The nicotine in vapor is also absorbed in a different area of the body, too. Obviously tobacco smoke's nicotine is absorbed primarily in the lungs. But with vapor, it is primarily absorbed in the mouth, throat, and nose. Therefore, it's not necessary to get your nic dose by inhaling.
Vaping technique is to take a slow 3-6 second draw into the mouth, much like sucking on a milkshake. You can inhale if you wish, but exhale some of the vapor through your nose in addition to your mouth.
Your taste buds have been damaged from years of smoking, so you may have a difficult time finding flavors that you can taste, or at least like. Our sense of smell is closely related to our ability to "taste". You'll understand this if you remember how food tastes bland when you have a bad head cold. So exhale vapor through your nose to give those damaged taste buds an assist. You'll probably find that until your taste buds begin to heal, you'll be able to "taste" the flavors better with your nose than your tongue.
