The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[billherbst]

All-in-one RY4 pre-mixed DIY flavorings---with mix percentages, Report Card, vendor links, and review posts


Mixing Percentages
The key to making good DIY RY4 from Pre-Mixed RY4 flavorings and concentrates is knowing how much (or rather, how little) flavoring to use. Flavorings require a higher percentage; concentrates work at lower percentages. Use too much of either and you will ruin the juice. I cannot stress this strongly enough. Start out mixing lean. Then---if necessary---add more flavoring very sparingly. Test-vape after each small addition of flavor. Keep in mind that the flavors will “bloom” with steeping---a DIY RY4 that seems to lack flavor when new may magically mature into full-flavor after two weeks, so exercise both patience and restraint.

When making a small bottle of DIY RY4 (6mls or less) using a very concentrated flavoring, adding even two drops to an existing mix can be enough to wreck the flavor profile. Increase the flavoring only one drop at a time. Remember: Less is best, and more is not necessarily better. Err on the side of using too little flavoring rather than too much! Below are my recommended percentage ranges for different brands of RY4 flavorings:

2-4%
TobaccoExpress Ruyan 4 and RY4 concentrates
VapingZone RY4 super-concentrated flavoring

5-7%
DecadentVapours DY3 and DY4 flavorings
FlavourArt RY4 flavoring concentrate
FlavourArt oRYental4 flavoring concentrate
Hangsen Essence RY4 flavoring concentrate
HealthCabin Ruyan #4 (RY4) flavoring concentrate
Inawera RY-4 flavoring concentrate

8-12%
AzureVaping RY4 and RY4.5 flavorings (formerly BlueMist)
FlavourArtUK Nutzilla flavoring concentrate
TPA/TFA RY4 Asian flavoring
TPA/TFA RY4 Double flavoring

10-15%
TotallyWicked Ruyan 5 flavoring

15-20%
MtBakerVapor RY4 flavoring
Want2Vape Rock Star flavoring
Want2Vape RY4 flavoring
​

Thread Discussion
To find posts on the thread about DIY RY4s, made from all-in-one pre-mixed flavorings or from scratch, click on the “Search Thread” drop-down box located in the gray menu bar just above the top post on the page, then type in “DIY” or “flavorings” and click on “Search”


The Winners
Best Classic RY4 Flavoring: FlavourArt RY4
Classic Runner-up #1: Hangsen Essence RY4
Classic Runner-up #2: HealthCabin RY4

Best Custom RY4 Flavoring: TheFlavorApprentice RY4 Double
Custom Runner-up #1: AzureVaping RY4.5 (formerly BlueMist)
Custom Runner-up #2: FlavourArtUK Nutzilla

Over the past year and a half, FlavourArt and Hangsen Essence had fought it out for me as the Best Classic RY4 all-in-one DIY flavorings. Inawera RY-4 has come along to challenge them both. Inawera isn’t as tasty as FA or HS in my judgment, and is nosed out for third place by HealthCabin RY4. Inawera is noteworthy for being nearly colorless---the liquid is totally clear and transparent. Every other DIY RY4 flavoring I know is colored, from light gold or amber to dark brown. Inawera is closer to FlavourArt in being more savory than Hangsen, which is the sweetest of the three.

Based on overwhelming popularity, TFA RY4 Double wins the best Custom RY4 all-in-one DIY flavoring. Yes, I know, I gave it only an A-, but that’s because I feel that RY4 Double needs 1% acetyl pyrazine added to really shine. Mixed by itself, RY4 Double is not my personal favorite by a long shot. I prefer the spicy kick of AzureVaping RY4.5 or the nuttiness of FlavourArtUK Nutzilla. Nonetheless, TFA RY4 Double gets the blue ribbon because so many people love it.


New Kid on the RY4 Block
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek (link below in Vendor Links section).
I haven’t had this one myself yet, but Passerbyeus says that it’s the best RY4 Flavoring he’s had. I’ve put it in the ‘A’ rated group based on his recommendation.


