Juice search - 1st order a big bust. Am I on the right track?

[Craisin]

So I'm attempting to start vaping. I started out with a "21st century smoke" purchased from a convenience store and was actually pleasantly surprised with it. Vapor production is weak of course but the taste is fine and unlike the first e-cig I tried a couple years ago it does not hurt my throat, and does not like like weird coffee like a blu.

I got myself a Vtube and a Vivi Nova, and so far have been blown away by both. Vapor production and throat hit on all the juices I've vaped so far have been off the charts. Pretty much better than analogs in that department. So far so good. The problem now is finding something I'm willing to vape. My first juice order did not go well.

I'm still smoking analogs for the time being, not necessarily trying to find an "analog replacement" but I want a tobacco flavor. I smoke Camel Turkish Golds and Peter Stokkebye Norwegian Shag, but i'm not looking for something that tastes the same necessarily. I've smoked and enjoyed cloves, bidis, pipe tobaccos, cigars. I'm open to new taste experiences here but I want something that does not taste like candy or food. at all.

What I bought and how it went (everything was from gotvapes):

Liqua Italian e-liquid traditional tobacco:

This was the first thing I tried and I literally thought something was wrong with my setup. To me this stuff tastes exactly like burnt electronics. I was thinking maybe I was vaping primer, it wasn't wicking properly, etc. my GF tried this as well and agreed with me that it tasted like something was not working properly but as luck would have it I bought a bottle and prefilled cartos of this stuff and they both tasted exactly the same, at all voltages available to me. After trying the other stuff I bought and having everything work fine I quickly realized that this is just the taste of this stuff. There are some redeeming qualities here. It is very dry, has no aftertaste, and really does taste like I'm smoking something. Unfortunately the thing it tastes like I'm smoking is something that man was never meant to smoke .

Flux Nectar:

Mountain Rift: I detected no trace of a tobacco flavor in this juice. I saw someone here say that they thought it was supposed to taste like Mountain Dew, and I'm pretty sure they're right. Just ridiculously sweet. Not even in the ballpark of what I'm looking for.

Pyramid Fusion: A marked improvement from the Mountain Rift, but still not really in the category I'm looking for. Again I'm not able to discern in any way a tobacco flavor here. Tastes like hazelnut to me. Not ridiculously sweet on the draw but still too sweet for me and leaves a weird sweet aftertaste in my mouth. Vaped a half-tank of this and I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for the rest of the day. Not for me.

Almonetto: Bought this as part of a sampler. After trying the 2 tobacco flavors and being unable to vape any more due to sweetness and foodiness I didn't even open this.


So after my 1st order failed to produce anything I felt like I could vape I did some more forum reading and decided to cast my net a little wider. i now have coming to me:

Alien Visions:

Boba's Bounty
Flu Cured

Hangsen:

USA Mix
Desert Ship

Backwoods Brews:

Virginia Tobacco
Backo
Casablanca

Heather's Heavenly Vapes:

Dragons Fire
Gandalf
Dark Horse
Huntsman


What I'm wondering now is this: Do like-minded people think I'm on the right track with what I've ordered to try out this time? Does everyone bleed money for a while before they find something they like vaping? Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm not trying to put any vendors down with harsh descriptions of their juices here, just trying to get across my personal dislike for them and hoping to find people with similar tastes and advice to offer

 

[gthompson]

Yes and yes. It will be a little expensive until you find some juices you like.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

And now you know why we always suggest getting sample kits until you know your likes and dislikes. As for the juices you dislike try steeping them or put them away for future use as your tastes will change. Have a friend that LOVED a particular juice so, against my advice, he ordered a liter of it. Within 1 1/2 weeks he couldn't stand it. I took it off his hands in a trade. I DIY so really can't help.

 

[lonnieperrin]

You could save yourself some money with the DIY method

 

[Ezkill]

Oh man...

Juice, it's so subjective.

People will tell you "Try this it's awesome!", and then you get it...and it tastes like the inside of an old tennis shoe. People have different tastebuds. They like different things. That's why there are so many flavors of regular cigarettes and so many more flavors of juice. One person will say something has a great tobacco undertone and the next says it tastes like plastic.

Are you on the wrong track? No I don't believe so. Some of the juices you've listed there are certainly some very popular and highly regarded juices. I've tasted over 60 juices in the last 6 weeks and I've found some I really like. Then after a few weeks of vaping them I can't stand them anymore. The reverse is also true. I HATED Boba's bounty when it showed up. I thought it was abysmal. I put it aside and went back to it after three weeks now it's one of my all time favorites.

The best advice I can give you is to try a few from a vendor. You will probably find that some vendors are just right for you because while they have different flavors some stuff in the mixes appeals to you. Be that the tobacco base, level of sweetness or strength of the flavors. The second piece of advice I can give you after you find a few juices you like is zero in on someone on this board that likes those juices and see what else they are vaping. I have a very similar taste to a reviewer on this board so I routinely check out his favorite juices and order those. I'm batting close to 100 doing that.

