Pod Fog by DarkStar

DIY legends DarkStar have sent in their fantastic Pod Fog range of salts, and boy were we in for a treat!

by Michelle (Purplefowler)
Sep 12, 2024

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If you have been around the vaping scene for a while, you undoubtedly will know the name DarkStar, especially if you have every dabbled in DIY e-juice. For many years, they have been the go to place for nic products, flavour concentrates, bottles, and mixing supplies, but they also make their own rather good premixed e-liquids, if mixing your own isn’t your style. Now they have stretched out even further and have come up with their own take on bar salts, and they have very kindly sent us over a selection to try out.

Pod Fog has been carefully designed to work with pod kits, but I guess it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that from the name. But we see that tagged on to plenty of nic salts with nothing to really back up what is meant, but DarkStar are way more transparent than most juice companies and they state that the formulations have been created to give maximum flavour whilst also being kind to coils. Well, that’s already got me hyped as coils get expensive fast, especially with all of the super sweetened e-liquids out there. But it gets better as they also state that they don’t depend on the excessive use of sweeteners! I have super sensitive tastebuds, and one of the things I really have trouble with is the taste of sweeteners, it is just nasty stuff, so this really was music to my ears.

We were sent six flavours to try, on the face of them all fairly classic disposable type recipes, but looking through their full line up, there is a huge selection covering everything from fruits, desserts, mints, tobaccos, and just about everything in between. It is a strong lineup and should be more than enough variety to keep most vapers happy.

The Pod Fog range are available in both 20mg and 10mg so will be great for people coming away from disposables as well as being a great option for seasoned vapers alike. I always like to see some sort of progression path in a juice range as many people look to drop their nicotine consumption as they adjust to a better way of life.

Blue Fusion

Many of the Pod Fog flavours have some sort of description, but we are starting off flying solo with Blue Fusion so I will just have to go with what I taste. I’d say there is blueberry as there is a delicate floral taste that comes with the territory, and I get some hints of sweet raspberry, but what I really get is a light Palma Violet style flavour. It is sweet, but it is such a deliciously sugary sweetness that I can happily toot away on with ease. This is definitely a good start!

Mango

No ambiguity with this flavour, it clearly says Mango on the label, so we know what we are dealing with. But there are so many mango juices out there, and each one has its own style, so how does this one stack up? Well, pretty well. It is balanced somewhere between the greener, slightly firmer variety ones and the super sweet, super ripe ones. Once again the sweetness is natural which makes all the difference with fruit flavours. It is a strong flavour, but it never feels heavy, making it a great candidate for an all-day option.

Kiwi & Lychee

I’m a bit picky when it comes to kiwi, it can be very over used thanks to the generic disposable flavour trio. This one is a bit different though as this time, it has been put with lychee which can be a top tier flavour is used well, and this is a great combination. Kiwi & Lychee mixes two quite delicate flavours, but this pairing gives them both space to breathe. The kiwi brings an earthier note, and the lychee is one of the most authentic takes I’ve come across so far. It is a refreshingly clean vape too. It is always nice to see a cool new twist.

Menthol

If you like your vape cold and fresh, this Menthol will take you to your happy place. Many menthols tend to just be supercharged mint, but there is a difference, and this is a 100% blast of icy freshness. I have to admit that this isn’t something I’d personally vape, it is just too fresh for me, but I know lots of people love that clean sensation so I can wholeheartedly recommend it if this profile is your jam.

Grape

Grape is your classic American style grape soda style flavour, which is just the kind of grape that floats my boat, with a winning combination of rich, dark, juiciness, and that signature natural sweetness that I am a big fan of with the Pod Fog range. It also has a wonderfully smooth feel to the vape which really works with this flavour. I know a lot a people go mad for grape vapes, and this one is going to be very popular once people hear about it.

Watermelon Ice

If there is one flavour that I really associate with disposable style vapes, it is Watermelon Ice, This one is my favourite take on the flavour so far though. It is a flavour that is usually far too sweet, unnaturally so, and that ruins it for me, but DarkStar have gone down a different path and have favoured authenticity over synthetic styles leaving you with a really clean, refreshing vape. It is a watery watermelon for once!, and the ice, which is quite strong, finishes things off nicely.

Final Thoughts

We get a lot of bar salts e-liquids through the doors these days, and to be fair, most of them are pretty decent if not spectacular, and I rather expected this would be the case here too, but DarkStar have put together something of a surprise package. The Pod Fog range on the surface sounds like just another salts range, but they have managed to stamp their own signature on them and have produced a level of quality that you don’t often see in this style of juice. It is a combination of great flavours and real, unadulterated sweetness which has not been ruined by artificial additives, a very rare thing these days. As well as making everything taste better, this also means that DarkStar’s claim that these are better for your coils is bang on the money.

Speaking of money, you may think premium flavour like this will come at a hefty price but the 10ml bottles of Pod Fog are just £2.50 each. To sweeten the deal further, you can buy them five at a time for a tenner, and the ultimate deal comes in if you buy 6 bottles as you can then add a new Vaporesso XROS 4 Mini (which retails for £19.99) to your basket for free! You may think this is a bit of a bargain, but I’d call it the steal of the century!

Many thanks to DarkStar for sending the Pod Fog selection in for review.

Pros

Superb flavour
Real value for money
Great deals
No obvious taste of artificial sweeteners

Cons

None

Michelle (Purplefowler)

Reviewer at POTV

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When her usual forum closed, Michelle found herself in a brave new world full of excitement that something fresh and new was happening. A few days later she somehow found herself on the moderating team and is still not really sure how that happened. Even stranger, she slowly worked her way up to admin and now helps behind the scenes, liasing with vendors and coordinating social media but she can still be found making smutty comments on the forum. If all that wasn't enough, she also is a proud member of the Potv review team specialising in E-liquid reviews for the discerning vaper.