DIY pre-mix all-in-one RY4 Flavorings Report Card

A
FlavourArt RY4 (concentrate - classic)
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend (concentrate - classic)
Hangsen Essence RY4 (concentrate - classic)

A-
AzureVaping RY4.5 (formerly BlueMist) (flavoring - custom)
TPA/TFA RY4 Double (flavoring - custom)

B+
FlavourartUK RY4 Nutzilla (concentrate - custom)
HealthCabin RY4 Essence (concentrate - classic)
TPA/TFA RY4 Asian (flavoring - classic)

B
Inawera RY-4 (concentrate - classic)
Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2 (flavoring - TA-based custom)
TotallyWicked Ruyan 5 (flavoring - custom)
Want2Vape RY4 (flavoring - NET-based custom)

B-
DecadentVapours DY4 (flavoring - custom)
FlavorEnvy Tribeca (flavoring - custom)
Mom&PopVaporShop RY4 (flavoring - TA-based custom)
Mom&PopVaporShop RY0 (flavoring - TE-based custom)
Want2Vape Rock Star (flavoring - custom)

C+
BlueMistVaping RY4 (flavoring - custom)
DIYFlavorShack Holy Holy Grail RY4 (flavoring - custom)

C
EcigExpress Tobacco Express Ruyan 4 (super-concentrate - custom)
EcigExpress Tobacco Express RY4 (super-concentrate - custom)
MtBaker RY4 (flavoring - custom)

C-
AzureVaping (formerly BlueMist) RY4 (flavoring - custom)
DecadentVapours DY3 (flavoring - custom)
FlavorEnvy RY4 (flavoring - custom)

D
FlavourArt oRYental4 (flavoring - custom)
TPA/TFA RY4 Exclusive (flavoring - custom)

F
TPA/TFA RY4 Type (flavoring - custom)
VaporRenu Re4Nu (flavoring - custom)


Vendor Links to purchase RY4 Pre-Mixed DIY Flavorings
AzureVaping RY4 flavoring (formerly BlueMist) - post #3072 (from AzureVaping only)
AzureVaping RY4.5 flavoring (formerly BlueMist) - post #3277 (from AzureVaping only)
DecadentVapours DY3 flavoring (from Liberty-Flights)
DecadentVapours DY4 flavoring (from Liberty-Flights)
DIYFlavorShack Holy Holy Grail RY4 flavoring (from DIYFlavorshack only)
FlavourArt oRYental4 flavoring concentrate (from RTSVapes; also from EcigExpress and Liberty-Flights)
FlavourArt RY4 flavoring concentrate - post #2989 (from RTSVapes; also from EcigExpress and Liberty-Flights)
FlavourArtUK RY4 Nutzilla flavoring concentrate - posts #3240 (from FlavourArtUK only)
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend (from VapersTek)
Hangsen Essence RY1 flavoring concentrate (from EcigExpress; also from VapingZone)
Hangsen Essence RY2 flavoring concentrate (from EcigExpress; also from VapingZone)
Hangsen Essence RY3 flavoring concentrate (from EcigExpress; also from VapingZone)
Hangsen Essence RY4 flavoring concentrate - post #3715 (from EcigExpress; also from VapingZone)
FlavorEnvy RY4 flavoring - post #5622
FlavorEnvy Tribeca flavoring - post #5622
HealthCabin Ruyan#4 (RY4) flavoring concentrate (from HealthCabin only)
Inawera RY-4 from VapersTek - post #5544
Inawera RY-4 from BullCityVapor - post #5544
Mom&PopVaporShop RY4 flavoring (from Mom&Pop only)
Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2 flavoring (from Mom&Pop only)
Mom&PopVaporShop RYO flavoring (from Mom&Pop only)
MtBaker RY4 flavoring (from MtBakerVapor only)
TheFlavorApprentice RY4 Double flavoring - post #1145 (also from numerous vendors that sell TPA/TFA flavorings)
TheFlavorApprentice RY4 Asian flavoring - post #1550 (also from numerous vendors that sell TPA/TFA flavorings)
TheFlavorApprentice RY4 Type flavoring - post #3072 (I don't recommend buying this one)
Super-Concentrated RY4 Flavoring (from VapingZone)
Tobacco Express Ruyan flavoring super-concentrate - post #2187 (from EcigExpress)
Tobacco Express RY4 flavoring super-concentrate - post #2187 (from EcigExpress)
Want2Vape RY4 flavoring concentrate (from XtremeVaping; also from Want2Vape)
Want2Vape Rock Star flavoring (from XtremeVaping; also from Want2Vape)

 

[clnire]

Thanks Bill. I know you have said in the past its not so hard with the records you keep, but this includes years of work, research and dedication to this cause. As an RY4 lover, I appreciate all you have done and continue to do.

 

[billherbst]

Thanks Bill. I know you have said in the past its not so hard with the records you keep, but this includes years of work, research and dedication to this cause. As an RY4 lover, I appreciate all you have done and continue to do.

Thank you, cl.

Early on, I spent innumerable hours compiling The Big RY4 Lists. At this point, I have it down to a science. It takes me about half an hour to post all four pages, and the only reason it takes that long is that I often make changes to the various rankings lists at the last moment.

