Natural Tobaccos - Part Deux

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AnthonyB

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I smoked Three Castles exclusively for about ten years, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. The Brits went to Virginia each year and bought the pick of the Virginian crop---the very finest selection among the various different Virginia tobaccos---then took it back to England and processed it without chemicals or additives. Three castles was indeed an RYO, in a ultra-fine shag cut, packed moist and tight like a pound cake into round (cylindrical) metal tins with beautiful green lids. Imported back into the U.S., Three Castles put to shame every other RYO (such as Drum, Sail, or Flying Dutchman). It was the best by a mile.

Naturally sweet without any toppings, Three Castles was the best-tasting tobacco I ever smoked. A single hand-rolled cig could last an hour. You could take a draw, savor the flavor, put down the cig, and it would stop burning and go out. Then you could relight it in five minutes for another puff. As testimony to its purity, Three Castles had a wonderful room note that even non-smokers liked and passed the "yes, but will girls still want to kiss you?" test with flying colors (I was in my 20s then). If I remember correctly, a 3-ounce tin was $1.85 back in 1975, although the price steadily rose over a decade to almost triple that. A single tin would last me two weeks. I saved the empty tins for storing knick-knacks (rubber bands, paper clips, whatever) and still have one or two in service all these decades later.

Eventually I had to give up Three Castles, though, for two reasons: 1. while the nicotine was quite low, the tar content was brutal in an unfiltered roll-your-own, and cumulatively way too much for my lungs, and 2. finally the U.S. outlawed importing it from Britain, even to the point of banning private shipments from overseas.

Absolutely great stuff. If Clay has been able to replicate the flavor even approximately in a vaping NET, that's a heck of an achievement and some fine magic.

Thanks for that insight Bill. It will deepen my appreciation for what I am vaping.

It sounds like a great RYO. Perhaps Britians' old fashion version of American Spirit RYO which are also organic.


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AnthonyB

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Burley's certainly have their place and I don't think everyone was so much "hating" on it as much as just bored with it... It can round out a mix nicely but it doesn't really have a lot of pizzazz, in fact it often just adds some fullness to a blend but doesn't really alter the flavor itself that much... making a nice filler of course.

Although a little monotonous on it's own... I still enjoy it that way still and in a blend I enjoy it even more. Since I have taste issues with Latakia... I like the fire cured burleys to help take that spot even without the spice that I've heared described about Latakia... it's ( FC burley ) better than no smokey flavor at least.



He wasn't so much run out as he let himself out... he just didn't like everyone else expressing a different opinion that what he had of that vape. The majority of us here are mature enough that someone having a different opinion than what we may hold doesn't really bother us... in fact many seem to be even interested in how those differences are expressed. I know on several occasions others have tasted something I'd overlooked and then found later after they had posted about it... so I certainly enjoy the comments no matter how different they are from my own opinions.

I really do appreciate what you are saying here but I didn't get the impression he was discounting anyone's viewpoint as much as he was expressing his passion for a product he tried. When I suggested he try other well known NETs that in my opinion would put that NJOY product to shame, I found his response was open minded and reasonable.

I too get excited when I discover a product I really love and it can sometimes come across, at that moment, as though it's the best thing since sliced bread but it's never intended to suggest that what I'm loving at that moment is somehow a better product than what you might be vaping at any given point in time or that my tastes and preferences are better than anyone else's.

I think we should embrace naked enthusiasm and passion for a product and not berate them over it, no matter how poor we may perceive their tastes and preferences.

For someone who is new to the thread, they aren't familiar with the culture and the occasional orthodoxy that does creep up from time to time and I think we should be a little more forgiving and tolerant for the sake of the popularity of the thread. It can be a pretty daunting prospect for a newbie to post here at times, and it shouldn't be IMO.

But anyway, I appreciate your explanation on this.


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Mr.Mann

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....I know on several occasions others have tasted something I'd overlooked and then found later after they had posted about it...

But you ain't neva overlooked Latakia! :laugh: If anyone is ever wondering if Latakia is in a vape, if rdsok has tried it and that info is not posted on the vendors' sites, I bet he can identify it with little to no effort.


[Drive-by post.]
 

