Table of Contents
EJuice From VapeRev – A Review
VapeRev is well known in the vape community as both a brick and mortar store as well as a virtual store, selling high-end mechanical mods, APV’s, rebuildable atomizers, as well as some items that you would see is most vendor shops online. VapeRev is extremely picky when it comes to the products they offer for sale in their store, and that goes for their choices in eLiquid brands as well as. After all, if you are going to sell $3000 Otter Carter engraved mechanical mods you can’t stock your shelves with cheap Chinese juice.
We here at Spinfuel eMagazine have only been Vaping for just under two years so naturally we haven’t had a chance to try most of the boutique brands of eLiquids you might see in specialty shops or high-end shops like VapeRev. The various lines sold by VapeRev were foreign to us, but knowing the quality of mods sold by them we had to believe that the eLiquids would be just as unique. It also didn’t hurt that VapeRev carries both Halo Cigs eLiquids and The Plume Room eLiquids, (check out the review we did in mid-November) two brands we know and love…and have reviewed on multiple occasions.
VapeRev sells eclectic brands of eLiquids as well as the two well known brands named above. With names like P.O.E.T., Classified, and Mr. Good Vape, to name a few, these are brands that are either exclusive to VapeRev or hard to find on the Internet. We contacted VapeRev and asked to sample some of these non-mainstream brands and a couple of weeks later we had half of dozen or so 15ML bottles to vape and review.
The brands and flavors we received are:
- Classified – Green Apple Watermelon
- Mr. Good Vape – Moon Sugar
- Rehab – JuicyVapeur
- Juice by the Numbers – #5
- P.O.E.T. – Americano Ciambella
- Ben Johnson’s Awesome Sauce – Nebula
- Midas – Icy Peach
DISCLAIMER – When the samples arrived I was interested in whether or not these particular flavors represented the various brands and if they were sent to us intentionally or if they were random samples. The reason? The flavors didn’t feel “representative” of any of the brands line. Icy Peach from Midas? That’s the flavor Midas wants reviewed from their lineup? Maybe, maybe not.
The flavors just didn’t feel cohesive… they felt random.
When we asked VapeRev if they were random choices or choices made with intention it surprised me to learn that they were random pulls from the current stock. That explained a few things we found a bit disconcerting about some of the juices, which we’ll explain as we go.
In the coming weeks we will be reviewing the entire line of flavors from Mr. Good Vape, and in our early look into the flavors sent to us from VapeRev we noticed that on the Mr. Good Vape label there was an area for the date the juice was mixed (see photo) but there was no date. We contacted Mr. Good Vape and asked them about this and what we learned was that the bottle we received was from a VapeRev photo shoot conducted some 8 months ago, which explains the lack of a date on the label. That information is what led me to contact VapeRev about the origin and reason for these particular flavors.
It needs to be said that we don’t know the age of any of these liquids except for except for Juice by the Numbers #5, which was bottled in September of this year. Some had “Sell By” dates, and they were all dated for 2014. It’s safe to day that all eLiquids were well steeped by the time we opened them.
Because we received 15ML bottles we couldn’t go through the normal 72-hour vape time with a 4-person team. For this review the team consisted of John Manzione (me) and Julia Hartley-Barnes, and we vaped for approximately 3 days or so, me in Florida and Julia in Boston. (Thanks FedEx!)
We don’t consider this review as a part of the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team reviews because of the various brands involved and that only the two of us vaped them. Consider this a one-off review, a collection of flavors that are available at VapeRev.
The hardware used in the review was simply the hardware we always use for personal vaping. We approached it as “Here’s some juice, go vape for a while” …
Our Review
First, the absolute best of the bunch, and one we will pursue reviewing their entire line is P.O.E.T., which is available exclusively at VapeRev for some reason. Master mixer Randy Freer heads up P.O.E.T; and I believe, is also the owner.
P.O.E.T: Americano Ciambella
“Maple bar start with a spicy cream and strong tobacco back” – VapeRev
John: Although I had my suspicions that this was a tobacco flavor, based on the name alone, I had no idea it was going to be as amazing as it was.
The ‘maple start’ was a bit strange at first, but the deep, sensual, complex tobacco finish was unlike anything I had ever tasted. I was sure this one was going to be a single cartomizer test and then a pass, but it turned out to be a flavor I couldn’t get enough of. I filled a Texas Tuff Tank and a 5ML bottle and took it everywhere I went. The rest was overnighted to Julia, as was the other flavors as well.
