There are many different types of NET. Most "use" some naturally extracted tobacco as a base and add coffee, caramel, vanilla, etc. Heathers is good, but would not classify it as a "true" NET. It is clean and does not require the need for leaving it un capped for a few days.
Most of the early NETs used grain alcohol as a way to extract the tobacco leaves in a much faster way. They heat up the grain alcohol and steep the tobacco leaves in, this is a fast and more economical way to produce NET. The flavor is brought out fast in a few hours.
THe other way is cold infusion. This means you use PG or VG or both, depending on how long you want to take filtering out the liquid. This way takes much longer to produce a bold and flavorful liquid. It also produces a cleaner liquid that does not gunk up your coil as much.
I tried Notebook and it is not bad, but they thin it out alot and definately use PG to extract or at least thats what I think. There are some that do a combination of cold and heated extraction. It all depends on the time they want to take to produce a good liquid.
My favorite is Naturally Extracted Tobaccos and Good-e-juice. The Patriot is great and most other ones too. Its is dirty, so I think they use a combination of lightly heated and long cold extraction.
I am a heavy vaper so I was spending way too much to keep my habit up, so I got into making my own.
Its easy really, just takes time to figure out which method is realistic for you. My favorite and cleanest is using the cold extraction method, but if you like cigars in particular this means 3 months min of leaving the "muck" on a shelf and waiting. Heat extraction without alcohol is good, but if you are not careful it can get quite strong and harsh.
I use a combination of gently warming it up once a week and just leaving it to sit.
Of all eliquids, NET is the only flavor I think that warrants paying over 10 for 30mls, it really is a lot of work even if you go with the quickie alchohol/ PG method.
I need to crush 3 acid blondies in VG to get 120mls of extract that takes 6 months and couple days of straining. Lots of work, but worth it. I go thru 20mls minimum of NET a day.
Each cigar costs average of 5 bucks to get 120mls and I mix it 50/50.
Heathers was good when I first started out, so was the Plume Room, but after a while these became too sweet and flavoured for me. I started craving drier more leafy , purer tobacco. Good-e-Juice became a favorite and then I got hooked on Naturally Extracteds liquids. My all time favorite was Walkers Finest, but sadly he quit making liquids, damn his Acid Blonde gave me chills, it was so good. Mine comes out good and Im fine tuning it, but I still a have a bottle or so and when I vape it , mine still isnt there, but getting closer.
Try Heathers, Good-e, and the Plume Room , they all are great with no waiting or steeping necessary. If you want more serious tobacco try NET.com, they also do not require steeping or give you that strong perfume/ alcohol fumes.
PS, Welcome to ECF. Congrats on your quitting smoking and making a healthier choice.
Recommendations are hard to do. We all have subjective tastes. I dont like Vanilla coffee or eliquid, nor hazelnut etc. I tried Halo and got the same experience, harsh, alcohol / chemical taste, as with most of the popular and expensive ones. My first wonderful experience with real NET was The Plume Rooms Ramaglia's cigar and their Burley. Then I tried Good -e and liked their Patriot, clean and much less flavored.
Good luck in your adventures into NET. Its a love hate thing with me. I LOVE it, but requires much more work in all aspects. Dry burning and changing wicks up to twice a day, but what can I do?