I've been posting the Big List updates every 2-3 months, but, since thread activity has slowed to a crawl (which is fine, by the way), I may post updates less frequently in the future. My only regret is concerns the 50 or more retail RY4s I haven't yet reviewed. As I've stated repeatedly, though, I'm pretty much done buying juices in general and RY4s specifically, so the only further reviews I'll write will be for RY4s that come to me for free, like manna from heaven, as the VaporDNA RY4 I reviewed yesterday did. LOL.

 

[Jimmy1life]

Nice info guys. I like that tfa double ry4. I am vaping hs ry4 now. I tried tfa asian ry4 but cant even vape that.
Now my question is hows that 4 star General mfs? Its up around 15$ or more for 10ml. I try searching but the post i find pretty much say just buy it now i got 20-30ml left of my D-RY4 left and am about to order more of that but it is the only one i will reorder. Unless the juices i have steeping Asian and hangsen change i dont realy care for. Thinking i am gonna go and order that 4 Star General payday but its not on that awesome post above so kinda worried it'd be another useless concentrate. Peace guys u r the ry4 masters.

 

[billherbst]

my question is hows that 4 star General mfs?

4-Star General is MyFreedomSmokes' Custom RY4, available both as flavoring concentrate and retail eliquid. Although it's apparently been available since 2012, I've never heard of it before. 4-Star General hasn't been reviewed on the thread and isn't on The Big RY4 List or the RY4 Pre-Mixed Flavorings List because I haven't had it in either form. MFS' regular RY4 is on The Big RY4 List, but it was reviewed by another poster (Lombaowski, post #4783) who considered it OK but nothing special.

At least two customer reviews for 4-Star General on the MFS product page mention a maple flavor in the juice. Hmmm. Over the nearly four years of this thread, I've vaped and reviewed a number of retail Custom RY4s that had a maple taste---FreedomSmokesUSA RY4, MountBakerVapor RY4, and Vapure RY4, to name three---and they weren't very good as RY4s. That doesn't mean they're not popular, of course. FSUSA and MtBaker RY4 have tons of five-star customer reviews on their sites, as does 4-Star General. I'm just saying that maple pushes the RY4 flavor profile to the breaking point (and past it, as far as I'm concerned).

To call the 4-Star General flavoring concentrate "pricey" would be an understatement. Even at MFS' recommended 6% mix percentage, $15.95 for a 10ml bottle is the single most expensive flavoring I've ever seen in the marketplace, and I'm no novice with flavorings. At that price it better be damn good.

If you get some of the 4-Star General DIY flavoring, please consider posting a review here. I'll go ahead and add it to the RY4 Pre-Mixed Flavorings List for the next update, but having a posted review to link to would be good.

 

[passerbyeus]

I swear Dekang RY4 in the morning taste like soy sauce lol yikes $15.95 for a 10ml bottle!!! Now if it taste Rafalicious then that's a different story....
I do have a flavoring coming up to the chopping block...Viper Flavors RY4 good price 1.99 for 10ml, but I am thinking it may be TFA or something like that but it does say custom so we will see......RY4 Tobacco Blend

 

[clnire]

I swear Dekang RY4 in the morning taste like soy sauce lol

Consider the source

 

[billherbst]

I swear Dekang RY4 in the morning taste like soy sauce lol yikes $15.95 for a 10ml bottle!!! Now if it taste Rafalicious then that's a different story....
I do have a flavoring coming up to the chopping block...Viper Flavors RY4 good price 1.99 for 10ml, but I am thinking it may be TFA or something like that but it does say custom so we will see......RY4 Tobacco Blend

passer,

Are you still vaping the German Flavors DIY RY4 flavoring from VapersTek? Do you continue to like it as much as you did initially?

 

[passerbyeus]

I do, I make small 10ml of all my DIY and was actually thinking about making a 30ml of it.., it is good, not as sharp like Dekang or FA, but more of the dessert range so much when I vape it ppl think im vaping cotton candy....

passer,

Are you still vaping the German Flavors DIY RY4 flavoring from VapersTek? Do you continue to like it as much as you did initially?

