Rocky Top Vapor began in 2011 when David Nelson and his father, Joe Nelson, decided to turn a personal experience into a local business. David had just quit smoking with his first electronic cigarette—an Ego starter kit he ordered online. This new vaping device worked the first day, and a couple of his friends had the same success quitting smoking immediately. After talking it over, David and Joe bought a small batch of kits and e-liquid and set up a booth at the Tri-Cities Flea Market in Piney Flats, Tennessee.

Sales were slow at first, but within a few months the booth was busy enough that other family members joined to help run two booths. In 2012 the family opened their first brick-and-mortar store in Johnson City off the Bristol Highway. From there the shops expanded across the region: Kingsport in 2013, Elizabethton in 2014, Greeneville in 2015, and Bristol in 2016. The newest location and second Johnson City location opened in 2026 on Lyle Street.

For more than a decade Rocky Top Vapor also mixed its own e-liquids in it's warehouse in Gray, Tennessee. The first premium line was Shocker E-Liquid. In 2014 the company launched AudioFog, its first 120 ml bottle, and the House Blend line amongst other premium lines has been made in-house since 2012. In-house manufacturing ended in 2025, but the commitment to authentic, well-made products remains the same.