Well, I said in my last review for a closed pod system that I wouldn't be doing any more closed pods. However, after I posted that (pretty harsh) review, MOTI got in touch with me and asked that I give them another chance. The flavors they sent in that parcel were beta flavours and thus weren't fully reflective of their line. I found it fair to give them another try.
Fast forward a week and I get a package with not just a bunch of closed pod flavours (which will be coming later as an update to my previous postings) but a slew of these PIIN devices. 6 flavours, all in all, the majority of them icy or menthol. In Canada. In January.
That said, I was happy with the majority of the flavors I got, but I'd like to see fewer ice flavors. A lot of people are turned right off by anything "minty" and as this is aimed at smokers trying to quit, that's a bit of a flaw in their PIIN catalog.
The hardware works. And that's all you need. I've vaped the Jasmine Tea at least half down by now and it's still going strong. The draw activation works every time with a minimal (but not too minimal) pull and it gives you a good strong hit in terms of heat and throat hit; it feels much the same as a cigarette. The nic buzz is standard, I don't get any acid reflux or the like with it like I do with some nic salts. My sole complaint is the mouthpiece; it's not easy to grip between your lips and hold with no hands, which is important to me with stick-style draw-activated systems.
The multiple flavors
Now, as for the flavors. I received Grape Ice, Banana Frost, Menthol Tobacco, Mung Bean, Jasmine Tea and Tropical Mango.
Grape Ice: Ehh. This one's alright. Gives me serious purple Kool-Aid vibes, which is what I'd be after if I picked this flavour from a shelf. The ice is on the strong side of medium I'd say. Not much to note about this flavour.
Banana Frost: This one could be a little difficult for some people. I love the taste of fake banana and this is very much like one of those marshmallow "penny" candies you get at convenience stores with a nice low blast of frost. I was really pleased with the level of ice in this one; it's just enough to give you a cooling sensation but not so strong it lingers.
Menthol Tobacco: I was surprised by this one. It's actually alright. I like vaping tobaccos with my coffee and this is good, despite the menthol in it. This is a more, ahh, "floral?" tobacco than, say, a Virginia Tobacco Juul pod. If you want a more authentic "ashy" flavour then this isn't the one for you.
Mung Bean: Aaaand here we get to the absolute dark side of this line. This one is utterly cursed. Mung bean is a popular flavor in China; it's sometimes ground up and used in popsicles, which is what this is meant to emulate. But just, no. This one shouldn't be sent to the Western market, hahaha. I'm grateful I tried it because I was so curious but it's just, bizarre. Once you vape it for a bit your tastebuds get Stockholm Syndrome and it starts tasting alright, but "alright" for this flavor tastes like "vanilla birthday cake-flavored cemetery dust in winter". It's bitter and earthy and sweet and it's got ice and this is just a weird one.
Jasmine Tea: Ooooh this one is 100% my favourite. And it's actually objectively good. At first you get a (not quiteoverwhelming) note of sweet floral jasmine, then it settles in and you get more of the tea. Now, this isn't a sweet flavour; it's just jasmine tea with no sugar. But as that's how I like my tea, I really like this one. It's authentic, if a bit heavy on the floral.
Tropical Mango: This one is alright. It has too much ice for me but for people who like to feel like they were just shot full of lidocaine this one is perfect. The mango note is great. It tastes a lot like Capella's Sweet Mango, which is my favourite flavour concentrate.
The Verdict
So all in all, MOTI seems to have done a way better job on their PIIN flavours than their other closed pod system, the MOTI. The MOTI pod flavours are generally middling to good (with a couple bad ones) but I found some real favourites from the PIIN line that I really wasn't expecting. I thought the Banana Frost was going to be just disgusting but that's a new flavour profile to explore, and the Jasmine Tea is actually excellent if you don't take sugar in a cup. I'm giving it to an ex who loves tea flavours and only uses a Juul so he has a little variety but I've already vaped 1/3-1/2 of it.
It's hard for me to recommend a disposable pod simply from an ecologically-conscious standpoint but MOTI actually sent me some good to great flavours this time. If you're the type of vaper who uses disposable pods and you see one of these in a shop, then I'd say give it a try. The hardware is solid and the flavours are pretty good too.
Author：Penny Wise （https://www.reddit.com/user/iama-canadian-ehma/）
