Halcyon Vapors e Liquid Review

Halcyon Vapors – A Spinfuel e Liquid Team Review

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more sophisticated website for an e liquid brand than Halcyon Vapors website. It exudes sophistication, taste, and functionality. After giving myself the tour of halcyonvapors.com I thought to myself that if their e juice was half as good as their website, then our invitation for a review was well worth it. But before we get to the four flavors we reviewe below, here’s some information about the company you need to know.

Since 2012, Halcyon Vapors have prided themselves on Quality and First Class customer service. They work closely with their customers to ensure 100% customer satisfaction, something you don’t see much these days in any industry.

Halcyon Vapors has a 75,000 square foot facility that includes a cutting edge Laboratory in the US. All Halcyon Vapors’ e liquids are made in an ISO7 Certified Cleanroom that is GMP compliant and AEMSA Certified. This incredible level of compliance and certification is not easy to obtain, and even harder to maintain.

 Halcyon Vapor’s presence in the social media community is large, as is their advocacy efforts for soft-touch regulations and the freedom to vape ejuice and mods without having them labeled tobacco products. And all the issues that go with being labeled tobacco products, tobacco-like restrictions and the heavy taxes, and more, are all items Halcyon attempts to battle against. Halcyon Vapors is always striving to do even more than they already do. They are driven, passionate, and determined.

The Halcyon Vapors flavor, “Dragon Chi” was the #1 Seller on eJuices.com, for the month of March and has been in the top 10 since 2013.  It is consistently a great performer for retailers and distribution partners of Halcyon Vapors worldwide (http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=179a716de446c158cfaf5e166&id=b9281143df&e=d46c5c75d0.).

 

At the time we received Halcyon Vapors review product, they had four flavors in their lineup. A new flavor, the deliciously sounding “Golli- The Apple Cream Dream” will release this month.  Golli has an Apple Jolly Rancher cream based flavor profile, with subtle hints of NY Cheesecake and Custard notes. which will fit nicely in the desert category. Unfortunately, we’re not able to bring that flavor to this review.

Product Particulars

Halcyon Vapors offers three sizes; 16.5, 30, and 120mL. Nicotine strengths are 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, and 18mg.  PG/VG ratios are nowhere to be found on the bottles or in any part of the website. Judging from the viscosity of the juice itself I would put it in the 50:50 or 40:60 PG/VG range.

Colors – Only the Cran Chi and Apachi are colorless, the Dragon Chi is a distinct purple/red color. Nowhere on the ingredients list does it indicate food coloring, but it sure looks like it in Dragon Chi and Parallax.  Parallax is the only flavor that states it’s VG/PG ratio is 70% VG. These colors could very well be the natural outcome of their unique recipes, but it was worth noting.

Bottle Sizes and Pricing for Halcyon Vapors eJuice

 There’s no two ways about it, Halcyon Vapors e liquids are on the expensive side. They are not the most expensive, or even in the top 5, but they are pretty steep.

Size and prices start at 16.5mL bottle for $9.99, then moves up to 30mL bottles for $17.59, and a 120mL size for $59.99. These prices are considerably lower than what they were when the e liquids arrived a few weeks back. This change in price may be temporary, which is why we are including the old prices and the new ones you see today on their website.

 Although there are less expensive brands, perhaps these new price points, if permanent, make Halcyon Vapors a worthy brand to consider.

16.5 mL Size – Before: $11.99 Now: $9.59

Price per mL: Before: 72 cents per mL – Now: 58 cents per mL

30mL Size – Before: $21.99 – Now: $17.59

Price per mL: Before: 73 cents per mL –  Now: 58 cents per mL

120mL Size – Before: $74.99 – Now: $59.99

Price per mL: Before: 62 cents per mL – Now: 49 cents per mL

Comparing these prices with another recently reviewed, the super-premium Smoque Vapours, where we broke down their pricing to 33 cents per mL at the 60mL bottle size ($19.99),  Halcyon Vapors old pricing structure is hard to justify in 2016. The new prices are still higher, but at least they are in the ballpark.

Team Consensus on Flavor Profiles – The Bad News

 No one can criticize Halcyon Vapors on quality, and if quality was all that mattered all 4 flavors would be awarded the Spinfuel Choice Award without having even vaped them. But there is more to it than creating eliquid in cleanrooms and manufacturing in pristine conditions.

Although every member of the team agreed on quality, there were issues concerning the actual taste of the flavors versus the flavor description provided by Halcyon Vapors. For that reason, most of the flavors were scored at 4 Stars and above because of the quality at every level,  but none received the Choice Award. Hopefully as you read the impressions of our team below, you’ll understand why this is so.

Vape Gear Used in This Review

Some of the vape gear used during this review are products currently under review. What better way to put a product to the test than to use them heavily for 3 days or more?

 We went immediately from the Smoque Vapours review to the Halcyon Vapors review, so the vape gear is the same.

