Review Druids Brew - Snow Queen

[Simon G]

After expressing my curiosity and fear of this eliquid in another thread Paul from Druids Brew was kind enough to send me a bottle to try. ..... to try. I didn't accept the bottle in return for a review but I'm going to do one anyway because I suspect that a lot of you reading this will be thinking the same thing from the description as I was "I like Bread of Heaven and I like Crow Black but I'm not sure about this one!" ... anyway just so you know I didn't pay for this bottle and I wasn't paid to write this.

So what is the slightly terrifying description of the liquid that had put me off buying it? ....

Vape Club says "Snow Queen eLiquid by The Druid's Brew is a balanced blend of Boiled Mint Sweets along with earthy Tobacco."

The Druids Brew website says “This is a sweet and complex ADV vape- A traditional minty, boiled sweet blended into a warm, woody tobacco with a fresh finish.”

… and finally the HWBLBWBL website says “This is a true tobacco menthol: a unique blend of smooth tobacco flavours with a hint of mint finely balanced with menthol. This equilibrium generates mysterious twists: sharp, warm, juicy- never boring. SQ will appeal to vapers looking for an all day vape who have struggled to find a menthol they like, even those who think that menthol isn’t for them. Not simply a tobacco menthol- a menthol renaissance.“

So menthol fags with a bit of sweetener right? …. Well no, and prepare to be surprised as I was when I first tasted this liquid.

Really I should have known better after tasting Bread of Heaven and Crow Black to think that the mighty Druid would just chuck a tobacco flavour and some menthol into a bottle and sell it. Paul's input into the recent collaboration with Manabush to produce the Indigene range should have made it obvious to me that chucking tobacco and menthol together to create 'Menthol Tobacco' isn't going to cut it for Druids Brew, they have a little more passion as mixers than that.

So, what did I think on my first inhale (12mg on a corolla v1.5) … my first thought was “This is a bit weird” my second thought was “What the hell is that I'm tasting” and my third thought was “OK, this is not what I was expecting”

I was vaping away on it for a little while but I wasn't sure if I really liked it or not. I knew I didn't hate it and I had to go and visit my Mum this afternoon so I filled the tank up with Snow Queen and headed out for the afternoon so I could give it a fair crack of the whip before deciding if I would buy it again or not.....

So... you must be all thinking “Shut up and tell us what it does taste like you dummy” ….. alas if only it was that easy.

I'll tell you first what is doesn't taste like to me ….. a menthol cigarette, but what is does taste of is pretty hard to describe, it reminds me of so many things from my past that I don't taste that often now.

It reminds me of Pear Drops, it reminds me of Winter Mixture, it reminds me of Crow Black, it reminds me of Murry Mints, it reminds me of smoking a cigarette while you have a mouthful of sweets, it reminds me of strange boiled sweets my Gran gave me when I was a kid which always had an unusual exotic flavour that didn't taste like my usual sweets. It reminds me of my favourite tobacco liquids … it's all that and more, it's pretty indescribable.

“Thanks dickhead, I read all that shit and that's the best you can do?” I can imagine you muttering under your breath and I don't blame you, so what can I say to help?

If you hate menthol liquids and dislike mint liquids DO NOT let that put you off this liquid. Personally I cant even taste the menthol, it's very subtle and combined with the mint (which is also quite subtle) it's a very very different effect to what you might imagine, think of it as more of a flavour enhancer than a flavour in itself. … like you might add a fresh mint leaf to a cocktail or some food. It's there but it's not in your face (or your throat)

So my final verdict? Well, I've been vaping it all afternoon and all evening and yes I do like it. … and yes I will be buying some more along with my next BoH or Crow order.

The best way to describe it is like a really good album, after the first listen you think it's ok but you still prefer the band's other albums, it doesn't sound like you were expecting ..... then after listening a few more times you get to know the lyrics and the tunes, get to understand them a little better. … then after several years it becomes your favourite album by that band because while it was different and it seemed a bit weird and unusual compared to the previous albums you actually realise one day that it's a masterpiece...... It's basically 'The Black Album' by the Damned.

… If you are curious but in doubt (as I was) I urge you to give this one a try, I think it will surprise you if you are willing to give it a chance and put any preconceived notions about 'menthol tobaccos' aside.... it's a weird one but it's proper nice.

Big thanks to Paul at @The Druid’s Brew for giving me the opportunity to try this liquid out.

