A NOOBS: know nothing review of various juices that make my reorder list.

[Skeebo]

I have to admit, up to this point I have had an up and down journey to find those e-liquids that I can't do without. It all started with a venture into a vape shop after having to sit at the DMV all day waiting to get my driver's license renewed. We all know the hell that can bring. Perhaps I shouldn't say that, I don't want any hate early on. Let me just preface this surmise to the states I've had the pleasure to reside in-- Alabama, Florida, and Massachusetts.

Anywho, I walked into this vape shop lacking any patience after dealing with the DMV all day. And, much to my surprise, the conversation starts off, of on all things, motor vehicles. It just so happened the guy behind the counter was a huge fan of scoobies (slang for Subaru) and that's what I pulled up in. After a lengthy conversation on performance and various body changes through the years, we got down to business.

I don't want to bore everyone with lengthy details but I learned rather quickly that: (A) I don't like fruit vapes, and (B) I don't like mystery vapes. You won't find Hulk (blank filled with certain sexual connotation) in my tank. I love tobacco vapes, of all different varieties mind you. Some of these may be scoffed at by the traditionalists; I know nothing of Periques (sp?), Burleys, or even Virginians for that matter. Hell, I'm not even sure I am spelling them correctly.

So let's get this show on the road! This won't start off in any particular order of favorites, but I may start listing them by order of favorites as the reviews pile on.

First up to the plate, and in my tank right now: The Plume Room Smooth&Mild

This e-liquid came at the advice of another forum member after I stumbled, or perhaps fell on my ....., in the NET tobacco thread on the forum. It's a 60/40 ratio blend, at 18mg nicotine strength. I was so confident in this other member's recommendation that I ordered two 30ml bottles to start off with. By the way, I don't necessarily recommend this strategy to my fellow noobs out there. But alas, it worked out for me. The liquid is a golden orange color.

Steeping this juice is a must, upon first arrival at my home the nose of this juice was very off putting. It has a medicinal smell that, as a noob, I can equate to that old bottle of cough syrup mom use to keep in the back of the medicine cabinet for what seemed like my entire youth. I took the cap and tip off and let it air out for about 8 hours. After replacing the cap-- I burped the bottle, followed with a vigorous shaking, every day for about two weeks. The initial aroma started to dissipate as the days counted down, and left a very desirable smell that impresses the senses with it's name--Smooth&Mild.

On inhale, there is a very smooth, light tobacco flavor that almost has a moist feel to it. I would say the throat hit is there, but not overpowering. This could be more to do with my equipment more than anything. On exhale, is where this juice shines. Get this, it's tobacco flavor!! Whowuddathunk!? I think of a lighter version of a black and mild cigar without the "I know this is a cheap cigar" taste involved. Yes, I admit, I smoked those things way back in the day packed with... never mind.

I really like this one. It's a needed addition to my rotation of various other tobacco vapes that are either sweet, or have certain flavor undertones/overtones (I'm new at this so which ever one is correct). It's smooth and not overpowering enough to go along with morning coffee, and strong enough to fill that itch after dinner.

So that pretty much sums up my first "real" juice review. I've probably did it all wrong. Mind you, I'm new at this. I am, however, open to any suggestions, advice, critiques, etc., etc..... I hope I didn't bore you to death.

Sk

 

[bigbee]

Bravo

 

[Skeebo]

Gracias mi amigo! Lunch Break?

 

[jefsview]

Nice review!

Looking forward to reading more from your recent acquisitions.

 

[Skeebo]

Thanks Jefs!

I do see one very important aspect I left out of my review above already--vapor production. It's on the high side for Smooth&Mild, thick and rich tasting.

 

[Skeebo]

As I've mentioned before, both on the forum and in this section I've tried quite a few liquids from various vendors. I don't have a ADV, or a desire to seek that one liquid that I do all day, every day. I like having many different e-liquids in my not daily, but more of a every other day rotation. In my opinion, it keeps things exciting.

I only tell you all this because no other juice elicits more excitement than the next one I am about to review. This is my favorite by far, Halo's Prime 15.

This is one that has stood the test of time, albeit my time here has been short. I only started vaping back in March. I came upon Halo's line of e-liquids rather early, although they were not my first amongst many of the more popular brands. This is the description offered by Halo of Prime 15:

Prime15 E-liquid is a premium tobacco blend e-liquid offering the complex nuances of an authentic cigarette experience. The taste is somewhat earthy, with a subtle dry sweetness that offers hints of cocoa when used with certain electronic cigarettes. This very smooth tobacco e-liquid flavor offers a solid throat hit with excellent e-smoke vapor production and is perfect for those seeking an authentic analog experience.