Tom – HotCig DNA 75, Triade DNA200 and Dripbox 160 TC – tanks included the Lemo 3 by eLeaf, Simba tank, Goliath v2, and the RDA/RBA on the Dripbox.

Julia – Fuchai 213, Joyetech eVic VTwo, Vaporesso Target Pro, tanks included the Lemo 3, Lyche by eLeaf, Kanger Protank 4, Cerabis by Ceravape, and Horizon Cerakoat Ceramic tank, and the cCell tank that came with the Target Pro.

Jason – Sigelei 213, SMOK H-Priv 220w, and Tesla 100W Stealth, tanks in included the Lemo 3, Zephyrus v2, Uwell Crown v2.

Kiera – eLeaf iStick 200W TC and the following atomizers – Kanger Protank 4, Lemo 3 by eLeaf, and the Vaporesso ORC tank.

HALCYON VAPORS EJUICE REVIEW 

Halcyon – Dragon Ch’i

 “Dragon fruit and pomegranate, while very independent species by nature have been tamed by the almighty Halcyon Chi.  This flavor has easily acquired “All Day Vape” status by many and has continued to be in the Top 10 best-selling flavors on eJuices.com since 2014.”

 Julia – 4 Stars – Ignoring the color of this particular e liquid, and the fact that I happen to dislike dragon fruit and pomegranate, from an objective viewpoint Dragon Chi is definitely all-day-vape material.  The predominate flavor, for me, is pomegranate. Pomegranate is a very strong flavor, and if you like the flavor of pomegranate juice Dragon Chi will become a strong favorite. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

Flavor production is strong, in your face strong, but the vapor production is nowhere near a High VG or MaxVG e juice. Even with the strongest pulls from my Lemo 3 and Protank 4 Halcyon cannot compete with the High VG juices in vapor production.  My score of 4 stars comes from an odd coloring, and a lack of thick vapor.

 Tom – 4 Stars – If you like pomegranate juice you’ll probably love Dragon Chi. I’m not sure I detect dragon fruit, but the pomegranate is there for sure. I’m disappointed in the vapor production, so for that reason and the tangy pomegranate flavor I would not add Dragon Chi to my rotation.

 Kiera – 4.5 Stars – Pomegranate is an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, it’s one of those flavors you have to have sometimes. Don’t misunderstand me though, I drink the pomegranate juice 3 times a week, but never considered adding the flavor to my eliquid collection.

 Jason 4.5 Stars – I’ve seen enough corruption in this industry to ignore any claims of being a Top Seller, or #1 Choice for X years, and things like that. For me, I leave all that nonsense at the door and I vape a flavor with no judgements or expectations from anyone.

The one thing you can say about the people that work here is, we are very anti-bandwagon folks. So, about Dragon Chi…does it warrant the hype it receives?

Dragon Chi comes on strong, at first, but once I got used to the powerful flavor punch the flavor became manageable. I wouldn’t vape this one on a regular basis, but for people that enjoy the flavor or pomegranate this would be an excellent choice. Lots of flavor, decent vapor, and even a noticeable throat hit at 3mg nicotine. It’s a top quality e liquid, just not a flavor I can get behind.

Halcyon – Apach’i

Apricot and peaches mashed together forming a smooth, lightly sweet and refreshing vape– Apachi is certain to keep those taste buds screaming for more while never feeling overwhelmed.

Julia – 4 Stars – You will definitely taste apricot in this mix, with a light touch of peach flavor. I expected a lot from Apachi, but the longer I stayed with it the more disappointed I became. There is a ‘prickly’ taste to this mix, a weird combination I can’t figure out. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

This isn’t a bad eliquid at all, it’s just a flavor I don’t particularly enjoy. If the description sounds interesting to you, then by all means give it a go. Some eliquid lines try to present new and interesting flavors, and Apachi is definitely new and interesting.

Tom – 4.5 Stars – Apricot and peaches, light on the sweetness, but full of flavor. However, whether you like the flavor or not, it will be a favorite flavor, or a flavor to avoid, there is no in-between.

As for me, I enjoyed Apachi for a short time, that is to say that I would vape it for half an hour, then come back to it later in the day. I cannot see this as an all-day-vape, though maybe some will. An uncommon flavor, but one I’m not yet sold on.

Kiera – 4.0 Stars – Apachi is so over my head in complexity that I have very few words to offer. I can’t understand the flavor profile, I can’t take it apart in my mind, and I can’t tell where the apricot starts and the peaches begins. I’m lost. Very sophisticated, and far from the world of flavors that I live in.

Jason – 4.0 Stars – I am the wrong person to talk about the flavor of Apachi, or for that matter, any of the 4 flavors in this review. These are very complex, far left field flavor profiles that I think will resonate with certain vapers, but not the majority. Very high quality, yes, but difficult to enjoy.

