Jul 10, 2025

Jabako Jake Steps Away From Nicotine, But Not the Mission

If you’ve ever tasted a bottle of Jabako, you’ve felt the weight of intention. It’s tobacco, not in the stale, smoky sense, but in the warm, earthy memory of a time before sweeteners took over the vape aisle. Jabako didn’t happen by accident. It happened because Jake Vorderbruggen, Smokeless team member since 2012 and the quiet force behind one of our most beloved e-liquid lines, decided it needed to.

But here’s the twist: after over a decade in the industry, Jake isn’t vaping anymore. At the time of this interview, he was a little over two months nicotine-free....a decision that even surprised him.

“I really enjoyed using nicotine,” Jake tells me, seated across from me in one of our quieter shop corners. “For a long time, I had no plans to quit. But I started to notice how it was running parts of my life. That panic when I couldn’t find my vape… it started to wear on me.”

Jake’s journey mirrors that of so many who came to Smokeless over the years. In 2012, he walked into our company freshly transitioned off cigarettes, looking for a job. He started at the mall kiosk (yes, that’s how far back we go!) and instantly clicked with the mission. And somewhere along the way, he quietly began crafting something for himself. A tobacco flavor that didn’t feel like a compromise.

“The market was saturated with sweet stuff,” he explains. “Desserts, fruits, custards...nothing tasted like actual tobacco. I wanted something unsweetened, understated, and earthy. Like sticking your nose in a fresh bag of pipe tobacco. That was the inspiration.”

That project became Jabako. And the rest, as they say, is vapor history.

Building Jabako: A Line for Smokers Who Didn’t Want to Be Pandered To

Jake began mixing at home, guided by safety lessons from Jesse (Smokeless co-founder), and mailed samples to friends across the country. The response was immediate and devoted. Smokers who were tired of being offered strawberry cheesecake as their only exit ramp saw Jabako for what it was: a flavor built with respect for the ritual, not as a cover-up.

“When people finished a whole bottle and wanted more, I knew I had something,” Jake recalls. “You don’t fake that kind of reaction.”

Today, Jabako remains one of the few true tobacco-forward e-liquids on the market. It’s not flashy. It’s not trendy. But that’s exactly why it works. Smokeless has always championed harm reduction over hype, and Jabako is a perfect distillation of that ethos.

Quitting Nicotine—For Real This Time

So why quit?

“Honestly? I was tired of the addiction part,” Jake says, leaning forward. “Not the nicotine itself, but the way I felt when I didn’t have it. Like my brain short-circuited.”

He adds that he’d also begun tracking his blood pressure, which consistently spiked post-vape. That was the tipping point.

He didn’t dive in cold turkey. Jake stepped down methodically, starting in January 2025: from 12mg to 6mg, then to 3mg, before quitting completely. He skipped zero, not wanting to hang on to the habit just for the sake of it.

“It was easier than I expected,” he admits. “But only because I was ready. That mental piece is everything.”

Still, old reflexes die hard.

“I’ll catch myself reaching for a vape after a meal. Or during a long drive. I miss that community moment....like when everyone’s trying a new flavor and passing things around. That’s hard.”

He pauses and laughs. “Also? Oasis by 503 still smells so damn good it makes my mouth water when I'm packing it in store deliveries.”

The Smokeless Difference: Meeting People Where They Are

Jake’s personal shift doesn’t mean the end of Jabako....far from it. He’s committed to keeping the line alive, supporting others in their harm reduction journey, regardless of their end goal.

“We’ve always been about meeting people where they’re at,” he says. “Some want to quit smoking. Some want to quit nicotine altogether. Jabako is a tool for both.”

At Smokeless, we’ve spent the last fifteen years helping people find that path. And as the industry evolves with bans, price floors, and new pressures, we’ve never wavered on our mission: real harm reduction, rooted in community.

Looking Ahead: A Legacy Rewritten

Jake’s story is a full circle, one that speaks to the power of intentional product creation, long-term support, and the freedom to evolve.

“Even though I don’t vape anymore, Jabako still means a lot to me,” he says. “And I think there’s real value in having traditional tobacco options out there for people who don’t want dessert clouds.”

So no, Jabako’s not going anywhere.

It’s rare to see someone outgrow their own creation and still stand by it. But that’s the Smokeless way and the Smokeless Difference: To support without pressure and progress without shame. Jabako’s still here. Jake’s just writing a new chapter.