Ahlusion

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y cherry y

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Some Ahlusion juices will require patience as they steep. The cakes with fruit will not taste their best for three or four weeks. The non-aromatic tobaccos will be overly sweet and syrupy for about that same period. Upon reaching maturity, the flavors are true. Cherries taste like cherries, cream tastes like cream, caramel tastes like caramel. Beyond that, though, black tea FEELS like black tea in your mouth, Grape Vine has the taste and sensations of grape skin as well as juice, and the milk in Cafe au Lait makes you salivate in the same areas of your mouth as actual milk. I waited a month before I found that I could taste not just the presence of the pie crust under the carmelized apples in Tarte Tatin, but the light cream and dash of salt in it.

These are complex flavors. They're ask for your attention. They require thought and effort and the use of an educated adult palate to really appreciate. You won't taste chemicals or Jolly Rancher fruits in these juices. The aromatic tobaccos are thick and dank and musky and luscious; grab a mouthful of Devil Dog and tell me that what rolls from your throat to your lips isn't smoke. If you want a Marlboro, go somewhere else. If your biggest demands of e-liquid are vapor and throat hit, Ahlusion may not be anything special for you. If you're willing to accept the possibility that someone with a consummate understanding of chemical flavors and a gourmet palate could apply his skills to this medium, you should jump in. Because these juices taste really good. Really, really good.
 

Kropotkin

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You caught me red handed! :laugh: Good to know there's a kindred spirit here on the ECF! Archaeologist / Art Historian here, but my MA was in Anthropological Theory (leaning heavily toward the radical side).
Ha! I knew it!

I'm a Frankfort School critic myself, so yes - equally red of hand.

VERY glad to meet you, Comrade T. :toast:

I won't over-hype this juice -- it's my favorite vendor and pretty much the only one I use these days, but if others are happy with vendors with faster turnaround time and 'round the clock ordering, they might be best off sticking with them. My point in a nutshell is that Wlad is trying to run his business on his terms as he wants to run it, rather than letting the invisible hand of the market run him and his business, and I admire that. As a former small business owner (manufacturing artwork -- ironically, especially given the Benjamin reference :)), getting your business to expand is not necessarily the hard part if you have a solid product. Having the foresight to shape the business into something you want it to be and knowing when to put the brakes on if it starts getting out of control is a challenge when money and attention start rolling in.
I understand your point.

What annoys me, I think, is the fact that they appear to be using scarcity - real or manufactured - to ramp up an almost obsessive consumer interest, and I find things like that extremely unappealing. (My particular field of study is the visual culture of late consumer capitalism, so its entirely possible that I'm hyper-sensitive to stuff like that.)

If that bowl of oatmeal your ordered is Rick's Request, be prepared for a loooooong steep before it's at its best (like months). The others don't take anywhere near that long, but Rick's is pretty special that way!
Yes, I think it is Rick's Request, actually. Good to know!

I love oatmeal, and I look forward to it.

:)
 

Jerms

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(I'm a Critical Theorist - at the very epicenter of "the underfunded side of campus.")

I'm a Frankfort School critic myself, so yes - equally red of hand.


(My particular field of study is the visual culture of late consumer capitalism, so its entirely possible that I'm hyper-sensitive to stuff like that.)

(I'm an academic in the Humanities, and nuance is what we do best.)

"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis."

I have no point and don't mean to make fun, but reading these and seeing that commercial I was compelled to post this.

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Moueix

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Ha! I knew it!

I'm a Frankfort School critic myself, so yes - equally red of hand.

VERY glad to meet you, Comrade T. :toast:


I understand your point.

What annoys me, I think, is the fact that they appear to be using scarcity - real or manufactured - to ramp up an almost obsessive consumer interest, and I find things like that extremely unappealing. (My particular field of study is the visual culture of late consumer capitalism, so its entirely possible that I'm hyper-sensitive to stuff like that.)


Yes, I think it is Rick's Request, actually. Good to know!

I love oatmeal, and I look forward to it.

:)

Oh, man. I HATE when Academicians make me embarrassed for having sold out.

Nah, just kidding. I DO understand your point about "artificial scarcity". GOD knows I see it ALL the time in fine wine. Cult wineries who hold back vast libraries of stock to drive the price up on high scoring vintages, so they can force customers to buy their complete off vintages at artificially high prices in order to stay on the membership list and keep their allocations. Then later, they sell the lightly aged library stock at severe premiums to the mailing and wait list. I said "NO" to that back around 2001, and dropped off all but two of the wineries mailers, and I DO miss many of those wines. But I'd get 2 bottles in a great year, and have to buy a case of their dreck vintages. I might have been born yesterday, but it wasn't last night.

