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A Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review of Vaping Studio
A Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review of Vaping StudioFrom Minnesota comes Vaping Studio. A company of 3 women operating out of a renovated commercial kitchen with stainless steel equipment and work surfaces all over the place, Vaping Studio is an upbeat and passionate company with more than 75 eliquid flavors and a full line of vape gear. Our accompanying Interview with Molly McIntosh is a must read.
The interview not only delves into the specifics of the company, their mission statement, and product details, but Molly’s personality shines through in a way that will make you smile.
But, is Vaping Studio an eliquid vendor first, vape gear vendor second, or is it the other way around? Can six out of 75 eliquids tell us anything about the lineup? These are questions we asked ourselves throughout the review process. Let’s see where these questions take us.
The Vaping Studio Particulars
The standard blend for 75+ eliquid flavors is based on a ratio of 60% Propylene Glycol (PG) and 40% Vegetable Glycerin (VG), which Vaping Studio’s head mixologist uses as a base to create a balanced e-liquid vape experience.
Each flavor combination reveals the passion they feel for concocting eliquids that they are confident will appeal to most vapers. However, with a 60% PG blend vapers with PG allergies or sensitivities to PG based juice may want to avoid this label.
Our review is always based on the “house blend” of the brand/label we review, which in this case are the 60/40 ratios. The ratio is something to keep in mind as we discuss each of the 6 blends in our review.
PG is the major flavor carrier so we should expect the flavor intensity to be in the upper range, and with 40% VG we can expect the vapor production to be somewhat less than our recent reviews have shown. Your preference for more flavor or more vapor will no doubt have an influence on your decision to try Vaping Studio or not.
Bottle/Sizes/Prices – Vaping Studio offers three different bottle sizes, 10ML, 15ML, and 30ML. Cost is $7 for 10ML, $10 for 15ML and $16 for 30ML, about average in today’s eliquid pricing.
Nicotine – Vaping Studio offers 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, 20mg, and 22mg nicotine strengths. A zero-nicotine option is also available for all 75 flavors.
Labeling – Vaping Studio has done an excellent job with labels. All the ingredients are listed, the nicotine level, size and even expiry date. We have no complaints at all concerning the labels.
The Review
Reviewing just six out of 75 eliquid flavors cannot really give us a realistic look into the company’s ability to create consistently good ejuice, so before we begin we want to make sure that this review is not misconstrued as a representation of the company as a whole, but rather a snapshot look at six particular blends. Whether or not these six represent the best of the 75 available is a question we simply cannot answer.
Apple Fritter (Sweet & Bakery Category)
“Looking for a new e-liquid flavor to have with your morning coffee? This is perfect for you! It’s a crisp apple base, with a sweet cinnamon pastry taste to combine to make this delicious bakery flavor.” – Vaping Studio
Julia: I am so glad I let these eliquids sit for an additional week… they needed it. Take, for example, Apple Fritter. When the juices first arrived we opened them up in order to start the steeping stage and I decided to take 1ML and try them out.
The result wasn’t bad, but this one was purely an apple flavor that was a little too perfume-y for my taste. Once I had sampled all of them we stashed them away for another week and came back when it was time to go into the exclusive 72-hour vaping schedule.
The extra week made all the difference in the world. Now I can taste the “fritter” in the apple fritter! There are still a couple of notes of a perfume-y ‘air’ to it, but it’s an above average eLiquid anyway. The 60% PG doesn’t give me the vapor I’m used to these days, but it was okay. After proper steeping Apple Fritter came in at 3.75 Stars.
Tom: Unfortunately for me, this is the type of fruity flavor doesn’t do a lot in the way of a vape satisfaction. I thought the flavor was good, especially after the additional steep time, and the throat hit was really nice. Vapor production suffered a little with the high PG, but all in all, a decent ejuice. For me, 3 Stars
Keira: Listening to the others in our discussion period I was pretty surprised that Tom and Jason liked this one at all. I hate to sound sexist, but I think this is a flavor that would appeal more to women vapers than men. Why? Because it’s a delicate apple flavor, with a unique bakery addition, and like Julia indicated, a note or two of a light perfuminess to it. I enjoyed it, but it is not a good “man” vape. I give it 4 Stars
Jason: I can certainly enjoy an apple eliquid, there are many that I have enjoyed. The problem with this one is there seems to be a mix of apple and apple blossoms in it, giving it a bit of floral flavor. On the exhale I get some of the fritter/bakery flavor, but when you consider the lack of strong vapor production I can only give this 3 Stars, it’s an average eliquid.
Western (Tobacco Category)
“It’s a hearty combination of two bold & flavorful you’ll want to vape ‘til the cows come home! If you are a fan of our Smooth Cowboy or Turkish Blend e-liquids, this is a flavor you should absolutely try! GIDDY UP!” – Vaping Studio
Julia: Western is a cigarette tobacco blend, like vaping a Marlboro. For vapers looking for a cigarette vaping experience here it is. Couldn’t stand vaping it in an Aerotank, so I filled up a few 510 cartomizers and used it on a ZMAX at 4.2v and it was like I was smoking again. I didn’t like that feeling, or the taste, but some do, so it’s 4 Stars from me just because they hit that cigarette vape.
