Table of Contents
A Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review
Check out this in-depth Interview with LICK Vapors. In the interview you will learn a lot about the company, and the people behind it.
Lick Vapors Website – Lick Vapor has a presence on Facebook as well as their own website. They are also available through two retail stores, Vape ‘R Us store in Massachusetts and Pleasure Vape in Utah.
The website for Lick Vapors is a very different experience than we’re used to. There is a single Order Page with a dropdown for choosing the flavor, radio buttons for the size, and a dropdown for the nicotine strength. On the order page you’ll see some information about them, which we’ve rephrased and used below, and that’s about it. We’re not entirely sure of how we feel about this lean and mean website, it struck us more like a wholesale website than something that should be marketing to consumers. It works fine, it just lacks pizazz.
The flavor descriptions are very short and to the point. No poetry, no grand gestures, just a plain and simple sentence describing the flavor. Again, it lacks the pizazz we’re used to seeing, other than that, it’s fine. Some may like this approach, some may not. For me personally I found it a bit lackluster for my taste, and when I’m going to spend $50-$100 for eLiquid I want to feel swept off my feet in the process. Here, at Lick Vapors website, it’s more like “This is our stuff. Want to buy some? This is what it tastes like, here’s the price. How much do you want?” Maybe I’m being unfair, but I want some flashy stuff that makes me believe “I got to have me some of that!”
The Juice – Characteristics
LICK Vapors provided us with all eight of the eLiquids for review, and we’d like to state up front that every one was a real delight to vape for the 72-hour period. Some were better than others of course, based on the personal likes and dislikes perspective, but each one delivered plenty of flavor and great vapor. Which reminds me, since all eight flavors really delivered on vapor production, and what with a 40/60 blend it certainly should, I asked the team to refrain from describing the vapor in their notes and discussion. We all agreed that as far as vapor production is concerned, all eight passed with flying colors. They were all (mostly) equally voluminous, and they all had pleasant aromas, so there is no need to state it in each of these ‘assessments’ below.
Each of the e-liquids we reviewed come pre-steeped in a cobalt blue glass bottle with a glass pipette closure, this is standard. When your order arrives it’s ready for you dig in.
PG/VG is typically a 40/60 blend. The nicotine is 99.86% pure, and mixed in a PG solution. The eLiquids contain natural and/or artificial flavors. LICK Vapors do not use artificial dyes or sweeteners.
Once thing you need to know about Lick Vapors eLiquid is that each flavor is very thick. Naturally the 60% VG gives it that thickness, and we found we could not use the clearomizers we love to vape with, the X.Jet Spider, because after a few minutes we would get dry hits. The only way to fix that was to let it sit for a few minutes, or to keep turning it upside down, allowing the juice to seep back down into the coils. Ultimately that wasn’t a huge deal to overcome, but had we been better prepared we would have vaped with long coil wicks and not the new-fangled “hidden” coil atomizers that are all the rage right now. We did finally change to some long wick atomizers, and after the review I was able to take what little we had left (very little) and use a long coil wick Vivi Nova’s and the entire time I spent with the remaining eLiquids there wasn’t a dry hit to be found. Just keep this in mind; these eLiquids are thick.
Prices are on the high-normal end, a15ML glass bottle is priced at $12, and a 30ML is priced at $22. For the most part, we can understand the eLiquids costing a bit more to put together based on using cobalt blue glass bottles vs. plastic bottles, and the brand is certainly considered a premium brand by our standards. It should be noted that the pricing structure is higher than some other premium labels we’ve reviewed, and lower than others we’ve reviewed.
LABEL- The label is a large yellow rectangular sticker that contains the batch number, the ingredients, nicotine strength, flavor, and more in easy to read, large letters. The bottles are neck-banded with black shrink-wrap, and they are on there securely.
The Team –Julia Hartley-Barnes (me), my sidekick, my better half, my everything, Keira Hartley-Barnes, the man-about-town, the ever macho man-with-the-plan Tom McBride, and the sexy beast, Mr. Kinky Boots himself, Jason (I’m not little) Little. With a special appearance along the way of a mystery guest, someone who just had to have his (or her?) two cents worth tossed into the mix on a couple of the eLiquids.
