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.
