nrkist

I want to preface this review with a couple things. First and foremost, I am trying to quit smoking. Secondly, I don't find myself to be a nicotine 'addict', it's more the habits I've developed from smoking over the years that make it hard to quit. Driving = cigarette. Drinking = cigarette. A great meal warrants a cigarette afterwords. After a long shift, everyone takes a seat and chills out and has a smoke over some small talk. I think for a lot of people, it's more about the ritual than the nicotine and I think that's where e-cigs really shine. Southbeach Smoke Deluxe Kit: 59.95? Shipping: I live in Arizona, I did not have any special delivery and I don't recall the shipping being anything beyond basic or expensive (though there were 3-5, 2 day, overnight options available). I thought it would probably be close to 2-weeks before I received this item. Arrived in 4 days. Exceptional, and really surprised me. This might have more to do with proximity than anything special on their end, but I wanted to note it. What confused me then and again while I'm trying to do this review, is that there was no receipt in the box. Simply a packaging memo listing the items contained within and their product numbers. Manufacturers should always ship a hardcopy receipt with the product. What's Inside: 2 Li-Ion Batteries: Pretty standard setup. 1 Tall/1 Short. The manual that came with my package did not indicate the actual mAh of either battery, but according to the Southbeach Smoke website, they are both the brand new MAXX style. This is important to note as the website also informs you that the MAXX batteries that they will offer exclusively from here forward will only work in the new MAXX chargers. Older batteries will not charge. So the fact that I have no way of knowing if I got old stock or not is a little disconcerting. I am fairly confident that I have the new setup though, but it's just one of those things that's worth noting. 1 Wall-Charger: 2 peice setup: Cable and Charger. 6 inch cable could have been a little longer. Seems like they could have tossed in a usb cable as long as they were doing a two peice setup. Charger comes with an LED light indicator that alerts you when the battery is fully charged. 5 Cartridges. Southbeach really shines here. The prices of the carts are fantastic and they really offer a comprehensive core line with just some off-the-wall fun flavors in the tail-end of the roster. They also have a nice description available comparing the flavor of their carts to particular brands of cigarettes. This is really helpful to a first time buyer and pretty thoughtful that they would think to develop individual carts. I can't attest to the flavors of those carts, or how well they match up, but if they are thinking that much ahead I am willing to bet they are pretty close. On a whim I went cherry 12mg. What's Not Inside: A convenient case to carry around your batteries and cartridges. Infact, if any manufacturers are reading this, I really don't care if the case looks like a cigarette pack. If it can fit a battery and ONE cartridge inside we are golden. Make THAT case. The size of a pack of cigs in your pocket is NOT a plus. End rant: no case, not even one of the bulky bad ones. Flavor: Mild. I would describe it as 'hint of cherry'. I personally like it and think it works. Afterall, I want to have a smoke, not inhale a scented candle. It's a subtle cherry flavor, I like it. Vapor: Pretty impressive on the vapor scale. This is my first endeavor into an actual KIT, but compared to one-off e-cigs that I've purchased on larks and a regular cigarette, this thing puts them to shame. It's almost too much. Almost. It's very satisfying. Throat Hit: This is a term I hear tossed around a lot, but it's a little vague and can mean a lot of things so I'm going to break it down to a couple factors. 1.) Abrasiveness: None. Silky smooth. 2.) Weight: Mild 3.) Texture: Mild Overall: I know this review sounds critical, but it really isn't. I am very happy with this purchase. The carts last me almost a week and I used to go through a pack of cigs in a day and a half. Huge vapor, subtle but nice flavor to the cherry, package is technically complete though I would have liked a usb cable and a case. It's all available for approx 60 bucks and worth a dive if you are considering trying something simple.