Dusty_D

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/me slaps MM with a ticket for doing an unauthorized drive by!!

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rdsok

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But you ain't neva overlooked Latakia! :laugh: If anyone is ever wondering if Latakia is in a vape, if rdsok has tried it and that info is not posted on the vendors' sites, I bet he can identify it with little to no effort.


[Drive-by post.]

:lol: :lol: ....

Yeah but that is a very unique situation since what I taste is nothing like what everyone else tastes on that one..

Just take a big whiff of an iodine wash and you'll be pretty close to what I taste with a Latakia, so for me it's hard to miss it. I'll be surprised if we hear of anyone else that gets that same flavor as I do... it's some weird chemistry thing that's for certain.
 

Dusty_D

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:lol: :lol: ....

Yeah but that is a very unique situation since what I taste is nothing like what everyone else tastes on that one..

Just take a big whiff of an iodine wash and you'll be pretty close to what I taste with a Latakia, so for me it's hard to miss it. I'll be surprised if we hear of anyone else that gets that same flavor as I do... it's some weird chemistry thing that's for certain.


With your avatar and all, I would have thought it would be Physics rather than Chemistry.. :lol:
 

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Sorry for the delay, ladies and gents. I had to go to the Philippines for a family emergency. Now onto some thoughts on the new non-tobacco version of Ahlusion's Honey Cured aromatic. I've had it fresh and steeped for a few weeks. Smelling the bottle, the scent is a dead-ringer for the original version. The taste is very close, but not quite there. It reminds me of the difference between a real Coke and Coke Zero, though not quite that far apart. Vaping it, I'd say the taste is about 80-percent close to the original. There's an aftertaste that wasn't present in the original and the new version doesn't quite have the same bite. While thee 80-percent number I through out is arbitrary -- and as a wise man once said, we all have different tastebuds -- I would not argue with someone saying the new non-tobacco Honey Cured tastes 70-percent or 90-percent like the original.

Now here's the brilliant news -- this juice vapes cleanly. My first few milliliters were dripped and the coils were very clean. Running two fills through a Kanger Subtank Mini (approximately seven milliliters total), the coils (1.1-ohms kanthal vaped between 25-30 watts) were very clean. If you've vaped the original Ahlusion aromatics then you know that they were fairly harsh on coils. While the new non-tobacco version doesn't quite taste the same, I have no problem with the slightly different flavor as a tradeoff for extremely clean vaping.

Admittedly, I have grown a bit tired of coil gunking, scrubbing off NET-dirtied center posts, etc. that comes with many heavy NETs. With that in mind, the clean vaping might mean more to me than it does to some of you. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the new Honey Cured -- so much so that I'm going to order 60ml bottles of Blue Grass Burley, Vurley, and Cocoa Blend in the near future.
 
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Jerms

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But you ain't neva overlooked Latakia! [emoji23] If anyone is ever wondering if Latakia is in a vape, if rdsok has tried it and that info is not posted on the vendors' sites, I bet he can identify it with little to no effort.


[Drive-by post.]
Hey J. :)
Sorry for the delay, ladies and gents. I had to go to the Philippines for a family emergency. Now onto some thoughts on the new non-tobacco version of Ahlusion's Honey Cured aromatic. I've had it fresh and steeped for a few weeks. Smelling the bottle, the scent is a dead-ringer for the original version. The taste is very close, but not quite there. It reminds me of the difference between a real Coke and Coke Zero, though not quite that far apart. Vaping it, I'd say the taste is about 80-percent close to the original. There's an aftertaste that wasn't present in the original and the new version doesn't quite have the same bite. While thee 80-percent number I through out is arbitrary -- and as a wise man once said, we all have different tastebuds -- I would not argue with someone saying the new non-tobacco Honey Cured tastes 70-percent or 90-percent like the original.

Now here's the brilliant news -- this juice vapes cleanly. My first few milliliters were dripped and the coils were very clean. Running two fills through a Kanger Subtank Mini (approximately seven milliliters total), the coils (1.1-ohms kanthal vaped between 25-30 watts) were very clean. If you've vaped the original Ahlusion aromatics then you know that they were fairly harsh on coils. While the new non-tobacco version doesn't quite taste the same, I have no problem with the slightly different flavor as a tradeoff for extremely clean vaping.