In the case of Ahlusion, I assure you, and I've had this conversation, it is an unintentional causality. IF it were followed by price hikes, then perhaps the limited supply would be suspect. Instead, they are releasing their "express" line, which is not customized to each customers preference (certainly a time consuming endeavor), at REDUCED prices from the originals. So much for theories.
 
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john0821

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I find it annoying to wait 10-14 days for my order to ship then possibly having to wait a week before I feel the flavor is mixed well enough to vape daily; then there's the possibility of waiting another week for the juice to really shine. But hey, it is what it is. I'd love for them and another vendor that I like to speed it up, but I understand that doing such a thing doesn't happen overnight.

As I'm typing this, I'm down to my last tankful of Boba Tea (lychee) which I love that lasted me only a week. And like many who are frustrated, I'll have to order when I happen to come across their website during open hours. Except none of this really frustrates me as I have a good juice rotation which admittedly includes other Ahlusion juice (they will eventually need to be refilled too). I do feel that having a good juice rotation doesn't really make me buy into the hype of any vendor as I have great juice upon which I can rely on happily. With that said, Ahlusion is, as of this post, my favorite vendor even with their quirks since in the end, I know I'm going to end up with a quality product.

It's similar to when I purchased my car. I wanted an individual package where I got to pick and choose the options, order in a certain color, and basically want it to be something that was specific to me even though it would take some time for it to arrive from a factory in Germany. While not on the same price level, but with these juices, I'm at least able to specify a PG/VG ratio, nic volume, and specific flavor adjustments which will give this a greater chance of enjoyment. To me, this is the difference between ordering something and picking something off the lot. My apologies if this sounds snooty as that is not the intention.
 

Jacoji

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As someone who jumped in on the "pile-on" of negative frustrations I am glad to see the thread returning to positive posts and support of the vendor and their craftsmanship of ejuice (of all things).

Once you are "in" and have your juices in rotation, and your order, processing and steeping times all adjusted for, it sounds like smooth sailing. When you are not "in", it feels like a very exclusive club that won't have you (and it doesn't help any to have "fans" tell you your business won't be missed so take it elsewhere).

I think it would be much easier for us on the outside if the new account process was more clear. As is, you wait for the store hours to open, load up your "cart" and try to check out. Can't check out as a guest and can't add an account due to temporary restrictions on new accounts. I think I got pretty lucky in finding and remembering the link to a new account from Wishlist, which I could get to at any time regardless of store hours, and kept checking until I was able to add an account. I added items to my wishlist and when I was ready to order a few days later it was just a few clicks and I was done. I was even able to set up a separate wishlist for a friend with his nic and flavor preferences and just "add to cart" (the vaping buddy system works well in these times of demand exceeding supply).

I understand capacity and the choice for quality over quantity. I understand delays. I like communication when there are delays or up-front notice that processing is closer to 7-10 days (without shipping and weekends and holidays) and generally not 3-5 days as advertised (I don't buy it that the 3-5 days of processing is the "wait time" before they start mixing your order, which takes another few days, as stated previously in the thread - "processing time" is the time between placing your order and it going out for shipping, as stated on their website, and generally understood by all). It's all about expectations and communication.

And, yes, I am expecting this to be DAMN fine juice (not because of the restrictions, but because of the reputation).

:)
 

Tezcatlipoca

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Ha! I knew it!

I'm a Frankfort School critic myself, so yes - equally red of hand.

VERY glad to meet you, Comrade T. :toast:


I understand your point.

What annoys me, I think, is the fact that they appear to be using scarcity - real or manufactured - to ramp up an almost obsessive consumer interest, and I find things like that extremely unappealing. (My particular field of study is the visual culture of late consumer capitalism, so its entirely possible that I'm hyper-sensitive to stuff like that.)


Yes, I think it is Rick's Request, actually. Good to know!

I love oatmeal, and I look forward to it.

:)

A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Comrade Kropotkin! Your skepticism is certainly justifiable but Mouiex has is right:

In the case of Ahlusion, I assure you, and I've had this conversation, it is an unintentional causality. IF it were followed by price hikes, then perhaps the limited supply would be suspect. Instead, they are releasing their "express" line, which is not customized to each customers preference (certainly a time consuming endeavor), at REDUCED prices from the originals. So much for theories.

Nothing intentional about their scarcity. They have a thriving wholesale business, and actually supply many other vendors with bases and flavors, and my understanding is that it accounts for a significant portion of their business. Within the last several months, they experienced a dramatic upsurge in retail business, brought about in part by hype generated by this thread, and they've been in the process of retooling and reorganizing ever since, and this coincided with a move and expansion. Things are bound to level off soon.