Hardware – The usual suspects, Provari, iTaste devices, a ZMAX or two, and the (I-swear-the-review-is-coming) Sigelei 20Watt (from, MyVaporStore!). Along with this assortment of batteries we have the iClear X.I and the Aspire BDC Vivi Nova. Soon after getting those two in the mix we realized that because of the thickness of the juice we would have to switch to wicks, mostly long wicks, to soak up the thick juice and stick to the wicks like clue.
Spinfuel Choice Award – If you haven’t read my last column, where I explain how an eLiquid earns a Choice Award, take a minute if you can and read it. There are a couple of Spinfuel Choice Award winners here, and they very much deserve to be recognized for their brilliant flavors, wicked vapor, and complete and utter vaping satisfaction. There is some awesome eJuices to talk about today!
The eLiquid “flavors” we reviewed are as follows:
- Pina Colada: delicate coconut & fresh pineapple
- *Monroe: a sweet, smooth fruity vape
- Sunshine: complex blend of fruits highlighting melon & citrus
- *Luscious: thick & creamy with a hint of wild blueberry
- Pink Mist: icy dragon fruit with a tropical twist
- Calypso: refreshing lemonade mixed with strawberry & juicy watermelon
- Half Moon: deep butter rum & cool spearmint
- Carmilla: blend of vanilla & creamy caramel with a backnote of sweet tobacc
The Verdict (Of The Spinfuel eLiquid Team)
As usual, I’ll go first, then Tom, followed by Keira, and bringing up the rear will be Jason.
#1 – Monroe: A Spinfuel Choice Award – “a sweet, smooth fruity vape”
Julia (me) – 5 Stars – Monroe was my first choice to vape. The reason was simple; it’s the name of one of the major characters on the TV show “Revolution”.
The name doesn’t tell you a thing about the flavor, but because I instantly thought of the bad guy – good guy Monroe I thought this was going to be a deep, heavy, dark flavor. Monroe is the opposite of deep and dark. What it is though is delicious fruity vape that reminds me of a combination of Peaches, strawberry, and maybe a hint of apple and/or passion fruit as well.
The peaches give the flavor weight; the strawberry gives it a touch of extra sweetness and depth, while the apple (or passion fruit, I can’t quite tell) gives it spark.
The bottom line for me was that I didn’t want to move on to the next flavor when the time came, this was like a serious adult’s attempt at a very satisfying fruity vape, and it delivered. Bravo!
Tom: 5 Stars – All of the flavors from Lick Vapors have an amazing aroma straight from the bottle as well as the vapor. Monroe comes across at first like it was going to be a Pina Colada type flavor, but it wound up being some what heavier than that. The flavors blended so well together that picking them apart was nearly impossible. Peaches? Yes, I believe so. Strawberry? Maybe. Apple? I have no idea.
Monroe goes against the grain of eliquid flavors I usually vape, but I was drawn to the unique blend of fruitiness that came across as a deeper kind of fruity flavor. I call this kind of fruit blend a ‘finely-tuned’ recipe, even if it were off by a tiny bit it would not have worked as well. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and that is something that surprised me.
Keira: 5 Stars – Reviewing Lick Vapors was difficult for me. I loved several of the flavors, and except for two they are all fruit based, and each one was executed brilliantly. Monroe is so well blended that I judged it as a peach-based “colada” flavor, giving it richness and a silky taste, yet never lacking in the satisfaction that a great fruity blend can offer me.
Searching for the right words to describe a deep flavored fruit blend I came up with one, “convincing”. Monroe was decidedly convincing as a rich, fruit blend with just the exact combination of peach and strawberry. This is a must-try flavor.
Jason: 5 Stars – It’s hard to say if Monroe or the Pina Colada was my favorite of the ‘fruit’ blends because they were closely related in some ways and directly opposite in others. Instead of pineapple and coconut there is peach and strawberry, yet it seemed to me that “base” of the two were identical and the only difference was the uppermost flavors.
I filled all eight flavors in different Aspire BDC Vivi’s Nova’s so that I could switch out whenever I wanted to, and I found myself switching between Monroe and the Pina Colada frequently. In a roundabout way it felt like I was vaping one ‘coin’, with one set of flavors on one side and another set of flavors on the other. I kept flipping the coin because I loved them both.
