One thing I really have to agree with
@P.A.M. over, there is literally 20 Lil' Buds in circulation, pretty soon they'll be 30 and then shortly thereafter 40. Most people will not ever review anything. They want their product, will read what others write, but want no part of putting themselves out there. So please be patient. You're left with me, and the handful faithfuls (thank you faithfuls).
We've talked lots about taste and smoothness. I can tell I don't want to cough, I don't want harsh. I want thick, milky, vapor, not wispy, empty, thin, watery, tasteless. I think they are the same thing. A couple of things will really enhance taste - good bud, and proper prep, and tamp. This is the only way to keep the hot air from slipping in past the herb, creating hot spots and harshness, along with thin vapor.
People have commented how aromatic LB can be, never said the smell was stealth. The herb I have wreaks if I live it out of an air tight container. A session with LB smells sweet, just like it tastes. Riding that line, keeping the heat hovered in the herb, works exceptionally well in this configuration. I already mentioned this, but after batch one, a moved the coil a hair closer and coughed, got harsh vapor. I was thrown off and overheated, but adjusted to it by the next session. If I didn't adjust right away, I was prepared to tweak that distance until it got back to smooth, even at the sacrifice of a little power, but I didn't have to do that.
The feedback is rapid, you can feel the hot air / vapor expand (the milkiness), and it unfolds into your mouth. It's up to you to keep it tasty with breath control.
As far as color of ABV. Personally, I am not trying to get a certain color in my personal sessions. I can tell where it is by how it tastes. A hint of char will turn it BLACK, but you know it's happening by the feedback you feel in your mouth and throat (and smell).
To stir or not to stir. I think leave some good stuff behind without one stir. But you probably get about 85 to 90 percent without a stir. A quick stir and re tamp can also bring taste right back. Stirring will darken the end result.
Lil' Bud should be able to handle a six or eight second button depression before drawing and still be super smooth. Just draw nice and slow. It's designed to not be stupid hot, with the threat of harsh or worse yet, combustion at any time. Once you get the timing down, which isn't so hard, it's hard to beat taste wise. I actually just hit a stem just like that, about 8 hits in, no stir. I held for about six seconds, and pulled nice and slow.
Taste, no cough, dark ABV on hit 9.
I can't compare LB to anything else, nor would I want to. I can say I built LB because *I wanted a better vape*, for me. I was the first customer. I built 40 LB's that never saw the light of day, all the while trying to hit that check list that all convection, on demand, wood vape people want. Why it moved along so quickly is no secret. I had help from a true expert in this field.
@Alan's patience and guidance have been constant, and I am eternally grateful.
LB is an exceptional all wood, on demand, convection vape. It tastes good, hits hard. No shortcuts are taken, ever. LB is truly a labor of love, but it is a lot of labor. You'd be amazed at how much goes into building a Lil' Bud. If I didn't love doing it, none of this would be happening.
Anyway... that's the story.
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