HMBL eLiquids is a subsidiary brand of Humble Juice Co. Its range covers fruit, menthol, dessert and tobacco flavors, sold as regular e-liquid and as nic salt. This review looks at Apple Jay Jay, and I judged it on three things: appearance, flavor and how well it holds up as an all-day vape. I tested the 3mg strength.
A note before we start. We no longer carry Apple Jay Jay, having made room for newer brands and flavors, and Humble Juice Co. has discontinued it on its official website. It was only sold within the United States, so a local vape shop or another online retailer there is where you would need to look for a bottle.
The verdict first
I give Apple Jay Jay 8 out of 10. This was my first HMBL liquid, and it impressed me. Pure fruit flavors can get boring, and other apple juices have left me wishing a second fruit had been blended in. This one kept my interest because of the sharp sour tang that closes each puff. I would recommend it to vapers who enjoy single-fruit flavors and want a bit more punch on the exhale, and I plan to try more of the HMBL line.
Bottle and label
Like every HMBL liquid, Apple Jay Jay ships in a 120mL chubby gorilla bottle. Mine was dark plastic, so I could not see the color of the juice, how thick it was or how much remained. That was my main complaint about the packaging.
The label is black as well, with a satin green stripe across the top and the bottom and matching green polka dots in between. The brand and flavor names run vertically down the middle. The right-hand side carries the warnings, the ingredients, the 120mL size and the nicotine content. Besides the 3mg I tried, there are 0mg and 6mg options. A large vertical banner on the back states that the product contains nicotine, an addictive chemical.
The expiration date and batch number are printed on the underside of the bottle. I liked that placement enough to go and check whether my other bottles do the same.
One thing missing from the label is the VG/PG ratio. I looked it up on the company website: 65/35, a little off the common 70/30. The same site says all HMBL liquids are made with nicotine salts, although they can be used in a regular sub-ohm device. Overall the design is simple and classic, and I only wish the unusual ratio had been printed on it.
Filling the tank
The black child-resistant cap unscrews easily and the fill tip is slim, so topping up was quick and clean. Before filling I smelled the tip. The scent was crisp, very sweet apple, a touch artificial, and it reminded me strongly of the apple versions of Ciroc and Jack Daniel’s. It was rich, fruity and unmistakably apple.
Only once the liquid was in the tank could I see it properly. It is yellow with a very faint reddish tinge, which comes from the nicotine. It looked thin and watery going in, then thickened after several pulls, something I have seen with the last few juices I reviewed. This is a plain apple liquid with no second fruit, menthol or custard added.
How it tastes
Since the maker no longer lists the flavor, I checked descriptions on other sites. They call it fruity, strongly apple and tart in the manner of a green apple. That matched what I got. Apple hit right away on the first pull, and a strong sour note came in near the end of the exhale, much like a green apple Blow Pop. The flavor is well defined but leans toward candy more than fresh fruit.
My first reaction was that it tasted a bit soapy, and I was not keen. Then I worked out that the note I could not place was the sourness. Nothing on the bottle mentions sour green apple or candy, but after years of sour sweets and sour juices my taste buds caught on quickly. By the end, the sweet apple followed by sour had me thinking of a green apple Jolly Rancher.
The throat hit at 3mg was smooth and satisfying from a single pull, though I kept going back for the flavor. The sourness left my mouth slightly dry after repeated hits. It was faint, it is common with sour liquids, and a drink of water sorted it out. After that I could vape it all day without tiring of it. The taste stayed bold on every hit, and I liked the sour side more as I went on. The clouds smell good too, which makes this a nice juice for a reverse waterfall.
What I would change
- A bottle you can see through, to show the liquid and the level.
- The 65/35 ratio printed on the label.
- A name that hints at the sourness, perhaps Green Apple Jay. It is more tart than a simple apple such as Red’s Apple eJuice.
None of that outweighed the flavor or the size of the bottle. It starts smooth and sweet and ends sour and dry, which is how a green apple liquid should taste.