#2 – Half Moon – “deep butter rum & cool spearmint “
Julia: 4 Stars – I’ll admit, had I liked the flavor of buttered rum and cool spearmint more this might have been another 5 Star juice. All the major characteristics of a great juice are there; vapor, flavor, and so on, but for my taste there was more spearmint than there should have been, and together they felt unbalanced, a bit out of whack. Therefore, because I did not get the satisfaction from Half Moon that I did with some others I’m giving it 4 Stars.
I will say this about it; I am not at all familiar with butter rum, but I am familiar with spearmint, and while it is a tremendously unique blend, I was caught off guard with it. Since I don’t have a good handle on butter rum, I cannot tell you if this one hits the flavor or not. It was a good flavor, but one I passed on when my time was up.
Tom: 5 Stars – Totally unique, totally awesome, Half Moon is a “weird” combination that works for me. That clever taste of spearmint mixed with that sort of alcohol-hinted rum is totally an adult flavored juice that puts it right out there and says, “love me or hate me, but just try me.” And try it I did, and man let me tell you, if you’ve had a rum based juice before I’m betting it didn’t have spearmint in it.
Spearmint makes this flavor what it is, and although it is certainly the dominant flavor you won’t miss out on the rum, its there as well, giving the spearmint a nice off-balance ‘balance’.
Keira: 4 Stars – Half Moon was, for me at least, mostly spearmint. While I enjoyed it a lot, I see the missing butter rum as a slight problem on its way to a 5 Star flavor. I may have been able to say it was a 5 Star flavor if it was marketed as a ‘spearmint only’ flavor. Judging from the others during our discussion however, I think the missing rum is more of a personal thing. If you want a spearmint juice that is real spearmint, without a drop of menthol for “kick” then Half Moon is definitely one to try.
Jason: 4 Stars – Julia and Tom both say in the discussion we had that the buttered rum is there and in full force. I disagree. I couldn’t taste the rum at all, and that’s a good thing for me since I don’t much care for rum. I don’t have a spearmint flavor in my rotation, or my collection anymore so this might make it into my collection as a good example of a true spearmint flavor.
That said, don’t expect to be “cooled off” like a peppermint or even menthol might do because spearmint is a whole different animal. Spearmint is both minty and non-minty at the same time, or better yet, it is a mint flavor without coolness. I wanted to give it 5 Stars because I caught myself vaping it a lot more than I thought I would, but I couldn’t do it because the rum was lacking, and rum is being used to describe it.
#3 – Sunshine – “complex blend of fruits highlighting melon & citrus “
Julia – 4.25 Stars – Boy, the description for Sunshine is short and sweet, and spot on. I know I wasn’t going to mention vapor production, but it is worth noting that for me this one had the best vapor production. But okay, the flavor magic here is what’s important.
Sunshine has a decidedly heavy melon flavor, cantaloupe if I’m not mistaken, and just a touch of citrus for “sparkle”. But honestly, if it were missing the other “mystery” fruits it would not have been as good as it is. I’ve had a few melon vapes before and although they are good, I’m usually not impressed to the point that I’m giving it a 5 Star rating.
The ‘mystery’ fruits that are there to give the melon flavor some ‘oomph’ also give it ‘depth’ as well. Because it is a melon eliquid it is very light. Still, I think the citrus notes here fight with the fruity depth and create a bit of an unequal flavor. I enjoyed it a lot, and this won’t be the last time I vape Sunshine, and if you’re sitting around wishing someone would do up a delicious cantaloupe vape look no more. Sunshine is it.
Tom: 4.5 Stars – If Sunshine didn’t possess enormous vapor production I think I may have given this a 3.75 or 4 Star rating because I think cantaloupe, and that is exactly what it is, isn’t served well with a citrus touch. Having said that, since the melon is the dominant flavor, a sweet, almost dense cantaloupe with humongous vapor, it was a real pleasure to vape.
Would I add this to my rotation? Maybe. This is a warm weather vape, and I could definitely see myself vaping it in June and July…August and September. A melon flavor for melon lovers, and a fresh vape for vapers wanting a light, fresh vape with melon tones.
Keira: 5 Stars – It’s so funny how we are seeing some of these flavors in completely different ways. For me, the citrus notes really set off the melon flavor and provide a delicious vape of sweet melon with a ‘sparkly’ feel to it. I can’t identify the citrus exactly; it could be lemon, lime, or orange or grapefruit for all I know. All citrus have that one unmistakable ‘acidic sparkle’ to it, and that is what you taste here. (I don’t mean acidic in bad way either). So, with a melon backdrop with a ‘sweet’ profile you have this citrus flavor kicking it up a notch and giving it a larger presence.