Admittedly, I have grown a bit tired of coil gunking, scrubbing off NET-dirtied center posts, etc. that comes with many heavy NETs. With that in mind, the clean vaping might mean more to me than it does to some of you. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the new Honey Cured -- so much so that I'm going to order 60ml bottles of Blue Grass Burley, Vurley, and Cocoa Blend in the near future.
Awesome Ray! Bottles for me soon too. Pretty amazing what they can do with commercially available tobacco flavoring huh? ;)
 

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rdsok

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Recently, I've been taste testing Diane's 15 Single Leaf Tobacco Extracts from MyVapeJuice and I have to say, these seem to vape very clean so far. Of course, I'm only vaping a mil or two for each right now so I can get a general profile of each, but still between each dripper full, there has been little evidence on the coils of gunking. The test batchs I've been using are 70PG/30VG at 6mg using 20% extract in the mixes. In fact, the only reason I've been dry burning at all is to help dry the wick out and not to clean the coils.

I really think DIY'rs are going to really happy with these... :)
 

Jerms

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I figured you folks would be all over the new Farsalinos study, since it's based on NETs, but good news for all vapers: A new study verifies that e-cigarettes are orders of magnitude safer than tobacco cigarettes
"Moreover, we assessed a specific group of e-liquids (known as Natural Extracts of Tobacco – NETs)."

In my opinion, that's a much better description of what NET stand for compared to what we've been using. I'm going to start using it.

Excellent article. Nice to see what most of us has suspected has tested to be correct; NETs may contain slightly higher levels of certain toxins than standard vape juice, but magnitudes less than the source tobacco.

Also interesting that no nic was found transfered in the extraction. We've said here it's probably little to none, now we can safely say none.
 

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billherbst

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Back when the acronym NET was first coming into use---during the early days of this thread, and probably to a large extent because of this thread---many of us who read or participated in the thread noted that the acronym was inaccurate. Whether decoded as "Naturally-Extracted Tobacco" or "Natural Extract of Tobacco," NET puts the modifier "Natural" in the wrong place. The point isn't that the extraction process is natural, nor even that the resulting extract is natural (although that obviously matters), but rather that the tobacco from which the flavoring is extracted is natural, i.e, the real thing---you know, cured leaves from tobacco plants, rather than synthetic tobacco flavorings made from lab-based chemicals or compounds.

The extraction could be achieved using any of a number of different processes---macerations (with PG, VG, or even alcohol as solvents, and done in weeks-long room-temperature soaks or much shorter heat-assisted "cooks," then filtered through various media to a given micron level of particulate removal), steam distillation (similar to how essential oils are extracted), or even CO2 extraction (I've never known how that process works). In any case, whether or not the extraction techniques were "natural" was never the issue.

Unfortunately, neither of the more accurate acronyms---ENT (for Extract of Natural Tobacco) or NTE (for Natural Tobacco Extract)---rolled trippingly off the tongue nor looked good in print. So, we settled on NET, or maybe it just won out on its own. I presume that the unintended but serendipitous association with the internet didn't hurt. NET also lent itself well to creative permutations---NETizen became a designation for someone who vaped natural tobacco juices, as well as for participants on this thread.

Along the way, it became obvious that while a certain percentage of retail NET eliquids were made using extract alone, many others were "hybrids" that contained synthetic flavorings added either during the extraction itself or later when the final eliquid was mixed. We learned also about how tobacco is processed, namely, that some casings and top flavorings applied during growing, curing, or near the end of processing contain synthetic, lab-based chemicals that might not fit comfortably in the designation "natural," at least not in the way we use that word. By then, however, NET had become an accepted term in the vaping community.

One significant reason (perhaps the most significant) that those various contradictions didn't upset the applecart and invalidate or put an end to our use of the term "natural" and NET is that eliquids---whether retail or DIY---made using extracts from natural tobacco simply taste different when vaped than juices made using synthetic flavorings alone. NETs---especially when they're good quality---have a distinct flavor signature of real tobacco that's nearly impossible to miss, while all synthetic, supposedly-tobacco-flavored eliquids simply do not taste like tobacco. The best they can achieve is a certain ersatz resemblance to tobacco, but it's nowhere near as close to the real thing as NETs.

