quick reviews for many juices (Halo, VV, V4L)

[NateS]

I would post this in the general liquid review section, but I can't start a topic there. I guess it's because I'm new?

I have ordered a number of juices and thought I'd share with you guys. First, some Halo juices:

Halo Cafe Mocha, really does taste like mocha. Too strong for me to like it. Has the strongest second hand smell of any liquid I've tried. If someone else is vaping this in the room, like some other liquids you will know, but the difference with this one is it really doesn't smell good.

Halo Mystic Menthol, just menthol flavor with nothing else really.

Halo Shamrock, I don't remember this one too clear, but it was menthol and I wasn't a fan.

Halo Kringle's Curse, this is a very strong peppermint flavor. It isn't bad, but very strong.

Halo Tribeca, this is one of the best Halo juices, but I think other vendors make better. It's sort of tobacco flavor with a sweet after taste. I ordered a 30ml bottle of this and it tasted different than the 7ml bottle, much more chemical and not good. Maybe it needs some steeping, I don't know.

Halo Prime15, this is the worst juice I have ever tried. It is like smoking plastic. Horrible, horrible.

Halo Torque56, this is similar to Tribeca but with less sweetness.

Halo HX3, this tastes like buttered popcorn made out of plastic. Avoid.

Halo Midnight Apple, it does taste like apple but is a bit chemical/plasticky. My friend likes it though and says it tastes like a Black and Mild cigar.

Halo Tiki Juice, I don't remember exactly how this tastes, but I remember it was nasty.

Halo Menthol Ice, this one is a sort of menthol and chocolate flavor. It is pretty good.

After finding so many gross juices from Halo, I was getting depressed but went on to try other vendors.

Virgin Vapor Strawberry Shortcake, this really smells and tastes of strawberries. It's pretty intense, but good.

Virgin Vapor Creme Carmel, I taste a whole lot of creme and not so much caramel, but the flavor is pretty good for a sweet juice.

Virgin Vapor Chocolate Cake, the juice smells like chocolate cake, sort of, but vaping it wasn't really very pleasant. Strange.

Vapor4Life Wow Waffle, interesting, it does taste pretty much like waffles. More interesting with another flavor added. I added Virgin Vapor Strawberry Shortcake and it was an interesting and good flavor. I couldn't vape such a sweet juice all day though, with or without adding a second flavor.

Vapor4Life 555, this tobacco juice isn't bad, has a sort of caramel flavor.

Vapor4Life Kamel, this tobacco juice isn't bad either, has an interesting after taste, but isn't one of my favorites.

Vapor4Life Tradiitonal Tobacco, this tobacco juice is good. It has a strong tobacco aftertaste, the strongest aftertaste of all the tobacco juices reviewed here.

Vapor4Life Wowboy, this tobacco juice is also good. It has a medium tobacco aftertaste.

Vapor4Life Wowbacco, this tobacco juice is my favorite so far. It has a medium tobacco aftertaste, but slightly less strong than Wowboy.

Some of the flavors might change over time, I don't know. I've read about steeping and will need to give it a try. I've let juices air, but haven't had time to let them sit for weeks.

I have another order from GoodeJuice that should be here tomorrow. At that point I will review these:

Full Throttle Tobacco
M-Type Lite Tobacco
Wrangler Light Tobacco
Vita Bella Tobacco

Unlike most people I started out wanting non-tobacco flavors. After lots of disappoint, especially with Halo, I sort of gave up on those and I've started looking for the best tobacco flavor. I have high hopes for GeJ!

Edit: My GoodeJuice flavors came! I let them breathe for about 3 hours before trying them.

GoodeJuice Vita Bella, this has a sort of spicy flavor to it, maybe tastes something like cloves. The taste wasn't for me.

GoodeJuice Wrangler Lite, this has a light tobacco flavor that goes away quickly. I like that it doesn't have a strong, lingering aftertaste. It had a little harshness to it, which I guess you guys would call throat hit. This was interesting as I was only vaping 6mg. I like this one, I will probably buy some more.