Jason: 4 Stars – The two flavors I usually don’t look for in an eliquid are both present here; citrus and melon. I don’t have a single one in my collection because they don’t sit well with me. So, why 4 Stars? Because everything else about this flavor works perfectly. Sunshine has a fantastic cantaloupe base and the right amount of fruitiness, slapped up a little with a touch of citrus. For melon lovers you can’t go wrong.
#4 – Luscious – A Spinfuel Choice Award Winner – “thick & creamy with a hint of wild blueberry”
Julia: 5 Stars – Oh my God, one of the finest, most luscious (perfect name for this) blueberry and creamy vapes I’ve ever had. A nearly perfect taste of blueberry buried with a creamy, silky body of heaven providing a deep, rich, oh-so-satisfying vape that you won’t forget it anytime soon.
The first time I vaped Luscious was late at night, we were in bed and I had just filled a new long wick Vivi with the stuff and set it on the nightstand to absorb into the wicks. I was very relaxed, almost sleepy, but I wanted something blueberry so I thought ‘why not? So, a few minutes later I pick up my new Provari and, setting it on 4.2v I took a nice long, deep drag…. And the blueberry flavor hit my taste buds and sunk right in, sending these amazing feelings throughout my body. It was the perfect time, the perfect night, and the perfect flavor.
Knowing that Keira was going to tackle this one next I convinced her to try it right then and there. She was going to wait until morning, but after I made her try it she couldn’t wait. So instead of turning out the lights and going to sleep, we stayed up an extra hour or so just enjoying this amazing creamy blueberry ‘heaven-in-a-bottle’. Definitely going into my rotation. You must try it, you must.
Tom: 5 Stars – Once and a while I find a eliquid that is not tobacco, or coffee, or some other hard hitting deep eliquid that reminds me just how much I’m missing by not exploring more of the fruity vapes that are available. Luscious is one of them. What a great flavor! The blueberry is so deep, so real, and it is drenched in this heavy cream flavor. If you like blueberry flavors at all you will love this one.
Keira: 5 Stars – Luscious is an amazing feat in eliquid artistry. The ‘exacting balance’ of authentic blueberry is matched to the amount of creaminess to a tee. Luscious is one of those eLiquids that you can see yourself over-vaping because the flavor never gives out and the pleasure centers of the brain light up like a Christmas tree. This one will join my family of very special vapes from many different labels, and it should yours as well.
There is one thing I should mention; don’t get the wrong idea that the blueberry flavor is overwhelming, it isn’t. It is plentiful, but so is that creamy flavor, and it’s that perfect melding that makes it what it is. For that reason, if you love blueberries but aren’t crazy about creamy flavors you might want to think twice before diving in. On the other hand, if both elements are on your list then by all means, buy the 30ML bottle, or two, cause you’re not going to want to stop.
Jason: 5 Stars – I have to admit that before Luscious came along I was a fence-sitter on blueberry flavors. There are plenty of good ones out there, and plenty that aren’t so good. But it is rare for me to go ‘gaga’ over one. So imagine my surprise when I started vaping Luscious my first thought was “how much did I have left?” Yes, it is that good.
I found the best way to vape Luscious is to find the right sweet spot that allows for maximum flavor and at least ‘some’ warmth. For me that was accomplished by vaping a single coil, standard resistance tank and pushing the voltage (or wattage) up to just a notch above my normal vape level. At 2.5ohms I pushed it to 4.5v and that was its magic spot.
I give Luscious the highest recommendation I can give for a fruity vape.
John Manzione: 5 Stars – I got the opportunity to vape Luscious and Pina Colada for this review. I’m not a usual member of the team, but I wanted badly to try their Pina Colada, and Julia demanded that if I did, I had to vape Luscious as well. So I agreed.
I have enjoyed other delicious blueberry eLiquids before, so I knew what it would take to impress me. Well, color me impressed because Luscious is one fantastic ejuice! The blueberry flavor is sweet and full-bodied, the creaminess gives it a deep overall flavor that really hits you in the higher voltage range, where it comes alive with warm, thick, aromatic vapor that ‘swaddles’ you in blanket to blueberry love. There is nothing like it. Oh yes, Luscious has found a home with me, and for a very, very long time. An award winning eliquid if there ever was one.