 

[passerbyeus]

Well I got in Pirate from FastTech today and is that sage I taste lol, I can see why Bill likes its, it almost to me like Tribeca , but whats really fun is I also got in a super concentrated flavor from Bull City called Ruyan that is 99% spot on to Pirate the same color with some sage lol....I did not get the RY4 SC from BulCity becuz I am thinking its just the same as Vapingzone carries, and from the one review it sounds like it. Also lol its like Pirate and Ruyan use a Virginia tobacco that gives it that leather, sage taste to me but who knows in the exciting world of RY4,,,

 

[billherbst]

Well I got in Pirate from FastTech today and is that sage I taste lol, I can see why Bill likes its, it almost to me like Tribeca , but whats really fun is I also got in a super concentrated flavor from Bull City called Ruyan that is 99% spot on to Pirate the same color with some sage lol....I did not get the RY4 SC from BulCity becuz I am thinking its just the same as Vapingzone carries, and from the one review it sounds like it. Also lol its like Pirate and Ruyan use a Virginia tobacco that gives it that leather, sage taste to me but who knows in the exciting world of RY4,,,

Ah yes, more "sage" wisdom from passerbyeus. LOL.

 

[passerbyeus]

Could I get Ruyan on the big list with an A, this stuff is great and getting better ever day, this is a RY4 with a lead of sharp tobacco the vanilla, caramel floating around to give it that sweet touch

 

[billherbst]

I also got in a super concentrated flavor from Bull City called Ruyan that is 99% spot on to Pirate the same color with some sage lol....I did not get the RY4 SC from BulCity becuz I am thinking its just the same as Vapingzone carries, and from the one review it sounds like it. Also lol its like Pirate and Ruyan use a Virginia tobacco that gives it that leather, sage taste to me but who knows in the exciting world of RY4,,,

Could I get Ruyan on the big list with an A, this stuff is great and getting better ever day, this is a RY4 with a lead of sharp tobacco the vanilla, caramel floating around to give it that sweet touch

passer,

For the next update, I've edited the DIY flavorings page of The Big RY4 List to give you your very own section of recommendations. Here it is:

Passerbyeus' Picks
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek and Ruyan-SC from BullCityVapor,
which is quite possibly the same product as RY4 Concentrated Flavoring from VapingZone.
Passerbyeus[/I] gives both German RY4 and Ruyan-SC an “A” grade.
Links to all three flavorings can be found below in the Vendor Links section.
​

 

[billherbst]

By the way, if any other RY4 aficionados who are also long-term posters on this thread would like to have their own "favorites" list---for either retail RY4s or DIY RY4 flavorings---I'd be happy to add those to the appropriate page of The Big RY4 List.

I may be the potentate/dictator/janitor of this thread, but I've always liked the idea of Equal Opportunity.

 

[passerbyeus]

Sorry for the confusion Bill, there are two different flavorings from the Super Concentrated line, the RY4 and Ruyan, Bull City has them both and Vapingzone just has the RY4. The Ruyan is way better....

 

[billherbst]

Sorry for the confusion Bill, there are two different flavorings from the Super Concentrated line, the RY4 and Ruyan, Bull City has them both and Vapingzone just has the RY4. The Ruyan is way better....

The confusion doesn't end there.

Already on the DIY RY4 flavorings page are the Ruyan and RY4 concentrates sold by EcigExpress, under the label Tobacco Express, which is the tobacco line from Flavors Express, which some people hold to be exactly the same flavorings as the Super Concentrated line of Chinese flavorings sold by VapingZone. We discussed this here on the thread way back in 2013.

The Ruyan and RY-4 super concentrates now carried by BullCityVapor are, in all likelihood, from the same source as the corresponding EcigExpress offerings (with the exception that BullCity's is called "RY-4," while EcigExpress calls theirs "RY4," without the hyphen). I guess it's theoretically possible that they're from different manufacturers, but the odds on that seem slim. The names are essentially identical, they're all super-concentrates, and they're all from China.

When I bought 10ml bottles of both flavorings from EcigExpress in 2012, "Ruyan" was called "Ruyan 4." What happened to the "4" I don't know, but now it's called "Ruyan" (without the "4"). I reviewed the Ruyan 4 super-concentrate in post #2187. At that point, I gave it a grade of B, but, as other, better all-in-one DIY flavorings became available, I lowered that grade to a C. Both of the Tobacco Express flavorings---RY4 and Ruyan---are currently graded C on the DIY RY4 Report Card. Here's a link to my original review:

Ruyan 4 flavoring review - post #2187, July 2012

In my retail DIY RY4 drawer, I have small bottles of DIY mixes from both Tobacco Express Ruyan and RY4. Two sets, actually---one pair mixed at 3%, the other pair at 5%. I just re-sampled them. While I prefer the 5% mixes to the 3%, none of the four versions thrills me. They're OK, but all four taste fairly average to my palate, so my C grade stands.

The recipe/formulas for these flavoring concentrates might have changed over three years, but the only way for us to assess that would be to compare them head-to-head as identical DIY mixes. We could mail a couple ml of our respective flavorings to each other, but that strikes me as more trouble than it's worth.

