REVIEWS
MISSIONLAB
Pursuit
MISSIONLAB
Explore
Sight
Mango is a tough flavour to crack. Add
in dessert elements and suddenly you’re
looking at an uncommon profile that
could be difficult to balance. Mango is
front and centre here. It’s devoid of the
potent floral off notes that are present
in some other mango e-liquids. Instead
it’s a light and refreshing portrayal which
leans more towards a candied mango
than the musky, natural variety. There’s
some tartness to balance the sweetness,
which ensures this doesn’t become
funky or cloying. The dessert elements
of Pursuit are accents rather than heavy
hitters. A mild but creamy meringue
brings some decadence to the mix
without weighing it down. The almond
note is quite subtle but does add some
depth to the profile and brings the mango
and cream notes together well. Pursuit
is a very well-balanced mellow dessert
vape that will please those who wish to
avoid overly sweet blends. Strawberry cream-based e-liquids are a
staple of the vaping world. Many brands
seemingly test their mettle by offering
their own twist on the profile, so how
does MISSION XV’s rendition fare?
Explore subverts the expectations that
come with a traditional strawberry cream
blend. A natural leaning strawberry is
present but doesn’t dominate the mix by
any means. Instead, a blend of creams
and subtle bakery notes are the stars of
this show. A rich, milky vanilla perme-
ates through the profile. It’s sweet but
not overly so and has a rather luxurious
mouthfeel. This is complemented by
some light bakery notes, which are rem-
iniscent of butter cookie or shortbread,
along with what seems to be a coconut
accent. This is another mellow dessert
blend from the MISSIONLAB line, and
before I knew it, I’d vaped the whole
bottle. Oops. Sight is described by the manufacturer
as a blend of honeydew melon, cream
and coolant. This is a pretty unconven-
tional profile and from personal expe-
rience I know that it’s difficult to add
coolant to a cream-based blend without
confusing the palate. The honeydew
really shines here, it’s bright and has a
pleasant tang. It’s somewhat candied
but doesn’t have any artificial off notes.
This is supported by a light cream
base, similar to what’s found in Explore,
albeit more reserved. This makes for
a well-rounded dessert profile, but the
choice to include coolant really sets
Sight apart from other melon blends. The
coolant doesn’t interfere at all with the
flavour profile and is quite mild, lifting this
already bright e-liquid and making it per-
fect for scratching that dessert itch during
the hotter months. Sight is unexpectedly
my personal favourite of the very solid
MISSIONLABS line up.
#BABYCLOUDS RESPEK HUNNID K
#BABYCLOUDS is billed as a nutty
vanilla strawberry custard by Transistor.
A classic flavour profile such as this
requires great execution in order to stand
out in a market full of dessert vapes, so
how does Transistor’s offering measure
up? In short, #BABYCLOUDS is an
expertly blended e-liquid. Top notes of
moderately sweet candied strawberry
are complemented by a full-bodied
vanilla custard that has a beautifully
thick mouthfeel. There’s a subtle hint
of nuttiness on the exhale which adds
some depth to this otherwise simple mix.
At a guess I would say this is walnut,
though it’s a tough call because this
element of the profile isn’t dominant.
I’ve enjoyed #BABYCLOUDS so much
that it’s found a home in my squonk
rotation, which requires me to vape 8ml
before swapping out to another flavour.
This is an incredibly moreish vape for
any dessert fans who are looking for a
classic, decadent e-liquid. Cherry vapes are historically rather hit
or miss. There’s a very real danger of
venturing into cough medicine territory
when trying to tame this fruit, but I’m
glad to report that this isn’t the case
with RESPEK. Described as a blend
of cherry, cream and nuts, this mix is
reminiscent of a bakewell tart. The
maraschino cherry top note here is
sweet whilst retaining a hint of natural
bitterness, which is a welcome break
from some other, more artificial cherry
flavours on the market. Supporting notes
of cream add some body to the profile,
whilst a light almond aftertaste rounds
out the mix, making for a delightful
bakery profile that doesn’t become sickly
or overbearing. RESPEK is among the
best cherry e-liquids that I’ve tried and
is likely to be an all day vape for bakery
fans. Described as a caramelized peanut
butter and pistachio blend by the
manufacturer, HUNNID K is an ambitious
e-liquid. Caramel is definitely the star of
the show here, and it punches through
the profile without lingering on the palate
in an unpleasant way. It’s a bright,
soft crack style caramel flavour that is
rarely done well, so I’m quite impressed
with Transistor on this front. These top
notes are supported by a slightly earthy
peanut butter flavour that only serves
to make the blend even creamier, whilst
giving it some more depth at the same
time. I’m struggling to pick out the
pistachio element of the mix, likely due
to it blending in with the peanut butter.
Nonetheless, this is a lovely dessert
vape that I find myself going back to
repeatedly!
108 | VMC