My First Review - Johnson Creek 24 mg/ml Original, Low PG

Ordering and Packaging

After enjoying the sample bottle of Jonson Creek Original that came with my M601/602, I decided to reorder some Johnson Creek. Rather than spend 20 bucks per bottle on something I was not certain I would enjoy, I ordered their sampler of 18 mg regular mixture (high PG) juices. And because I really enjoyed the JC Original, I ordered a 30 ml bottle of Original in the low PG formula (because I wanted to see if it produced more vapor than the PG formula.

Johnson Creek is a high quality vendor. Even though I ordered near the Christmas season, I received a quick response that my order had been processed and then it shipped the next day. Delivery time within the midwest is fast. My order arrived within three business days. Upon opening the package, I discovered my sampler tin (to be reviewed at a later date) and the 30 mL bottle of Original Smoke Juice in a brown glass bottle (which I assume prevents light from corrupting the contents), a high quality eye dropper and a clear plastic 5 mL dropper bottle (for portability). The glass bottle had a child safety cap, but did not include the rubber stopper that comes with the Totally Wicked juices, which I assume is the CHIP compliant component, which I believe should be included with all nicotine fluid (because most children can remove a child safety cap from a medicine bottle, but probably lack the dexterity or strength to remove the rubber stopper).

The bottle did not come packaged in a box or anything fancy, it was just wrapped in bubble wrap, which is all it really needs, though for pride of purchase, some kind of box would be nice. Though, the products that come with nice packaging are often $10 more. Interestingly, while it came in a nice box, my bottle of 54 mg/mL Platinum Ice (at $20 more) mixing juice did not come with a dropper bottle for portability, a trade-off I would have readily made. Honestly, though, after experiencing the rich flavor of the JC Original, I was just excited to have received the package at all.

The Juice

While it does not taste exactly like any form of tobacco, the flavor resembles the experience of smoking a good, mild cigar. Overall character can be described as Woody. Flavoring is full and rich. The word hearty comes to mind while I puff with JC Original. The balance of nutty notes, sweetness and sour or bitter dance nicely on the taste buds. Long term vaping does not become offensive, and the flavor profile does not seem to change like on some flavors I've mixed, DIY. This may be due to the fact that the flavor is not heavily concentrated or because of higher quality ingredients. Initially, there is a strong flavor, which diminishes in strength over time in a balanced and unoffensive way. However, it is worth noting that when the atomizer dries up, the flavor begins to resemble the scent of skunk. This may be a good thing, since it makes it very noticeable when it is time to drip again or refill the cartridge.

JC Original is very light amber in color, and it does not appear there has been an attempt to add coloring, which is good. The thicker and more darkly colored juices, in my experience, tend to both deteriorate in flavor and quality during a vaping session. According to some at the E-Cigarette forum, darker colored juice may also deteriorate the life of an atomizer, clogging up its inner workings and killing your atomizer more quickly. Frankly, I have not found this to be the case after dripping LorAnn coffee flavored juice directly on my Luci, and the unit is still kicking after 4 months, now in a friend's possession. However, it may depend on the construction of your atomizer in combination with the colorings. In all, it's probably best to seek out the least amount of coloring in e-liquid for many reasons, including equipment deterioration.

When opening the bottle there is a distinct rich smell, similar in character to the flavor of the vaped liquid, quite pleasing. When vaping around people, I have often heard the reaction that it smells like someone is making waffles, so the fluid is not exhaled completely devoid of scent or flavor, but at least nobody is complaining about the stench of cigarette smoke.

The 24 mg/mL low PG blend kicks out just enough vapor to make the user quite pleased, and it mimics smoking nicely. There was a noticeable difference between my 510 and M601, however, the 601 produced clouds of vapor, while the 510 produced good vapor. (Note: it is possible the atomizer on my 510 may be ready to die so that may be the primary cause of the lower vapor production. However, I noticed from the get-go that the throat hit from the 510 is significantly lower than that of the M601, which is probably a result of the lower resistance, and thus lower heat, from the 510 - 2.7 ohms versus 3.5 ohms, respectively). I must note, as a result, that I did most of my reviewing from my M601, because of these factors. It is a very enjoyable nicotine fluid to vape, and I will continue to vape this one regularly.

Quick Conclusions

Vapor: Very High

Flavor: Very Good

Overall: 9 out of possible 10.

Flavor and Fragrance

As mentioned in my original post, I expect to be reviewing flavors from time to time as I try new ones. I have found that my palette is less capable of discerning specific flavors, and better able to characterize a general essence of a flavor profile. As this is the case, I have decided that it might make sense to come up with a language to describe the je-ne-sais-quios aspects of flavors. Since I am dealing with inhaled components, as opposed to food, which rests on the tongue it makes sense to me to use fragrance terminology to describe the character of a given flavor. And rather than creating a whole new categorization system, it makes sense to me to simply use the one that the fragrance industry has used for years to describe perfumes and colognes. Below is an outline of this system as found at Sephora's website:

Fresh: Green leaves, Marine notes, Grass, Light tones
Floral: Jasmine, Rose, White flowers
Oriental: Spices, Vanilla, Patchouli, Pepper
Woody: Warm woods, Moss,Vetiver, Agarwood, Cedar, Nutty or Coffee tones

Aromatic: Citrus, Lavendar, Geranium

With this system in mind, I will be able to more readily characterize flavors and aromas from nicotine juice, and do a better service for those who would like to use my reviews as a guide for their future purchases.