There is a bit of vanilla, caramel, and nuttiness to this dark tobacco flavor and is so incredibly satisfying as to be almost sinful. A definite all-day vape, Americano Ciambella will be a flavor I put into rotation for a long, long time.
I think the only negative is that this 18mg nicotine flavor had very little throat hit. The sweet spot for flavor was the standard 2.5ohm atty at 3.7-3.8v. Pushing the voltage for more vapor lessens the flavor and doesn’t increase the throat hit enough to warrant it. 5 Stars.
Julia: Americano Ciambella is an eLiquid I’m not supposed to love. Yes, there are certain tobacco flavors that I do like, and like a lot, but until now there hasn’t been a flavor of tobacco that I “had” to have on hand.
You will definitely get that ‘maple bar’ taste and feel on the inhale, a deeply sweet maple flavor followed up by a dark creamy tobacco finish. Oh, the finish was superb, with tons of vapor and a sweet, dark, caramel tobacco lusciousness that is to die for. If you expect the unexpected with American Ciambella you’ll be one happy Vaper, but if you expect the usual tobacco vape it will disappoint. There is nothing ‘usual’ or ‘casual’ about this one, it is the epitome of complex, deeply intricate flavoring; the kind you never want to be without. Sadly, the throat hit wasn’t much, and this was 18mg nicotine too. 4.75 Stars (Throat Hit lost a quarter star
Stats: Expensive at $14 for a 15ML bottle, but much better at $22.00 for a 30ML bottle. Trust your gut and go with the bigger size. Check out this video interview with Randy Freer here:
Midas: Icy Peach – “Similar to the glacial, but just a tad sweeter. The sweet, soft peach perfectly coexists with the mouth cooling menthol in Icy Peach, ensuring a soothing vape!” – VapeRev
John: Icy Peach was obvious to me. I don’t enjoy most icy flavors. Menthol is not my thing; it’s as simple as that. But, add that iciness with an authentic peach flavor and you’ve got something very different indeed. I thoroughly enjoyed it, surprisingly.
I’m not ready to add this one to my rotation yet, perhaps I never will, but to honest this was a very good icy type flavor. The cool vape on the inhale is very cool, almost cold, and not a lot of favor. Where this gets you is on the exhale, the finish, when that authentic peach flavor makes itself known and more than makes up for the lack of flavor going in. If menthol, or icy vapes are your thing, and you enjoy the flavor of authentic (read=no sweetener added) peach, Midas Icy Peach is a must-try eLiquid. 4.5 Stars
Julia: I think that any Vaper who enjoys a menthol flavor will adore Icy Peach by Midas. The peach flavor is spot on while the iciness is not overly menthol, but very cool on the inhale. What I enjoyed more than anything was the peach flavor on the exhale; while that cool inhale was a nice change of pace.
Vapor production was excellent, the throat hit was expectedly good (menthol is, after all, known for good throat hits), and the vape experience was way better than I thought it would be. I may not want to vape this regularly, but it’s very close to becoming one in my collection (Keira loved it). 4.5 Stars
Stats: $12.00 for 15ML, $21 for 30ML. The bottling is very attractive, and that alone makes you curious about the other flavors they have. We will definitely work on trying to review the entire line, which consists of menthol and non-menthol flavors.
Juice By The Numbers – #5
Every company has a marketing scheme. Juice by the Numbers doesn’t provide a description of their flavors, simply a number. There are 5 flavors, the one we reviewed is, naturally #5.
John: This is a Peaches and Cream flavor. Is it the best peaches and cream flavor I’ve had? No, no its not, but it is very good nonetheless. #5 has more cream flavor than peach flavor, which isn’t a bad way to present itself.
#5 is definitely sweet and creamy, but also a bit boring. There is nothing here to get excited about, nothing present that will send your taste buds to outer space and back, just a nice, sweet, creamy juice with hints of peach. I wouldn’t buy it, but I also wouldn’t turn it down if I was at a friend’s house and she/he was passing it around. Make sense? 4.25 Stars
Julia: I had high hopes for ‘Juice by the Numbers’ because their marketing ploy is a minimalist approach, both by logo and bottle, not to mention the number designations #1 through #5. Having said that, #5 is a pleasantly sweet, creamy vape with a light hint of peaches. Bottled in September this juice has had plenty of time to marry the ingredients and produce maximum flavor. I enjoyed my time vaping #5, but to be frank this is not a flavor I spend money for. 4.25 Stars
Stats: #5 is a 50:50 PG/VG blend, at 18mg nicotine. Despite the high nicotine the 50:50 ratio provided a light throat hit. Well steeped, we expected more flavor from this one. Would love to try the other 4 for comparison.