#5 – Pink Mist – “icy dragon fruit with a tropical twist”
Julia: 3.75 Stars – Certainly the lowest score for my Lick Vapors review, but only because the flavor was way off my meter and the satisfaction wasn’t there due to it being too “light” a flavor.
I’m not 100% sure but I think the tropical ‘twist’ is Kiwi, or at least that’s the taste I got from it. Dragon fruit tastes a little strange to me as well as the Kiwi, so I didn’t vape this one for the entire time I allotted myself. Although the vapor was plentiful, it wasn’t enough to overcome my bias with the flavor, so the satisfaction level suffered as well. It is a premium juice, made to exacting standards, but it’s just not my cup of tea.
Tom: 3 Stars – Pink Mist is what I used to think all fruity flavors were like, and it’s why I avoided them at one time. Very lightly flavored, and quite tangy. Do I taste grapefruit? I don’t know. It could be pear in there. I don’t know, it just wasn’t right for me.
Keira: 5 Stars – I have been searching for a flavor like this for a while. Pink Mist is the perfect light and fruity vape for times when you want something to go with the warmer temperatures or the lively moments, when you don’t want t be bogged down with something deep and heavy. The great flavors of lighter fruits, (pears, kiwi, dragon fruit, passion fruit), and the lighter sweetness than the rest provide a vape that will keep you dancing while everyone else has sat down and called it a night.
Because of the light flavor and the unusual fruits, ‘vape’ this with something that has a tighter draw. Don’t kick the voltage too high; the vapor should be cool, not warm. If you’re looking for what I just described, get it now, it’s spring!
Jason: 4 Stars – I kinda like unusual flavors, something that isn’t so easily identified, at least sometimes. Pink Mist sounds like a pink lemonade type flavor, but it is a lot different than that. This is a very cool tropical vape that might be exactly what you want on warm days, or if you’re out running errands and want something to vape that will keep you going.
The one thing I would have to mention about Pink Mist is this; try to use a regulated battery. I vaped this for the last couple of hours I had with it, with a regular ego battery and a standard CE4 clearomizer (retro!), and at first it was just as awesome as ever but when the battery got into the mid-3v the flavor waned a lot.
#6 – Carmilla – “blend of vanilla & creamy caramel with a back note of sweet tobacco”
Julia: 5 Stars – I was so upset that this one didn’t get the Choice Award! I loved this awesome blend of vanilla and caramel with some deep tobacco notes that I vaped it till it was gone. Now, the description kind of, sort of, indicates an RY4 type flavor, but it isn’t. The vanilla and caramel notes are strong, the tobacco is deep and powerful, and together they form a much bigger flavor than any RY4 I’ve ever tried. This is unique, even though the components don’t indicate that.
Tom: 5 Stars – Carmilla is dangerously good for tobacco vapers like me. This is a strong flavor, and if I had to guess I would say that the flavoring percentage used in this recipe is as close to the maximum as you can get, I mean it floods your tongue with a ton of flavor. A throat hit the size of Florida, despite being 60% VG, and a mean amount of vapor makes this their most “serious” eLiquid of the eight.
I will cop to one thing I did not expect. After about 30 minutes in of a very slow and leisurely vape I thought I began tasting a latte flavor, but the reason I did was 30 minutes is too long to vape a flavor like this. I think the vanilla and caramel are so strong that after awhile the two ganged up and formed a latte flavor while sending the tobacco notes to the back of the bus. In any case, afterwards I dropped back to 10-minute vapes and it was extraordinarily magnificent.
Keira: 4 Stars – First, I totally enjoyed Carmilla, but (there is always a but with me isn’t there?) too much of a good thing can turn bad. Soon after vaping Carmilla I felt like I had over done it, I even started to perspire, so as good as it is, it’s almost too strong for me, and I imagine, a few others.
The vanilla and caramel flavors are very intense, layered and layered with thick vanilla flavoring and thick caramel, and only a bit of an authentic tobacco. For people like Tom or Jason, this is probably right up their alley, strong, intense, almost mean. In small doses its amazing, in larger doses, lethal (not really lethal guys). Worst of all, Carmilla will leave you with ‘vapers breath’. Not good on date night. 😉
Jason: 4.75 Stars – I almost gave this one 5 Stars, I certainly wanted to a few minutes after vaping it for the first time. But after several minutes the flavor profile changed on me, and it became mostly a caramel and vanilla vape, which I really liked, but its not supposed to change, or is it?
