Table of Contents
Last Updated on May 1, 2018 by
The AquaVapor e Liquid Review
This is the first e-liquid review for AquaVapor, a rather large and very commercial company out of North Carolina and Atlanta Georgia. They do not fit the usual profile of the sort of company that the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team seeks out for an in-depth review, at least not for the past several months. But, there was something about AquaVapor that appealed to John and Julia.
As large as they appear to be, as diversified as they appear to be, and as ‘commercial’ as they appear to be there is still a kind of ‘down home’ quality to them. It’s not in the pictures on their website, or the number or quality of the products they carry, but rather in the words. It seems that as large as they want to appear, if they do in fact want to appear large, the words on the page speak volumes about whom they are and what they appear to want to achieve in this industry. So, Julia contacts them through their contact form and arrangements were made to begin a relationship to review varied products. It was a good move.
To start things off Julia and AquaVapor decided that we would review an eGo kit, branded with the AquaVapor name, a Kanger ProTank, and their American Made eLiquids, 12 in all under the VMAX line. We received 10ML bottles, enough for two team members to vape for 72+ hours. We, Jason and Keira, volunteered to do the reviews and that is exactly how it turned to out to be.
The review encompasses the e-liquids, ProTank, and their branded ego kit. Everything in this review is precisely how both Keira and I evaluated the various components and the outcome of each. Most of the time we, Keira and I, were in complete agreement, only seldom disagreeing on one or two of the e-liquid flavors. Speaking of which, the review begins with the e-liquids and then follows up with the ego kit and for last, the ProTank, which has also been reviewed elsewhere. We’ve broken the component of the review up so that it appears to be 2 separate reviews, eliquid and hardware.(Tom’s review of the ProTank vs. the iClear 30 is here)
AquaVMAX USA eLiquid
Interestingly, the 11 flavors in the AquaVMAX line is a 50/50 blend of Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin. There are no options in this line to any other blend. Nicotine choices are 26mg, 18mg, 12mg, and of course, zero nicotine. Some flavors we reviewed contained 26mg; others contained 18mg or 12mg.
Price: 10ML bottle is $7.95, an expensive price for any e-liquid vendor, $12.95 for 20ML, which is much better, and a 30ML bottle is $16.95, about average for a premium vendor. Admittedly, there are substantial price breaks for ordering 20 or more bottles at a time, and when you get to 100 or more bottles you get to a wholesale price level, still that single bottle of 10ML for $7.95 stings.
Keira and I both agree that if you’re trying AquaVapor out for the first time than by all means please consider their bundle package. For just $34.95 you get 10x 10ML bottles (100ML of eJuice). You’ll need to sacrifice one of the flavors if you do, and if it were up to us we’d say to drop the Cubana or if you are really into tobacco flavors than go ahead and drop the Bearyluscious. Considering AquaVapor wants $7.95 for a 10ML bottle and $3.49 cents for 10ML when you buy the bundle, to do otherwise makes little sense. Then, when you decide what you like, and there are plenty that you will, it would make sense to go ahead and buy the 30ML bottles to get the best value.
The individual flavors are:
Mello Fruitello
Methandy
Bearyluscious
Cubana
Cocoa Mint
Grandma’s Apple Pie
Ol Charlie
Carolina Leaf
Flue Cured
Cinna Twist
Georgia Special
Keira: Jason and I used various PV’s during the reviews, including a VAMO, eVic, ZMAX, Halo Triton, Halo G6, and 777 eCigs Bullet. Attachments used included the Kanger ProTank, an iClear 30, Halo ‘Tanks’ (clearomizers), 777’s 1.3ML Mini-Mizers, Halo’s .9ML clearomizers, and various CE 4+ clearomizers. We even tried out a few of the flavors with 808-threaded and 510-threaded cartomizers. Naturally, we also used the ego kit from AquaVapor.
Jason: Since it was just the two of us for this review we made the decision to vape the same flavor at the same time. To compress the discussion and to really try to understand where each of us stood we talked about the flavors as we were vaping them. That’s a bit different from the strict standards set up for the normal 5-person team, but this review was certainly less formal from beginning to end.
Scoring – Spinfuel Choice Awards – We used the standard 5-Star rating system that we use on all e-liquid reviews. In order to earn a Spinfuel Choice Award a flavor must score 5 Stars from ALL 5 members of the team. When Keira and I scored certain flavor 5 Stars each we would take the flavor to the other team members and give them 2 hours to vape the flavor in order to determine if they would have also scored the flavor 5 Stars. If all members agreed than it was decided that a Choice Award designation was to be granted.
