Table of Contents
Stella Blues Vapors
Head Writer – Tom McBride
While none of us live and breathe on, or for, Twitter, Julia has been known to spend some of her share there. (I take a lot of pride in being completely, and utterly, off the grid) Twitter is where Julia first heard about Stella Blues Vapors. SBV (Stella Blues Vapors) is talked about often, praised by their loyal customers, and as such piqued Julia’s interest enough to invite them to participate in a Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review and Interview. They accepted, and this is that review. I’m Tom McBride (not my real name by the way) and I am today’s head writer for this review.
Ingredients
Stella Blues Vapors uses the following ingredients in their recipes; Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Artificial Flavoring, Nicotine, and on occasion, Caffeine. (This review team cannot recommend caffeine as in ingredient in eliquid and have not seen any scientific tests showing the effectiveness of caffeine in eliquid.)
Flavor Profile
We make it a point not to talk to each other about the eliquids we are reviewing, while we are in the 72-hour review period. However, at the end of that period we do get together, whether in person or through Skype, and discuss our experiences with each eliquid. Below are some of things we discussed.
There was a unanimous opinion about one aspect of the flavor profile for all of the 5 eliquids and that was that each one gave us an ‘organic flavor extract taste’ rather than the artificial flavoring Stella Blues actually uses. We have no explanation for this, and using different hardware under many different scenarios, the eliquids always gave back that organic extract profile. We think many vapers will be delighted by these flavor profiles while others may not. We enjoyed it, in varying levels of pleasure, but we do recognize that some may not.
PG/VG
All the eliquids in this review use both PG and VG, but the ratios are undisclosed. That said, based on the vapor production, on average, we tend to believe that the ratio is more PG than VG. Vapor production was good for all 5 flavors, but they were not spectacular. The flavors were all fully-flavored and abundant. Since PG is the “flavor carrier” it tells us, rightly or wrongly, that these may be 60/40 PG/VG. There is no option to change the ratios.
Protocols
So, just how do we conduct these team reviews? If this is the first time reading a Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review don’t worry about a thing. We’ve set up a special Protocol page where we have gone into detail explaining how the reviews are done and how we arrive at the scores you see.
Bottles – Labels
Stella Blues Vapors offers a variety of sizes and two bottle materials. Each size, 15ML and 30ML is available in plastic or glass… the 50ML seems to be glass only. The full color labels are filled with all the information you could want on an eliquid label. From the date the juice was mixed and bottled, to the nicotine strength, ingredients, nicotine warning, company URL and of course, the name of the eliquid.
Sizes – Prices
Prices start at $9. This will get you a 15ML bottle in plastic, $11 for 15ML glass bottle. The 30ML plastic bottle will cost $15, and the glass option is $17. Lastly, the 50ML bottle is $23, and as I said we believe that size is available in glass only.
This pricing spectrum is about average for a premium label, and from our review of 5 of the eliquids we can say with some certainty that Stella Blues Vapors is a premium label.
Nicotine | Caffeine
Nicotine strengths are many; 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22, and 24mg. There is a zero-nicotine option as well.
Caffeine can be added to any flavor at the cost of $1 for a single shot, $2 for a double shot. As I said above, we have never felt the effects of caffeine in an eliquid and we cannot recommend it.
The Flavor/Vapor Report, aka, the Review
#1 – Dezerted
“Dezerted E-Liquid is a delectable blend of Sweet and salty caramel sauce, drizzled over a cool and thick sweet vanilla cream.
– See more at:
Tom: 4 Stars – The one aspect of this flavor that I found to be very original (when compared to similar ones) is the distinct flavor component of caramel. I enjoyed the rich flavor, and there is a tendency of flavors like this to collapse under its own weight, but it didn’t happen here. Instead, the flavors are cleaner, less muddied; they stand out more than when used in other, similar flavor profiles. The vapor production was good, but not spectacular.
Julia: 4 Stars – Definitely a rich creamy dessert vape. I was able to taste both the sweet and salty flavors of the caramel, along with a real vanilla flavor. A nice combination and unique enough to avoid the “been there, done that” feeling you might get with vaping another ‘caramel/vanilla’ combo.