At first, this was a great tobacco vape, smooth and intense at the same time. Smooth vanilla notes, and intense caramel notes, with a luxurious and silky tobacco finish. I still plan on putting this one into rotation, but I’m going to have to take it a bit slower. I think of Carmilla, now, as an eliquid on steroids.
#7 – Pina Colada: “delicate coconut & fresh pineapple”
Julia: 5 Stars – If you knew me in my personal life then you would know I am on a quest for the perfect Pina Colada. John is too; he’s the one that took me on this quest almost two years ago. And believe it or not it started with Blu Cigs Pina Colada.
The perfect Pina Colada is the exact mix of pineapple and coconut that eliminates the ‘tart’ and ‘tang’ of a non-perfect pineapple flavoring, leaving behind only the sweetness of a subdued pineapple, and a perfectly ripe, sweet coconut, almost ‘coconut milk’ sweet. Vaping such a thing would provide abundant vapor, a medium throat hit (no more than a nudge), and a mouthwatering sweetness that overwhelms the senses and leaves you flat on your back in a state of bliss.
Lick Vapors is as close as I’ve come to that Pina Colada. Is it 100% perfect? No, the pineapple isn’t subdued quite enough to be perfect, but the coconut is there, perfectly sweet and perfectly plentiful. I’m still searching for the perfect Pina Colada, but until then, there is this. And it is good.
Tom: 4.75 Stars – I stopped drinking Pina Colada when I was 22 years old, but I still love the combination of pineapple and coconut. This one, by Lick Vapors, is a terrific combination of those two flavors without gimmicking it up.
Not that any eliquid has to smell like the flavor it is, after all, we’re talking about propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin for the most part, but I admit that the smell of this one is an awesome blend of pineapple and coconut (more pineapple than coconut though). That didn’t make me enjoy it more, or less, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
My bottom line for Pina Colada is that if you’re tired of eLiquid artists toying with a perfect flavor combination of pineapple and coconut then try this one, Lick Vapors isn’t toying with it, they are delivering a real coconut and pineapple eliquid, and it is mighty damn good.
Keira: 5 Stars – If you think about it, a lot of labels create a version of Pina Colada but only a few uses just those two flavors and call it a Pina Colada. What’s wrong with the basic genius of pineapple and coconut?
I like that Lick Vapors isn’t trying to mess with the great blend of tropical Gods and instead do a bang up job of a old fashioned Pina Colada, minus the rum. Thank god you can’t taste the rum.
Jason: 4 Stars – Maybe my taste buds are different than the others on certain things, but when we talked about these flavors and the rest of the team was talking about how subdued the pineapple was, how sweet it was, I just had to disagree. This is a really good Pina Colada, but the pineapple is not that subdued or sweet. There is definitely a tang to the pineapple, though that doesn’t make it any less good.
Unlike John or Julia, I’m not on a quest for the perfect Pina Colada so I don’t have to compare it to any others; I’m taking it for what it is, a good blend of pineapple flavoring and coconut flavoring. Personally, I think it’s a little heavy on the pineapple, or too light on the coconut, however you want to look at it, but it is a good one, certainly one worth trying if you’re looking for a satisfying Pina Colada.
John Manzione: 4.75 Stars – Because I vaped two of the flavors, Pina Colada and Luscious, I thought that Pina Colada would surpass Luscious by a wide margin. Give me a choice between coconut/pineapple or blueberry/cream and I’m probably going to pick the coconut/pineapple every time. Though, here, I did not.
Pina Colada by Lick Vapors is in the top 3 Pina Colada’s that I’ve vaped so far (March 25th, 2014). I still have hope that there is a better pineapple flavoring out there. On a scale of 1 to 100, this pineapple is a solid 95, but I have to believe that somewhere is a 100.
Until that time, I highly recommend this Pina Colada because it is very close to my ideal Pina Colada.
#8 – Calypso: “refreshing lemonade mixed with strawberry & juicy watermelon”
Julia: 4 Stars – Calypso reminds me somewhat of Sunshine, a light and fruity vape for warm days and warmer nights. I’m not crazy about lemonade flavors, they are too tart for me, but the blend here is done extremely well. My score is based on the execution of the eliquid, not my satisfaction or lack of desire to vape lemonade. I think I would have enjoyed the flavor more if it had a bit more strawberry and a little less lemonade, but then again, maybe not.
