Sunday, 15 February 2015

Ben Jonson Quality Review


Before starting, i'd like to thank the guys at Ben Jonson for providing me with the blend selections & for all the information i requested in aiding me to complete (i hope) a thorough review - Thank you.

Ben Jonson's are a company based in Santa Ana - California that create & wholesale gourmet blends to vendors throughout & outside the US. They don't actually sell the Quality line through their own channels just yet but i'm sure this could be a possibility in the future. The selections provided to me arrived in probably the best foam padded, product presentation box i could've anticipated & it's little things like this that make reviewing companies such as Ben Jonson's just that much more pleasurable - talk about attention to detail & it really makes all the difference.
Ben Jonson's is a friendship based collaboration with a mission to create nothing short of exceptional juice. Each flavour has undergone months of rigorous testing and reformulating to produce that distinct Ben Jonson's signature taste & i couldn't wait to surround myself in clouds of Ben Jonson goodness.

Readers: Just a heads up - this is a long review!


For this review & for all blends i used the Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.


Please note: When making a review of vendor products, you usually get an idea after testing a few liquids the quality & dynamic of their production processes. Because of this i choose 5 liquids to review. If a vendor has more than 1 line of e-liquid (such as standard & premium) i will review 5 from each. Any e-liquids that say IN TESTING or AWAITING REVIEW/DELIVERY next to the title will be updated in due time. I like to take my time with a product which is usually a week but sometimes it could be more & sometimes less. These reviews are my own opinions & the score i give each is my own preference score. A rating of 7 for me might be a 10 for you. 10 for me is the perfect vape in flavour complexity, vapour production & throat hit on any & every device i try it on.

I usually base reviews on 5 different blends, but as i was kindly provided with 7 different flavours - i will review all.


VENDORS: If you would like any of your liquids reviewed, please contact me via the Vendor Contact link.


(Ben Jonson's Quality Flavour Line)
Nebula, Sweet Peach Tea, Jamanji, Cr3am, Morning Dew, Snickelfritz, Apogee.

Vendor: Ben Jonson 
Manufacturer: Ben Jonson 
Location: Santa Ana - California, USA 
Website: http://www.benjonsonjuice.com/ 
Lab Tested/Certificates: PENDING / IN PROCESS 
Ratio Information: UNDISCLOSED 
Nicotine Options: (mg) 0, 3, 6, 12, 18 
Sizes & Price Range: 15ml $12, 30ml $22.


NEBULA REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

First in line for review was Nebula & one thing i'd like to point out (which goes for all the blends) is the level of detail & information on the labelling for the consumer which may sound like an industry standard, but i have found these details lack on some brands so (for me) it was nice to see. Referring to the sample box inlay card - Nebula is described as a rich grape & lychee blend which sounded superb & the lychee is what made me choose Nebula first because i love those little exotic fruits with a passion!
On twisting the cap off, the grape & lychee clearly come through as a sweet, uniformed aroma to the point where if i didn't know what Nebula was supposed to represent, i think i would've nailed it first time - it smells so nice it really does.
On inhale i found the flavours perfectly combined to create an extremely decadent vape. The grape aspects of Nebula remind me of a high quality nectar & the lychee flavour profile is completely embedded in the blend which comes through on both the low & high notes. The blend is very refreshing & doesn't have the sweetness the initial aroma has although i personally think it's perfect. On exhale i found the grape flavouring comes through just that little bit more leaving the lychee behind as an "aftertaste". Throat hit for me was perfect providing an almost spicy kick to the back of my throat consistently & vapour production was lovely with a beautifully fresh, slightly fruity carrying aroma.

I found Nebula to be one of those blends that accurately represent the flavour profile it's supposed to! Want a grape & lychee gourmet blend? - then that's exactly what you'll get & i hope the remaining six blends share the same qualities.

Would I purchase Nebula? 
Yes i would - i love this stuff & it scores high marks with me. Perfectly blended, a gourmet masterpiece!

Could Nebula be an all day vape? 
Quite easily. In flavour, Nebula is so consistent & tastes AMAZING on the device i was using with no excess mouth dryness - I will definitely come back to this untill Nebula 2 gets created although i don't believe the artisans behind Nebula could enhance it any more than it already is & IMO i don't think they should even attempt it.
On a scale from 1 to 10 Nebula gets a 10.


APOGEE REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1/2 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

Second in line for review was Apogee, which is described as a crisp, sweet apricot blend. Again this is a first for me because i've never vaped an apricot flavoured e-liquid before - although i'm very familiar with the flavour profile it's supposed to represent. The aroma given off an open bottle is sublime! The apricot comes through distinctly with an almost candy like presence.

