominion over the wild and furious might of nature, as represented in the bull, and in this day and age, the reviled tormentor and murderer of innocent and defenceless creatures. (The odds are stacked against the bull from the very beginning). Many would argue that this is a sport that pitches two beings of equal but various strengths against one another and point to the number of humans impaled and gored by the bull's horns. However you choose to view the Matador, he (nearly always a he...) is flamboyant in his display of masculinity and prowess. The costumes are immediately recognisable and mark the wearer as a member of an elite and proud tradition. The Lord of the Bullring, the Matador is a singularly Spanish creature and as such is instrumental in helping define the Spanish psyche and identity.

Tark Vemada, owner/operator of Mod&World and the line of e-liquids, Select Reserve has drawn on the rich traditions of the bullfight to lend a certain gravitas and the glamour of historicity to his e-liquid, Matador. The Mod&World website describes Matador as "Strong sweet cigar tobacco flavor with a kick, that tastes equally great in Genesis and Silica atomizers. Proudly made in the USA with the finest ingredients." http://www.modnworld.com/product-p/srm.htm

Tark's Select Reserve range comprises six juices. These are: Old Gold ("classic RY4"), Aztec ("sweet, creamy... vanilla custard"), Port Royal ("exotic Carribean flavor with coconut and fruity notes"), Maghrib ("exotic... dried fruit and oriental desserts"), Troy ("...layered, mild, sweet tobacco with subtle apple under notes") and Matador.

Each liquid is available as a 50/50 PG/VG juice with nicotine content of 6, 12 or 18mg and in bottle sizes of 20 ($13.99), 30 ($18.99) and 100ml ($38.99). Apparently, special orders for 100% VG and various nicotine contents can be requested.

The Select Reserve range is available from the Mod&World website at http://www.modnworld.com/default.asp

The 30ml bottle is a brown (protecting the nicotine within from ultraviolet light damage), glass cuboid with rounded edges and a black, plastic (non-childproof) screw-top cap. The label is reminiscent of 19th century product labels and contributes an air of historicity and a measure of glamour associated with "the other" to the product. The label includes the following information: the brand/range name, the name of the liquid, nicotine content in mg, liquid contents in ml, the name/website of the manufacturer, an advisory notice that the liquid within contains nicotine and a warning to keep out of reach of children, a skull and crossbones graphic and an image of a child's face with a red "X" superimposed on it. Whether or not this is intentional, I enjoy the subtle humorous subtext of these latter two elements.

The liquid, as observed in an eye dropper is a limpid, deeply saturated, Aureolin Yellow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aureolin Uncapping the bottle and lending my ample nose to the effort, I discern a top note of freshly cut and crushed leaves (tobacco leaves, I assume); certainly bitter, somewhat sour and slightly sweet. If this was put under my nose while I was blindfolded, I'd swear I was smelling actual plants. There's a quality about the aroma that suggests freshly cut rather than dried plants. As the top note recedes under concentrated scrutiny, the subtler, lower note of what might be Graham Crackers or cocoa emerges.

I'm vaping Matador in a Quasar RDA on a Provari running on an 18490 battery. I've built dual coils with six wraps each of 32AWG (0.2mm) Kanthal wire around two strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 1.7ohms on the Provari (Mod&World recommend a setup that produces between 1.2 and 1.5ohms in order to fully appreciate the flavour of their liquids.) I've set voltage output to 4.2 and I've almost completely closed off the Quasar's airflow holes (2 holes at approx. 1mm aperture each) which favours flavour but at the expense of throat hit and vapour production.

From the first vape I'm aware that I have something unique on my hands. Let's delve. I fire the device and begin to draw the vapour into and through my mouth and as I do so I become aware of an earthy, savoury quality to the flavour. Cutting through this is a mounting sweetness along the length of my tongue. With subsequent inhalations the earthy aspect seems to diminish in favour of the sweetness. Having taken as much vapour into my system as I'm able, I follow through with a breath of fresh air which seems to crystallise and amplify the flavour. At this point the flavour of what might be Graham Crackers or cocoa emerges from the foundation flavour which seems to be that of freshly cut, very green tobacco leaves. It's as if the very sap itself has been extracted and filtered before being mixed with the other ingredients. When I begin to exhale there's a residual tingling or "sizzle" on the tip of my tongue accompanied by the rich intermingled flavours of the primary tobacco and what I imagine to be Graham Crackers. Or cocoa. There is furthermore, towards the end of the exhalation and through to the aftertaste, a very subtle trace of roasted leaves which adds further dimension to the overall flavour experience. I'm left with the incredible impression that I've genuinely inhaled the product of combusted plants. Finally, the tip of my tongue is slightly anaesthetised and my salivary glands are activated. There is, in the end, a slight metallic tang around my teeth and gums.

