Jughead's Review Bonanza

[Stratzilla]

I've used Jughead's for a long time now (almost exclusively from early 2012 to today and probably beyond today); this may set off the 'bias' alarm in your head right off the bat, but I order from Jughead's because he ships from very close, shipping is fast and inexpensive, and I find he makes some of the better liquids straight out of Canada. I have tried other Canadian vendors and they just don't get it, it seems. Here's a few flavors I have off hand and a little blurb about each.

All flavors below are used in a Silver Bullet with an 18650 high-drain battery, at 3.7v in a Vivi Nova tank with a 1.7-9ohm coil using silica wick unless where otherwise mentioned

Name: Pumpkin Pie Organic
Ratio: 30% PG, 70% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

I should give a little backstory to this before I dive into the flavor. I made a DIY Pumpkin Pie flavor about a year ago using Pumpkin spice flavorant and a hint of Hazlenut flavorant; it had a very sweet and rich flavor reminiscent of pumpkin pie (my favorite dessert). At the time, Jughead was taking flavor suggestions so I e-mailed him about it, asking if he could give it some thought. It wasn't until earlier this month that I noticed he had added a Pumpkin Pie flavor; he probably added it months ago, but I seldom buy organic e-liquid, so I didn't see it in the aptly named section. I like to think this flavor is a direct result of my suggestion, but who knows?

Upon smelling the e-liquid, I smell a slight nuttiness and feint pumpkin spice. It's not overbearing like other pumpkin flavors I have tried, which at first was alarming because I like my flavor in double doses. The consistency of the liquid was very thick which is surprising by Jughead's standards. It was noticeably more viscous than his Karamel Apple (also reviewed, see below) which is a 100% VG juice. I think Jughead adds a couple of drops of distilled water or alcohol to make his liquids a little more thin, but this had the consistency of straight up VG. This is something I don't like, because I use a Vivi Nova quite regularly and find thicker juices are harder on the capillary action. However, it does seem to flow well, so this seems to be a nonissue in this case.

Immediately upon inhalation, I'm hit with a hard cinnamon flavor. I don't know if they have these in America, but in Canada there is a confectionary called cinnamon hearts, typically given around Valentine's Day. These candies are incredibly spicy due to the cinnamon spice within, and this pumpkin pie flavor is almost spot on to this. This is excellent, provided I ordered a cinnamon heart or cinnamon flavor. There is a very very mild pumpkin flavor here, almost unnoticeable; this minute flavor reminds me of what pumpkin pie smells like, not tastes like. On the exhale, I get more of a pumpkin-like flavor, sort of like a pumpkin spice donut. The cinnamon is still here, but most of the flavor has stopped and accumulated in my throat. The flavor is nice, but not exactly what I was hoping for. As a cinnamon flavor, it would get an 11/10 rating, but as a pumpkin flavor, it's maybe a 6/10 or 5/10. Jughead usually delivers flavor in the bucketloads with each vape, but this one has too much cinnamon and not enough pumpkin. This also begs the question: why is there cinnamon in this flavor anyways?

Vapor production is pretty weak compared to his other juices. I know it's 30/70, but I've got more vapor out of many 50/50 juices in the past. It's quite lackluster, but not incredibly poor. I'd give vapor a 6/10. As for throat hit, it's hard to tell because the cinnamon may be affecting this. It's not too bad, but the cinnamon drowns it out. I'd give it a 5/10 or thereabouts.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: Karamel Apple
Ratio: 100% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

(

original flavor)

Karamel Apple was one of my favorite flavors from Jughead. I've ordered it I think four times since I began using Jughead in early 2012. The first one I received was perfect, 10/10 quality in every regard. Not too much flavor, just the right amount. The second time I ordered it, I think he must have changed the flavor a little because the liquid was noticeably more dark, gave less of a throat hit, and had more caramel than apple. No biggie, was still good. My latest order was just last week, and the flavor as far as I can tell was changed yet again. How I plan to review the flavor is to take the three iterations I've tried and rate each of them.

The liquid now is a bright orange/pink color, and seems a little thinner than what I remember. It smells of feint apples, no real caramel smell to it. Considering it is 100% VG (may contain trace PG in flavorants used), this can be expected because if it had more PG I would have smelled it a little more. Curiously, I can smell the sweetness of the flavor in this one, something I can't do with many others. I can tell right off the bat it will be a little sour, but very sweet and smooth.

As for taste, upon inhalation I don't taste apple or caramel at all, but rather a peach-like flavor. This is probably my tastebuds going haywire, but there is no apple or caramel whatsoever. As the flavor normalizes in my throat, I begin to get a tinge of that caramel-apple I know and love. Upon exhalation, however, I get that peach flavor again. This is quite strange since past iterations of the flavor have been straight up caramel apple; again, I must chalk it up to the formula changing or somesuch. As for this iteration, I give it a 7/10 due to the bizarre presence of a peach-like flavor, but the original would have been 10/10.