On inhale i found Apogee to be an extremly clean & fresh vape with absolutely no candy like qualities to it whatsoever, which was a surprise after the aroma gave me that initial impression. The apricot comes through in a robust yet elegant manner on the lows & creates that "fresh" flavour profile on the highs. Sweetness was very light which i feel compliments the blend for what it is & any sweeter would've turned it into something along the lines of a dessert type vape which IMO would've maybe demoted the Apogee status. On exhale i found the apricot flavour becomes somewhat "grainy" & a touch dry although still true to the blend. Throat hit i found had a bit more of a kick to it than the Nebula for which i'm not complaining & vapour production was just as good with a pleasant carrying aroma which doesn't actually smell of apricot - nice but not apricot.

For my first apricot vape experience i must say that it was very enjoyable although during the end of testing i found myself wanting to "switch up" & move on to something else.

Would I purchase Apogee? 
No i wouldn't but that's simply because it's not the kind of flavour profile i look for in a vape & i'm certain apricot lovers will appreciate Apogee for what it is - a clean, fresh & mildly sweet apricot blend.

Could Apogee be an all day vape?
I think it could be for the kind of vaper it would attract because the flavour was always consistent on both inhale & exhale but i did find the blend a little bit of a mouth dryer - nothing a sip of water couldn't solve though.
On a scale from 1 to 10 Apogee gets an 8.


MORNING DEW REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

Next in line for review was Morning Dew which is essentially a blueberry & citrus type blend. Straight off the bat Morning Dew appealed to me because i've always enjoyed blueberry mixtures & very rarely would i not enjoy so my hopes were high from the get go. The aroma produced by an open bottle is VERY citrusy - almost a mix of lemon & lime. I could smell the blueberry very faintly & i think the reason i picked the scent up is because i'm familiar with the blueberry aroma as a concentrate although i don't believe a vaper that's not familiar would detect it & would probably think they were about to vape a pure citrus blend - but then you can never actually trust that what you smell is what you'll taste & it's factors like this that make me love reviewing.
On inhale Morning Dew became an instant hit. Crisp, clean & intensely refreshing (sicilian) lemon that's perfectly infused with the light, well balanced blueberry flavouring. I found the lemon had almost "tart" characteristics which is why i labelled it sicilian (because REAL lemons aren't lemons unless they're sicilian - or so they say). The blueberry doesn't have its own "layer" & like the lychee in Nebula - i feel the blueberry flavour as a whole is lightly embedded within the citrusy profile/s & is consistently carried along with every inhale whether it be mouth to lung or direct. The citrusy aspects of Morning Dew have an almost "effervescent" effect on the high notes which leaves a slight tickle on the back of the throat & is why i suppose i found it refreshing. On exhale is where i noticed just how pure this blend is - the mix of flavours in taste & aftertaste have a sort of organic quality & the best way to describe it is as if FRESH lemon & blueberry juices were used - truly crafted to perfection!
Throat hit i found on par with Nebula so was very satisfying & the citrusy side of this blend gives the TH a slight, refreshing edge. Vapour production was great with a clean, only just noticeable citrusy carrying aroma - all in all a well crafted blend with a touch of sweetness to compliment.

Would I purchase Morning Dew? 
Yes i would because i think it's delicious. To be honest i can't see how most vapers wouldn't want Morning Dew as part of their collection because not only is it a splendid vape, but because of the citrusy layers, it's also a great blend to "reset" your taste buds when a regular becomes a touch dull in flavour during the vaping day.

Could Morning Dew be an all day vape? 
Not for me it couldn't - i thoroughly enjoyed my day of testing, but just like Apogee i wanted a change before the end of the night. For me Morning Dew is a collection blend where i'd use it when i want something clean & to the point. It could however easily be an all day blend for many because i didn't have excess mouth dryness & the flavour profile came through consistently each & every time.
On a scale from 1 to 10 Morning Dew gets an 9.


SWEET PEACH TEA REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

I've had quite a few tea blends from various vendors over the years & a few i liked whilst others i didn't. There's no better way to introduce the next selection in line for review because it's all in the name - Sweet Peach Tea. I know exactly how this blend should taste because i'm a regular drinker of ice teas especially in the summers. The aroma when i opened the bottle had the exact scent profiles a cold glass of peach tea has, the smell & sweetness of the peach is delightful! i could also slightly smell the scent of a matured black tea which from that point had me going & my tank got topped up in no time.

On inhale i was greeted by a true & precisely crafted replication of an authentic iced peach tea. The peach comes through mildly sweet & full bodied on the lows, which then leads up to an almost delicate but slightly bitter black tea that IMO carries the same flavour profile qualities of a Darjeeling brand on the highs. There's an incredible consistency with this creation & i found the combination - ratios of flavours perfectly balanced & fused with each other. On exhale, again i could clearly taste what this blend represents & i like how the peach tea flavour stays left behind in the mouth. Throat hit i found satisfying which was no surprise at this point of the testing & vapour production on par with all the previous - great.

