REVIEWS
REVIEWS
JUICE REVIEWS BY BENEDICT ‘ NED ’ JONES
NASTY BALLIN ’ PASSION KILLA
This range of four fruit and low-mint short-fills that has a genuinely interesting design . With a cocktail shaker aesthetic , the bottle contains two ball bearings that allow the user to more easily mix a nicotine shot into the liquid . Passion Killa is billed as a passion fruit and tropical medley profile with a cooling finish and true to Nasty form , this is a vivid blend . Candied passion fruit is the top note here . It ’ s devoid of the heavy , muskier tones of its real life counterpart and more akin to a sweet beverage , which is ideal in the context of e-liquid . This is complemented by a subtle blend of other tropical fruits . They ’ re a well-balanced accent and so quite tough to single out , but at a guess I would say pineapple and guava are both present here . Passion Killa is on the sweeter end of the e-liquid spectrum , but it ’ s combination of bright fruits and mellow coolant make for a real winner in the summer season .
TOBACCO SERIES BRONZE BLEND
Nasty Juice aren ’ t known for tobacco or dessert flavours so I was intrigued when I heard about this new line . Bronze Blend is described as a mix of vanilla , caramel and tobacco . In essence this is a classic RY4 profile , so how does Nasty ’ s rendition fare ? The top note is a light caramel , supported by a warm , rich vanilla , which adds some substance to the mix . On its own this would make for a satisfying dessert profile , but there is also a subtle tobacco accent here . It ’ s very mild , imparting a nutty tone and some dark sweetness . The subtlety of this note means that Bronze Blend won ’ t put off those who dislike tobacco flavours and quite frankly , in a blind test , I suspect most wouldn ’ t even pick it out of the mix . This is a lovely RY4 style blend , and less sweet than other offerings .
THE SPECS : COTTON FIBRE : 62.5 % CELLULOSE FIBRE : 37.4 % WATER INSOLUBLE MATTER : 0.09 % LENGTH : 1 METRE
THE SWAG PROJECT - COTTON Any vaper who has been using rebuildable devices for a while can tell you that there are subtle differences between brands and formulations of cotton . This can affect the vape experience itself , and the convenience of re-wicking an atomiser , so it makes sense to find a wicking material that suits your own preferences . In the last four years of using rebuildable atomisers on a daily basis , I ’ ve settled on two wicking materials that I alternate between depending on the device . Most often I use Japanese organic cotton pads , which are extremely cost effective , with a short break in time . Their only shortfalls are that they must be cut down to size and tend to collapse fairly quickly when vaping sweeter e-liquids . In some instances , I use cellulose fibre , which is often referred to as Rayon . Rayon stands up to heat and sweet e-liquids better than organic cotton pads but does tend to have a longer break in period for flavour production . The SWAG Project Cotton combines both of these materials into one product , and the result is something that has totally changed my view of branded wicking material . Packaged in a convenient
screw-top pot , in a continuous one metre length , it ’ s immediately clear that SWAG has been well thought out . It ’ s incredibly easy to cut down to your desired length , and once you ’ ve done so , pulling the strip in half will result in a thickness that ’ s ideal for wicking a 3mm inner diameter coil . SWAG wicks very efficiently , likely due to the cellulose fibres , which are noticeably quicker to draw in juice than cotton alone . Break in period is almost non-existent . After only a few vapes , I get a full representation of my chosen e-liquid , with no unwanted “ cotton flavour ” that lingers when using some other brands / formulations of wicking material . The most noticeable change is longevity , though . I experienced significantly longer periods of use before needing to re-wick and this is particularly noticeable when using sweeter e-liquids . I ’ m not quite sure how , but sweeteners do not seem to degrade SWAG at anywhere near the rate of traditional cotton . Overall , SWAG has absolutely shattered my sceptical take on branded wicking materials , and I look forward to future innovation in this field .
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