 

[NancyR]

While waiting on the others to arrive I would suggest you go ahead and try the Almonetto, you might be surprised. Another thing you might want to think about is menthol. And before you get crossed eyed at the suggestion check the reviews here on the forum, many people who would rather go without than smoke a menthol cig, love menthol juice. I might add it's true the other way too a lot of us menthol smokers can't stand what they sell as menthol juice.

If you don't want sweet, you might want to look at coffee flavors and such. I personally like some sweet juices, but most of the time I just want a rich robust flavor without any sweetness, those times I find a coffee vape hits the spot.

 

[SpicyMcHaggis]

From your list, I have tried Gandalf and Boba's. Both are at the top of my favorites list (and I'm a sweet tooth vaper). The Gandalf is the closest thing I've vaped to a real cig so far. I definetly think you are headed in the right direction for what you're looking for.

 

[Apptiger]

So I'm attempting to start vaping. I started out with a "21st century smoke" purchased from a convenience store and was actually pleasantly surprised with it. Vapor production is weak of course but the taste is fine and unlike the first e-cig I tried a couple years ago it does not hurt my throat, and does not like like weird coffee like a blu.

I got myself a Vtube and a Vivi Nova, and so far have been blown away by both. Vapor production and throat hit on all the juices I've vaped so far have been off the charts. Pretty much better than analogs in that department. So far so good. The problem now is finding something I'm willing to vape. My first juice order did not go well.

I'm still smoking analogs for the time being, not necessarily trying to find an "analog replacement" but I want a tobacco flavor. I smoke Camel Turkish Golds and Peter Stokkebye Norwegian Shag, but i'm not looking for something that tastes the same necessarily. I've smoked and enjoyed cloves, bidis, pipe tobaccos, cigars. I'm open to new taste experiences here but I want something that does not taste like candy or food. at all.

What I bought and how it went (everything was from gotvapes):

Liqua Italian e-liquid traditional tobacco:

This was the first thing I tried and I literally thought something was wrong with my setup. To me this stuff tastes exactly like burnt electronics. I was thinking maybe I was vaping primer, it wasn't wicking properly, etc. my GF tried this as well and agreed with me that it tasted like something was not working properly but as luck would have it I bought a bottle and prefilled cartos of this stuff and they both tasted exactly the same, at all voltages available to me. After trying the other stuff I bought and having everything work fine I quickly realized that this is just the taste of this stuff. There are some redeeming qualities here. It is very dry, has no aftertaste, and really does taste like I'm smoking something. Unfortunately the thing it tastes like I'm smoking is something that man was never meant to smoke .

Flux Nectar:

Mountain Rift: I detected no trace of a tobacco flavor in this juice. I saw someone here say that they thought it was supposed to taste like Mountain Dew, and I'm pretty sure they're right. Just ridiculously sweet. Not even in the ballpark of what I'm looking for.

Pyramid Fusion: A marked improvement from the Mountain Rift, but still not really in the category I'm looking for. Again I'm not able to discern in any way a tobacco flavor here. Tastes like hazelnut to me. Not ridiculously sweet on the draw but still too sweet for me and leaves a weird sweet aftertaste in my mouth. Vaped a half-tank of this and I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for the rest of the day. Not for me.

Almonetto: Bought this as part of a sampler. After trying the 2 tobacco flavors and being unable to vape any more due to sweetness and foodiness I didn't even open this.


So after my 1st order failed to produce anything I felt like I could vape I did some more forum reading and decided to cast my net a little wider. i now have coming to me:

Alien Visions:

Boba's Bounty
Flu Cured

Hangsen:

USA Mix
Desert Ship

Backwoods Brews:

Virginia Tobacco
Backo
Casablanca

Heather's Heavenly Vapes:

Dragons Fire
Gandalf
Dark Horse
Huntsman


What I'm wondering now is this: Do like-minded people think I'm on the right track with what I've ordered to try out this time? Does everyone bleed money for a while before they find something they like vaping? Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm not trying to put any vendors down with harsh descriptions of their juices here, just trying to get across my personal dislike for them and hoping to find people with similar tastes and advice to offer

DeKang USA mix was my first juice off of a vendor recommendation. 6 months of vaping and it is still my all day vape. I do mix it with a little hot cinnamon now though. Tried about a half dozen others and keep going back. A little shy about trying anything else.Atelast for now. It will take some time to find your favorites but give the USA mix a good chance, it might work for you like it did for me.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

You're absolutely right. When smoking I despised and hated menthol...now one of my fave vapes.

While waiting on the others to arrive I would suggest you go ahead and try the Almonetto, you might be surprised. Another thing you might want to think about is menthol. And before you get crossed eyed at the suggestion check the reviews here on the forum, many people who would rather go without than smoke a menthol cig, love menthol juice. I might add it's true the other way too a lot of us menthol smokers can't stand what they sell as menthol juice.