My only "gripe" would be that i did find Sweet Peach Tea another mouth dryer but i believe that's down to the tea & down to excessive usage on my part. I would however class this blend as one of the best peach tea variations that i've tried to date & i truly believe it just can't be beat - Ben Jonson's nailed this blend straight on the head & then some!

Would I purchase Sweet Peach Tea? 
Yes i would because of all the positives i wrote above. I can see Sweet Peach Tea being a complete winner with flavoured tea vapers. I've never vaped a truer tea blend that's perfectly replicated so i URGE those type of vapers to at least give it a try - i'm certain you'll agree with my findings.

Could Sweet Peach Tea be an all day vape? 
I think it could be for a vaper that loves his/her tea blends - i personally couldn't use Sweet Peach Tea as my daily vape because of my only negative - i found it a mouth dryer! That being said, it's certainly a blend i would use time & time again on a weekly basis - i look forward to actually drinking a peach tea whilst vaping this little baby. So, if Sweet Peach Tea sounds like your "cup of tea", don't think about it - just go for it!

On a scale from 1 to 10 Sweet Peach Tea gets a 9 & a 10 for flavour authenticity!


SNICKELFRITZ REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

I actually started to laugh when i read the name of the next review selection! SnickleFritz - to my understanding is slang talk for low quality Marijuana :D - but through the recent days of testing, i'm sure low quality wouldn't be an issue, although i wouldn't mind the Marijuana part! - So, SnickleFritz is essentially described as a kiwi & watermelon blend. I am quite fond of GOOD watermelon type e-liquids but have never actually tried a blend with a mix of kiwi before & to be completely honest, i haven't eaten a kiwi for over 10 - 15 years so remembering exactly what it tasted like proved to be a bit of a mind blow. The aroma when i opened the bottle was absolutely delicious! The presence of watermelon is ever so slight, i had to give SnickleFritz a good, long "sniff" before i even noticed it, but flavours i did smell "strangely" include nuances of pineapple & dare i say green apple - that's how complex i found this blend before i even started vaping.

On inhale i found SnickelFritz to be an extremely exquisite vape indeed although i just couldn't taste that signature, fresh watermelon flavour. I also couldn't taste the "pineapple" or "apple" (obviously) but what i could taste was something totally unique to me & nothing like i've experienced before in an e-liquid. The mix of kiwi & watermelon create a distinct tropical flavour profile that was impossible (for me) to separate in to layers for description even if kiwi & watermelon sounds simple enough - So the only clear & honest way to summarize SnickleFritz is that it's an extremely flavourful, clear-cut "tropical" type blend that's as complex as it is consistent - So far this blend has been the most complex Ben Jonson selection through & through which i love! On exhale there's a slight creaminess that stays behind in the mouth & the flavour (being a tropical type) dissipates in to a smooth, pleasant aftertaste. I didn't have any excess mouth dryness during the progression of the day while testing & i was vaping SnickleFritz hard. Throat hit was very satisfying & vapour production was great with a clean & pleasant "fruity" carrying aroma.

Would I purchase SnickleFritz? 
Yes i would although it would be a collection blend. As much as i thoroughly enjoyed the testing period, it was nice to go back to more familiar ground. I would recommend SnickleFritz to avid exotic fruit type vapers because as i wrote above - it's an extremely exquisite "tropical" type vape that's full of flavour with each & every inhale.

Could SnickleFritz be an all day vape? 
To the right kind of vaper that SnickleFritz would appeal to, it could be more than an all day vape & i can imagine would be an instant favourite with many! definitely worth a try - guaranteed disappointment free.
On a scale from 1 to 10 SnickleFritz gets an 8.


JAMANJI REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

I love the name of this blend but i definitely took a double take mistaking it for Jumanji (which i still think's a great movie - boy does time fly by). Jamanji is described as a luscious mango & pineapple blend - yummy. Mango is a personal favourite of mine whether in exotic fruit form or e-liquid form so again i couldn't wait to fill my tank up. The aroma when i opened the bottle is a lightly fragranced mix of the two which i found to be clearly distinguishable. The pineapple aroma i found to be hidden slightly under the mango which from the start was a positive because pineapple is one of those flavours that can easily take over a blend if not used sparingly - or so i believe anyway.
On inhale the first flavour my palate tasted was of a fresh, juicy & slightly sweet, ripened mango. I can't stress enough how fresh the mango tasted because most blends of this type i've tried have candy-like qualities which i feel defeats the whole purpose of a fruit type blend from the get go! it's also unfortunately blends like Jamanji are few & far between especially in this day & age of our vape era. The mango carries a distinct creaminess on the lows which slowly morph in to a slightly acidic fresh pineapple on the highs. One thing i really like about this blend is how well the layers separate during a vape & i found this to be consistent with each inhale. On exhale i found the pineapple flavour stands out a touch more than the mango with a slight sweetness that stayed in my mouth. During the day of testing i didn't notice any excess mouth dryness although i did notice the flavour started to dull a bit more than i usually expect which i always take as a sign to switch up & "refresh" my buds - which for the record i used Ben Jonson's Morning Dew to do just that :)