Let me preface my review by stating I've never sought out that genuine analog experience from e-liquid. As a former Newport smoker, there were few cigarettes that I was willing to mooch from fellow smokers when I ran out. No other menthol would do, and no regular tobacco cigarette would fit. Mind you, it's not that Newports are exactly some kind of exotic cigarette. I can't exactly describe it, nothing else fits. Most Newport smokers can relate.

That is how I feel about Prime 15, plain and simple. Could it ever be dethroned as my favorite? Sure, every good thing is certain to come to an end. But, that ain't happening right now.

Prime 15 is almost a crystal clear liquid. Easy going and soft on the coils, which is an added plus. And, at 18mg. nicotine strength, the throat hit is absolutely superb. When I pop this in my tank, I love going out on the porch and watching the grass grow. Well, I can't really see it grow, but I can get lost in the moment. Vapor production is like most of the other Halo juices I have tried, excellent.

The taste on inhale is clean, and nothing really. It's upon exhale where this one shines, and shines, and shines. This is a synthetic tobacco, but I don't get that synthetic taste I get from other juices that share this trait. It's at times funky and frisky, without the slight chocolatey taste described in Halo's description. Other times, that chocolate comes through more pronounced. It's not a chocolate bar kind of taste, but more of a powder cocoa type, but keep in mind slight. I think this is the part of what grabs me with this liquid.

Is it nectar from the Gods? Hardly, I'll save that description for other juices later. It's more of a "I'll take your breath away" for not going to church, and in your face jooz. It's gruff, pungent, and dirty... I mean this in nothing but the good way.

I've read others say they did not like Prime 15, and I can see why. However, as my review list grows, and if you see some of your favorites on my list too; but have never tried Prime, I urge you to give it a whirl. It might surprise you.

So as it stands right now. The Noobs list is:

1. Halo Prime 15
2. The Plume Room's Smooth&Mild.

Sk

PS. There are many more to come, so the above does not reflect my final order of favorites yet. I can safely say though, Prime is my number one.

 

[Skeebo]

I ordered 5 e-liquids from Heather's Heavenly Vapes during their Summer Solstice sale, and Legend was one of them. After letting it steep for a little over two weeks, I finally decided to load it up in my tank tonight. Wow, this juice brings back memories. When I initially took my first draw my mind instantly drew upon a memory I had regarding my father. It's strange how our senses can do that.

My father was in the service; he did a stint in the Marines and was a lifer in the Coast Guard. He had these little nuances that often drove my mother and I crazy. One of these was his quirky need to smoke from a pipe every now and then. As a kid I used to sneak in his TV room and fill my devilish needs, taking peaks at all his little toys. He use to keep this white tin with pipe tobacco in it and I still remember the cherry smell that use to emit from it immediately upon opening. I like to think he never knew.

Anyways, that's what I thought about tonight--finally a good memory of the old man. May he rest in peace.

Legend is rich. I feel the thick vapor in such a way that it reminds me very much of smoke. It's like cheating without smoking actually. In my short time doing this, I have not experienced any other juices that give me this sensation. I like it, a lot actually. The cherry flavor is subtle, and the tobacco flavor is very present. Such a good combination for a guy who swore off fruit flavored vapes. The vapor is thick and dense, which is what I have experienced with all of Heather's vapes.

The throat hit is just right. I can feel the sensation of it as it passes into my lungs. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but when I usually take lung hits both vapor and flavor usually lack upon exhale. That's not the case with Legend. How do they do this? Color me impressed. I love it. It could very actually be... no, not yet-- it's way too early.

This one's a keeper!

Sk

1. Halo Prime 15
2. HHV Legend
3. TPR Smooth&Mild

 

[Skeebo]

It's strange how your expectations can be disappointed the first time you try an e-liquid. It's your loss if you give up too early on one after only a few puffs, or even a couple mills for that matter. Sometimes there are little things that don't stand out to you in the beginning, and are easily overlooked. That was the mistake I made with Gold initially. Luckily, I gave it another chance.

This is starting to sound like a Dear Ann relationship column, let's get to the review!

NLV Gold sits in my juice box well stocked, 3-30ml bottles deep actually. This is a testament to how fondly I feel about this e-liquid. I believe all of NLV's liquids come in at a 65/35 PG/VG ratio, and someone can correct me if I am wrong. It's an amber to pinkish color, and surprisingly gentle on my coils.