Our Review
Grandma’s Apple Pie 26mg – From AquaVapor: “This is the only apple pie e-liquid worthy of its name. For those who want an old-fashioned, perfect tasting apple pie with a buttery flaky cinnamon crust you’ve got to give this one a try. This is the apple pie that is truly delightful. You must try it, Grandma said so.”
Keira: 4.5 Stars – This is a really good Apple Pie. I enjoyed it immensely. However, for readers out there that might expect a hint of cinnamon you should know that the cinnamon is laid on quite thick. In fact, at first I had to recheck the bottle to make sure I was vaping Apple Pie because I thought I had accidently mislabeled my clearomizer and was vaping Cinna Twist. Turns out I was vaping the Apple Pie. Yes, you can certainly taste the apple and the piecrust, but the cinnamon in nearly overwhelming. Still, quite delicious! Vapor was truly excellent, and because this was 26mg nicotine the throat hit was huge.
Jason: 4 Stars – I agree that Grandma’s Apple Pie is delicious and a great vape. And I also agree that the cinnamon is laid on thick. I’m giving this a half star less than Keira did because of the overdose of cinnamon. But like she said, it is a good vape. Vapor was extraordinary, as was the throat hit.
Bearyluscious 18mg – From AquaVapor: “With a gummy chew candy taste, Bearyluscious has a sweet fruity flavor. A mixture of different fruits put together. Bearyluscious is the ideal e-liquid for fruit lovers!”
Keira: 3.75 Stars – Not being a fan of gummy bears I cannot relate the flavor of it. That said this is a deliciously sweet vape that I totally enjoyed. Good vapor, not awesome, and no throat hit at all, even at 18mg nicotine. Still, I enjoyed it a lot. But honestly nothing to write home about.
Jason: 3.5 Stars – Sadly, this is an average, sweet vape that I believe anyone just starting out with DIY juice could make. But, having said that, I still think its pretty good. No throat hit at all though. Good vapor.
Carolina Leaf 18mg – Spinfuel Choice Award – From AquaVapor: “Enjoy some of the tastiest puffs of vapor. This is a smooth tobacco flavor with a hint of sweetness. Enjoy our exquisite flavor in the mountains, at the beach, and everywhere in between.”
Keira: 5 Stars – A very smooth, yet very full bodied tobacco flavor that is distinctly different than Flue Cured but every bit as good. Carolina is smoother than Flue Cured, and a little sweeter, but boy is it ever satisfying. My only criticism, that will not affect the score, is the throat hit. At 18mg I would have expected a harder hitting vape. If you want a delicious tobacco flavor with kick than go with the Flue Cured, but if you want the same thing with a smoother draw and a mild throat hit go with Carolina instead.
Jason: 5 Stars – The amount of vapor Carolina puts out is almost scary. It’s a vapor factory for sure. The flavor? Rich, full bodied, and sweet, or non-dry if you prefer that description. I love this blend and if I were to vape 2 flavors all day long I would choose Carolina in the evening, when I want to slow down and relax, and Flue Cured or Ol Georgia during the day when I need a bigger kick in the pants. I wanted a bigger throat hit but when the flavor is so smooth and rich you can overlook that aspect of it, I think. I’m giving it 5 Stars anyway because it tastes too good not to.
Cinna Twist 12mg – From AquaVapor: “A delectable cinnamon taste, right out of the oven, will please your senses. Relax and enjoy the pleasures of this liquid with every puff.”
Keira: 5 Stars – Okay, this is going to take some explanation on why I think this is a 5 Star e-liquid. If you’re expecting something similar to the many cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, or cin-a-bon type flavors this isn’t one of them. The best way to describe it is that it is a cinnamon “bomb” type flavor that has been tamed with a “hint” of ‘bun’ flavoring. The end result is a very cinnamon-y flavor with the edge rounded off. Still, I adored it. Vapor out the wazoo, and an okay throat hit.
Jason: 4 Stars – While I think Keira’s description fits, I wasn’t in love with it like she is/was. It’s too much cinnamon for a cinnamon bun type flavor and not hot enough for one of those cinnamon blaster vapes. So I think it’s lost its way. Maybe the taste testers at AquaVapor didn’t know which way to go with it. I like it a lot, enjoyed it for quite some time, until it was all gone even, so definitely a 4 Star flavor. Really good vapor output, kind of light on the throat hit, but at 12mg nicotine that’s not a bad thing. Remember too, these are all 50/50 blends.
Cocoa Mint 11mg– From AquaVapor: “This is a delicious dessert flavor you can’t resist. It’s a mouth-watering fusion of the richest of chocolates and the coolest of mints. The perfect flavor for chocolate and mint lovers!
