e-Liquid Review: Bourbon & Ginger from Dutch Courage

Welcome back, I’ve been running a few hardware reviews lately, but now back onto the eliquids.

This next line that I’m reviewing has been around for a while, and even though I’m only just getting to it, has been on my radar for some time.
I love unusual flavour pairings, and this range totally fits the bill.

Born out of the Vapoureyes’ Lab, by their experienced mixers, Dutch Courage was created as a unique alcohol profile range. Obviously there’s no real alcohol in here, which is why you can vape this all day long, without getting the buzz! (not sure if that’s a good thing)

Today I’ll be reviewing “Bourbon & Ginger” from Dutch Courage.

(This eliquid was supplied by the vendor for review.)

Flavour Description

[From the website]
Just as it says on the bottle, caramelised and oaky bourbon drips up the glass, to  meld with a lightly spicy ginger for a classic mixer.

The Review

Straight away, this flavour was always going to be something a little different. Something out of left field, and it definitely hasn’t disappointed!
Classic sweet bourbon and sugar provides the base for this one, while your lighter and tangier Lime and Ginger pull up the mid-range, and with them a bit of a honey profile!

Individual Notes

The bourbon here is quite light and a little sweet, with that unmistakable alcohol note. If it wasn’t mentioned, you might not even notice it to be honest, but it does tie into the overall profile quite well, and does make a difference. It’s a bit of a hybrid, not quite bourbon, not quite rum.

I wouldn’t say there is caramel in here, more so a sweet sugary base with the faintest smokiness, both this and the bourbon, drive the beginning of the vape, and set the scene for the other flavours.

You may not notice it, but honey runs through this flavour too. Most noticeable on the exhale, if you’re a bystander you’ll likely notice it more, as it has the same smell as a black honey tobacco. Quite musty and sweet.

I feel like there is a bit of lime here too. It’s a syrupy lime that backs up the ginger, and bridges it with the bourbon and sweeter notes, creating some acidity and adding brightness.

I’ve read a few comments about this and some have said that the Ginger is not very noticeable. I notice it, and it seems to layer perfectly over the bourbon, sweet, yet brighter, and very much like a ginger ale.

Inhale & Exhale

On the inhale, I notice the slightly bitter yet sweet bourbon and the lovely sugar notes first, they richen and increase in intensity as your inhale get’s deeper. There’s a little sweetness at this point which masks the alcohol notes but, you do notice them on alternating inhales.
As I reach the top of the inhale, I notice a little acidity through the bourbon and sugar, it’s lightly soured, but syrupy, like a key lime or similar flavour.
This brightens things a little while providing some body to the bourbon also setting the stage nicely for the Ginger.

On the exhale, this Key Lime? strengthens, side by side with the bourbon, as Ginger works it’s way into the mix. It’s tangy, warm and very much like a ginger ale. It has a dryness to it that only Ginger can bring, but that is easily dismissed as the spiciness of it washes over.

From this point right through to the end of the exhale, the bourbon evens out, the sweet smokey sugar blends with the lime and the Ginger triggers a warm spicy finish that is not only tasty but such a unique feel that you can’t help but go back for more.

Final thoughts

So, what did I think? I’ve genuinely enjoyed this one, I’ve probably been vaping it a little longer than I normally would have for a flavour review, because I have just always loved ginger ale, I haven’t wanted to change it out for anything else.

I’m really enjoying the shift from the acidic syrupy Lime to the warmer spicy Ginger and all of the flavour that comes with it.

One thing that did bug me a little was the honey smell. If you’re not familiar, honey concentrates like Black honey tobacco can emit an odor, that’s not exactly inviting. Because of this I’ve had to vape this outside of the house, which is not a problem, but I found myself noticing the smell of it at times too. It’s a little musty and kind of knocks an otherwise fantastic flavour down a few pegs.

All in all Vapoureyes have done a great job here, and if you’re into interesting flavours, more importantly, love ginger… or bourbon… you should give this a crack.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how the other flavour profiles in this range go!

Good work guys!

Where to Buy:

This flavour and the rest of the Dutch Courage range can be purchased from the Vapoureyes Online Store, the Vape Traders website for wholesale, as well as any of their many stockists around the country.

Colour:

Light Honey Tint

Aroma:

Ginger

Coil and wick damage:

This flavour will gunk your coil and darken your wicks, but you’ll get a good 4-5 days out of vaping it before that happens.

PG/VG Ratio:

70VG/30PG

Texture:

Sweet and bold, with sharp citrus and warm spices

Steeping:

Its probably a good idea to let this steep for a little while. A long steep isn’t necessary.

Presentation:

Very nice branding from VE here. I received tinted 60ml Chubby Gorilla bottles with tamper proof and child-proof caps. The dispenser is your usual needle type so you can easily fill your favourite tank.
The labelling is lovely, with the juice range name front and centre, in an old school emblem logo. Marble background as well as surrounding geometric colour coded lines help separate the labels by flavour/colour combination.
All of your usual information is here, bottle size, ingredients, warnings, barcode, “formulated by JuiceBX in Australia”. The one thing I don’t see on here is the PG/VG ratio. But according to their website, it is 70/30.
Fantastic labels!

Test rigs:

Original Haku Cruiser running a single 0.17 framed staple coil on a mech mod.
Augvape Intake RTA with a 0.2ohm Stainless coil running @ approx 50-80 watts.

Shane Presser

Shane Presser has been vaping since 2013, and has extensive experience with advanced equipment, coil builds and DIY mixing. He is the man behind VapersGarage, and also more recently Aussie Vape Stores, a resource to help vapers find their nearest Vape Shops, and eLiquid Vendors.