As expected vapor production is great for this juice. Even on my very basic equipment, it puts up plumes of vapor, smoke vapor rings galore! It's taste is intriguing. The flavor evolves from draw to draw, giving different profiles that can be hard to describe. It's considered a tobacco vape, but at best, I would say it's a light tobacco. Sometimes I get a brown sugar element, with hints of cinnamon. Other times, it comes across as one of those breakfast cereals, reminding me a bit of oatmeal. Just when you begin to get comfortable with that profile, ooops there's the tobacco.

Throat hit with Gold is adequate, and as I've said before this may be due to my basic setup. I like to keep this in a tank, and in another tank have a more gruff vape like Prime 15, or Smooth&Mild. Going back and forth between the two different flavors, like the aforementioned, seems to bring out the best in both for me. It may not be that way for everyone.

I hope you enjoyed this review.

Sk

1. Halo Prime 15
2. HHV Legend
3. NLV Gold
4. TPR Smooth&Mild

 

[jefsview]

You got it right

 

[EleanorR]

For being so new to vaping, you're getting into a lot of really good juices early, Skeebo.

Bravo for you, and keep letting us know how the ride is going!

 

[Skeebo]

I'll admit, I haven't had this e-liquid before this weekend. It came to me as a sample pack mailed from the Vapor Station on Thursday just before I hit the road headed to Miami. It's about a 5 hour car ride from where I live. This gave me ample time to sit with this juice while listening to the sports talk buzz about Lebron James going back to Cleveland. The constant complaining, while interesting at times, was tedious and tiresome. But, the juice made all for a pleasing time.

I drive stick, so I had my little spinner and ETS tank setup for the haul. I was quite pleased with how Tampa performed. This is a crystal clear liquid which reminds me a lot of Prime 15. It's absent of the chocolate notes found in Prime. It's more of a straight tobacco vape, with a very slight nutty thing happening. It reminds me a bit of smoking a Newport, but of course, without the menthol taste. I got it at 16mg., and I am not sure what the PG/VG ratio is but it performs well in the vapor production and TH departments. While I haven't had the chance to reorder this one yet, it is on my short list of things to do. As I get down to the last drops, it's really beginning to grow on me.

Sk

1. Halo Prime 15
2. HHV Legend
3. NLV Gold
4. Vapor Station Tampa
5. TPR Smooth&Mild

 

[Skeebo]

I am absolutely floored at how much TPR's Smooth&Mild continues to improve with steeping. This is some really good stuff.

 

[jefsview]

Luckily, nothing is written in stone. And the longer you vape and the farther you recede from being a smoker, the more your tastes may change.

 

[Skeebo]

I don't know what it is about NLV liquids, but with every new flavor I've tried I thought it was so so at first. Then after a few days it just stands out as being great. That was the case with the next flavor I am reviewing, NLV4ya. Today I sit thankful that I ordered two 30mls of it.

This is supposed to be NLV's version of RY4, which I believe was once held by another juice I love--Renegade. I have to admit, I'm limited on experience with RY4's. Other than the aforementioned Renegade, I have tried a total of 3. One thing I can safely say is when one has too much Vanilla in it. I won't name that liquid, but it was not deserving of the RY4 designation, (cough) "Blue Lab Vapors".

NLV4ya comes in at a well melded flavor profile. If I am correct in my thinking of what a RY4 is, not one flavor (caramel or vanilla)overrides the other. It's full on flavor, quite rich and not sweet. Throat hit is more than adequate and vapor production, as with all NLV liquids, is exceptional. This is one for the rotation for sure!

Sk

PS. There's been a shift:

1. Halo's Prime 15
2. NLV4ya
3. TPR Smooth&Mild
4. VS Tampa
5. NLV Gold
6. HHV Legend

 

[Skeebo]

I've been very fortunate since joining ECF. I've received sage advice from members here, and one person in particular has truly helped me in my search for those juices I seek. I never know if it's a good thing to publicly thank someone like this, because I'm not real versed on forum etiquette. So, just know someone has helped me big, and I am not just going on beginner's luck.

Whatevah.

This next juice came to me as part of a sample package. The good people of Quick Nic must have some kind of taste telepathy because this flavor really hit the spot, big time. I know, I know... raving about another e-liquid seems so blase, and it probably takes away any credibility of the review itself. Credibility, who me? Hah!

Anyways, Quick Nic's Wise Guy is a welcome addition to my rotation. I've had this one for a couple of weeks. Didn't get around to trying it till last night, shame on me. It was so good, that immediately upon finishing the tank I went for a refill. Mind you, this is not normally part of my eccentric routine.

