Vapor4Life has taken the eCigar concept and run with it. They’ve recently launched a new spinoff brand, eCigar King to sell a new, limited-edition e-cigar for vapers who crave a premium cigar experience, but in electronic form. Read the rest of the review to see if this high-end electronic cigar might put the Samba back in your Havana.
Disclosure: this product was provided to me for review by Vapor4Life. This review contains affiliate links.
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Product name | E-Cigar King Starter Kit |
| Available from | Vapor4Life | |
| Price | $149.95 | |
| Threading | KR-808D-1 | |
| Who’s it for | Anyone who wants a cigar-like vape | |
| Competing products | Innokin CLK | |
What’s in the Box |
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| 1 | battery |  |
| 3 | Prefilled cartomizers in different cigar flavors | |
| 1 | USB cable | |
| 1 | AC adapter | |
| 1 | Car adapter | |
Click here for options and pricing
View more photos on my Google+ Page
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The King eCigar Kit
When I first reviewed the Zeus, I remarked about what a fantastic cigar experience I found it to be when coupled with a cigar flavored e-liquid. Essentially, the King is that idea taken to an extreme.
The kit comes packaged in a large box, resembling a vintage (cardboard) cigar box. It’s the typical fold-flap magnetic e-cigarette box. I’d have given them extra points had it been in a wooden cigar box, but that probably would have driven the price up.
Around the other side of the box on the back, you’ll see a little write-up from the CEO of the company talking about his love for cigars. And I have to give him points for being a fellow Arturo Fuente lover. The blurb explains the concept of the kit.
Inside the box is a certificate of authenticity along with the number of your kit in the limited-series run.[Tweet “The way they replicated the cigar experience in the e-Cigar King is uncanny”]
Each kit comes with three pre-filled Smileomizers with a different cigar-style flavoring: Cuban, Maduro and Ligero (a spicy blend). I’ll get more into the actual flavor in a little bit.
Along with the three pre-filled cartomizers, you also get the battery which is a Vapor Zeus automatic battery in either a black or a cigar-motif color. The default version is 900 mAh, but you can chip in an extra 10 bucks to get the big XL 1300 mAh version (or as I like to call it, the El Presidente model.) The kit also includes a car USB adapter, an AC adapter and the USB charging cable.
This battery is a pass-thru charging battery. Essentially, it means you plug the USB cord into the end of the e-cigar and can continue to puff away like Mr. Bigshot while the device charges. The USB cable in this case uses the slightly less common mini USB setup instead of the ubiquitous android-style micro USB.
The battery is also an impressive performer boasting a 5v output as opposed the 3.7 volts typically found in midsize e-cigarette batteries. The King uses the 808-threaded version of the Zeus as opposed to the 510 model. That means it’s not quite as compatible with other tanks and stuff, but that kind of gets away from the ecigar idea anyway.
If you want a little more detail on my original experiences with the Zeus, check out my review of that. Otherwise, let’s talk about the experience.
The King eCigar Experience
I sort of already passed judgement of this setup when I reviewed the Zeus. Spoiler: I loved it. Still, King has upped the game with this kit, so let’s cover it in its current incarnation.
As I mentioned in the previous part, it comes with one each of the three cigar-style flavors (you can also buy individual cartos on the site.) There’s the spicy Ligero flavor, the robust Cubana Blend and finally, the Maduro which is supposed to be a more mellow blend.
I’m not much of an e-liquid reviewer, but I feel that I can talk about the cigar experience somewhat. First of all, let me get this out of the way. Each of these flavors do taste like a cigar. I’m talking smoky and spicy and everything.
Oh, and this might not exactly be a plus, but the vapor also is reminiscent of a cigar. It’s not nearly as pungent as the real thing, but my wife did make me stop puffing the thing around her, so that’s like a seal of approval right there.
Then there’s the throat hit. This version came in 18mg/ml nicotine strength (also available in a staggering 36). I found the throat hit to be overwhelming, to the point that I didn’t actually want to inhale. Just like a real cigar.
The way they replicated the cigar experience in the e-Cigar King is uncanny. I’ve had some cigar flavored e-liquid before which did a decent job of replicating cheap cigars, but these do a good job with a more premium cigar flavor.
Now, don’t mistake my gushing for claiming these taste like real high-end cigars. It’s not quite there. I think there’s something you’ll never quite be able to replicate about a real stogie. But, they’re far closer to a cigar than any e-cigarette has ever come to a cigarette experience.
As for the flavors themselves, I found they did a decent job of mimicking different styles. The Ligero is intended to be a spicy-style cigar, and they did a fantastic job replicating that spicy bite you get in some cigars, without the flavor being over peppery. I did however, detect levels of the same spice in the other two flavors as well, which I thought overdone for the styles they were going for.
I’ve had a couple actual Cuban cigars in my life time, and they tended to be on the robust and spicy side of things. The Maduro, however was supposed to be a more mellow style, which I found to still be very spicy. I would have liked to have one flavor that dialed way down on the bite, like nice mellow Macanudo flavor, for example.
I probably liked the maduro the least. In addition to the heavy spice, I also found it a little to sweet, reminding me again of cheaper cigars. Maybe that’s just my personal preference in cigars coming back after years of dormancy.
In general, I’d say the King setup is going to be the one to beat for future virtual cigar contenders.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
The King eCigar is what happens when you take a very cigar-like midrange device and pull out all the stops to go full cigar. While it’s not perfect, it’s about the closest thing to a premium cigar experience in a vapor form I’ve run into. It’s a bit pricey, but this might be just the ticket for a certain subset of vapers (and current smokers). You can get one over at e-Cigar King’s website.
Pros:
- Great performance
- Realistic cigar flavor and experience
- Several “styles” of cigar flavor to try
Cons:
- Not a perfect cigar replacement
- 808 threading
- Pricey