GoodeJuice Full Throttle, this is a tobacco-ish flavor that has a little bit of a sweet ending. It reminds me of Halo Tribeca, but I think this is better. I think I'm over Tribeca so I probably won't get more of this, but if you like Tribeca, give this a try.

GoodeJuice M-Type Lite, this seems to taste similar to Full Throttle and Halo Tribeca. If you like those, this might be worth a try. It seems about tied IMO with Full Throttle. I thought maybe it was just mixed flavors as to test these I'm dripping into a Halo carto with the fuzz pulled out, but I dripped multiple times and vaped a bunch of it and it really is similar.

Well, that's it for my trying juice, for quite some time. From all of these I would most recommend GoodeJuice Wrangler Lite and Vapor4Life Wowbacco.

 

[charliecrc1]

Thanks for the review. I have been looking at halo. Kinda pricey.

 

[ShyDragon]

They are a little pricey. I have to say, though, that if it weren't for Tribeca and Torque 56 I don't know if I would have gotten over the cravings I had for a real cigarette. When I started vaping by the end of the day I was done messing with the darn thing and just wanted to light up, sit back and relax. When we would meet friends out for drinks, being surrounded by all the smokers again, I just wanted to light up and feed that nicotine beast and the foo-foo flavors I had picked just weren't cutting it. They do need to steep and I still can't vape Prime 15 but the hubby loves it. Halo is so far the only vendor we order from regularly.

 

[Baditude]

I have found that it really isn't fair, and kind of a disservice to the juice vendors and people who read reviews, to do flavor reviews of juices that have not had time to steep. Most of the custom-mixed juices, which you reviewed, require 1-2 weeks to reach their full potential. They will all taste different when you revisit them in another week or two. I'm not being critical. Just my honest

Everyone does appreciate the time you took to review so many flavors and with mini-descriptions. Perhaps do a follow up to this thread in another couple of weeks.

 

[Ray D]

I have found that it really isn't fair, and kind of a disservice to the juice vendors and people who read reviews, to do flavor reviews of juices that have not had time to steep. Most of the custom-mixed juices, which you reviewed, require 1-2 weeks to reach their full potential. They will all taste different when you revisit them in another week or two. I'm not being critical. Just my honest

Everyone does appreciate the time you took to review so many flavors and with mini-descriptions. Perhaps do a follow up to this thread in another couple of weeks.

Agreed. I've even had a few juices from vendors who claim it's good to go right away because they steep it before shipping it out turn out not so good until a little home steeping.

Steep those bad boys properly. Give them a chance. They still may not be to your taste, but at least you'll get the true flavor.

In my short, but pretty varied experience, any chemical odor or taste = needs steeping. And not a little.

 

[NateS]

It is not really fair for vendors to sell me a bunch of juice that tastes nasty and never once mention steeping. I was seriously discouraged after trying many Halo flavors, which aren't all that cheap. I didn't know anything about steeping until I stumbled across it on the internet. Personally I find it silly to sell a product that doesn't have a reasonable taste for 2-4 weeks. If that is the way it is, not informing the customer will lead to these poor reviews. That said, I would like to let my juices steep and update this thread in a few weeks.

My dad is a heavy smoker. He started at 14 and is now 70 -- 56 years of smoking. A week or so ago I got him a Provari, Mini Vivi Nova, and Tribeca. He is trying but says the Tribeca tastes strange. I tried tons of flavors and just ordered him some Wowbacco, which I think he'll like better. I would greatly prefer to not have to explain steeping!

 

[jtoms101]

I'm in the same boat in regards to steeping... How frustrating it is that it is not mentioned when you purchase the e-liquid and they take your $$$. I bet they would sell juice differently if the money had to steep for the same period of time. I'm thinking this steeping thing is a bunch of bunk. I think it is used as a scapegoat to cover up a bad batch of juice. I think steeping can help juice, but only very little, so what you get when you vape it the first time is probably real close to what you will get in a couple weeks of steeping. IMO.