Then there's the issue of Tobacco Absolute (TA) and how to categorize it, which has dogged our heels on this thread since its early pages, but that's a story for another post.
 

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I want to thank Ray for writing about the new Ahl aromatics, I've been waiting to hear.

His comment showed up the same day my order did (Vurley, Cocoa Blend, Devil Dog). I haven't tried the Dog but know it's reputation. I miss Vurley and Cocoa Blend. And BGB, but I still have some of that from last summer. It goes slowly, it's in a Kayfun and clogs quickly, and when it clogs I set it down until the thought of BGB comes up again and, ugh, I have to take this apart to make this go? Maybe today, maybe not.

Segues nicely into... I'm getting out of NETS. Too much trouble. For me. I'm getting away from drippers, too, and mostly use tanks (Kanger Aerotanks and Subtanks). I've been at this about 2 1/2 years and at this point I like the convenience of tanks and juices that don't jam up the goodies. I used to rebuild or rewick EVODs every. damn. day. I just don't have time anymore. I still rebuild, and it's fun (except for nickel, I think I'm done with the TC hypothesis), but I don't want to do it because I Have to do it. When one got clogged I'd switch to another, then another, until they're all shot and now I'm forced to spend a couple hours rebuilding Everything. Which ends happily, everything is great for at least a few hours.

So, new Alh aromatics, clear, clean, taste something like a NET (Natural Extracts of Tobacco)? I thought this could be the greatest thing ever (not getting much chatter, though, interestingly, and this thread -- I love you all -- is getting slim, no love for genuine tobacco vapes in the general public?).

I've only tried Vurley (note: not steeped, a few days old), and it was like coming home. Hallelujah praise Jebus. For a bit. 6 mils later.. Like Ray said, it's close. Very very close, just the mouthfeel isn't there. Maybe the ashiness? It vapes too clean.

But it tastes great and I'm going to buy more.

Now I have go burn and rewick a subtank full of EV Top Leaf, which has gone full gutter. But, sometimes, there's no substitute.

Nah, who am I kidding, It's late and I have other stuff to vape. Maybe tomorrow, Top Leaf. This Magma of Vurley is working pretty well at the moment...
 

AnthonyB

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In the last week I got my batch of liquids from NET.com. I stuck with mostly 5ml and 10ml bottles of the many new inclusions to the growing list of liquids on NET.com which include N-E-T customs, cigars, varietals, tea-baccos and others. During my first week of sampling I found that most are in need of steeping and I won't make too much commentary on those. Some of them are showing great potential though.

I've also been given a bunch of beta samplers from Clay. There are 3 which I believe are beta liquids which are not yet listed on the site. They are entitled Desert Cherry, Frambe and 'I'. There many be others but I am not entirely sure as I am unfamiliar with all these new liquids. It's possible Clay may have listed them for sale since I received them. So far, the desert cherry is showing some promise. The cherry is up front and blends nicely with a rich Earthy tobacco flavour.

The Berry Baile which is described 'Berries soaked in vanilla, with acacia honey and cognac infused into a cigar made with Dominican fillers grown from Cuban-seed, draped in an Indonesian wrapper' is also getting my early attention as a flavorsome, complex liqueur cigar vape. I agree with the marketing on this one. The description includes a final line that says even those who don't normally go for cigar vapes might want to consider this one. I think Clay does liqueur infusions really well and that ability to bring out a warm aura of liqueur in the liquid is apparent in this one.

The liquid that has given me a really strong impression right out of the box is 7th Cut. Clay has nailed it with the 7th Cut

In Clay's early days of selling NET's to the public I wasn't entirely impressed with his range of cigar extractions. I felt his real strength was with pipes and varietals. His early cigar extractions didn't really grab me. It is entirely possible that the earlier cigar extractions had not reached their steeping zenith at the time and were vaped up pretty quickly. They tasted muddled and diffuse with the exception of the 3 Crown and Yellow Mane which were both superb, even after only a few weeks.

