*NEW HARDWARE REVIEW* Aspire Flexus Blok Kit

 

I simply cannot sit back and let this one fly under the radar…not that it will anyways.

After loving the original Aspire Flexus Q Kit, I happened to come across an Instagram post by Evolution Vaping UK, they were advertising the brand new AIO system by Aspire. As AIOs go, I’ve been lucky enough to own a few, ranging from the more expensive Billet Boxes and DotAIO’s to the old skool Aspire Plato and the Kangertech Nebox. Safe to say the whole idea of an AIO setup has been really appealing to me during my time as a vaper. They look sleek and, in my opinion, they are the most aesthetically pleasing yet hard wearing devices on the market, so as soon as I placed my order, I was near enough counting the hours until its delivery.

Building upon an already outstanding and well loved device, namely the Flexus Q, the Flexus Blok is worlds apart - yet still an incredible kit.

Adopting a completely new look, the Blok (as mentioned previously) resembles the rectangular, palm sized look found in many AIO systems. A plastic ‘pod’ is magnetically held in place on the top corner of the device and holds a maximum capacity of 2ml (making it TPD compliant). It is easily filled up via a sliding latch that reveals a decent sized juice port underneath - the perfect size, accommodating for the majority of e-liquid bottle tips that are currently on the market.

The Flexus Blok also boasts an impressive feature (not found in the Flexus Q) in the form of airflow control, now this is a massive but simple step in terms of increasing the target audience for this kit. Ranging from a ultra tight MTL to a RDTL, this device offers modest to average vapour production.

Paired up with this relatively tight inhale, the Flexus Blok works great with thinner 50/50 e-liquids and especially nicotine salts (currently using Carousel by Innevape). The hit is strong and the flavour even more so, combining ease of use and practicality when you just want something to satisfy those nicotine cravings.

Pocket sized and compact, this kit is small in stature but still has a hefty weight to it, oozing with a sense of high quality and skilled craftsmanship. In line with its expertly executed ergonomics, the Blok is both elegant and stylish and is available in a multitude of attractive colour options, mine of which is a stunning fuchsia. One of the simplest but well appreciated features of this kit is the removable 510 drip tip, adding a layer of personal customisation.

But enough about the outer shell of this gorgeous machine! It’s what is under the hood that really makes this device shine…

Charged up quickly via USB C, the 1200mAh integrated battery lasts far longer than the offered by the Flexus Q (a mere 700mAh) and battery life is indicated via a small light on the side of the device.

To puff on, the Blok gives vapers an option between a draw activation vs. button activation, which is purely down to personal preference (I find myself using the draw activation most of the time). 

With the ability to cycle through 3 different power settings indicated by an LED light and by pressing the fire button 3 times, you can toggle from red (low) to blue (medium) and green (high), this kit can really accommodate for a wide range of vapers and preferences. I found the mid-level to be just right, giving a decent amount of flavour and an intense hit, but I liked the fact that I can change it with a few clicks of a button.

With a current RRP of about £30, this kit is worth every penny, in fact, I hands down prefer it to my Billet/DotAIOs (egad!). Vaping is massively subjective, but for me, the Blok is so much easier to operate and transport. There is no external battery to worry about and the risk of leaking is pretty much non-existent. The pods are far simpler to disconnect and fill in comparison to the Boro tanks used in many AIOs. Some people will strongly disagree with me in that respect as BBs are so highly regarded and sought after, but if you are looking for a cheap, reliable and well made device, you’re gonna want to have a look at the Aspire Flexus Blok.

Pros

It looks sleek and elegant

I love how easy it is to remove the pod/tank

I liked the fact that you can change the drip tip

Coil life was impressive

For me, it is the perfect replacement to a BB or DotAIO

Cons

I know nothing can be done about it, but it would be nice to have the 3ml pod (thanks TPD!)

Aspire Flexus Blok Specs

Size: 41.6×17.5×88.5mm

Battery: 1200mAh

E-liquid capacity: 2ml

USB Type C – 1A charge rate

Adjustable airflow

Draw or button activated

Side fill port

ASP Chipset

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* A NEW OLD FAVOURITE, PINK GRENADE HYBRID SALTS BY RIOT SQUAD

Riot Squad needs no introduction, their flavours are consistently solid and are an absolute hit when it comes to the UK vape scene. I have been super lucky to have tried most of their flavours, but for me, one holds the definitive top spot.