Jason: 4 Stars – I wasn’t sure how I felt about this eliquid during my first ‘session’ with it. There was something about it that tasted different than I thought it would. Then, after I read the official description it hit me like a ton a bricks. This is not a typical vanilla and caramel vape. Usually these two flavors combine to form a custard-like flavor (to me anyway), but here the sweet and salty is actually there in the caramel, and the vanilla is a real vanilla flavor, distinct and obvious. I’m still not sure I would add this to my rotation, but I just might.
Keira: 4.25 Stars – Dezerted was the first eliquid I vaped in this review and it sort of set the tone for the others. I found it hard to believe that these eliquids used artificial flavoring because they all tasted like flavor extracts. It’s hard to explain, but the vanilla tasted more like vanilla extract than anything else, and the caramel was both sweet and slightly salty, something I did not expect. The next time I replace my ‘vanilla vape’ it will be with Dezerted, for a while anyway.
Fruitacious
Dive into this fruity milky whirlwind of intensity! We hath left no pebble behind!! Truly an exquisite vape, an all day vape, if you will!
– See more at:
Tom: 4.25 Stars – This is supposed to be a Fruity Pebbles cereal flavor, and in a way it is, but not how you might think. On the inhale you’ll get a big fruity flavor, but only on the exhale will you recognize the cereal flavor. I actually found this to be a better vape than a straight up fruity pebble vape. Vapor production was higher here than the others, and overall I liked this fruity combo more than I thought.
Julia: 4 Stars – The complex flavors in this recipe come after the exhale, not before or during. While I spent 3 different sessions with it I was greeted with an almost tangy fruit flavor. It was only after the exhale, from 1 or 2 seconds afterward to 5 or 6 seconds afterward I was able to taste a few flavors, that fruity pebble cereal flavor, a slight coconut flavor, and a whisper of a floral note, however briefly. Very nice vapor, though the throat hit was light.
Jason: 3.75 Stars – Fruitacious is the eliquid that made me think I was vaping an organic flavor extract. I got a blast of fruit flavors on the inhale, and a sweet fruity flavor on the exhale. Vapor was decent, but the throat hit was nonexistent. I would definitely recommend this to vapers that love big fruit flavors, or who enjoy the cereal and is looking for a different angle on it.
Keira: 4.75 Stars – Huge plumes of vapor filled to the brim with strong fruity flavors. Not nearly as sweet as I thought it was going to be, but definitely delicious as a strong fruit based vape. A real all-day-vape, Fruitacious is a pretty awesome eliquid. Highly recommended.
W.T.F
Tropical fruit medley of papaya and miscellaneous Mediterranean blend of fruits, that when combined create the most indulging blend of fruits available!
– See more at:
Tom: 4 Stars – I wasn’t crazy over this one despite my affinity for papaya. This one seemed too confusing, with a muddled tropical fruitiness. I didn’t dislike it; it just didn’t do anything for me. I could see other tropical fruit vapers loving it for the blending of several fruits into a single mashed flavor, but for me it needs to be better defined.
Julia: 4.5 Stars – WTF is a mid-day vape. Bright sun, no clouds kind of a day, when you can really benefit from the luscious blend of tropical fruits. Not as sweet as you might expect, and not a vape for cold nights or even rainy days. If you want a vape that will wake you up with a bright burst of fruity goodness, this could be the one.
Jason: 4.75 Stars – Wow, this eliquid tastes like a dozen different fruits, and none. You get this fruit profile, you know you’re tasting various fruits, but I couldn’t identify a single one. I enjoyed it though. It was very “lively”… almost sparkling. Good vapor production too!
Keira: 5 Stars – I am giving WTF the full 5 stars for one reason; it is an awesome “wake me up fruit vape”. Lots of fruity vapes can be overly sweet, or too heavy, or a lot of other things, but only a few can deliver a ton of fruity flavor that satisfies a craving for luscious fruits without going all heavy and deep. A light-hearted blend of perky fruits, an all-day-vape that is especially good as a cool vapor rather than a warm one. Excellent!
Grandmas Goods E-Liquid is a freshly baked apple pie flavored E-liquid. Vape it in front of your grandma and she’ll think you snatched her pie from them windowsill. – See more at:
Tom: 5 Stars – I have had sweeter, deeper flavored apple pie eliquids before, ones that I would vape a lot. I’m giving Grandma’s the 5 stars because this one tastes like a real apple pie, not a vaporized version. Original and vivid flavors tied up in the plumes of vapor you’ll taste in both the inhale and exhale. If you want something new, or a new twist on an old idea, this is it. Awesome, but not in the way you might think.
