Budsapalooza '25: Oil and Concentrate sampler reviews

Electric Honey Vapes (“Energize” in Chix Lix and “Inspire” in Angry Dragon)

Appearance - Uniquely shaped body with a wide flat base and USB-C port cleverly positioned on the side (not the bottom like just about every other manufacturer who apparently hates stability while saying the best way to ensure longevity is to store upright). Features a rounded cutout mouthpiece that actually feels nicer than standard when pulling–a small but noticeable upgrade from the usual suspects.

Taste  - Chix Lix brings a citrus-y punch with an undertone of concentrate, while Angry Dragon rocks a solid grapefruit vibe. The real shocker, though? Neither lost their flavor or turned into throat-scorching demons even during those dreaded final pulls that normally have you hacking up a lung.

Experience  - While neither specifically seemed to "energize" or "inspire" as their fancy names would suggest, these vapes were seriously some of the best ever encountered! The most impressive feat? No clogging whatsoever - a rare miracle in the vape world where the mid-to-end-of-cart struggle is practically a rite of passage.

Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵 for both varieties - no contest

Additional Notes - If you see these in the wild, pounce immediately. Worth every penny and none of the usual vape headaches.

Sauce Vapes (In Zkittles and Apple Fritter)

Appearance  - Rocking what appears to be a modified version of that body seen in other lines (most notably Drip, which suffers from those infuriating leaking issues). This particular incarnation doesn't leak, thankfully, but it's clearly mass-produced rather than something the Sauce folks designed themselves. It does have the Sauce logo built onto the body itself, so they may at least have had input on specific changes while just enjoying the body type and opted to reinvent the wheel rather than reshape it.

Taste - Zkittles keeps it real with a mostly herbal profile - none of those extra terps floating around trying to mask what you actually came for. For someone who appreciates the plant in its purest form, this is a feature, not a bug. Meanwhile, Apple Fritter somehow channels the essence of matzo balls, which sounds absolutely bizarre but is weirdly delightful.

Experience - Zkittles definitely hits a bit harder while Apple Fritter offers a more mellowed out journey. Both fell victim to the dreaded halfway-mark clogging syndrome, getting progressively harder to pull from after around halfway through - that all-too-familiar struggle that plagues so many vape bodies and makes you question your life choices with each increasingly difficult inhale.

Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵 Solid contenders in a crowded field

Additional Notes -Still definitely worth checking out, but if you're staring at these alongside something you already know and love, only get it if you want to try something new specifically. Good, but not quite in the "drop everything and buy immediately" category.

Trip Cannabis Crumble in Starfighter

Appearance - This concentrate has serious game in the texture department. Not that annoying stuck-to-everything consistency that has you scraping your tools and fingers like a desperate archaeologist, but just sticky enough to make the journey from container to Puffco without ending up on your carpet (or worse, your cat). Looks like the concentrate equivalent of "just right" in the Goldilocks story. Skip using a nectar collector though, far too many of the small crumbles end up on your tongue and not vaporized

Taste - So it's giving...fresh Play-Doh nostalgia? But in a weirdly appealing way that doesn't actually taste bad. In fact, it barely tastes like anything at all. 

Experience - Holy potency, Batman! This stuff hits harder than the pole the decapitated Charlie in Hereditary. Just a tiny dot in the Puffco and suddenly you're wondering if colors have always smelled this interesting. The smoothness is ridiculous no coughing fits that make your neighbors think you're dying. One little dab and you're good for a while, making this the concentrate equivalent of that friend who doesn't need to dominate the conversation but when they speak, everyone shuts up and listens.

Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵 No question. No debate. No notes. (Well, there are notes, but they're below. And above.)

Additional Notes - This gram stretched for at least 3 weeks despite regular use, granted there was a supporting cast of pens and joints making appearances throughout the day too. This concentrate still knocked you hard enough to not feel the need to touch anything else for a little while when you do break it out as opposed to a pen that you'll be hitting every few minutes.