'Pink Grenade' is an eclectic combination of refreshing flavours, all designed to brighten up your day. Eye-watering sourness is offered up by the lemonade side of things but is soon mellowed out by a sweet blend of bright red strawberries. The use of opposite profiles is exhibited incredibly well as both constituents bring full-on flavour to the table. I do notice an extremely subtle hint of iciness, but not overwhelmingly so - just enough to give this already impressive flavour a kick. 

If that wasn't already good enough for you, Riot Salts are a unique hybrid between both regular (freebase) and salt nicotine. This proprietary blend offers vapers the throat hit of freebase nicotine and the instant hit of salt nicotine. I really love how the throat hit is strong but still maintains the quick ingestion when vaping.

This line of e-liquids is 50/50 VG/PG and is currently available in 5mg, 10mg and 20mg - all TPD compliant.

*NEW ELIQUID REVIEW* Purple Bomb Nic Salts by VGod

Picked up on my travels, ‘Purple Bomb’ is one of the more impressive grape flavours I have had the pleasure of trying. With nicotine salt e-liquids holding the top spot in terms of my most used e-liquid type, I expect somewhat of a consistent and reliable ‘all day vape’ factor. If the flavour is even a tiny little bit off, it gets chucked in the spare e-liquid box - just in case vaping gets outlawed/there is an apocalypse/a robber steals all of my decent juice. 

An uncomplicated but popular flavour profile, ‘Purple Bomb’ is a straight up, candied grape that is rather akin to a soda, bubblegum or sweet variation. You get the subtle candy notes, as well as a deep, rich and juicy purple grape - combining in a simple but wondrous manner. This e-liquid carries very little sweetness, something that, in my opinion, only adds to the appeal of this flavour. At no point does ‘Purple Bomb’ become sickly and therefore cements this e-liquid as an all day vape. On this note, I relished the fact that there was a complete absence of ice in this e-liquid too, thus allowing the well rounded grape notes to pop in all their glory.

Despite being 25mg in strength, this e-liquid is super smooth and delivers a hit of nicotine in the way you’d expect from Nic salts in general.

Completely unrelated to the flavour itself, another thing I have a soft spot for would be the bottle size and shape. As many of you may be aware, here in the UK we have to follow TPD rules, one of which says any e-liquid with nicotine cannot be sold in bottles over the 10ml threshold, so when I was given a 30ml, 25mg e-liquid I grinned a little with excitement, a small but very appreciated touch.

Overall, I was gladly impressed with this flavour, it was simple and conveyed a rich, tasty grape without any ice or extra sweeteners. Definitely check this out if you are a fan of candy flavoured nic salts.

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* Dark Cherry by Joozed

Recommended to me by CCR Vape Bar, ‘Dark Cherry’ by Joozed is forged in the heart of Herefordshire and I was intrigued to see what all of the fuss was about.

I like to think that over the years I’ve acquired somewhat of a more well rounded and discernible palate when it comes to tasting and reviewing e-liquids, so I was interested to see how I’d get on with this flavour.

In fact, my very, very, very first e-liquid back in 2015 was an off-brand, cheap and nasty cherry tunes flavour that was beyond vile, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth both literally and figuratively. So just before trying this instalment from Joozed, I admit I had a bit of trepidation at first, but all feelings of apprehension were allayed as soon as I took that initial puff.

Simplicity is often overlooked when it comes to e-liquid manufacturing but complexity is not always necessary in creating a decent e-liquid.

Notes of sweet, saccharine glacé cherries bubble to the top of the inhale giving a deep and flavourful vape, without being overwhelming. The lighter cherry tones are followed closely by a rich and dark cherry, highly reminiscent of the fruit itself. 

The relationship between these two cherry variants combine to create an unmistakably delectable and well-thought-out overall flavour. It has sweetness, it has tartness and it has a powerful fruity blast - what more could you want?

One of the things I enjoyed most about this flavour was the relative absence of unnecessary additions - no ice, no cream nor any other complicated elements.

You know when a flavour is good when it stands up on its own and is conveyed extremely well, making it an easy choice for any vaper who enjoys fruit-based e-liquids.

Thanks for the recommendation Simon!

Go to https://ccrvape.co.uk/ to grab this one of a kind flavour as well as the other e-liquids in the Joozed line.

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* Inca by Digbys

Massive thanks to Digbys for providing me with this e-liquid to review.

To absolutely no-ones surprise, the latest offering from Digbys is, as you’d expect, on fleek (I’m no longer down with the kids, so I hope I used this phrase correctly!).

A new, complex take on a typical RY4 flavour, Inca is certainly one for the dessert fans out there.