Tom: Two years ago I would have fallen all over myself trying to get as much of this flavor as I could from the rest of the team. It reminds me of The Plume Room’s M-Type. These days I don’t like the cigarette taste at all. This is so like a cigarette that I got the same cigarette aftertaste I used to get when I smoked. 4 Stars for hitting it on the head. Not for me though.
Keira: Western stirred up some bad Ju-Ju from me because of its authentic cigarette taste. I spent 5 minutes with it and decided I didn’t want to vape it anymore. It was like I was smoking again. Yuck! 4 Stars for authentic cigarette flavor.
Jason: Fair warning, if you are a month or so off cigarettes stay away from this flavor. Western is so much like a cigarette it will awaken that lust for a tobacco smoke, and you don’t want that until you know nothing will drag you back there. Excellent job though! 4 Stars
SHARKNADO (Special Blend Category)
“You read that correctly- SHARKNADO! Named so because it’s just as intense as a tornado full of sharks in your face! A fruity blend involving kiwi, dragonfruit & hibiscus (note: product does not contain any actual sharks). It’s a one-of-a-kind taste & delicious enough to become your all day vape!” – Vaping Studio
Julia While interviewing Molly, and reading bits of the Vaping Studio website you just know these 3 women are enjoying themselves tremendously. So, why not go with the meme Sharknardo, right? It’s fun!
No, it’s not a very intense flavor, and no it doesn’t taste like a shark, but it is a sweet, flowery vape that many floral beginners would love to vape. The floral notes are light, and the exotic fruits are sweet with a touch of tartness, and for certain vapers looking for “some” floral in their juice, this is one they have to try. 3.75 Stars
Tom: Yea, no. This is not for me. Too flowery and too exotic. I tell you what though, there are a lot of women vapers out their looking for this kind of vape. Not very good with vapor production, and too light and floral for me, but still I have to give them 4 stars for their creativeness and skill.
Keira: I loved this one! This Sharknardo has just the right amount of floral notes for a fresh, light fruity flavor. I wish it had more vapor, though I think that’s because all we’ve been vaping is high-VG juice lately so we’re used to clouds of vapor. I did vape all I had though. 4 Stars
Jason: I just couldn’t get into this fruity floral vape at all. The first time was too soon after vaping Sweet Tobacco so I thought that might have been the problem, but then I vaped first thing in the morning and it was still too flowery for me. Some people will like it a lot I think, because I’ve had similar eliquids that people I know really loved. – 3 Stars
Energy Splash – (Fruit Flavors)
“Energy Splash is a refreshing citrus flavor, with a berry finish that will have you feeling summer-y no matter what the weather is!” –Vaping Studio
Julia: Energy Splash is probably the one of the six with the widest appeal. Happily, I can tell you that there is not a Red Bull type flavor, at least not for me, and instead it’s a sweet citrus vape with a light raspberry note at the finish (I think its raspberry). I quite liked it. It’s not going to win any vapor production contest, but it will satisfy many. 3.75 Stars
Tom: Energy Splash is my idea of a perfectly average eLiquid. It’s not bad, it’s not very good, though it is perfectly acceptable. Confused? There just isn’t anything special about it, and yet nothing exactly wrong with it. It’s basic, and sometimes that’s enough and sometimes its not. I expect more from national eliquid labels. – 3 Stars
Keira: I’m still on the fence with this one. I like it; I’m just not sure how much I like it. I guess you could say that it’s not exactly a juice I can take a drag of and go “Wow!” it’s more like a slight smile and a nod. You know I mean? Still disappointed with the lack of clouds, but again, I think that’s me, most people that vape 60/40, 70/30 or even 80/20 will have no complaints about vapor, but if you vape high VG juice you will notice the difference right away. Is this an excellent eliquid? No, it’s an average juice. 3 Stars
Jason: I did find Energy Splash a decent vape in the hot sun, but there was nothing about it that made me take particular notice. I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t thrilled either. Average. 3 Stars
Cinnamon Chai (Sweet & Bakery Category)
“Great news chai tea lovers, we have something perfect for you. Our cinnamon chai tea is a perfect blend of cinnamon & chai, that’s perfect to cozy up & read a good book with. The best part is you don’t even need to worry about it burning your tongue!” – Vaping Studio
Julia: On the first day, before the review period kicked in, I found this on to be strictly a cinnamon vape. I couldn’t detect any Chai Tea at all. So, once again waiting a week to try it for the second time, I was interested to see if the secondary flavor would pull through? Well, almost.