Rehab – JuicyVapeur – “Fruity banana and apple. It’s named “Juicy” for a reason!” – VapeRev
John: by the description alone this would have been a juice I would have thought to be an average tasting experience. I wasn’t expecting much. Boy was I surprised! This is a great tasting juice with plenty of flavor. Somehow the banana and apple blend in a whole new way. Very complex layering here, and with an abundance of sweetness, it is definitely a dessert vape that you’ll enjoy. The vapor was wicked heavy, and a better than expected throat hit, Rehab is a brand I would like to see more of. 4.75 Stars
Julia: What surprised me about Rehab’s JuicyVapeur is the way the flavors of banana and apple blended together so well as to create one unique experience. I could taste them individually if I tried to, but letting my mind go and just taking it in and allowing the flavor to flow over my taste buds was the best way to experience this unique Rehab juice. Had someone asked me if I thought a ‘banana and apple’ eLiquid concoction could be something special I would have said ‘no’, but then I would have been wrong. Huge vapor clouds from this one, along with a decent throat hit, this one flavor has me very interested in experiencing the rest of the Rehab lineup. Very good juice! 4.75 Stars
Stats: $12 for 15ML, $20 for 30ML.
Mr. Good Vape – Moon Sugar (8 months old) – “Sugar Cookie, Waffle Crisp” – VapeRev
John: When I talked to the owner (over email) I was told that he would love to have an 8-month old bottle of this stuff. What I would like to know, and hope to know soon, is how different the flavor is when its not 8 months old.
The flavor description says Sugar Cookie and Waffles, and I definitely tasted some sort of combination of these two flavors but the waffle flavor was a bit more dominant than the sugar cookie. Lots of vapor, tons of flavor, and a decent throat hit. It has the makings of being a major hit with many of the Vapers I know. I vaped all the juice I was able to, and I still haven’t decided if there is room in my rotation for it. Would I give up a flavor in my rotation for this one? I don’t know. Still, it is a 4.5 juice.
Julia: Just the name is enticing enough to want to try. It sounds like a sweet tooth’s wet dream, doesn’t it? But is it? Kind of. Lots of sweetness in Moon Sugar, and a very different combination of flavors. I’ve had sugar cookie juices and waffle juices, but never combined into a singular flavor. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and want to vape more of it so I just have to give it a score that I think it deserves, which is 4.75 Stars.
Stats: $12 for 15ML, $20 for 30ML. Glass bottle comes with dripper. Attractive label, really good brand recognition with the cartoon character. Good flavor after 8 months steeping on a store shelf or some closet, it did not taste “old”. That is a major plus.
Classified – Green Apple – Watermelon Crisp
“Crisp was named after its crisp clean taste of green apple and watermelon” – VapeRev
John – I was ready to dislike this flavor from the get-go. First, when it comes to Apple vapes I prefer red apple flavors to green apples, because red apple flavors are sweeter, less tart. Watermelon is okay, but I’ve never vaped a watermelon flavor that I really liked enough to spend money on. So the combination was set up to be everything I find ‘useless to me’ in an eLiquid.
So, imagine my surprise when I vaped it and enjoyed it far more than I thought possible. From the sweet and tart apple to the sweet, deep watermelon flavors, this juice was terrific. Tons of vapor production, a decent throat hit, and an overall vape satisfaction that was more than twice what I expected. While I did like the flavor there was a little bit of an aftertaste that I didn’t particularly like. 3.75 Stars
Julia – I have wanted to review ‘Classified’ eJuice for some time now, but this is the wrong flavor to start off with. I’m betting they have some great juice, but green apple and watermelon is not a good combination for me. So, I’ll direct this to those of you that do like green apple vapes.
The green apple flavor in ‘Crisp’ is a solid apple flavor with an even division of sweet and tart. The watermelon tames the flavor somewhat, but not in a bad way. The vapor production was one of the best of the lot. For Vapers looking for a green apple flavor with tons of vapor, this is it. As for the aftertaste John mentions, yea, it’s there, but if you like the taste of green apple it probably won’t be an issue. – 4 Stars
Stats: $12.00 for 15ML, $20 for 30ML. Great bottling, beautiful label, and tamper-proof with full body shrink-wrap.