Keira: 4.75 Stars – I really enjoyed Cocoa Mint. Tastes just like you’re vaping a mint girl scout cookie. Tons of vapor, and a really nice throat hit for an 11mg nicotine e-liquid. Cocoa Mint is a very smooth yet full flavored chocolate with a nice cool mint. I recommend Cocoa Mint to anyone that likes this type of blend. All-day vaping recommended. Delicious vapor, and a good enough throat hit.
Jason: 5 Stars – Again, Keira and I are in complete agreement, though I think it’s a 5 Star juice. Replicates the mint girl scout cookie to a tee. Rich chocolate flavor without being harsh, a cool mint without a hint of menthol. I would have loved to see how Methandy would have been with spearmint and this mint/cool flavor. Vapor to beat the band, and a throat hit worthy of the 11mg nicotine level. I would vape this all day without a problem. In fact, I’m adding this to my ever-changing lineup.
Cubana – From AquaVapor: “Is a perfect mixture of a sweet tasty ripened banana with a smooth fine tobacco blend. These two flavors together are perfect. If you enjoy fine tobacco and sweet banana this is the liquid for you!”
Keira: 3 Stars – Cubana is a huge disappointment to me. Reading the description by AquaVapor I was expecting to taste some banana in this, but it was not to be. As a tobacco blend it’s the opposite of Flue Cured. Very harsh, it burned the roof of my mouth every time. I expected more, especially after having vaped Flue Cured, Georgia Special, and Ol Charlie.
Jason: 3 Stars – Sadly I think Keira hit it on the head. Much too harsh and very little, if any, banana flavor to it. I was interested in learning what a tobacco-obsessed Vaper would think so I invited Tom to try it. He said he would give a 4 Star rating based on the tobacco flavor, but agreed that there was little to no banana in this one. Maybe we got a bad batch, who knows? In any case, a very harsh, very strong tobacco blend that was not very enjoyable to me. But if you trust Tom’s rating you can think of Cubana as a 4 Star juice.
Flue Cured 18mg – Spinfuel Choice Award – From AquaVapor: “Enjoy our rich genuine flue cured taste unlike any other. This flavor will have you come back time and time again.”
Keira: 5 Stars – It’s difficult to write about Flue Cured without sounding like a shill for the company. I LOVE this tobacco flavored e-liquid. It is a sweet, full-bodied, full flavor, magical tobacco blend that deserves the Choice Award twice over. Wondrous throat hit, copious amounts of vapor. A perfect tobacco blend. A definite all-day vape. Bravo!
Jason: 5 Stars – I don’t know what I would have done had the rest of the team (Julia, Tom and Angel) not had seen fit to award 5 Stars to this amazing Flue Cured AquaVapor wonder. Such a great, sort of sweet, full flavored and very smooth tobacco flavored e-liquid that it has been added to my collection, and I don’t even have any left. But I plan to, just as soon as we publish this review. I dare any tobacco loving Vaper to try this and NOT think it’s one of the best tobacco flavors they’ve vaped before. I couldn’t get enough of this one. Need more now!
Mello Fruitello 18mg – From AquaVapor: “If you enjoy striped fruit gum, blasting fruity flavors, you will love this liquid. With its fruit flavor, it’s like chewing gum while you vape.”
Keira: 3.5 Stars – I was kind of disappointed in Fruitello. I think they could have come closer to the striped gum taste that I used to love as a teenager. It’s there though, but it’s not strong enough. A sweet, vapor rich e-liquid, but completely and utterly average. That’s not a bad thing, but because some of these flavors are impressive as hell, this one just doesn’t stand out.
Jason: 4 Stars – I’m going to be a bit more generous here than Keira if only because I did enjoy vaping it. So maybe it doesn’t deliver on that ‘striped gum’ flavor as much as it is implied, it is still a better-than-average e-liquid. Good vapor production, but not the best of the bunch, and the throat hit was okay for an 18mg juice.
Methandy 18mg – From AquaVapor: “If you like the taste of spearmint candy, candy canes, and refreshing menthol, then you will love this Flavor.”
Keira: 3 Stars – First, the name is crazy. I kept calling it ‘Meth Candy’, and I’ve never tried meth in my life. Second, while this is a spearmint flavor it is also a straight out menthol. It’s the type of menthol that sends the coolness up through the nose, which I don’t like but others do. I don’t know, I’m thinking that if they had gone with a spearmint only flavor it would have been much better. As menthol though, it’s certainly far from the worst I’ve had.