If you don't want sweet, you might want to look at coffee flavors and such. I personally like some sweet juices, but most of the time I just want a rich robust flavor without any sweetness, those times I find a coffee vape hits the spot.

 

[lotsoffish]

Try to keep an open mind on flavors. I was a 3 and a half DECADE menthol smoker and I almost NEVER eat real fruits yet my favorite vapes are Apple, Mellon, Strawberry and Pineapple. I would have NEVER guessed that in a thousand years and the only reason I even "tested" a fruit flavor was I got some in a "sampler".

 

[Pappy]

It looks like you've ordered some high quality juices that a lot of people here like, so I suspect you will like at least a few of those. In fact, I'll be surprised if you don't fall in love with at least one of them.

And I agree with NancyR and Vapoor eyes r about the menthol. I hated menthol cigarettes, but happened to get a sample of some menthol juice and found that I really like it. It's not an all day vape, but it sure clears the palate when I'm tired of other juices.

Also, I recently tried some 555 from Spring Vapor, which is a tobacco blend with a nutty overtone to it. I never thought I'd like anything nutty, but I really like that juice. I haven't found any tobacco juices I like other than that 555 and several Ry4's that I like. (Ry4 might not be for you because I don't taste any tobacco in them. They give me a sensation that's closer to smoking a cigarette than any other juice I've used, but they don't taste like a cigarette or even tobacco. In fact, there's not much taste at all. And some Ry4's are sweeter than others, which you might not like.)

 

[rondasherrill]

The only tobacco flavor I have ever liked was "Phillip More or Less" from Kick Bass Vapors. It is a clear liquid, very smooth clean taste, with good throat hit.

 

[hubblebubble]

I have tried about 25 flavors before I found 2 I really liked. Try adding some nut flavors to the tobacco to mix it up a bit. They also vape great on their own. Another user just told me about ECBlend E-Liquids - Something Better They have 5ml bottles for $2.50 each. They also allow you to make custom juices. I see some serious sampling soon!

 

[Craisin]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Im really feeling the love on this forum. Hopefully I will find at least one real winner out of this batch. I'm definitely open to coffee or possibly tea flavors as well. I'll have to try branching out a bit at some point, just trying to find a "safe zone" for the moment. I can say with absolute certainty that menthol will be a no go for me since I hate mint with a fiery passion. Can't eat it in food or anything, always buy non mint toothoaste. I did end up cracking open the almonetto tonight and didn't find it to be my thing but it was better than the mountain rift and liqua at least .

Does anyone keep an amount of 0mg juice around just to puff on without going overboard on nic? I find that a lot of my cravings aren't even necessarily nic cravings but I just want something to puff away at while I'm watching a movie or talking to someone. Thinking about buying another nova to keep filled with 0mg juice and switch out to that when I'm really just looking to puff. Anyone else have success doing something like that?

 

[subtle_banter]

just a head nod to to the juice god but try out Highbrow Vapor. I wasted so many orders and then found Bryan. You will be pleasantly surprised..Just don't buy up all the juice; I still need some for me.

 

[cignomo]

I was the same as lostoffish. I thought all I would ever vape was tobacco flavors till I tried some fruit flavors. Some of my favorite flavors are ones that I never thought I'd like. The weirder the combo, the better they are sometimes.

Next time you order from Backwoods pick up some Malty and leave it alone for at least a week (must steep). Light and complex but not too sweet and tons of vapor.

Gandalf is one of my faves. Very close to the real thing.

Sample Packs! Sample Packs! Sample Packs!

Murphy's law applies to flavors. If you buy something in 30ml you'll hate it. Buy a sample and it'll be great. Not sure why

 

[LongHaul]

Everyone raves about the Gandolf and a buddy got some so I stopped by and tried it.....chocolate is all I taste and I can mix that myself. It depends on the person I smoked Marlboro and when I started vaping full time got a bottle of strawberry banana and thought it would be fine.....it wasn't I needed a smoke flavor so I went to a vape shop got a atty and tried what I could till I found Cuban cigar and was hooked. My analog cravings stopped and I finally had what I had been missing. I can now vape my strawberry banana without getting analog cravings but I needed it till the mindset was fully in line with the vaping part of my brain I guess.
For you I say if you can go find a vape shop take your atty in and say give me all of em and sample away till you hit gold.

 

[cignomo]

Remember to keep in mind your choices range from 60/40 PG/VG to 100%VG. Punch/Slot accordingly.

I went from 12mg to 6mg for the same reason. I vape more for the pleasure of vaping more than a nic fix

 

[billy2boots]

Turkish golds! Damn those were good. I havent had one of those in a long time. Damn thanks buddy I just gota analog craving, havent had 1 of those in a long time ether lol, sry I dont think anyone can really help u, as said b4 were all different when it comes 2 taste buds.as said b4 sample paks. Or Better, juice bar.like someone else said. Also some tanks and cartos r gonna taste like poo 4 a bit gotta breakem in.

 

[billy2boots]

Good luck let us know what u find