If I'm not mistaken, I think Rick's Request is actually a rice pudding. I'd go ahead and try it and see if you like it when it arrives, but if not, I'd recommend sticking it all the way in the back of your cellar! The others you ordered shouldn't take nearly as long to shine.
 

Randy C

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I just feel like ranting this morning....

For the record, I find it impossible to practice exclusivity in my vaping life. I keep my juice options open. I used to only buy from Mom & Pops vapor, but after some period of time, became willing to try new vendors. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have been able to experience amazing juices from other vendors like Ahlusion.

Although I wasn't one of the very first to hop on the Ahlusion band wagon, I hopped on shortly after reading some spectacular reviews. I understand their difficulty in keeping up with demand, but I guess I'm just not so demanding. If the Ahlusion store is closed and I can wait; I do. If I can't wait, I have a plan B & C

If I need juice right away, I place an order with one of a few select vendors that I've developed relationship with. At the top of the list is Mom & Pops- who are flat out two of the of the nicest people in the world; and...they make some wonderful juice! Next in line is HHV, who also make an outstanding product- I just don't feel the personal connection like I do with Wlad or Tami. The third vendor I'll buy from is Highbrow; Brian is a really talented juice maker and his "unique" RY4 is off the chain good. I might even try AIV soon too!


FYI... It Does't get much better than Ahlusion Strawberry Vanilla Cake, or Coco-Berry-Cream
 

MisterCombo21

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Hey, all. I am looking forward to trying to place an order on Monday, the first time I can be at my own computer during open hours.... Had a question. Is the aromatic a lot "gunkier" or thicker than the non aromatic? I was told ahlusion in general is not as thick and does not have as many particulates as some of the extracts that other vendors use leading to coils not getting gunked up so quickly... Is there a noticeable difference between aromatic and non aromatic in this respect?

I'd appreciate the advice. I'm looking at Cocoa Blend, Honey Cured, Gold Rising, and Honey Blues... Thanks.
 

Jerms

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Hey, all. I am looking forward to trying to place an order on Monday, the first time I can be at my own computer during open hours.... Had a question. Is the aromatic a lot "gunkier" or thicker than the non aromatic? I was told ahlusion in general is not as thick and does not have as many particulates as some of the extracts that other vendors use leading to coils not getting gunked up so quickly... Is there a noticeable difference between aromatic and non aromatic in this respect?

I'd appreciate the advice. I'm looking at Cocoa Blend, Honey Cured, Gold Rising, and Honey Blues... Thanks.

The aros are darker and gunk up coils quicker than the non-aros. That said, they are still fairly clean, not nearly as bad as Want2Vape, about average for NETs. If you use a regular atty you can extend the time between cleaning by alternating aros and non-aros.

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TheCatsPajamas

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I would say there isn't a huge difference in the coil wrecking abilities of the two but the aromatics still are a little heavier on the coils than non-aromatics. However when it comes to flavor there is a considerable difference between the two. The non-aromatics are very mild in the tobacco department where as the aromatics are very much in your face and no holds bar in the tobacco department. A crafty idea, if you find the non aromatics to be too strong for your tastebuds or find the non aromatics two light you can always mix them as long as you have the non aromatic and aromatic counter part. Example, honey cured and Gold Rising, Cocoa Blend and Deal Maker. Smokin Cherries and Cherry House Blend ect.


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MisterCombo21

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I would say there isn't a huge difference in the coil wrecking abilities of the two but the aromatics still are a little heavier on the coils than non-aromatics. However when it comes to flavor there is a considerable difference between the two. The non-aromatics are very mild in the tobacco department where as the aromatics are very much in your face and no holds bar in the tobacco department. A crafty idea, if you find the non aromatics to be too strong for your tastebuds or find the non aromatics two light you can always mix them as long as you have the non aromatic and aromatic counter part. Example, honey cured and Gold Rising, Cocoa Blend and Deal Maker. Smokin Cherries and Cherry House Blend ect.


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Great. I appreciate the detailed answer... I kinda thought it was set up that way with analogue versions but didnt really pair Honey Cured with Gold Rising since the latter is an Ry4... But I see your point.. Ill prob stick with my original planned order to get my take on both. Im sure theyll be good, and if not too rough on the coils I'm not too worried... I like in-your-face but can deal with the sublety as well... Lets see if I even get to order though. Looks like people can possibly register one day, and order another.. New job so I dont order e juice online from work computers, especially since its a NY state job. So it may be a good month til the next time I'm home at 10 am...
 
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