Vapor production is large, perhaps more than most flavors I've tried. This is expected due to its high VG content, but it's as if my mouth becomes a theater smoke machine for just a momentary instant as I exhale. Very nice, it is much appreciated. 10/10 on vapor, it does not disappoint. As for throat hit, and I must say I've experienced this with not only this flavor, it is rather lacking. Pumpkin Pie delivered a pseudo-throat hit from the cinnamon blast, thereby masking any throat hit the rest could provide, but for this caramel apple flavor, it is non-existent. I get that nicotine buzz I get as with other flavors, but no burning in the throat. I do taste something like a hint of throat hit, but it's too subtle to even consider. 3/10 for throat hit. This is not an intrinsic quality of just this batch, though, past ones also had this lack of TH.

I really hope Jughead can go back to his original formula circa early 2012.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: Black Cherry Organic
Ratio: 30% PG, 70% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

This is in an eGo-C Twist at 4.2v with a Vivi Nova tank with a 2.4ohm coil using silica wick

I should preface this review by stating that I don't particularly like cherry flavors. I've tried various incarnations of cherry over the last year and a bit, most often in combinations of other flavors. Cherry Tobacco? Gross. Cherry and lime? Passable. Cherry cola? Delicious. Cherry cheesecake? Yuck! This is one of the only straight-up cherry flavors I've had.

The liquid itself is 100% translucent clear with a little bit of pink hue (almost unnoticeable); it has the consistency of water, and runs and wicks very well. It seems to burn very quickly, so you should be adamant if you're using a wicked tank or similar device. I burnt out one wick vaping it unfortunately, but this is in no fault of the flavor, it's just poor planning on my part.

Once inhaled, I get a synthetic/chemical like taste. That is the best I can describe it. It's not like a rubber or gross taste, it just tastes like metal being heated and cooled quickly repeatedly; it has no real flavor going in, unfortunately. Maybe a slight tinge of mintiness, but not particularly enough to warrant mentioning beyond that. On the exhale, however, I get a nice candy cherry flavor. I say candy cherry because it doesn't taste like pure cherry, but rather an artificial cherry, not unlike a cherry cough-drop or cough-syrup. And I do get more of that minty-like taste. It's hard to describe, but it has that feeling after drinking a cold glass of water and then breathing deeply. It's a pleasant flavor, but too weak/different from what I was anticipating. 6/10.

Vapor production is nice, but not as much as I would have hoped. It's still above average, but not as much as the aforementioned Karamel Apple. It seems to dissipate in air a little slower, which is a plus (I think?). For throat hit, it's pretty harsh even at 12mg/mL; it feels more like 18 or 24mg/mL, surprisingly. A little too harsh for my taste, but this is subjective.

As an addendum, this isn't a bad flavor by any stretch of the word, but it just doesn't click right with me. After a couple hours of use, I get a slight burning flavor irrespective of how saturated my wick is; as I previously said, one wick already bit the dust, and a 2nd one is fast approaching that end as well. It just doesn't have that longevity I desire in a flavor. It's novelty, if anything.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: Beetelljoose
Ratio: 30% PG, 70% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

I have a love/hate relationship with tobacco flavors; I can seldom find one I enjoy as an all-day vape, with the exception of a scant few. Those few are always blends with fruits or other additives, otherwise I can't stand it. Beetlejuice is a tobacco flavor with some nice surprises; hey, it surprised me, even.

The liquid is an excellent golden brown, as expected with a tobacco flavor. Very runny, thanks for the PG, and it wicks superbly. It also vapes very cleanly: typically for me, a cartomizer will begin to change color from white to brown as I vape away (usually after 10-15mL of liquid), but this one went a full 20mL before I switched to the Vivi Nova. Absolutely zero discoloration or cartomizer clogging, which is excellent and surprising. The liquid itself smells of a hint of tobacco and various spices.

The taste is where it blew me away. Knowing my history of loving/hating tobacco flavors, I expected the worst. At first take, it has a very sour/bitter flavor resembling your run-of-the-mill tobacco extract, but then it adds flavors sequentially to my palate. After the first few moments I begin to taste a hazlenutty like flavor, then a tiny bit of grape, then something I can only describe as an orangey-chocolate (not like the chocolate orange, but it's like a sour, citrusy chocolate). I don't know what exactly is in this flavor, but it surprised me with the cornucopia of flavors I got from it. It's very unorthodox, but this is a good thing. On the exhale, I get a rich, smooth tobacco not unlike RY4's vanilla-tobacco taste. 11/10 on the taste continuum.

Vapor production is huge, some of the best vapor production I've ever witnessed. Vaping this outdoors on a cool winter evening fills my vision with vapor. It is exhilarating how much vapor is produced, and it's not even 100% VG! The throat hit is also superb, hitting just the right buttons going down. It does not disappoint.