Ben Johnson – Nebula – “Tantalizing Grape, Lychee” – VapeRev
“Tantalizing Grape, Lychee” – VapeRev
John: We reviewed another flavor by Ben Johnson, called CR3AM, which was a delicious Oreo cookie vape. Nebula is a weird tasting combination that I did not find interesting at all. I don’t know if it was the age of the juice or something else, but it tasted ‘funky’. I would hate to judge this one because I have no idea what a fresh bottle would deliver. If this were what to expect from a new bottle it would receive 2.75 Stars.
Julia: Something has to be wrong with the bottle, whether its too old, or stored poorly, or something, it had this sort of ‘burning of the inside of my mouth’ flavor. My tongue was tingling, the flavor was strange, and the vapor production was about average. I know how good the Ben Johnson line can be based on the Oreo cookie flavor, and this just isn’t representative of the line. At least I hope not. 3 Stars
Stats: $12 for 15ML, $20 for 30ML. Plastic bottle with dripper tip. Labels are ‘old timey’ in appearance, kind of like turn of the century. Thick juice, aromatic, and good vapor.
Conclusion
This review of some of the flavors sold by VapeRev is definitely an eclectic assortment of flavors from an eclectic assortment of boutique brands. Some are better than others, but because of the uncertainty of the ages of the juice we just can’t come to any sort of conclusion about what we think of the brands or the flavors.
Once Julia and I had our time with these eLiquids we sat down in front our computers and through FaceTime talked about the wisdom of setting up this review in the first place. It was my idea, and the idea behind the idea (huh?) was to get an inkling of an understanding of the brands sold at places like VapeRev. The high-end stores where you can walk in and drop a thousand bucks on a mod have to carry some eLiquids that are hard to find, exclusive, and well, ‘high end’. Or at least I thought so at the time. Now I’m not so sure.
It did occur to me that perhaps VapeRev wasn’t really into this kind of review, what with the random picks and apparently nonchalant method of picking the flavors and the age of the juice they would send. Maybe it was something they didn’t want to do, or maybe the person put in charge with making it happen just didn’t know what was expected. I can’t say for sure, so I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. What I can say for sure is that this was an interesting experience.
Every brand has a special ‘signature’ to their recipes and when you’re vaping several ‘new to you’ brands it can become confusing because you expect them all to have that certain ‘touch’ that they didn’t have. I think that’s the reason this review took as long as it did.
It is impossible to say much about any of the brands because a single flavor from a lineup tells you nothing. Every brand has winners and losers, so it would be terribly unfair to even attempt to say that one was better than the other.
A couple of the “flavors” are definitely worth mentioning though. P.O.E.T Americana Ciambella has become a juice I’ve begun to lust after, and I definitely want to dive into their lineup and see where their other efforts fall. Moon Sugar by Mr. Good Vape, and Midas Icy Peach has given us the motivation to exploring more from them as well.
So, after a few weeks of trying to come up with a proper narrative for this review I think the best thing to do is to take it (the review) for what it is; a collection of reviews of certain flavors by certain brands and don’t even bother looking for a cohesive narrative. There isn’t one to find.
This was an overreach by Spinfuel eMagazine, ultimately a mistake by me. We should have approached these companies one by one instead of creating this Hodge Podge collection. We did receive the juice, and choosing not to do the review after all this would have the wrong thing to do.
Buying Advice
At almost a dollar per milliliter these juices are expensive, with a capital E. 15ML doesn’t last me long at all, so cost per ML matters. If you’re the kind of Vaper that can make 15ML last a week or more than it might not matter much to you. I vape 10ML a day on most days, so it adds up quick. $20-$22 for 30ML is certainly better, but most juice I buy costs me no more than $16, and that’s from premium vendors.
That’s not to say that I wouldn’t buy any of things eLiquids, I would certainly pay the $22 price for P.O.E.T juice, but the others… I’m not so sure. I would need to vape more than I did to make up my mind.
In The End…we appeal to you, our readers. Do you have experience with any of these brands? Which ones, and how did they fare with you? Have you tried any other above flavors? Did you like them? Are we off base? Sound off in the comments below.
John Manzione and Julia Hartley-Barnes