10W/50/50/MTL

 

[eyeball kid]

After expressing my curiosity and fear of this eliquid in another thread Paul from Druids Brew was kind enough to send me a bottle to try. ..... to try. I didn't accept the bottle in return for a review but I'm going to do one anyway because I suspect that a lot of you reading this will be thinking the same thing from the description as I was "I like Bread of Heaven and I like Crow Black but I'm not sure about this one!" ... anyway just so you know I didn't pay for this bottle and I wasn't paid to write this.

So what is the slightly terrifying description of the liquid that had put me off buying it? ....

Vape Club says "Snow Queen eLiquid by The Druid's Brew is a balanced blend of Boiled Mint Sweets along with earthy Tobacco."

The Druids Brew website says “This is a sweet and complex ADV vape- A traditional minty, boiled sweet blended into a warm, woody tobacco with a fresh finish.”

… and finally the HWBLBWBL website says “This is a true tobacco menthol: a unique blend of smooth tobacco flavours with a hint of mint finely balanced with menthol. This equilibrium generates mysterious twists: sharp, warm, juicy- never boring. SQ will appeal to vapers looking for an all day vape who have struggled to find a menthol they like, even those who think that menthol isn’t for them. Not simply a tobacco menthol- a menthol renaissance.“

So menthol fags with a bit of sweetener right? …. Well no, and prepare to be surprised as I was when I first tasted this liquid.

Really I should have known better after tasting Bread of Heaven and Crow Black to think that the mighty Druid would just chuck a tobacco flavour and some menthol into a bottle and sell it. Paul's input into the recent collaboration with Manabush to produce the Indigene range should have made it obvious to me that chucking tobacco and menthol together to create 'Menthol Tobacco' isn't going to cut it for Druids Brew, they have a little more passion as mixers than that.

So, what did I think on my first inhale (12mg on a corolla v1.5) … my first thought was “This is a bit weird” my second thought was “What the hell is that I'm tasting” and my third thought was “OK, this is not what I was expecting”

I was vaping away on it for a little while but I wasn't sure if I really liked it or not. I knew I didn't hate it and I had to go and visit my Mum this afternoon so I filled the tank up with Snow Queen and headed out for the afternoon so I could give it a fair crack of the whip before deciding if I would buy it again or not.....

So... you must be all thinking “Shut up and tell us what it does taste like you dummy” ….. alas if only it was that easy.

I'll tell you first what is doesn't taste like to me ….. a menthol cigarette, but what is does taste of is pretty hard to describe, it reminds me of so many things from my past that I don't taste that often now.

It reminds me of Pear Drops, it reminds me of Winter Mixture, it reminds me of Crow Black, it reminds me of Murry Mints, it reminds me of smoking a cigarette while you have a mouthful of sweets, it reminds me of strange boiled sweets my Gran gave me when I was a kid which always had an unusual exotic flavour that didn't taste like my usual sweets. It reminds me of my favourite tobacco liquids … it's all that and more, it's pretty indescribable.

“Thanks dickhead, I read all that shit and that's the best you can do?” I can imagine you muttering under your breath and I don't blame you, so what can I say to help?

If you hate menthol liquids and dislike mint liquids DO NOT let that put you off this liquid. Personally I cant even taste the menthol, it's very subtle and combined with the mint (which is also quite subtle) it's a very very different effect to what you might imagine, think of it as more of a flavour enhancer than a flavour in itself. … like you might add a fresh mint leaf to a cocktail or some food. It's there but it's not in your face (or your throat)

So my final verdict? Well, I've been vaping it all afternoon and all evening and yes I do like it. … and yes I will be buying some more along with my next BoH or Crow order.

The best way to describe it is like a really good album, after the first listen you think it's ok but you still prefer the band's other albums, it doesn't sound like you were expecting ..... then after listening a few more times you get to know the lyrics and the tunes, get to understand them a little better. … then after several years it becomes your favourite album by that band because while it was different and it seemed a bit weird and unusual compared to the previous albums you actually realise one day that it's a masterpiece...... It's basically 'The Black Album' by the Damned.

… If you are curious but in doubt (as I was) I urge you to give this one a try, I think it will surprise you if you are willing to give it a chance and put any preconceived notions about 'menthol tobaccos' aside.... it's a weird one but it's proper nice.

Big thanks to Paul at @The Druid’s Brew for giving me the opportunity to try this liquid out.

