Thank you Michael, for pointing out that there's difference between mint and menthol. Most people, including menthol smokers, don't realize there is a difference.
Menthol is a componant in mint. All mint has menthol, and menthol is minty, but mint has other flavors, like sweetness, which menthol doesn't. So a liquid may be more minty than menthol, and vice versa.
Menthol is used for cigarettes for a reason; It is the part that gives mint that cold, tingly, almost burning sensation, that makes drinking liquids after eating mint feel icy cold, and attacks and opens up the sinuses. And, importantly for cigarettes, it also numbs the mouth and throat, making a harsh drag of smoke go down easier.
That's not so important for e-cigs, and that cold-burn can be pretty harsh itself. Not to mention that there's no tobacco flavor, so all you get is the menthol taste and sensation. All in all, most menthol e-
juice is too strong and pretty awful, imo.
Still, I was a menthol smoker, and I like mint, so I've kept trying menthol after menthol untill I found some I liked. And, as MNZ said, the ones I've liked are more mint than menthol. I also think that trying the same flavor from several different brands gives me a more consistant basis to compare the quality of different liquids.
OK, here's my Menthol/mint breakdown:
First there's the Loong Totem Menthol, available in bottles and cartridges at
Loong Totem. $16 for 30 ML, $24 for 50ml. Loong Totem also supplies
www.E-Cig.com's bottles and cartridges, and I believe most manufacturer's cartridges. It is HIGHLY menthol. All of their e-liquid is harsh, regardless of flavor. It is the cheapest priced and cheapest quality stuff on the market. And the menthol is the harshest, because the menthol componant is too strong. IMO, of course.
Manufacturer menthol cartridges from
Njoy,
MyECig, Pillbox, Heaven_Gifts,
Sedansa,
Crown7, DealsXtreme, and an E-bay seller I forget, have all tasted and felt the same as Loong Totem, or at least as similar as makes no difference.
Second, there's the e-liquid available for sale from
E-Cig-Sales for $17 for 30ml, and
ePuffer for $30 for 30ml. I don't know the manufacturer, and they are each a bit different from each other, but I know they came from the same place, because the labels are identical, and flavors nearly identical. They are more minty than menthol, but still have some menthol cold-burn. And the liquid itself is lighter and less harsh than e-cig.com's, anyway.
They are a bit different from each other;
E-Cig-Sales stuff is clearer in color, and smoother feeling,
ePuffer's is amber colored and slightly more menthol, but still better than e-cig.com's. They are the same as what is in
Janty's cartridges. The clearer stuff is in
Janty's older, regular cartridges; the amber stuff is in
Janty's newer, high density, or HD, cartridges. So I conclude that the manufacturer changed their formula from the clearer stuff to the amber stuff.
Janty,
E-Cig-Sales, and
ePuffer are the only suppliers I've bought from with this liquid.
Lastly, there's the menthol from
Freesmoke for 50 Euro for 50ml. It's the smoothest and sweetest tasting mint. It's actually peppermint, with no extra menthol flavor or taste at all. It's the difference in taste and sensation between sucking on a peppermint candy cane versus sucking on a mentholated cough drop. Much nicer and more pleasant. And besides being better tasting, it's also a stronger tasting flavor than either of the others. All in all it's my favorite, but it's not really a menthol at all, and it's about 4 times as expensive as
E-Cig-Sales, or e-cig.com; and twice as much as
ePuffer.
I will say that it's manufactured in a European pharmacy, instead of a Chinese factory, so it's purer, and has a peace of mind factor, for me at least. A Dutch forum member posted some pictures of a test done where they cooked away e-liquid from several suppliers to see how much contaminants were left behind by each. Freesmoke was one of the best. And going by taste and feel, I believe it is the best quality.
But is better taste and quality worth 4 times as much? Up to you. I've got a fluctuating income, so whether I get it again next time I buy may have more to do with how much money I have when this runs out, for me. But I think it is worth it, and I'll get it again if I can.
Oh, and since their pharmacy makes it to order, they can accomodate custom requests like stronger flavors. Next time I CAN order, I'll try that.
.So Im now gonna go and get my e-cig and wait un-patiently for it to arrive.Please keep us posted on how you get on.By the way I am a smoker of menthol that has had to cut down from 20 to 10's a day,