 

[billherbst]

OK, I've edited "Passerbyeus' Picks" to avoid confusion, or at least keep it to a low background roar:

Passerbyeus Picks
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek and Ruyan-SC from BullCityVapor.
Passerbyeus gives both flavorings an “A” grade. Links can be found below in the Vendor Links section.
[Note: I haven’t had those two particular flavorings myself, and they don’t appear in
the Winners and Report Card sections below, since those grades are my judgments.]​

I also edited the Vendor Links section, grouping together the RY4 and Ruyan flavoring super-concentrates from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress, with an explanation:

Super-Concentrated RY4 Flavoring (from VapingZone)*
Ruyan-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
RY-4-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
Tobacco Express Ruyan flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
Tobacco Express RY4 flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
*[Note: the respective Ruyan and RY4 flavorings above from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress
are all Chinese super-concentrates and quite possibly identical, from the same source manufacturer]​

Man, oh man. It's darn near impossible to keep the players straight without a scorecard. LOL.

 

[newyork13]

OK, I've edited "Passerbyeus' Picks" to avoid confusion, or at least keep it to a low background roar:

Passerbyeus Picks
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek and Ruyan-SC from BullCityVapor.
Passerbyeus gives both flavorings an “A” grade. Links can be found below in the Vendor Links section.
[Note: I haven’t had those two particular flavorings myself, and they don’t appear in
the Winners and Report Card sections below, since those grades are my judgments.]​

I also edited the Vendor Links section, grouping together the RY4 and Ruyan flavoring super-concentrates from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress, with an explanation:

Super-Concentrated RY4 Flavoring (from VapingZone)*
Ruyan-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
RY-4-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
Tobacco Express Ruyan flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
Tobacco Express RY4 flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
*[Note: the respective Ruyan and RY4 flavorings above from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress
are all Chinese super-concentrates and quite possibly identical, from the same source manufacturer]​

Man, oh man. It's darn near impossible to keep the players straight without a scorecard. LOL.

I've just begun popping in here, and you're doing a wonderful job!

 

[newyork13]

OK, I've edited "Passerbyeus' Picks" to avoid confusion, or at least keep it to a low background roar:

Passerbyeus Picks
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek and Ruyan-SC from BullCityVapor.
Passerbyeus gives both flavorings an “A” grade. Links can be found below in the Vendor Links section.
[Note: I haven’t had those two particular flavorings myself, and they don’t appear in
the Winners and Report Card sections below, since those grades are my judgments.]​

I also edited the Vendor Links section, grouping together the RY4 and Ruyan flavoring super-concentrates from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress, with an explanation:

Super-Concentrated RY4 Flavoring (from VapingZone)*
Ruyan-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
RY-4-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
Tobacco Express Ruyan flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
Tobacco Express RY4 flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
*[Note: the respective Ruyan and RY4 flavorings above from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress
are all Chinese super-concentrates and quite possibly identical, from the same source manufacturer]​

Man, oh man. It's darn near impossible to keep the players straight without a scorecard. LOL.

I've just begun popping in here, and you're doing a wonderful job!

 

[passerbyeus]

Ok I just ordered the ones from Express so we can clear the air since that will make us have them from all 3 vendors lol , gone to far to stop now hahah But can you confirm Ruyan from Express is like Pirate? The one from Bullcity is spot on.

OK, I've edited "Passerbyeus' Picks" to avoid confusion, or at least keep it to a low background roar:

Passerbyeus Picks
GermanFlavours RY4 Blend from VapersTek and Ruyan-SC from BullCityVapor.
Passerbyeus gives both flavorings an “A” grade. Links can be found below in the Vendor Links section.
[Note: I haven’t had those two particular flavorings myself, and they don’t appear in
the Winners and Report Card sections below, since those grades are my judgments.]​

I also edited the Vendor Links section, grouping together the RY4 and Ruyan flavoring super-concentrates from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress, with an explanation:

Super-Concentrated RY4 Flavoring (from VapingZone)*
Ruyan-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
RY-4-SC flavoring super-concentrate (from BullCityVapor)*
Tobacco Express Ruyan flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
Tobacco Express RY4 flavoring super-concentrate (from EcigExpress)* - post #2187
*[Note: the respective Ruyan and RY4 flavorings above from VapingZone, BullCityVapor, and EcigExpress
are all Chinese super-concentrates and quite possibly identical, from the same source manufacturer]​

Man, oh man. It's darn near impossible to keep the players straight without a scorecard. LOL.