REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES
Apple Blackcurrant Blood Orange Blue Raspberry
VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Mild VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Mild VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Mild
This is a very simple blend from Premier
Vaping’s SQZD line. Apple and blackcurrant
is a classic British pairing, so is it executed
properly in this case? The two flavours
are quite well-balanced here, but overall the
blackcurrant is slightly more dominant.
This is a candied representation of the
fruit, bringing plenty of sticky sweetness to
the mix, along with hints of some slightly
darker notes that you might expect from a
more natural rendition. The apple element
of this mix is rather bright, working in contrast
to the blackcurrant. It has some sharper
notes, which pair nicely with the richer
sweetness of the currant, and also keep
this mix feeling fresh. This is a simple, bold
fruit mix that should be great for fruit candy
vapers. For whatever reason, it’s really tough to
find a great orange flavoured e-liquid, and
blood orange is even more uncommon, so
straight away I had high hopes for this one.
It’s certainly a simple blend, but that’s not
a problem when the flavour is on point.
Initially, this tastes more like tangerine than
anything else. It straddles the line between
sticky candy sweetness, and authentic
juiciness, though and is quite compelling.
The blood orange notes develop more as
an aftertaste, and that’s where this mix
really comes into its own. It’s a bright,
mildly tart note that should be familiar to
anyone who’s tried blood orange soft drinks
before, and it’s something I’ve personally
been looking for in the e-liquid world for
quite some time. Blood Orange is a lovely
stripped back blend, ideal for fans of exotic
flavours. Blue Raspberry continues to be one of the
most enigmatic profiles in vaping. Lots of
companies give it their own twist, and the
true nature of the flavour remains a mystery.
The SQZD take on this fruit concoction
is simple, but very nicely put together. A
sweet candy raspberry dominates, with a
bright and mildly sharp top note and sticky
mouth-feel. This is complemented by a
subtle, deeper sweetness. This seems
to be a mellow candy blueberry, but it’s
hard to say for sure, since it’s not overly
present. There also appears to be a very
mild bubblegum accent in the mix, which
further boosts the sweetness and candy
connotations of the blend. This is a solid
blue raspberry e-liquid that fruit candy fans
will enjoy.
Cola Bottles Sour Cherries
VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Mild VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Moderate
Throat hit: Mild
Many have tried and failed to recreate
the flavour of cola bottle sweets in the
e-liquid world. On paper, it’s a very simple
profile, but the hard bit is taming the potent
artificial notes that are often found in cola
flavourings. The Sugar Rush team have
done a great job in this case, though. This is
a very stripped back profile, but you can’t
expect complexity in a flavour like this and
sometimes simple is best. A bright, sticky
cola is just about all you get here. It’s spot on
to the real sweets though, and has a distinctive
gummy candy connotation that coats the
palate. There’s also a nice tartness going
on here, and this is something that’s often
missing from sour candy profiles. If you’re
a fan of sweet nostalgic vapes, Cola Bottles
is a solid choice. Another nostalgic blend from the Sugar
Rush line. Cherry is also one of those
profiles that’s simple but often executed
poorly, with heavy medicinal off notes
which are desirable in some profiles, but
not a candy. I’ve had a slightly mixed
experience with this offering. On one hand,
there is a moderately strong candy cherry
here, without any off notes, but the overall
profile doesn’t necessarily come across as
sour cherries. Instead, a vague red candy
note dominates the mix. It’s certainly not
unpleasant, it just doesn’t evoke memories
of a sour cherry sweet. This is more like
a combination of sour cherries and sour
strawberries, certainly interesting, just not
what you might expect from the label.
VM22 | 177