Chris 'majorvapes' SissonAbstrakt Vape Co. out of California who’ve been steadily producing eliquids since 2015 recently expanded in to Canada where they’re being produced and distributed by Paramount Distro out of Winnipeg. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a set and they came to me by way of Fat Panda a popular chain of vape shops mainly located in Manitoba who I believe are also taking on the role of distributor. From what I can tell they’ve been a popular choice in the US for quite a few years and considering the current climate of vaping in the states it’s no surprise they decided to expand up here to the north. They have a pretty big selection of flavours but it looks like they’re launching with only a select few up here in Canada, at least for now. A completely new company to me, these are my honest thoughts on Abstrakt Vape Co.
Bottles/Packaging:
The Abstrakt vape’s juices all come in clear 60ml authentic Chubby Gorilla bottles with some pretty clean and simple labels. The labels all have Abstrakt written down the face just above the name of the flavour as well as all the usual regulatory stuff we like to see on there as well. The colour of the label changes for each flavour leading to a rather colourful set of liquids.
Setup:
Testing was done mostly in a Hadaly clone with a three core alien(3×28/36ni80) build from the Canadian Coil makers SaddleHorse Blues, 4/5 wraps on a 2.5mm coming out to 0.28 ohms and running between 35-45w. Using Puff cotton, rda rinsed and rewicked in between. Click here for a shot of the build.
Remember taste is subjective and results will vary! Click the titles for links to the products!!
PRPL Pack:
Site description: Five wild berries bursting with fruity, juicy flavor!
My thoughts: Folks who read my reviews will know I’ve never really been a fan of mixed berry blends. They tend to taste rather generic and there isn’t usually much to set them apart from most others. With abstrakt vape’s PRPL Pack I get exactly that, a fairly generic mix of berries that’s a bit of a challenge to pick apart. For me it leans a bit more towards a darker berry blend most likely on account from the blueberry, raspberry and blackberry. The blackberry being one of the stronger elements in the mix tends to come out on top. I can kind of smell the strawberry more than I taste it but for a berry mix I got to say it’s not very sweet and even has a slight dryness to it. I’m guessing they don’t use much or any added sweetener in their blends and with some of the other flavours it’s pretty obvious. This one isn’t really for me but fans of mixed berry blends may enjoy it.
The Classic:
Site description: The ultimate in classic fruit combinations– subtle sweet strawberries and natural ripe bananas, blended into a light milk and cream base.
My thoughts: Ok so this one might be my surprise favorite of the bunch and it also seems to have a bit of a cult following if you read the reviews on their site. With The Abstrakt vape’s Classic, I get a familiar mix of fresh strawberry and ripe banana with just the lightest touch of milk or cream to smooth it out. I’ve often found that strawberry banana mixes can have a rather unnatural taste to them, a bit too artificial but that wasn’t the case for this one. With The Classic everything is in perfect balance and though I do get a tiny bit of throat hit from this one I have to say it’s one of the better strawberry banana mixes that I’ve tried. It reminds me a lot of a fresh fruit smoothie and it tends to linger on the palate in a really satisfying way. The strawberry comes off much more natural tasting than most others and really hits you on the first few pulls. The banana is definitely more ripe and natural than that typical artificial amoxicillin taste we usually get and the two combined make for a really tasty smoothie treat. Fans of strawberry and banana will definitely want to check this one out!!
The Plug:
Site description: An astonishingly accurate watermelon hard candy.
My thoughts: I love me a good watermelon flavour so I was quite looking forward to this one however what it delivered wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. Upfront I get that familiar somewhat artificial watermelon flavour but it’s kind of muted with almost no sweetness to it. It’s got a flat spot right in the middle of the flavour and I get almost nothing on the tongue from it. I suppose the aftertaste reminds me a bit of a Watermelon Jolly Rancher but without the sweetness it comes off rather bland and again a bit dry. Beyond the slight taste of watermelon hard candy there really isn’t much to this one at all. I really think a watermelon candy profile could use a touch more sweetness but I suppose some may appreciate it’s near complete lack of it. Another one that isn’t really for me but if you are looking for a watermelon flavour that’s really easy on sweetness this is the one.
Dime Piece:
Site description: Tantalizing strips of tangy strawberry and tart kiwi, tossed in a light layer of sugary goodness.
My thoughts: Here’s another candy flavour in the line that in my opinioin also kind of suffers a bit from lack of sweetness. It’s a fairly punchy mix of strawberry and kiwi with a slight sourness upfront and a really subtle sour laces or sour string sort of after taste. The kiwi is probably the stronger element in the mix and it’s what I mainly get upfront with the strawberry following up a close second and way in the back would be the sour laces note. I know lots of people appreciate low sweetener liquids but with candy flavours I still kind of expect a bit more sweetness. Call me old school but I think candy should be sugary and sweet. Much like Abstrakt vape’s The Plug this one doesn’t quite do it for me but for anyone looking for a strawberry kiwi sour laces flavour that’s again light on sweetness Dime Piece from Abstrakt vape will likely fit the bill.
Dough Boy:
Site description: A delicately fried doughnut sandwiched around a layer of gooey strawberry jam, with vibrant notes of cream and brown sugar.
My thoughts: This was my other favorite from the bunch. It’s a bit of a different take on a classic doughnut flavour and a whole pile of tasty things kind of crammed together. I get a rich pastry taste up front that I have to assume is the doughnut but to me it almost tastes more like a pie crust. It definitely has a doughy dessert sort of flavour but as a doughnut it’s quite different from what I normally expect. The taste of doughnut is followed closely by a taste of jam, it’s fairly subtle and doesn’t really turn this in to a strawberry flavour, more like it’s just a little added touch of fruity jam on the finish. The addition of cream really helps smooth it out and seems to knock down any sharp edges that the pastry might have. It’s not heavy with cream or anything, just a light touch which I think makes it all that much smoother. Finally just a hint of brown sugar gives it a slightly deeper darker sweetness but even so it’s fairly mild on the sugar much as the others in the set are. As a fan of rich tasty dessert flavour this one definitely stands out from the pack!!
Final thoughts for Abstrakt Vape Co.:
I’m not sure if the selection that has come north is based on their top sellers or if it’s what they suspect us Canadians will enjoy but they do have quite a number of other abstrakt flavours available in their US catalogue that might be worth checking out. Also it looks like in the US they are much more of a budget friendly line whereas up here they appear to be going for fairly average prices. Though I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of the candy flavours The Classic and Dough Boy by Abstrakt vape definitely won me over and I’m sure there are plenty of other folks who will appreciate the low-sweetener content of these flavours. So welcome to Canada Abstrakt, looking forward to what you bring out next!!