Throat hit and vapour production are very much dependent on your individual setup. In my case, throat hit was fairly light despite the 18mg nicotine content. Having exhaled however, I'm left with a slight rasp at the back of my throat. Vapour production has proven to be prodigious, even with the airflow holes on the Quasar almost closed. Cumulonimbus, etc.

Tark Vemada's Matador is a rich, complex, robustly flavoured e-liquid which deserves and very nearly commands considered and attentive vaping. I'm certain I've barely scratched the surface of what this juice has to offer, but the little that I've experienced has been a real pleasure and very rewarding. Any time spent in vaping and exploring Matador will be richly rewarded.

Alchemist 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.

It's extraordinary to me how many e-liquids and e-liquid vendors are named after esoteric themes. (Pink, Blue, Green) Dragon, Dragon Jazz, Ambrosia, Midnight Apple, Maha Ras, Celestial (Honeydew), Forbidden Fruit, Witcher's Brew, Alchemist's Cupboard, Elements, Greenman, Alembic Vapor Labs, Voodoo Charlie, Les Liquides E-Alchimiste and Drakes Vapes' Alchemist. There's something about the Hermetic Arts that appears to have captured the collective imagination of the e-liquid community; e-liquid might not confer immortality, which is an abiding concern of the Hermetic Arts, but its use infers the non-use of tobacco which in itself, is likely to prolong life. If however, you're certain you want immortality, seek it in that exquisite, unbounded sliver of a moment between inhaling and exhaling. Or in the union of the Red Lion and the White Eagle. Or in the image reflected in a certain piece of polished obsidian, roughly circular, approximately 15cm in diameter, recently imported to Melbourne, Australia from the United Kingdom and currently wrapped in black silk, sitting in a plastic crate, within a larger cardboard box, in the darkness of a garage surrounded by children's toys and gardening implements.

This is what the Vape Goddess website has to say about Drakes Vapes' Alchemist, "A unique blend of fruits and absinthe that will no doubt leave your mind pondering and your palate yearning for more." http://www.vapegoddess.net/alchemist/

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: , 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"), Yolo! ("Lemonade with hints of Lavender...") and Alchemist.

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, very pale Straw Yellow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_(colour) With the first whiff at the opened bottle, held below my nose, I'm reminded of the medicinal aroma, slightly sweetened, of cough medicine. With subsequent whiffs I recognise anise, followed almost immediately by an indeterminate fruitiness.

I'm vaping Alchemist in an Igo-L on a Poldiac running on a freshly charged 18650 battery. There's five wraps of 28AWG (0.32mm) Kanthal wire around three strands of 2mm Silica wick and the atomiser is reading 0.9ohms on the Provari.

I depress the switch on the Poldiac and begin with a sustained draw to the back of my throat. As I do so there's a broad wash of sweetness along the length of my tongue accompanied by the unmistakeable flavour of anise. There's a point at which, if I continue to draw the vapour into my mouth, the sweetness drops away slightly to be replaced with a more intense apprehension of the savoury quality of anise. If I had synesthesia, I would describe the flavour as "brown". Having drawn my fill of vapour I inhale the dense volume followed by a measure of fresh air, which always seems to act as a vivifying catalyst on the flavour, the sweetness returns alongside a burst of fruitiness. I'm hard pressed to identify which fruits are involved, though I might suggest that it's a medley of fruits contributing their identities to the mix. There's no trace of acidity, so it's all sweet without the sour. As I exhale and through to the aftertaste, anise is the dominant flavour though it's fairly heavily tempered by the sweeter fruit flavour. 

I don't get a throat hit as such, though I do experience a mild chemesthetic anaesthetising of the forward third of my tongue. Vapour production is absolutely prodigious.

As an absinthe liquid, Alchemist is not quite as strong with the anise as some other liquids I've tried recently. Which is not to say it's a lightweight: it certainly isn't. The flavour is full-bodied and the anise certainly does pack a punch, but it's tempered by the fruity component which might make it popular with those who want to try an absinthe liquid but imagine that they don't like the flavour. As I once did. As I've come to expect from Drakes Vapes, this is a very fine e-liquid and I heartily recommend it.