It incorporates a diverse blend of earthy and nutty tobacco, rich caramel and smooth vanilla bean. When it comes to tobacco based flavours, a common miscalculation can sometimes lead to it tasting smokey and even burnt. This in itself isn’t too much of an issue, but in RY4 flavours, I much prefer a delicate and subtle tobacco. So, when I first tried Inca, I was impressed by how there were no smokey undertones - definitely an attribute I could appreciate.

The caramel element to this e-liquid not only balances the tobacco notes, but offers vapers a rich, multi-layered sweetness that comes across as both complex and whole tasting. The subtle notes of vanilla bean encompasses the flavour overall, it provides a smooth base for the tobacco and caramel to flourish.

With a VG:PG ratio of 65:35, this e-liquid is ideal to use in a sub-ohm set up, even more basic kits could handle it too.

This flavour is currently available in 0mg, 50ml shortfills that require nicotine shots to bring it up to your preferred nicotine strength.

Overall, I would say that I was surprised at how good this flavour was, but I already knew Inca was going to be pure gold before I tried it - it’s what I’ve come to expect from Digbys!

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* Juice Roll-Upz Salt Range

Juice Roll-Upz as a manufacturer, holds a special place in my heart. One of their most popular flavours, Blue Raspberry, was the first flavour of its kind that I tried way back in the day. After becoming engulfed in trying and reviewing the hazy mass of eliquids thrown about over the years, my attention to Juice Roll-Upz  had somewhat waned, but the flavour, and my positive memory of it never did.

I feel that as a reviewer, my palate has become much more refined and only top of the line flavours seem to impress me. So after trying literally thousands (I’m not even exaggerating!) only a few meet my strict standards and therefore make the cut.

Juice Roll-Upz offers me a comfortingly familiar set of flavours, and a subtle but noticeable sense of nostalgia takes over on every puff.

I was lucky enough to have visited the World Vape Show in Dubai recently and came home with a few absolutely STUNNING flavours. They are all 30ml and 25mg/ml salt nicotine.

Grape

A keep it simple approach seems to be the way forward with this particular eliquid, a juicy, sherbet-like grape stands out on its own. No over complication is needed as it is both intense and mouth watering. I loved the intriguing sour sensation on my tongue, and the consistent flavour throughout.

Wild Berry Punch

Juice Roll-Upz signature candy edge is well and truly present in this eliquid. There are elements of ripe, mixed berries that emanate both fresh and expertly crafted vibes. The sweet candy notes, and the bold berries are met with a revitalising and complex fruit punch that can only be described as heavenly. This is a flavour that lasts all day, and you’ll never get sick of it.

Blue Raspberry

Just as I remembered it, Blue Raspberry is powerful, sour yet sweet and has the unmistakable candied taste that is synonymous with Juice Roll-Upz .

That sweetness is present in all of the flavours that I have tried from them, and that they are famous for. The sweetness found in these eliquids is positively perplexing as it doesn’t get overpowering or sickly yet it still retains a good level of mouth watering, sugary deliciousness. The ideal all day vape!

Overall, a massive thank you to Juice Roll-Upz for creating such a stellar line up. It’s not often I find that every flavour stands out, and for that massive kudos to them!

*NEW NIC SALT JUICE REVIEW* GRAPE & CHERRY BY FROSTBITE

Today I popped in to one of my favourite vaping haunts, CCR Vape Bar Hereford, and have decided to try a highly recommended nicotine salt eLiquid - Grape & Cherry by Frostbite.

Due to my ever evolving preferences when it comes to vaping, I have grown rather partial to small, simple pod style devices and fruity/icy 20mg nic salts. So when the folks at CCR suggested that I should try this eLiquid, I was excited to see what all the fuss was about.

I soon chucked a new coil in and filled up a pod - and, well, the Lost Vape Orion isn’t exactly known for its flavour production, but the taste was conveyed well and was surprisingly impressive, intense and mouth watering - despite the rather basic MTL capabilities. The grape is both juicy and well rounded and offers a candy-like smoothness that is then combined with a sharp, slightly sour cherry. But hands down the best feature of this particular eLiquid would be the perfectly calculated amount of iciness.

The candy/fruit notes are swept together with a cool inhale and are brought to life even further by an ear tingling, throat freezing exhale.

If you are usually a fan of fruity, candy and/or ice based flavours, then I’d highly recommend this eliquid. It is available in 10ml, and in 10mg and 20mg nic salts.