Julia: 5 Stars – I can always vape an apple pie eliquid, but where some of them go wrong is by not having enough of the “pie” experience in them. When you vape an apple pie you don’t want to vape an “apple” eliquid, you need the piecrust; you need the sweetness of the apples boiled down to the essence of sweet apple goodness and then wrapped in a flaky, sweet crust. Grandma never did it better.
Jason: 5 Stars – While I am awarding the full 5 stars to Grandma’s apple pie I need to get the point across that no matter how many apple pie eliquids you had in the past, this one is different. It is delicious, and it is apple pie, period.
Keira: 5 Stars – Like others in this review, the flavor, the real flavor, comes not at the instant you inhale, but a second or two later. When it arrives it arrives in a big way. This apple pie vape gives you a sharp apple flavor at first, and then it settles into a delicious apple PIE flavor. Highly recommended IF you’re looking for new way to present apple pie in vapor form.
Malibu Dream E-Liquid is sweet, coconut flavored Jamaican white rum, with a taste reminiscent of candied coconut. The best vape for the beachfront, or for just getting your alcohol taste filled!
– See more at:
Tom: 4.75 Stars – When I read the description and saw the words ‘candied coconut’ I couldn’t even imagine what that tastes like. Then I spent time with Malibu Dream and it became obvious. This is an all-day-vape that will give you a lot of flavor, and a lot of pleasure, with its delicate white rum and sweet coconut ‘candy’ flavors. I haven’t tasted anything like it before. An original, and highly recommended.
Julia: 5 Stars – I don’t think I’ve ever given 5 Stars to an eliquid that contained any sort of alcohol flavor. Here though, the white rum flavor is excellent, and the coconut blends perfectly with it. Lots of vapor, a pretty good throat hit, this is an eliquid for vapers looking for something ‘new but familiar’ at the same time. Loved it.
Jason: 4.75 Stars – I didn’t think this was going to be a 4+ star eliquid when I read the description. It’s difficult for me to find rum and ‘anything’ ejuice that I can enjoy, but I certainly did with Malibu Dream. It was only after a couple of hours with it that I realized that the flavors would stay with me all day too, making it a damn fine all-day-vape, as I learned later. Lots of vapor, but a small throat hit, Malibu Dream is highly recommended.
Keira: 4.5 Stars – I was all over the board on Malibu Dream. In certain clearomizers it was an okay blend, but not a great one. Then, when I filled an Atlantis tank and put it on a sub-ohm battery from Aspire the flavor burst forth like you wouldn’t believe. This is an awesome sweet coconut and rum vape, and the best thing is the rum doesn’t overwhelm the coconut. If the official description appeals to you, then you have to try it… especially if you can vape it in high-wattage lo-resistance devices.
Conclusion & Buying Advice
Stella Blues Vapors is as original as they come. All 5 flavors were presented in ways we’ve never experienced before. From a vanilla/caramel to a candied coconut, they were flavors we’ve all had many times, but never like this. All of them were enjoyable, though at different times of the day and under various conditions. Some were better as warm vapor, some best in cool vapor. Some were all-day-vapes, others were specialty vapes. There was no pinning down any of the five, and that was a refreshing experience.
Will you like Stella Blues Vapors? We really can’t say. Yes taste is subjective, and these eliquids will delight you, or not, depending entirely on what you might expect from them.
It seems that every one we reviewed lived in two worlds, one we recognize, and one we didn’t. Vanilla/caramel that is both full flavored yet distinctly original, tropical fruits that are fresh, yet blended so well as to be unrecognizable by some and not others, and an apple pie that was more pie than apple, yet still yielded plenty of apple flavor.
There is something new to learn with every eliquid review we do, and with Stella Blues Vapors we learned that there are still many ways to present a well-worn flavor in a flavor profile we’ve never experienced.
We recommend this brand for two reasons; the flavors are distinct and original. If you do try them, and we think you should, you will expand your own abilities to taste what you thought was ‘traditional’ in a new way. How can you pass that up?
Tom, Jason, Keira, and Julia
