The Perfect Glass of Strawberry Milk... In an E-Liquid.

The e-liquid: Quick Straw by Tasty Vapor
50% VG
6mg nic

The Setups: Tugboat RDA with dual parallel coils @ .64 ohm on V3 Flip

Can you guess what this tastes like?

Sometimes it takes a little while to decide how you feel about a particular e-liquid flavor. You try it, you think about it, you try it again, Maybe you take a sip of water to clear out your taste buds and then try the flavor one more time. Sometimes it’s like that. Not this time.

This time I’m trying Quick Straw, a soon to be release flavor from Tasty Vapor. And this time I immediately found my self asking if the flavor should be just a tiny bit stronger… but then I always had the same problem with the real thing. Mix up a glass of strawberry milk and I would always think that, surely, if it tasted so good, wouldn't it taste even better with more strawberry flavoring added?

You see, I didn't spend any time trying to identify flavors, contemplating subtle nuances, or thinking about how close the flavor was to its description. Instantly my mind went right where it always did with a glass of Strawberry Quick… because this e-liquid is just that good. It is the perfect reproduction of that particular brand of strawberry milk…

but what if you don’t like strawberry milk?

Well, then it’s possible that there is no hope for you… that, and you probably wouldn't like Quick Straw, because this e-liquid is instant nostalgic yum. Instant cool, refreshing, sweet, strawberry and milk goodness.
Geoff and his team over at Tasty Vapor have done something amazing with Quick Straw. It’s not a flavor that’s reminiscent of its namesake, it’s not a close approximation, it’s a dead on taste-alike. So if you have ever enjoyed strawberry milk, you know what you have to do. Just don’t buy too much of the stuff, save some for me. I’m going to need lots of it!

Kamry Robot V: Small Price, Big Value.

So I picked up a Kamry Robot V. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much… I didn’t buy it for functionality; I bought it because I like the look. Go ahead, laugh… then hear me out. The Robot V looks a lot like a prop from some cheesy sci-fi movie. Maybe it’s a power cell or bio containment vessel. Maybe it’s an ammo cartridge for a laser blaster. Whatever it is, it would fit equally well in Forbidden Planet(1956), Metropolis(1927), or my mod collection.

When I ordered the Robot V I also ordered a few things to go with it… for aesthetic reasons, or course. I orderned an RDA and a drip tip, both chromed black to match the finish on the Robot V, and both cheap off-brand items that I didn’t expect any real functionality from. Unfortunately I ordered from Fasttech, and they didn’t get it quite right. What they sent me was a chromed black Patriot clone. Well crap, at least the finish matches, it does look nice on the Robot V, and it’s ever so slightly more expensive than the X1 I ordered… I decided to just go with it. For the record, this Patriot clone really is cheap garbage, the top cap sits so loose that it pops off if you so much as look at it sidewise and the airflow is tiny… 1.07mm according to my calipers. But, to hop back on topic, the Robot V works surprisingly well… Lower voltage drop than both my V3 Flip and my copper Vanilla. WTF!? So, of course, I checked it a couple more times… and sure enough… unexpected awesomeness. Since I had the Tugboat on the Robot V for testing voltage drop I went ahead and left it on… and the performance was outstanding!

 To be clear, the Robot V does have some problems. Aside from its aesthetic, which many are not going to like, it’s also wider than your average mod at 32mm. I personally think that the width is actually a nice feature, it creates a lip at the top of the mod that turns out to be an exceedingly comfortable, and very natural feeling, place to rest your thumb, but if what you want is something stealthy or pocket friendly the extra 7mm of diameter is not a good thing.

And then there are the springs… The first is a rather stiff compression spring used to hold the battery against the positive contact. Yes, this removes the need for floating pins or adjustable contacts, but it can make the button cap a bit difficult to screw on. Especially if using an atomizer with a long positive pin. Similarly, the button cap needs to be loosened or removed when attaching an atomizer in the first place… the spring is that stiff. The second spring is in the button itself, this spring is stiff enough to keep the Robot V from firing when set down, but not stiff enough to keep the button from rattling. That rattle goes a long way to making this feel like a poorly made mod. Next up is the locking ring. It takes nearly three full turns to lock or unlock… sure, it works, but three full turns? The reason for all those turns becomes apparent when you look at the bottom of the mod, the firing button extends 3mm below the base, meaning that the locking ring has to travel a fair distance to hold the button in place.

All in all this is a surprisingly good mod, especially given the bargain basement price! I paid a measly $30.21 for one at fasttech… so much for the oft heard argument that counterfeits are the only way to get descent performance at a reasonable price. Think of the Robot V as the Moped of the vaping world, cheap and fun to ride, you just don’t want your friends to see you using it.

What Do You Get When You Cross a Blue Berry and a Banana?

The e-liquid:
Blue Banana by Mad Town Vapor
Max VG
3mg nic

The Setups:
Tugboat RDA with dual parallel coils @ .26 ohm on V3 Flip
TOBH RDA with dual parallel coils @ .41 ohm on copper Vanilla

Starting with the Tugboat that first puff... that very first puff was... well... it was okay...
To be fair, I had been drinking a Vanilla Latte... and was still finishing it when I got home to find the new e-liquid had arrived in the post. I'm in the midst of a banana vape obsession right now, so I couldn't wait to try this flavor. I love banana vape, I love blueberries, waiting was not an option ...and I didn't exactly have a clean pallet. This is not a flavor for enjoying with a Latte. The banana, especially, is easily overpowered. note, this is not a bad thing. because...

With each subsequent puff the flavor got better and better. a quick sip of water to clear my pallet and...

A very nice, very clear, yet smooth banana with a cooling blueberry flavor emerged. The banana is dominant on the inhale while the blueberry comes out on the exhale, and lingers in the mouth. The flavor is not overly strong. it's not going to tire out your taste, nor is it going to annoy anyone around you that has an aversion to banana vapor... which is to say, my wife isn't insisting that I switch to another e-liquid!

Next i tried with the TOBH. more airflow, higher resistance, and a slightly cooler vape. The blueberry was more subtle, but still added a hint or refreshing... well... blueness to the banana. and the banana was still awesome.

On both builds the vapor production was good.. I did get the max VG after all. It is, unfortunately, not going to block out my view of the TV when my wife decides to watch Devious Maids or some other bad show. But then, it's not like I chase clouds or anything, I don't, but i do like a nice full vapor production, and Blue Banana provides vapor quite nicely.

Now for the kicker. This liquid is 5 days old... that is to say, it hasn't had a chance to steep, and it's already 'the yum'! The next step is to put the rest away and let it steep for a few weeks... that is, if I can muster up enough self control to keep from vaping the whole bottle. If Blue Banana gets any better with steeping... well... It may have to go into permanent rotation in my e-liquid stash.

Final notes; the packaging.
Blue Banana came in a plastic bottle with a dripping tip. I would have preferred to see a glass bottle. but that could just be a bit of snobbishness on my part. because I think glass bottles look classy. The cap isn't childproof. this is a big deal for me, not because I enjoy dealing with child proof caps, but because they are a small thing that go a long way to keeping the media and politicians from painting worst case scenario scare stories about vaping and e-liquid.

The label has all the important stuff on it. vendor, vendor contact (web address) e-liquid name, ingredients, production date, PG/VG ratio, nicotine level, volume, and the requisite warning to keep out of reach of children. no cartoons or bright colors on the label, this is also a big deal... and a good thing!

All in all the packaging is good and the only improvement that it really needs is a childproof cap.