Throat hit was splendid with an added touch of "spiciness" to the back of my throat for which i'm associating with the acidic aspects of the pineapple. Vapour production was superb (as expected) with a slightly fruity carrying aroma although i couldn't distinguish the scent profiles of the mango or pineapple.

Would I purchase Jamanji? 
Yes i would because at this point it's the closest i've experienced in flavour to a real mango & pineapple e-liquid blend. I found the ratios in flavour to be perfectly balanced (especially the pineapple) & i've already started recommending this blend to a few fellow vapers i know love this kind of flavour profile.

Could Jamanji be an all day vape? 
Not for me because as i wrote above - as the day progressed i did find the flavours starting to dull my taste buds a touch quicker than all the previous blends but that's not to say it would be the same for everyone - so for me it's no & for everyone else it's maybe.

On a scale from 1 to 10 Jamanji gets an peaking 9.


CR3AM REVIEW: 12mg

Testing Period: 1/2 Day 
Received: This item was provided by the manufacturer. 
Equipment: Russian 91% on the eVic Supreme, Kanthal A1 28g - 9 wraps, 1.2ohm @ 16-18.5 Watts, organic japanese cotton.

Last up for review which i might add was purposely done because i LOVE sweetish, dessert type vapes - is Cr3am (yes it's a 3 - not a spelling mistake). Cr3am is Ben Jonson's variation of a cookies & cream gourmet blend. Cookies & cream have always been a hit or miss with me because when blends like this taste good, they taste really good - but then when they don't, they REALLY don't, but through this whole week of daily testing, i have not come across a single Ben Jonson's blend that was subpar. The aroma when i opened the bottle made me smile like a child (drooled a touch i might add) - i found the aroma AMAZING! Straight away it's recognizable as a doughy cookie blend with slight hints of milk chocolate & vanilla. I knew before i even started vaping what a treat i was in for & oh boy was it a treat!

On inhale i was blasted by an intense array of flavours that quite simply were a true representation of what this blend clearly advertises. Fresh & sweet doughy cookie elements delicately fused together with slight traces of an almost buttery cocoa on the lows. This blend inherently produces a light, vanilla cream flavour profile on the highs & is a factor to why i find Cr3am so damn moreish. If i had to give a comparison, i would compare it to a "toned down & buttery" Oreo cookie. I did however find the blend a touch too sweet for extended sessions but then any less i think would've effected the quality overall - (for me) blends like this fit in to the "connoisseur" category. Throat hit, just like every single blend i've tried from Ben Jonson was superb & vapour production was just as good with the most delicious & lingering, buttery cookie carrying aroma - you really can't go wrong with this one if (like me) you appreciate top quality dessert blends.

Would I purchase Cr3am? 
Without a doubt! it's by FAR the best replicated & tastiest cookies & cream gourmet blend i've tried to date (& i've tried quite a few over the years). This kind of blend is vaper specific though & if my descriptions appeal to you then you really can't go wrong with Cr3am.

Could Cr3am be an all day vape? 
Not for me & i don't think it could be for many because the sweetness does become a touch too much after a while. these type of blends IMO shouldn't be used on a daily basis anyway because the initial appreciation will slowly fade away leaving you borderline fed up. For me, a tank full every few days to a week will keep me in awe & that's my recommendation to you (my lovely readers).

On a scale from 1 to 10 Cr3am gets a 9.


OVERALL OPINIONS
From the time the review selection was delivered to me i was impressed! - I was equally impressed with the quality, consistency & complexity every single blend provided & it's really hard to pick my absolute favourites because whether i would purchase certain blends or not - i think they're all superb! but if i had to pick, it would be Nebula, Morning Dew, & Cr3am. Ben Jonson's truly is a "top shelf" manufacturer of mostly fruity type e-liquids & from what i've learned (& seen) about the company, i trust them completely & would happily hand my cash over to support them, as well as my vaping "habit" - Ben Jonson raises the bar in artisan gourmet blending to the point where even a higher retail price tag wouldn't have altered the outcome of this review & i'd love to read/hear thoughts from fellow vapers that don't agree with me which i expect would be NONE. Well done guys & i wish you all the best with any future e-liquid endeavours.


Note to vendor: I would absolutely love to test any new creations you may come up with in the future so please keep me in mind.

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