If you enjoy lemonade flavors, and I know there are a lot of people who do, than Calypso has to be one that you try. The watermelon notes that come in the exhale gives it just enough complexity to make it a worthy contender in the “summer days” vape category.
Tom: 4.5 Stars – I could have easily given Calypso a lower score based on the tart lemonade alone, but I have to say, Lick Vapors use of watermelon here was inspired. What you have here is the most complex flavor of the eight. A layer of tart lemonade, a layer of sweet ripe strawberries, and then a layering of watermelon… to even it all out. Expertly done, with a finesse of an artist.
Lemonade is, of course, the dealmaker or the deal breaker for most vapers. If you shy away from lemonade you probably won’t like it, and if you already like lemonade there is every possibility that you’ll love it.
Keira: 5 Stars – I can really like lemonade, and I can really dislike lemonade, depending entirely on how it is presented in an eliquid. If you can tame the tartness of lemonade you’re half way home, and that is exactly what Lick Vapors has done; tamed it.
Following the taming of the shrew, er, I mean lemonade, Lick Vapors layers a nice sweet strawberry over it and it blends in a way that not only further tames the tart lemonade but give the overall flavor a deeper, sweeter taste. Finally, to give it that extra something, to make it stand out, kick ass and take names, they insert a full-bodied watermelon (which is not easy), and that serves to leave you with a fresh, clean taste. It works and it is something else.
I do admit that lemonade can make or break an eliquid, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and try it. So, if you are looking for something completely and utterly unique, this one is where you should start. My only suggestion is to not vape it for the first time in cold weather, or right after a shower, like I did, but wait for either a warm day, or while sitting outside with a friend. Goes great with Iced Tea, trust me.
Jason: 4 Stars – All of Lick Vapors eLiquids are expertly mixed, and well thought out. There is an eliquid here for everyone, and for many there are several eLiquids they will love. Calypso is one that in my opinion will have a somewhat limited appeal because watermelon and lemonade just don’t sound that good as a blend. And that is a shame, because they really do work together well. The strawberry idea was genius; it gives what would have been a very light, very airy flavor, some depth. That is what strawberry does best anyway, provide a rich, deep fruit flavor. If you agree with me that strawberry and banana are the “deepest” fruit flavors you’ll understand immediately why adding strawberry to a lemonade flavor was wise.
Is Calypso an eliquid I’ll add to my rotation? No, its not unfortunately, because I don’t have much time to vape flavors that don’t do it for me immediately, but for all the vapers out there that do vape this category of eLiquids this is an excellent example of how good it can get. Lastly, I also agree with the majority that this is best served cool. Cool vapor, warm days, or just kicking back relaxing with friends. Calypso is not a heavy vape.
…And In Conclusion…
It was a real pleasure spending 3 solid days with Lick Vapors eLiquids. Even though only two flavors earned a Spinfuel Choice Award, we enjoyed our time with every one of them. These are probably the thickest juices we’ve reviewed yet, and that includes many 100% VG flavors we’ve reviewed in the past.
Our interview tells us a lot about the people behind Lick Vapors, and reviewing these eLiquids only supports our conviction that this label is going to grow at a phenomenal rate once the number of people that have vaped them reaches a critical mass.
…Buying Advice…
Naturally, if you’ve never tried Licks Vapor before then you need to take a serious look at how each of us describes our time with each flavor, compare them to your own experience with similar flavors, and go with your gut. We absolutely believe that there are juices here you will love, but which one(s) is completely up to your own choices.
The two Spinfuel Choice Award winners are excellent eLiquids, they all are actually, but if you don’t have a real sense of which ones to try, and you want to try them, then the two winners, Luscious and Monroe are two we would bet you’d love, no matter what. Following that, Carmilla is a fantastic vanilla/caramel/tobacco blend, and Pina Colada comes really close to the ultimate Pina Colada. That, by the way, is my gut talking.
We do hope you enjoyed this review. Do yourself a favor and read the interview, it is one of our best yet.
Till the next review… (that will be G2 Vapors by the way)
Julia Hartley-Barnes, Keira Hartley-Barnes, Tom McBride and Jason Little.