 

[Baditude]

I'm in the same boat in regards to steeping... How frustrating it is that it is not mentioned when you purchase the e-liquid and they take your $$$. I bet they would sell juice differently if the money had to steep for the same period of time. I'm thinking this steeping thing is a bunch of bunk. I think it is used as a scapegoat to cover up a bad batch of juice. I think steeping can help juice, but only very little, so what you get when you vape it the first time is probably real close to what you will get in a couple weeks of steeping. IMO.

I am not here to start any flame wars or argue with anyone. The eliquid or ejuice business is what it is. It is unfortunate that some companies do not mention whether or not their juices benefit from steeping. Most people here learn pretty quickly from reading other posts that almost any liquid can improve with steeping.

I've personally learned from my own experience that for the 100% vg and organic juices that I seem to prefer most, is that they require 1-2 weeks after their "birthdate" to taste their best. Using prior to that they may taste or smell perfumey or odd. Opening the bottle cap and allowing these flavors to breathe allow any alcohol bases to evaporate.

Should I try a new flavor from any vendor and not initially care for it, I never discard it but simply put it away for a couple of weeks and then try it again. This has become a common practice in my vaping experience. I have found this to be especially true with juices that are offered with the most customization choices from juice mixologists. These are literally mixed to order after the customer places the order online. Not the pre-made, mix-up-a-huge-batch and cut-in-down in size into bottles to sit on a shelf in a warehouse for who knows how long.

The vendor of my favorite all time flavor is Virgin Vapors, the flavor is Kona Velvet Milkshake. The first time I ever vaped it, I did not care for the flavor upon delivery and was disappointed in it. But I revisited it again after two weeks and I could not believe the transformation.

I had to look for a few minutes on on the Virgin Vapor website for any recommendations concerning steeping. I found the following under the "blog" section of the website:

"Do Virgin Vapor Organic E-liquids Need Steeping?

This is a question I am asked quite often. Steeping involves letting an e-liquid age to allow the flavors to mix, blend, ripen and mature, much like a fine wine gets better with time. Steeping time can last anywhere from a day to three or more weeks for maximum flavor richness.

Steeping will not magically transform a flavor that you just don't care for, but it will enrich and deepen one that you love or improve a flavor from good to great. The balance of flavors in an e-liquid can also change over time, making one taste come to the front while another becomes more delicate. Steeping generally makes a flavor richer, deeper, more luscious. The difference can be subtle, but worth it! If you have a flavor that you love in a larger bottle size, you may notice that it seems like it just keeps getting better over time. This is the magic of steeping!

A few steeping tips: in my experience, selecting a blend that contains PG can lessen the need for steeping because propylene glycol is a better flavor carrier than VG. 100% VG e-liquids will benefit more from a couple extra days to steep. Also, if you get your e-liquid with the "extra flavor" option, the added flavor will come through more quickly lessening the need for steeping in either a PG or VG base.

To steep or not to steep is really a personal choice. Most of my flavors taste good right out of the box. If you like the way a flavor tastes, go ahead and use it! But if you can give it a little time, it might just get even better!

Happy vaping!
by Annette Rogers"
__________________


My second favorite vender offers for sale, at slightly higher price, pre-steeped juices: "Vaperite is now offering pre steeped juices for your enjoyment. These juices have had weeks to Steeped/Aged to a delightful perfection. These juices are generally darker in color but very flavorful."

 

[Sunshinefl8788]

NateS, I understand what you mean when you say vendors should disclose the information about steeping when we order. I don't think they take into consideration how many new vapers come on board daily.

Before I found this forum, I was using a local shop to buy supplies and I never once heard the word "steep"....as my taste buds returned I started to hate the juice they sold.

I too ended up ordering halo and not understanding how steeping will improve the chemical/perfume taste, I was ready to throw in the towel and fire up a analog.

If not for the experience here on ECF, I would not be where I am (better than 3 months without a stinky)

I will say the only juice Halo had that I loved was tribecca, even after steeping I did not at all like any of their flavors and I tried them all! The funny thing is now that my taste buds have drastically improved, I no longer like tribecca....now it taste like old perfume and graham crackers!

I have also went back and revisited their other flavors to see if I might like them now, and in short..NO, I still do not like them!

