Hardcore Review Time: A month with 6 bottles of 1271 by Marco Polo Vape Co

Hello again! This review was initially prepared for the Canadian Electronic Ecigarette Reddit. You can see the original here.

I’m back with a special edition of Hardcore Reviews, where I spend roughly a month solely vaping ONE line of juice,

What makes this PARTICULAR review so special you ask? Well, I did the crazy thing and ONLY VAPED ONE FLAVOR for an entire month! And yes, this was before knowing if I’d like it or not – so you can imagine, it was not easy convincing myself to do this.

The juice? 1271 by Marco Polo Vape Co.

Let me explain how we got here:

  1. This is probably the most popular juice I’ve seen in years – especially at the stores I frequent. So, hoping that since so many people love it – I may love it too.
  2. This flavor was PERFECT for my flavor profile. I personally prefer to not know anything about a juice before I review it. That said, due to the popularity of it, I knew beforehand that it was a mix of exotic fruits that I love.
  3. This juice is produced by Vapes by Enushi and Wicks & Wires. The fellas behind the two stores (they are separately owned) are well-respected in the Vaping community due to how much they’ve supported many of us through the years. If you haven’t been to the stores, you really, really need to check them out if you’re in the GTA. The vaping community in the GTA, especially vendors, are a small & tight-knit community. And you can ask anyone – everyone will only have great things to say about Brian, Aaron, and Joe. So, when I learned that they had released a juice that was 2 years in the making – I knew I had to give it a hardcore review.

So, just to repeat myself: yes, I vaped only one flavor for a month which I had not vaped before so that I can do a hardcore review and share with you. Frankly, I’m not sure what I would have done if I hated the flavor, lol. Thank goodness I didn’t!

1271 by Marco Polo Vape Co
1271 by Marco Polo Vape Co

BACKGROUND

(I will include this background in all my reviews) I think it’s important that we get context on the type of reviewer I am. I was a half a pack smoker for over 20 years. A couple of years ago, I switched to vape and have not turned back. While I was a smoker, I was a light menthol smoker (i.e. Vogue Menthols / Matinee Slim Menthol Lights).

I’m generally not a fan of cream/pastry flavors, and until recently, I ALWAYS mixed menthol into any vape flavors. I’m also a huge fan of fruity flavors, but not flavors that would over power my taste buds.

A close friend of mine owns one of Toronto’s premium vape stores (he was the one who helped me quit smoking), so I have my fair exposure to all of the ultra-high-end mod gear and premium juices. That said, I find myself vaping with 6 Crown I / III devices on a variety of mods.

Hopefully this background helps you have an idea of my flavor palate as well as preferences – which will bias my review.

PERSONAL BIAS ALERT

The aforementioned person who helped me quit smoking was Brian from Vapes by Enushi – one of the creators of Marco Polo Vape Co. That said, I made it crystal clear to Brian that if I review the juice, I will be brutally honest with it – that is, whether I love it or hate it, I will state it explicitly and the reasons why – as I have done with all my previous reviews.

What I loved was that he said the same thing to me – just be honest and go nuts.


METHODOLOGY

The reason I chose to do these immersive and lengthy reviews is because I’m guilty of going into a store, trying a juice and thinking I LOVED it… only to return home to realize I didn’t really enjoy the flavor and got sick of it after the first day. This pretty much happens to me EVERY SINGLE TIME and which has led to my massive shelf of nearly full bottles.

So, what I have decided going forward is that I will vape the juices regardless if I like them on first try, and will try to do so extensively and let the juices that I truly love grow on me. And let me tell you, it’s worked tremendously well.

For this review, I used 4 separate devices for the 6 bottles – 2 Crown Is, a Crown III, as well as an Aspire Speeder kit.

For the past month I have solely vaped 1271. I knew before I tasted it that it was fruity flavors consisting of Lychee and perhaps with an Asian influence – but aside from that, nothing more.

