First and foremost, let me say that I was not paid, bribed, or coaxed into writing this in any way- I do so on my own accord, and any products mentioned below were paid for.
I've been absent this site for awhile- I fell back into analogs in mid-2011, and am now *finally* back to vaping. It feels so good to be home again! Anyway, I spent plenty of time looking for online suppliers for new gear, and in the process, I stumbled across a (gasp) brick and mortar store within 40 minutes of my house- I knew i had to check them out...
VaporPhoxxe is a tough store to put a finger on- but above all else, the staff of 3 (all owners) are what really makes it a special place to be. I've never been to a store that sells strictly Ecigs and the assorted paraphernalia that go along with them, but in all honesty this place was less about the e-cigs themselves and more about the culture/lifestyle choice/experience of vaping itself- and they pull it off beautifully. The shop has a large lounge area, complete with the requisite couches/flatscreen/etc, a vapor bar, and overall a quite laid-back atmosphere. It really reminds me of a good hookah bar, for comparison, although without the smoke.
As far as the E-cigs themselves, they are pretty well-stocked...they stock most of the Totally Wicked brand products- kits, e-juice, etc- which is all well and good, although I was MUCH more interested in the fact that they carry MODS. Yes, you're reading this correctly...they have a Box Mod, the Chrome lavatube (apollo V.2, although not sure if it's branded as such, it is DEFINITELY the apollo and not the Vari-tube), and another one as well- this was something I didn't expect. They also have a wide selection of store-branded kits and items, and stock genuine Smoktech DCT's/cartos/etc, as well as a few other brands. Overall, there's bound to be something in their lineup that works for ya.
When it comes to their e-liquid, things become a very personal experience. They mix each and every bottle of liquid on site at the time of purchase- and, you have control over the exact nic level, ratio of PG/VG, flavor ratios, and any other custom feature you could dream up...and each bottle, large or small, is done individually! Their flavoring process sets them apart from other juice manufacturers- all of their flavorings are created IN-HOUSE using fractal distillation of actual FOOD products- I literally mean that food itself becomes an extract, and that extract IS the E-juices flavoring...which is super-awesome. Pricing is very reasonable, and they include free juice with all of their kits! I was taken aback by the amount of knowledge their mixologist has on the subject of E-liquid and the science behind it. As an end-note, all of the 60+ flavors can be demo'ed at the bar before purchase- I probably tried at least 10.
I ended up purchasing the box-mod with a Smoktech DCT- and, for those who don't know, many box mods do not work with tank systems unless they are carefully modded. Alan, one of the owners, was able to do so to my VV Box before I made my purchase, and also made sure to check each and every component was working as well. He really is into modding things- in fact, he offered to put a side-port into my new DCT tank, and of course I took him up on the offer! So far, the thing was laying on the sideport the whole ride home and not a drop came out...and of course, the port is the perfect size for the bendy-tip e-juice bottles that they use...awesomeness.
Usually, I go into things with high expectations (like today) and end up disappointed- but today those expectations were exceeded... if there were a business model for what a E-cig vapor lounge SHOULD be, this would be the benchmark...and it's set quite high. Not to mention that the staff here are absolutely a riot to hang out and chat with- AND that the place is BYOB!!
A Vaper's Heaven.
I've been absent this site for awhile- I fell back into analogs in mid-2011, and am now *finally* back to vaping. It feels so good to be home again! Anyway, I spent plenty of time looking for online suppliers for new gear, and in the process, I stumbled across a (gasp) brick and mortar store within 40 minutes of my house- I knew i had to check them out...
VaporPhoxxe is a tough store to put a finger on- but above all else, the staff of 3 (all owners) are what really makes it a special place to be. I've never been to a store that sells strictly Ecigs and the assorted paraphernalia that go along with them, but in all honesty this place was less about the e-cigs themselves and more about the culture/lifestyle choice/experience of vaping itself- and they pull it off beautifully. The shop has a large lounge area, complete with the requisite couches/flatscreen/etc, a vapor bar, and overall a quite laid-back atmosphere. It really reminds me of a good hookah bar, for comparison, although without the smoke.
As far as the E-cigs themselves, they are pretty well-stocked...they stock most of the Totally Wicked brand products- kits, e-juice, etc- which is all well and good, although I was MUCH more interested in the fact that they carry MODS. Yes, you're reading this correctly...they have a Box Mod, the Chrome lavatube (apollo V.2, although not sure if it's branded as such, it is DEFINITELY the apollo and not the Vari-tube), and another one as well- this was something I didn't expect. They also have a wide selection of store-branded kits and items, and stock genuine Smoktech DCT's/cartos/etc, as well as a few other brands. Overall, there's bound to be something in their lineup that works for ya.
When it comes to their e-liquid, things become a very personal experience. They mix each and every bottle of liquid on site at the time of purchase- and, you have control over the exact nic level, ratio of PG/VG, flavor ratios, and any other custom feature you could dream up...and each bottle, large or small, is done individually! Their flavoring process sets them apart from other juice manufacturers- all of their flavorings are created IN-HOUSE using fractal distillation of actual FOOD products- I literally mean that food itself becomes an extract, and that extract IS the E-juices flavoring...which is super-awesome. Pricing is very reasonable, and they include free juice with all of their kits! I was taken aback by the amount of knowledge their mixologist has on the subject of E-liquid and the science behind it. As an end-note, all of the 60+ flavors can be demo'ed at the bar before purchase- I probably tried at least 10.
I ended up purchasing the box-mod with a Smoktech DCT- and, for those who don't know, many box mods do not work with tank systems unless they are carefully modded. Alan, one of the owners, was able to do so to my VV Box before I made my purchase, and also made sure to check each and every component was working as well. He really is into modding things- in fact, he offered to put a side-port into my new DCT tank, and of course I took him up on the offer! So far, the thing was laying on the sideport the whole ride home and not a drop came out...and of course, the port is the perfect size for the bendy-tip e-juice bottles that they use...awesomeness.
Usually, I go into things with high expectations (like today) and end up disappointed- but today those expectations were exceeded... if there were a business model for what a E-cig vapor lounge SHOULD be, this would be the benchmark...and it's set quite high. Not to mention that the staff here are absolutely a riot to hang out and chat with- AND that the place is BYOB!!
A Vaper's Heaven.
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