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* Digby's Strawberries & Cream

Another massive thank you to Digby's for sending this amazing new flavour for me to review!

Digby's and I go way back – DMC was my first ever vanilla custard flavour, and it still sits comfortably within my top eliquids of all time. So when I was contacted and informed about this latest flavour from them, I knew it was going to be something special.

Strawberries & Cream is a notoriously intricate flavour profile to execute, and many that I have tried previously came across as artificial or overly sweet, therefore masking the overall taste.

But, when I finally chucked some fresh batteries in my mod, and re wicked my RDA, I was ready. This eliquid boasts decadent and rich strawberry notes that is then layered with a sumptuous and all encapsulating creaminess. Out of the thousands (yes, really!) of flavours I have tried over the last 6 years or so, I felt that this flavour in particular had an unmatched smoothness to it, unlike any I have had before. Despite the sweet notes, I didn't find it to be sickly – therefore giving this eliquid a definitive edge as an all day vape. I also found that it was rather forgiving on my coils, another fantastic reason to choose this eliquid.

Digby's Strawberries & Cream comes as a 70% VG, and therefore is an ideal choice for sub-ohm users and/or cloud chasers that also like full on flavours.

As an overall conclusion, I was incredibly impressed by yet another hit from Digby's and would highly recommend it to fans of dessert flavoured vapes.

*NEW E-LIQUID REVIEW* Carousel Salts by Innevape Labs

Over the past year or so, I have found myself gravitating more and more towards MTL/Pod set ups. Due to this, I’ve drastically reduced my juice consumption and now tend to go for 50/50 VG/PG nicotine salt options.

Up until about 2019, nic salts were pretty much uncharted territory for me. I had noticed the rapid growth of this new innovation, and wanted to jump on the bandwagon.

Nicotine salt eliquids offered me an ideal solution that involved discreet cloud production and no need to puff endlessly trying to get that ever important nicotine hit.

So, for my typical, high wattage, high VG eliquids, I am very much a fan of dessert flavours. Following this logic, my first few nic salt choices were also based on desserts, but for some reason in MTL set ups, they just didn’t work for me.

I soon fell in love with anything fruity or candy based, so it was natural that when I discovered Carousel, I had to give it a go.

Described as a ‘Mystery Cotton Candy’ flavour - it is just that! A difficult to discern but incredible elaboration on a typical candy floss flavour. There is a variety of tropical fruit notes, including something I can best describe as a sweet pineapple. These complexities only improve the overall flavour in my opinion, and I never felt it to be dull or tedious. Flavour is carried well when using MTL devices, and the hit is smooth and satisfying. Since finding this eliquid, I have yet to come across such a well rounded and intricate candy based flavour.

In the UK, Carousel is available in short fill form, as well as 10ml bottles that are 10mg/20mg nicotine salt.

Abroad, it can also be found in 30ml 24mg/50mg variations.

Price wise, 10ml is usually sold for £5, however some quick web searching will bring up lower prices as well as multi-buy deals.

Still one of my ‘go tos’ when it comes to nic salts, I only wish it was available in bigger bottles!

*NEW HARDWARE REVIEW* Squad Kit by Squid Industries

SPECS:

Size: 45.5 x 20.5 x 86mm

Wattage: 5-30W

Working Mode: VW

Battery Type: Built-in 1300mAh

Display: OLED Screen

Atomizer Type: 2ml Refillable Metal Atomizer with 0.6ohm mesh coil; 2ml Disposable Pod with a built-in coil (sold separately) and RTA Atomizer (also sold separately)

Following a somewhat obsessive amount of research as well as learning the opinions from my favourite YouTube reviewers, I decided to go ahead and purchase this stunning kit from Squid Industries. After having previous experience with the original Double Barrel, also from Squid Industries, I certainly had high hopes for this device.

The immediate thought I had when holding this kit for the first time was its impressive weight, I felt that the hefty nature of this mod gave it an air of unparalleled quality.

This kit comes in a plethora of colours and designs, ranging from a simple black finish to multicoloured floral patterns. Size wise, the Squad is clearly on the small end, especially when compared to other devices with similar features. It fits snugly in your hand, and the curved edges just accentuate the comfort felt when holding this kit.

Somewhat of a conundrum, I would personally describe this kit as an All In One (AIO) device. It has an inbuilt 1300mAh battery that can handle roughly a day of light usage before needing to recharge.

Squid Industries has designed a 2ml tank system that is exclusive to this AIO. It is available in 3 varieties; a disposable tank, an RTA tank and a tank that takes stock coils.

