It's been a while since I've used cotton. I wick with rayon and don't get an off flavor. Could be that particular cotton or like you say, it needs time to saturate fully.I use NET and it is rather mild in flavor, certainly not a flavor to overpower, but I get a "sock in the mouth" taste. Even a new Nauty BVC has an off flavor but settles in after a few hits. This cotton wick stuff appears to have this trait. I will give it awhile to see if it too settles in.![]()