It's hard for me to find a good tobacco flavor, but this one is spot on. I cannot suggest it enough.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: KettleKorn
Ratio: 100% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

I wasn't expecting much of this beyond maybe a novelty flavor, but a friend of mine said he likes it, so I had to give it a try. I'm always cautious of trying those "bizarre" flavors like BBQ ribs, popcorn, cheese, etc; really unorthodox flavors which are always hit or miss (more miss than hit, however).

The liquid itself is kind of a burnt red flavor, sort of like genuine maple syrup. It's very runny, which is incredibly surprising for a fully VG juice. Smells of what the name implies, kettle corn, with a tinge of caramel maybe? I don't know, but it smells absolutely wonderful. Vapes very cleanly, too. Probably one of the cleanest vapes I've ever had.

On the inhale I don't taste much of the popcorn but I do get a hint of caramel. As it lingers in my mouth the other flavors begin to sprout up, and I can really taste the texture of the popcorn. At this point I am regretting only getting 10mL of it, but with such a unique flavor, I wasn't sure I could invest in it being good. Really regretting this now, since it tastes wonderful. On the exhale I get the full blast of flavor, and it tastes extremely pleasant. All-day vape material? No, it's more novel than anything, but it would be a great thing to let people try just for the sheer look of surprise on their faces (along with the inevitable smile).

One area that surprised me was the vapor production. This thing metes out so much vapor, it's unreal. Easily the most vapor I've ever got out of a 100% VG juice. Throat hit is off the charts as well, definitely high up there with some of my favorites. It's not overbearing like others, it's just right.

Incredibly satisfied, I wish I had got this sooner.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: Jokesmoke Classic and 2.0
Ratio: 30% PG, 70% VG; 100% VG respectively
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

,

respectively

Vaped in a Lavatube with a 1.8ohm Boge cartomizer at 4.0v

Many consider this to be Jughead's flagship flavor, and I want to reciprocate this. I first had this a while back before I made my first order (a friend had it and I annexed his Woodvil for the time being), and I remember enjoying it for its smooth and unique taste and texture. I ended up ordering 2.0 a couple of times and recently 1.0 or "Classic" as Jughead calls it.

Both liquids are fairly thin (2.0 being a little on the thicker side of the spectrum), and transparent clear colors. There's no real discerning between the two unless you rolled the bottle around and saw the extra viscosity in the 2.0 bottle. Smells of sugar, but very feint; hard to pinpoint the exact smell, but it is by no means unpleasant. It's neutral, a good word to describe it.

Inhaling it I get a rich tobacco taste, but not overbearing like others. It's pleasant and smooth, and cools my mouth on the way in. This is for both flavors, by the way. For the sake of this review, both are identical in all aspects except throat hit (see below). On the exhale I get what I can only describe as cotton candy. I want to stop for a moment and reflect on this, because it's clearly not cotton candy as far as I can tell, but I just get that carnival candy vibe from it. I throw this analogy around a lot, and it suits it. Candied bacon is to bacon, as Jokesmoke is to tobacco. It's like a "candied tobacco" if that makes sense. Very smooth and rich, and easily an all-day vape flavor.

Vapor production is a little low on the 1.0 side, but on the 2.0 side it is excellent. As for throat hit, I found the VG one to be a little lacking similar to Karamel Apple, which is why I recently ordered the 1.0 variety; this makes a big difference. The PG exacerbates the irritation in the throat making for a nice clean throat hit.

Both are nearly identical, but I have to give the crown to 2.0 if only because the vapor production is massive, and overall feels a little smoother.

 

[Stratzilla]

Name: Scrumptious Apple Cinnamon
Ratio: 100% VG
Nicotine: 12mg/mL

Vaped in a Vamo with a 2.7ohm Kanger T4 at 8.5W

I don't particularly like cinnamon flavors unless it's a super mild cinnamon. A cinnamon after-taste or a tinge of a presence can exacerbate the other flavors in a liquid, but so many vendors get it wrong it's unreal. I've only had maybe 3 or 4 good cinnamon flavors out of dozens, those being Heather's Cinful Pear, the aforementioned Pumpkin Pie from Jugheads, and now this.

It's a nice yellow liquid that is very very thin, ideal for tanks with silica wicks and cartomizers. Smelling it gives a very nice apple pie like smell, a tint of cinnamon with a load of apples. It smells baked if that makes sense. It's one of the few flavors that smell authentic, like how they should be.

On the inhale I get a smooth cinnamon flavor; not too spicy but just right, akin to how an apple pie would handle cinnamon. I get a little bit of sweetness from the apple. As I hold it in my mouth, more apple appears and it's just such a super pleasant vape. Exhaling gives me a crisp apple I won't soon forget.

Vapor production is about an 8/10; I've seen better, but it's not disappointing in any way. Throat hit is spot on, probably my ideal amount of irritation. It's smooth going in, but that stinging from the cinnamon equalizes it into "just right" territory.

Awesome vape, wish I had more.