The disposable tanks are ideal for new vapers, as there is no messing about with priming and installing coils, and they have been designed with ease of use in mind.

On the other end of the spectrum, the RTA version features a 2 post deck (single coil) that is a doddle to build on. Flavour can be intense but largely depends on what type of wire/coil set up you choose. I had a minor issue building such a small coil as the deck itself is tiny. When it comes to wicking, you can expect it to behave much like any other RTA on the market, too much cotton = dry hits and too little = possible risk of leakage.

The tank that incorporates stock coils features a simple fill port near the top of the tank, and coils fit tightly screwed in to the base. The pre installed coil is a 0.6ohm mesh variant, and has offered me near to a weeks worth of moderate usage, without losing flavour.

That being said, due to the long chimney, flavour can be somewhat muted. However this didn't bother me at all as I'm not one for intense flavour.

These particular coils aren't the easiest to come by, especially in brick and mortar shops. The good news is that Aspire BVC and Artery HP coils are compatible with this tank, meaning you won't be left high and dry when it comes to coil choice.

All tank options have a small, adjustable air flow ring that ranges from tight MTL to RDTL. I tend to use mine about halfway open and it gives me a warm, tight draw with the perfect amount of flavour.

These tanks are not compatible with any other device unless you use a 510 adaptor, therefore that also means that any other tanks will not work with this device.

Overall I found that all tank options had slightly reduced flavour, but did deliver a warm and powerful hit.

This device has a wattage range of 5W-30W and I stick to about the 20W mark when using the 0.6ohm coil. Although 30W may seem very low when compared to big, dual 18650, 200W mods, I felt it was plenty enough for the style of vaping that this kit offers.

Despite its tiny size, this device manages to feature an OLED screen that displays wattage, ohms, voltage, amps and a battery life indicator. Nice and simple!

The price point is rather unclear, depending on where you look, it can be anywhere from £19.99 to £50. I (obviously) went for the £19.99 one, so in my case it was well worth the money. However, I don't know if I could justify spending much more than about £30 for this kit – even though I had a largely positive experience with it.

In summary, I was pleasantly taken aback by the performance of this unassuming little kit. The whole set up was easy to navigate and I really liked the choice of atomisers that you can use. The diluted flavour for me was a massive plus, as I don't consider myself much of a flavour chaser. The ergonomics of this device were flawless and the substantial weight of it was satisfying to say the least. When it comes to pricing, I think that £19.99 is well worth it. I found that this device is able to cater to all levels of vapers, whether you are in to disposable tanks or building your own coils.

PROS

• Robust, high quality feel

• Atomiser styles suited for all types of vapers

CONS

• None

The Wismec Luxotic Surface

Possibly one of the smallest single 18650 regulated squonkers out there, the Luxotic Surface still packs a hefty punch.

This mod comes in a variety of sleek and whimsical colour schemes and the one that I received was a stunning pattern of black and purple.

In terms of size and weight, this kit is a mere 131.8 grams and has a height of 78mm and a width of 25.5mm. It has a simple yet well-designed shape, and it fits very nicely in the palm of your hand.

The Surface boasts a substantially sized and soft squonk bottle, that has a capacity of 6.5ml, reducing the frequency at which you will need to refill. It is crafted out of food grade silicone.

As I mentioned previously, this kit is a single 18650 device, and can comfortably reach wattages of up to 80 watts. The Surface has simple up and down buttons to adjust the wattage and is displayed on a 0.49inch OLED screen.

One of the things I most appreciated about this mod was the number of different output modes there is. Not only do you get the standard variable wattage mode, but also a bypass mode and several temperature control modes.

In terms of a readable coil resistance range, the Surface can handle anything between 0.05ohms, all the way up to 3.5ohms.

Now, despite this device's small stature, it still has the incredible potential to pack quite a punch. I have been using a single coil BF RDA, running at 0.35 ohms and pushed up to 50watts. You really do get a decent, flavourful and warm vape at these settings.

Even running at 50watts, and using it rather consistently, I found the battery to last a fair amount of time.

Another feature I noticed and appreciated, was the removable base, allowing you to easily and safely remove the squonk bottle to refill it reducing the risk of leakage or spillage.

Probably my favourite thing about this mod would probably be the minute nature, as it fits perfectly in a handbag or pocket, making it ideal for being out and about.

Overall, a fantastic piece of kit, suitable for both vaping veterans, as well as vapers who are looking to start squonking.

I would like to thank UKVB for sending this device out to me to review.