Enter into the NET.com foray of liquids, 7th Cut. I've looked for a good crisp well defined cigar vape and have often been left feeling a little dissatisfied with the representation in vape form. Want2Vape has always satisfied that need for me with its bold flavorsome cigar extracts however W2V cigars occupy a very unique niche with their bold, high extract to flavorless PG ratio which have the inconvenient tendency to gunk coils pretty quickly, being the trade off for such a flavorsome cigar vape.

7th Cut however, is a serious player in the genre of cigar vapes that are lighter, well defined, complex and nuanced without the heavy overpowering presence of a high ratio extract that is sometimes needed of a cigar vape to have a vaping experience that corresponds to a cigar smoking aspect. In this respect a liquid like 7th Cut has all day vape qualities to it.

7th Cut has a light spicy sweetness, a buttery note, some cedar and an overall woody character. It has a hint of natural fruit or tea that blends with the cigar that does not taste like an infusion, but an elemental part of the tobacco.

NET.com describes 7th Cut as follows:

A very rare Seventh Cut/priming Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with the added boldness and "spice" inherent in this more sun-exposed tobacco leaf encases a hearty Mexican Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Ometepe. This is one fine cigar that has been extracted; creating a somewhat dry and smokey spiced cigar flavor for those that prefer a quality, nuanced complexity. The eLiquid vapes somewhat differently than the cigar "smokes," per reviews... it has a more subtle complexity, a familiar dry "bite" inherent to the aged dark tobaccos typical of premium cigars, and while the black pepper notes are apparent, they are not overwhelming. Leathery for sure, but more of an unsweetened tea-note rather than coffee/espresso some smokers describe. Regardless, "decadent" is spot-on as the mild sweetness one may detect on the exhale from this AJ cigar-extracted eLiquid, can be largely contributed to that 7th Cut Sumatra cape....


I think it is extraordinary how close the liquid tastes to this description particularly given the complexity of the liquid. I am not sure if the above description has been worded by Clay or taken from a description of the cigar it was extracted from. The unsweetened tea note may well be the subtle fruit I am tasting and does come across as dry and unsweetened, hence an inherent part of the tobacco. There is just enough spice to let you know this is a cigar without the spice and pepper being dominant. I am not finding it to be leathery though, more a lively woody, cedar-y nutmeg. The mild sweetness is there and it is a tea note and not a coffee note.

I am not sure how far along the 7th Cut is in its steeping development. Clay advised me that all liquids are mixed to order which means they need to invariably steep, however the more popular extracts which turn over quickly may have had time to age in their extract form before being mixed with PGVG for the final product. If this liquid has more steeping to go there is great promise that it will develop into an outstanding cigar vape.

For me this is a clear winner for a cigar vape. It is doing everything other cigar extraction vendors have been trying to do with nuanced, well defined and non-gunky cigar extracts and not succeeded. Admittedly, I have a few of these lighter style cigar vapes from other vendors in steeping and I may eat my words when I revisit them, but the 7th Cut has been one of the first to grace my lips that tastes the way it is supposed to, which is rare for a cigar extraction.

The Ruins is one of Clay's more recent additions to the cigar extractions and based on the description he provides, one that he is very enthusiastic about. So far, on my very limited sampling of it, I can't decipher much. I think it needs more steeping, which is on par of what I expect from a decent cigar extraction. I feel the same way about Excalibur. Nothing is really jumping out at me at this stage except that it has a pleasant mouth feel.

Here is an interesting article about some characteristics of cigar wrappers and what some of the terminology means:

The Ten Things to Know About Cigar Wrappers | Blogcritics
 
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RPadTV

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Very very close, just the mouthfeel isn't there. Maybe the ashiness? It vapes too clean.

Ashiness is a great word for what's missing in the new Ahlusion aromatics. I mentioned bite before. It's the pleasant, nebulous grunginess that's part of many NET experiences. That's what the new aros are lacking.

Oh yeah, four fills of a Subtank Mini and the coils are still relatively clean! That's pretty awesome. With that in mind, I have 60ml of BGB, Vurley, and Cocoa Blend on the way, as well as an old favorite in a new ratio -- Sahara Blend in 90vg!
 
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