Halcyon – Cran Ch’i

Cranberry sliced and diced with the Halcyon Chi.  There’s nothing like Cran Chi and your mouth will agree after it’s done embracing salvation.

Julia – 4.75 – This is a variation on Dragon Chi, only with cranberries instead of pomegranate. The problem for me is cranberries are very tart and unsweet, something I prefer not to vape. That said, I do know people that love CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

tart eliquid flavors and I would bet anything that this high quality cranberry flavor profile is something they would love. I gave it a high score for the execution of the flavor profile and the quality, but as an eliquid I would vape, no way, no how…much too tart for me.

Tom – 4.5 Stars – Halcyon Vapors is an e liquid line that produces strong, complex flavors for a select sub-set of Vapers. I hate to say it, but I think this brand is not a brand for the masses.

Cran Chi is a perfect example. This complex cranberry flavor will not appeal to majority of Vapers, at least the ones I know, because cranberries are very tart and not very sweet.

Still, there are a lot of people that love tart flavors, tart green apples, tart berries, and especially cranberries. But these types of flavors are not for me.

Kiera –  4.0 Stars – Fancy description for a cranberry flavor. Sure, there are many layers in this recipe, but cranberry is definitely the dominant flavor. If you love tart flavors in your vapor this is one you have to try. Although I do like cranberry juice, I like the real juice to be sweet, or cut with another juice flavor. I enjoyed vaping it off and on for 3 days, but something this tart just cannot be an all-day-vape for me.

Jason – 4.75 Stars – I may not be able to vape Cran Chi all day long, but man, for a couple of hours at a time, this is such a clean refreshing cranberry mix that I can’t help but liking it. Maybe I can build up to an all-day-vape, but in the 3 days I vaped it, I’m not quite there, despite how much I loved the flavors in short bursts.

Halcyon Vapors – Parallax

Baked pears, drizzled with nectar of Agave and balanced with a touch of the famous Halcyon Chi.  Parallax is one of the most unique and vibrant pear flavors ever to hit the vape industry.

Julia – 4.0 – There are pear flavors, and then there are pear flavors. Parallax is the flavor of a rare pear that tastes like a desert pear, otherwise known as the Agave. Yes, I said it right, the first hint of pear gets lost in a real, genuine CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

agave flavor (I used to drink a LOT of tequila). I had high hopes for this one, but once again, the flavor is too complex, too narrowly focused for a subset of Vapers looking for something very unique. And these flavors are all very unique.

Tom – 4.0 Stars – Halcyon Vapors created such a bold flavor using the agave plant from the desert and a prickly pear with the resulting flavor of a strange, but interesting combination. Unfortunately, I will not add this to my rotation, or collection. It’s just too “unique”, too complex, too original.

Kiera – 4 Stars – Vaping Parallax was like vaping a strange pear flavor with a touch of an earthy plant. Very confusing, and not at all something I would vape on my own. If your taste buds are more sophisticated than my own, you might understand it and love it. But for me, it’s not at all something I would vape.

Jason – 4.0 Stars – This is the first, and hopefully last, eliquid that I will vape that contain Agave. What a strange flavor to vaporize and inhale. I instantly taste the desert, and that pear flavor has to be that of the Bosc Pears, pears that are best used in baking, not eating. (I know my pears).

The biggest flavor in this mix is the agave, and for that reason I couldn’t vape this all day long. Parallax is not going into my rotation, but I think some people will love the complex agave flavor.

Bottom Line Impressions

You can’t say anything negative about the way Halcyon Vapors makes their product, bottles it, labels it, and markets it. They use excellent ingredients from top to bottom, the ejuice is safe to vape, and nearly impossible to tamper with. Halcyon Vapors has all the bases covered. That being the case, the only impressions we can offer would be on flavor fidelity and vape satisfaction. Oh, and of course, the cost to vape it.

Are the official descriptions truthful? When you strip away the marketing buzzwords, would a vaper that likes the key flavors talked about in the descriptions enjoy the juice for those flavors? Probably.

Does time spent with these e liquids provide a satisfying vape? For the team, no, for people looking for such unique flavors, probably.

Lastly, are there less expensive eliquids on the market that could be considered a good alternative at a lower cost? No, not really. If nothing else, Halcyon Vapors produces very original flavors. None of us could make a single comparison to any other e liquid we’ve had in 5 years. That’s rare. So, if you like these flavors, and many will, you’ll need to buy them from Halcyon Vapors, not one else comes close.

Lastly, as a team we don’t like saying that an eliquid brand has produced a line of flavors that we’ve never experienced before. We also don’t like saying that all 4 eliquids did not offer a single flavor that we would put into rotation. If this were a competition, we would lose. The complexity, the execution of the flavors is so far removed from our usual day to day vaping, we can’t even understand these complex flavors. We gave you our best impressions, but in the end we don’t believe we did our readers, or the Halcyon brand, any good. There is a first for everything, no?

Tom McBride, Jason Little, Julia and Keira Hartley-Barnes