So, as I’m typing up this review, it will be the first time I know what’s really in the juice flavors (this should be exciting for me, lol)


THE HARDCORE REVIEW: Flavor: 1271

Link: http://www.vapesbyenushi.com/e-liquids/marco-polo-vape-co-1271-e-liquid/

Description: 1271 E-Liquid by Marco Polo Vape Co. is Vapes by Enushi’s first in a new line of e-liquids, designed to take you on a journey of exquisite and high end quality e-liquids, proudly made in Canada, in an ISO-8 and 9001 certified clean room laboratory in collaboration with Wicks & Wires Vape Shoppe.

Embark with Marco Polo Vape Co on our maiden voyage, and set sail with 1271, a complex, yet smooth, sweet, and almost creamy blend of blackcurrant, mango, and lychee amongst other exotic fruits.

Different flavours of the profile become dominant, as you try it in different devices at different wattages. The juice alone, is an exploration of its own, and we welcome you to try it in different setups and settings and tell us what you taste with each usage!

In the year 1271, Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant travel, set sail for his first journey to Asia, to meet Kublai Khanh, the ruler of China at the time. In his journey, he sailed the seas, rode camels through the Silk Road, met other merchants, and survived bandit attacks during his three year journey to the capital of China.

Savour the Journey.

Review: HO-LEE-SHIT. Where do we start?

  1. Packaging: This is one of the rare times where the packaging of the juice really impressed me. It reminded me of a high-end cologne brand with an Asian twist. There’s even a fun surprise INSIDE the box – which I’ll let you discover yourself 🙂
  2. The aroma: Seriously, this juice smells LOVELY. I have a thing for scents – I own over 50 bottles of cologne (don’t ask), and when I caught the scent of 1271 for the first time, I was truly blown away. It smelled like ripping open some fresh Lychees – and right before you were going to devour them – with a really subtle twist. The scent is sweet but not overbearing – and just straight up delicious. I would absolutely use this scent as an air freshener, lol. Maybe I should suggest it to the guys, if you’re reading this… lol
  3. The flavor: WOW. Seriously, best flavor I have ever vaped. As someone who has been vaping for years and who has e-juice A.D.D., this flavor was perfectly made for me. Just to recap:
  • I LOVE FRUITS.
  • I LOVE SWEET but not artificial sweetener sweet.
  • And I love complex but not overpowering juices.

It tastes EXACTLY like it smells. A very delicious Lychee flavor, followed by a tasty Black Currant, with a hint of mangoes – and as the description aptly states: a mix of other exotic fruits. The key word here is exotic. It absolutely tastes like nothing I’ve ever tried before.

Here’s the thing about Lychee and Mango flavors. I’ve tried dozens of them before, and the Lychee is typically way too sweet. The mango typically tastes quite synthetic. Whereas, I haven’t had a black currant that I enjoyed (for some reason, black currant is typically mixed with other flavors, like pineapple).

I also don’t like cream (as all my previous reviews have made clear) – but the creaminess is so subtle here, that it really adds an incredible smoothness to the vaping experience.

In this particular instance, the mix of all of the above (and whatever the mystery fruits are) taste like they were 100% made for me.

My reality is that I had finished ALL of the bottles that Brian provided me with – I actually had to return to the store and ask for more – you know, for science.

The Not So Good

The one flaw I found in the juice, and I can honestly say from a scientific perspective, is that I went through coils really quickly. I averaged about 15ml per coil – which for me, had never happened before. In vaping 180 ml of this juice, I went through 11 coils. When I got to about 15-20ml through a coil, it started tasting not as awesome as it did when it was fresh, and thus I always changed the coils.

If there’s any clear feedback for the company’s first foray into juices, the only thing I’d change about it is that I’d like for the flavor to last longer with my coils: Crown I, Crown III, and Aspire Athos/Speeder Kit. I suspect folks who use drippers will have an even better experience than I did.

My rating: 9.5/10 This flavor is as close to perfection for me. The only thing stopping this from being a 10 is the fact that eats my coils.

And ultimately, if you like fruit flavors (particularly Lychee, Mango, and Black Currant) then you MUST try this. 1271 will be in my rotation for the foreseeable future.