Jason: 3.5 Stars – I agree on the type of menthol this is, the coolness shot up right through the nose. But you know what? It’s not cough-syrup menthol so it wins in the menthol category for that reason alone. The spearmint flavor was a tad soft, but not a totally unlikeable flavor. I’m just not sure it’s good enough to persuade menthol Vapers to switch to it from something they already enjoy.
Georgia Special 26mg – From AquaVapor: “If you are looking for a full bodied bold tobacco taste with a slight hint of sweetness you’ll love the Georgia Special liquid blend!”
Keira: 4.5 Stars – Bold is right! Very bold, almost too bold for me, but a very good tobacco blend. AquaVapor does tobacco very well indeed. Plenty of vapor, plenty of throat hit, this is a strong tobacco e-liquid and for vapers looking for bold I think you’ve found it.
Jason: 4.75 Stars – An excellent, strong, full-bodied tobacco e-liquid that will satisfy any tobacco fan. I really, really enjoyed it and it’s not even the best tobacco they have (that would be Flue Cured). But at 26mg the throat hit is exaggerated. Great vapor, great taste with no bad aftertaste like Cubana, so it’s as close to a 5 Star juice as you can get. A little dry for my taste, which is why I would choose Flue Cured every time.
Ol Charlie 18mg – Spinfuel Choice Award From AquaVapor: “A luxury tobacco blend with rich nutty undertones. An e-liquid that will satisfy both novice and expert vapers.”
Keira: 5 Stars – When you read a word like “luxury” and its applied to the taste of a tobacco e-liquid it can be a little confusing. Luxury? What does that even mean? Then you fill a clearomizer, let it sit for a few hours, come back, settle in and take a nice long draw. Bam! There it is, plain as day…luxurious like you won’t believe. If tobacco is your chosen vape, this is one you need to have. Joins the ranks with some other top shelf tobacco vapes we’ve reviewed in the past. Vapor is downright incredible, throat hit magnificent.
Jason: 5 Stars – Ol Charlie is a damned good tobacco vape. Very full-bodied without a bit of harshness to it. Very smooth, yet very BIG in flavor, this is an excellent, vapor heavy; throat hit heavy, satisfying tobacco e-liquid. Try a long 6 or 7 second steady hit and you’ll understand why tobacco vapes are Tom’s obsession.
Final Thoughts –
Keira: AquaVapor e-liquid is all over the board. Some were downright award winning flavors while others were simple, uncomplicated, average tasting flavors. The e-liquids that were scored 4 or 5 Stars are excellent examples of fine eJuice making, and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying them out. But for heaven’s sake, buy the sampler pack and save a bundle of cash.
Jason: The real standouts here are the tobacco flavors, with the exception of Cocoa Mint, which was outstanding in its own right. Flue Cured was the best of the bunch, but Carolina, Ol Charlie, Cocoa Mint, and a few others are must-try eLiquids even if they all couldn’t get the unanimous 5 Stars.
It makes no sense to spend $7.95 for a 10ML bottle when you can get 10 out of 11 for $3.49 cents each. The 50/50 blends are real vapor produces, and they carry the flavor very well. The throats are okay, but in order to get the kind of throat hit that packs a punch you need to go up the 26mg nicotine levels and after some months now the team have gotten used to the 11-12mg levels. The juices we vaped that were 18 and 16mg were mighty powerful, but too high for us to use on a regular basis.
Buying Advice – We kind of went over this already but I guess it bears repeating. $7.95 is a lot of money for 10ML of eJuice, on the other hand $34.95 for 10x 10ML bottles is an excellent price. I pay $35-$40 for a 60ML bottle of eLiquid from my usual vendors, and this is 100ML for $35. You can’t go wrong.
Choice Award Recap – The eLiquids we deemed to be excellent enough to sport the Spinfuel Choice Award logo are Flue Cured, Carolina Leaf and Ol Charlie…all three tobacco vapes. I would have included Cocoa Mint and Cinna Twist, but I couldn’t swing that extra quarter-point from Keira on the Cocoa Mint and she couldn’t get me to budge on the Cinna Twist to bring them to the rest of the team for their vote. But, out of 11 flavors 3 Spinfuel Choice Awards is pretty damn good.
Conclusion
Hopefully AquaVapor plans to expand their line of USA made eLiquids because there is some real talent there, especially in the tobacco line. With the ability to make flavors like Cocoa Mint and Cinna Twist in addition to the tobacco flavors shows us that there is plenty of room to expand the line.
AquaVapor produces American Made, USA sourced eLiquids for the American Vaping Community. Keira and I were honored to have the opportunity to review their 11-flavor lineup. If you’re looking to experiment a little and find some other brands to vape then the sampler pack of 10 out of the 11 for $35 is the best $35 you can spend this week.