This is still very much a cinnamon vape, but after with a big drag and a slow exhale you can get a hint of a vanilla Chai flavor. It does add a little something special to that strong cinnamon pull. This one also produced the most vapor production as well. People that like cinnamon vapes should definitely give this one a go, if they want a little extra something with their cinnamon. 3.75 Stars
Tom: Sometimes a nice cinnamon vape is exactly what I need, and this one from Vaping Studio isn’t bad at all. But again, there is really nothing new here; it’s a good cinnamon vape, but not a great one. 3 Stars
Keira: What makes this cinnamon eliquid better than many of the others I’ve had is the addition of the Chai. Now, honestly, this could be a vanilla flavor for all I can tell, but for me it adds a nice smooth layer to a warm cinnamon vape. I loved it. Lots of vapor too, and it’s a cinnamon flavor that I can vape a lot longer than, say, Blister. 4 Stars
Jason: My only experience with Chai Tea is from MOV and Ginger, and neither of them did one with cinnamon. Still, I recognize the Chai flavor and combining it with Cinnamon was, I believe, a stroke of (mild) genius. On the inhale you get that typical blast of cinnamon, lots of vapor too, and on the exhale you get these light and smooth creamy notes at the finish. 4 Stars
Sweet Tobacco
“One of the mildest tobacco blends available; it has a hint of hazelnut, and an overall smooth taste that tastes great with morning coffee or just as an all-the-time type of vape.” – Vaping Studio
Julia – This sweet tobacco blend is something I think I have tasted before. I don’t know if this is the same ejuice, but it tastes like a tobacco that I’ve tasted in a high-end cig-a-like prefilled cartomizer.
I like the sweetness of it, and I especially like that nutty hazelnut flavor, a sweet nutty tobacco blend that tastes so much better in a Nautilus than it does in any kind of prefilled cartomizer. I wouldn’t add it to my rotation, but it is a fine choice for people looking for a sweet tobacco vape with notes of sweet nutty hazelnut flavor. I wanted more vapor from it, but the 60/40 ratio isn’t going to turn it over no matter what. – 3.75 Stars
Tom: While I can respect this nutty tobacco blend, it is far from the premium tobacco blends I buy elsewhere. I see potential, but it’s not there yet. Would love to try this in a higher VG formula though. An average tobacco blend, therefore, 3 Stars
Keira: Since I’m not nearly as eager as Tom or Jason when it comes to finding the finer points of a tobacco eliquid I can only come this one as I would any sweet flavor. Fact is I liked it. It is definitely sweet and nutty, and hazelnut is a perfect companion to a nice tobacco. I would put the hazelnut and tobacco flavors in this recipe at 50% each. This is one I could actually vape for a long while. 4 Stars
Jason: I approached Sweet Tobacco as I would any tobacco eliquid, and because of that I was somewhat disappointed. Then, I sort of did a Jedi mind trick on myself and came at it again a few hours later as a hazelnut blend with tobacco notes and when I did that I wound up enjoying it quite a bit.
Strong hazelnut flavor, sweet tobacco notes, this is one for people just getting into the tobacco vapes. As a tobacco blend it’s 3 Stars, but as a Hazelnut with tobacco notes blended in, it’s a solid 4 Stars.
I would suggest a name change to something along the lines of “Hazelnut Tobacco”.
Conclusion
We don’t know when Vaping Studio launched, and unfortunately in the interview if was left unanswered. But if I assume that Vaping Studio is less than a year old than I think they have a chance at making it in the online battlefield if they continue to strive toward excellence. If, however, they’ve been around for a couple of years then I think they may be destined for “average” over the long haul.
To be frank about it, eliquid creation is a serious art, not a craft. Anyone can learn “how” to mix the basic ingredients and create a vapable eliquid, but an artist can create memorable eliquids. None of the eliquids reviewed today are memorable.
Vape Gear And eLiquid
Vaping Studio is not just an eLiquid label, they are a full line vape gear shop, so perhaps they are looking to develop eliquid flavors that appeal to the masses rather than trying to create little masterpieces in bottles. That’s fine, if that’s what you want to vape.
It could be that Vaping Studio sees the eLiquid side of the business as another revenue stream and not the heart of their business. It could also be that the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team takes the creation of eLiquid more seriously than they do.
This arena, this 72-hour exclusive review process, is not for every eliquid brand that comes along. If you enter this arena we’re going to put you through the paces like no other eliquid review anywhere. We want your art… we don’t want your basics.
Vaping Studio could be a group of the nicest people in the world, people that I could really enjoy being around, but when it comes to submitting eliquid to our team we will be as thorough as possible, and no matter what the outcome we’re going to publish it.
Like I said in the beginning, the eliquids presented for review are just six flavors out of 75, so we really have no idea what their lineup is about. If these six are the best of the 75 then that doesn’t bode well for Vaping Studio becoming a household “national” name. If, on the other hand, the six eliquids were random pulls representing one from each ‘category’, then they didn’t take this very seriously.
In the end, no one on the team added any of the eliquids to their rotation, or collection. We enjoyed some, and didn’t enjoy others, but none won our hearts. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
Julia, Tom, Keira, and Jason, the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team