I will tell you that in some cases steeping will dramatically improve a juice.....I made an order from ECblends (couldn't pass up their prices) and I hated all of them, they all had a nasty chemical taste! I took the caps off for a couple of days, let them steep for 3 weeks, shook them often, and found that I still didn't care for some of them, liked others, and one that I hated most when I first received it, ended up being my favorite juice to date, and I have sampled A LOT!

Good luck to you!

 

[Grimwald]

One of my problems after 3 months of this is...by the time I've ordered samples and let them steep (2-3 weeks), my taste buds, sense of smell and preferences have totally changed. It's like my senses are steeping while the juice is steeping. But one thing I think I've learned is that if it starts out after a week or so as eeeew...then it's most likely to always be eeeew.

 

[zzipy]

Halo Prime15 is the ONLY juice I have thrown away. Steeping didn't help. Also threw away the cartomizers I tried it in. Smells bad and it does not go away.

 

[macro]

Thank's for reviews.....

Just received many Halo stuff.... paper card say "steep 24 to 48 hrs" for best taste....

Just vaped 2 or 3 and all taste almost the same.... must wait some days....

 

[jtoms101]

Thank's for reviews.....

Just received many Halo stuff.... paper card say "step 24 to 48 hrs" for best taste....

Just vaped 2 or 3 and all taste almost the same.... must wait some days....

Let us know how you steep it and if any difference in taste after 24 and then 48 hours.

 

[katfich]

try v2cig (18mg) and efoxcig, excellent..........few buts good.

 

[macro]

Just open it... then closed and shake.... let it rest in dark and fresh place... let you know in a few days...

 

[starwatching]

I really like Honey Flue Tobacco from Backwoods Brew. I tried to reorder it, but they were out, so I tried Adirondack and Cassablanca. I really like the Adirondack, but I'm not wild about the Cassablanca. Not because it's bad, but because I'm not wild about the taste.

 

[Wingnut73]

Just opened a bottle of kringles's curse. I like it! I thought it would be really strong so I ordered standard flavor and it tastes just right.

 

[NateS]

I've updated my first post with reviews for the GoodeJuice flavors that came today. I would say GoodeJuice Wrangler Lite and Vapor4Life Wowbacco are my current top picks out of all I've tried.

I wanted to try Kona Velvet Milkshake from seeing posts here, but it wasn't an option when I ordered. The name doesn't seem all that descriptive.

It's good VV offers some steeping information. I get the impression they think steeping is relatively subtle, where as some forum members note a very large change. All I can do is wait!

I also didn't notice Halo mentioned steeping on a card with the orders. That is good, though directions would probably be better. I do remember reading something from Halo about the flavor being muted if the juice was cold.

Prime15, ha! I'm glad I'm not the only one! The aftertaste is so horrid, I rinsed out my mouth and rubbed my tongue with a paper towel!

@macro, be sure to leave it open for 2-3 days, shaking it with the lid on once each day. Supposedly you want alcohol to evaporate.

@Wingnut73, glad you like Kringle's Curse. For me, it was a very strong peppermint flavor, not bad but not something I could vape all day. More like an after meal mint.

 

[macro]

Thank's NateS.... just taste a few minutes ago and the same.... will leave open 3 days....

 

[Baditude]

I wanted to try Kona Velvet Milkshake from seeing posts here, but it wasn't an option when I ordered. The name doesn't seem all that descriptive.

ECO Virgin Organic Kona Velvet Milkshake | Virgin Vapor | Electronic Cigarette Organic e-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes

"This just might be my favorite flavor I've ever created! It's sweet, creamy and buttery with notes of caramel and rum all balanced out by a nice strong shot of Kona Espresso! It's so smooth and smells so good, I've had non-vaping friends try to grab it out of my hand to try it! Warning: highly addictive!

This e-liquid is hand mixed with organic flavors and steeped for a minimum of 2 weeks before shipping. "

- Annette, Virgin Vapors mixologist

Note this is one juice sold by VV that is pre-steeped for 2 weeks before shipping. If you like a coffee house frozen frapecino, this flavor comes close to that.