10W/50/50/MTL

Nicely done. I've been meaning to write a review for silver fox by colonel boom but its the same. So complex it's almost impossible to describe. I shall have to try.

 

[Simon G]

Nicely done. I've been meaning to write a review for silver fox by colonel boom but its the same. So complex it's almost impossible to describe. I shall have to try.

yeah, you should ... that could be another untried gem for me.

Snow Queen is great .. I've almost vaped 10ml today, proper caning it! the more I vape it the more I like it.

 

[The Druid’s Brew]

Hey Si
That's a great review- thank you very much.

Personally, I never liked menthol fags but I think the flavour idea behind them is sound. This was my attempt to improve on that.

In fact, I don't really like menthol liquids on the whole but a little touch, (like you said as an enhancer) works wonders helping to balance the mint against the tobacco.

My favourite part of your review was "'It's basically 'The Black Album' by the Damned." Cool album- cool analogy (unintended menthol reference).

By the way, I've finished development of a non-menthol/ mint version of the tobacco and I think it's really good. Toying with the idea of calling it "No Queen". What do you think?

Thanks for doing this Si. I appreciate it a lot.

 

[Simon G]

Hey Si
That's a great review- thank you very much.

Personally, I never liked menthol fags but I think the flavour idea behind them is sound. This was my attempt to improve on that.

In fact, I don't really like menthol liquids on the whole but a little touch, (like you said as an enhancer) works wonders helping to balance the mint against the tobacco.

My favourite part of your review was "'It's basically 'The Black Album' by the Damned." Cool album- cool analogy (unintended menthol reference).

By the way, I've finished development of a non-menthol/ mint version of the tobacco and I think it's really good. Toying with the idea of calling it "No Queen". What do you think?

Thanks for doing this Si. I appreciate it a lot.

No problemo

haha, I can remember buying the black album putting it on and thinking 'mm, I'm not sure about this, sounds a bit odd" it's probably my favourite Damned album now, or the one I listen to the most anyway.

No Queen, ... well it made me proper laugh but I'm not sure that's a good thing? ... what about Sun Queen? .... ZT will like it as it sounds like a Cult reference.

 

[The Druid’s Brew]

Hey- not a bad idea

Still chewing this one. Naming is usually one of the most enjoyable things in mixing and almost obvious. Not this one though

 

[eyeball kid]

No problemo

haha, I can remember buying the black album putting it on and thinking 'mm, I'm not sure about this, sounds a bit odd" it's probably my favourite Damned album now, or the one I listen to the most anyway.

No Queen, ... well it made me proper laugh but I'm not sure that's a good thing? ... what about Sun Queen? .... ZT will like it as it sounds like a Cult reference.

Hey Si
That's a great review- thank you very much.

Personally, I never liked menthol fags but I think the flavour idea behind them is sound. This was my attempt to improve on that.

In fact, I don't really like menthol liquids on the whole but a little touch, (like you said as an enhancer) works wonders helping to balance the mint against the tobacco.

My favourite part of your review was "'It's basically 'The Black Album' by the Damned." Cool album- cool analogy (unintended menthol reference).

By the way, I've finished development of a non-menthol/ mint version of the tobacco and I think it's really good. Toying with the idea of calling it "No Queen". What do you think?

Thanks for doing this Si. I appreciate it a lot.

That's a sound idea bud. I was talking with ZT about this a while back. Mrs kid started adding peppermint to her favourite tobacco juice years ago as it had a sweeter, stronger hit and blended better. She has converted loads of menthol liquid users to this method. Even I think it's far better for keeping the integrity of the original flavour.
Let me know when you get some done. Mrs kid is a big snow queen fan already.

 

[eyeball kid]

Hey- not a bad idea

Still chewing this one. Naming is usually one of the most enjoyable things in mixing and almost obvious. Not this one though

Mrs kid suggested either freya or the crone. (You can find her book the hedgewitch book of days) on Amazon. She's pretty much an expert on this ancient British religious stuff. The crone is mother and ruler of the dark times of the year and icy blasts so may work well.

 

[Simon G]

BTW, my missus explained what 'Bread of Heaven' was all about today, made me feel proper thick.

for the longest time I thought there was bread flavour in the liquid, I think that's why it took me over a year to get around to trying it. .... I was thinking "yeasty tobacco, not sure about that"

 

[Simon G]

... I'm not joking either.