This valued sample bottle came to me in their "house blend" ratio, which is 30/70 VG/PG, nicotine at 18mg.. It's described as a "unique, subtle, and sophisticated blend of cognac and tobacco", which in my opinion nails it perfectly! It's full of flavor, the cognac is in no way overpowering. That "sophisticated blend" is the right balance between tobacco and cognac. My taste buds seem to sense a very faint vanilla in the background as well, but then again this might be simply the perfect marriage between the cognac and tobacco flavors. Have I mentioned I like this one a lot?

Throat hit, exceptional. Vapor production, top notch. This juice performs well on all fronts. Yup, as I mentioned before this one is now permanently part of my rotation; I ensured this by ordering a larger bottle this morning.

By the way, I've been tossing around whether I should even list my favorites by order any more. To be honest, I'm kind of torn on the idea of it. Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[EleanorR]

Whoa, QnJ!! Wise Guy sounds terrific -- you may have talked me into ordering!

 

[Skeebo]

Whoa, QnJ!! Wise Guy sounds terrific -- you may have talked me into ordering!

Eleanor, I am glad you found this review helpful. FYI, I don't know if you are aware already, Quick Nic offers sampler packs for a little over $11 for 4-5ml flavors of your choice. I think it's a good way to browse their interesting flavors. I also have a 5ml bottle of their Our Why Quatro which is a NET. It was great, however, my Nautilus just can't handle those strong NET's for more than a few pulls. By the way, Wise Guy is not a NET.

I'll be shopping around for a good dripper soon, so I can enjoy some of those talked about NET's I drool over in the NET thread. I've punished myself quite a bit lurking in that thread daily.

 

[jefsview]

Eleanor, I am glad you found this review helpful. FYI, I don't know if you are aware already, Quick Nic offers sampler packs for a little over $11 for 4-5ml flavors of your choice. I think it's a good way to browse their interesting flavors. I also have a 5ml bottle of their Our Why Quatro which is a NET. It was great, however, my Nautilus just can't handle those strong NET's for more than a few pulls. By the way, Wise Guy is not a NET.

I'll be shopping around for a good dripper soon, so I can enjoy some of those talked about NET's I drool over in the NET thread. I've punished myself quite a bit lurking in that thread daily.

The Magma is suppose to be great for flavor and nice clouds, with bottom of the coil air flow and adjustable airflow holes. Angelcigs has the clone for $15. Can run in dual or single coil. Or start small with the Phoenix @ Goodejuice -- old school dripper for $1.99 clearance. Has a tiny airhole, but it has great flavor is all stainless steel and hits pretty well. Been enjoying mine for months (and I paid $4 more for it ).

And I think you're the first person to review any of QuickNic's new liquids. Many new tobacco flavors added with little fanfare -- that's the Quicknic way

 

[Skeebo]

I've had the good fortune of finding a lot of e-liquids I really enjoy. Those mentioned above are in my weekly rotation, and a few like Prime 15 and Wise Guy are usually reached for more often than the others. Will call those, 3 day rotators to be fair. To be honest some of Heather's Heavenly Vapes e-liquids have also made this "ring of honor" as well.

This next liquid though is beginning to grow on me immensely. So much so that in the last two days I have refilled the same tank twice because I find myself wanting it over anything else I have. If there was anything close to an ADV for me, someone who welcomes change, this may very well be it!

I just recently got into Ahlusion juices over the past two weeks. I plan, research, and ask a lot of questions before I dig into a new vendor. "You can't go wrong with Caramel Wild Wood", "Oh, You got to try CWW", "You haven't tried CWW yet?", then followed with "You're in for a treat" made my choice rather easy. This is easily my favorite right now, hands down no contest.

I like the ability to customize my e-liquids, and in this regard Ahlusion does not disappoint. I'm vaping CWW in a 50/50 blend with no sweetner. My bottles are two weeks steeped, although I will admit I dipped into them earlier. These juices absolutely deserve the two weeks steeping though, it's where they begin to show their true potential. I'm told they even get better. Throat hit and vapor production at the above mentioned blend is nothing short of exceptional. Flavor is this liquids strong point. The caramel is not overpowering, and it somehow seems to be a good quality caramel-- as if there was such a thing. What really stands out to me though is the tobacco note, which has my taste buds screaming, "This is the tobacco flavor we have always wanted!!". It's such a beautiful thing. Stick a fork in me-- I'm done.

Skeebo

 

[EleanorR]

And another one swoons for Caramel Wild Wood!