Natural Tobaccos

[jefsview]

That's good you tried it despite the nut, I'm just thinking Gambler would deserve the same fair shot you gave H1N1, which is why I suggested requesting a small sample. Keep in mind I've tried neither, but have tried several juices I normally wouldn't order, liked some (home-made Clove) and didn't for others (Rayven) 8-o

Sure. If someone sends me some, I'll try it.

 

[johni]

Welcome Beck, Maxwell, RT and other new NET fans. Glad you guys are here and look forward to you posting. Sampling NETs can be very enjoyable and having like-minded vapers to discuss them with makes it all more interesting.

 

[Chinook]

Has anyone here vaped both Big Spirit and one of the Nat Sherman NETs from NETcom who cares to compare and contrast the two?

I haven't had NS from NETcom, just BS (which I love). I do have an American Spirit and NS MCD extracted juices made by Bill though. At first, the NS was a clear winner for me, but that's changed. I really love them both, they are both awesome cig style vapes that really hit the spot first vape of the morning (much like that first cig did). Also fantastic for anytime, medium impact, no-nonsense straight tobacco satisfaction.

The American Spirit seems more robust, a little drier, and a bit more straight tobacco kick. The NS is smoother, a tad milder, with different tobacco notes. AS seems more like a RYO and NT seems more like a quality factory made, filtered cig. Lately AS I'd rate slightly higher than NS MCD. Of course, that again may change as my mood changes.

Either way, big thumbs up for me when it comes to NET juices made from quality cig tobacco. I was thinking of voting Big Spirit from NETcom as the best tobacco in the Best of 2013 poll. It was really the first representation of a great, straight cig experience with extracted tobacco. I went with Sahara Blend though, as for me it showed how great a synthetic/NET hybrid can be, and what can I say, I'm a sucker for Turkish.

Jerms, how does Bill's American Spirits compare with NETcom's BS? Although I think Bill's is the Organic one and NETcom's is the regular one (not the recent Organic one).

 

[Jerms]

Jerms, how does Bill's American Spirits compare with NETcom's BS? Although I think Bill's is the Organic one and NETcom's is the regular one (not the recent Organic one).

Very similar flavor. Bill mixes with less extract so it's a little lighter.

 

[Chinook]

Dry but a touch of sweet, medium unflavored tobaccos that results from cig tobacco extracts really does hit the spot for me. They almost seem to make a more pure tobacco experience than pipe NETs, which often involved tobaccos with more flavorings and casing and are often more sweet. Cig NETs may not be as interesting or complex as pipe NETs, but what they offer makes up for that. Just like I always want an English pipe blend vape on hand, I'll also now always want a cig vape in my rotation too.

I agree about Wrangler Light being a very good juice as well. I voted it in the NETty awards as best cig NET. Nick goes in a different direction than using actual cig tobacco; he picked out a variety to approximate a Marlboro light experience including some cased in chocolate flavors (a note many cigs, including Marbs, have). He did the same with the newer Analog, using a variety of tobacco types that one doesn't really find in most cigs.

Right on! I 100% agree here with the dry more pure tobacco experience of the cigarette tobacco extractions. I do too like the "pipe" like juices like Organic # 1 and Patriot where they get high points for complexity and being very interesting vapes. But their "tobacco" impact for me is still not high.

My benchmark is the aroma of crushed American Spirits Organic tobacco between my fingers. The complexity and intensity of aroma is very hard to describe -- I don't have words for it yet That is the absolute pure tobacco essence for me. That sparked my DIY journey at home...

Regarding the GeJ Analog, it's the only juice that I'm struggling with from GeJ. It has a type of sweet smell and a bit of that taste which comes out very artificial and chemically for me. After 3 weeks of steeping, it mellowed little bit but still has that dominate taste. For me, it tastes like an "Analog" from another universe

 

[jefsview]

Right on! I 100% agree here with the dry more pure tobacco experience of the cigarette tobacco extractions. I do too like the "pipe" like juices like Organic # 1 and Patriot where they get high points for complexity and being very interesting vapes. But their "tobacco" impact for me is still not high.

My benchmark is the aroma of crushed American Spirits Organic tobacco between my fingers. The complexity and intensity of aroma is very hard to describe -- I don't have words for it yet That is the absolute pure tobacco essence for me. That sparked my DIY journey at home...

Regarding the GeJ Analog, it's the only juice that I'm struggling with from GeJ. It has a type of sweet smell and a bit of that taste which comes out very artificial and chemically for me. After 3 weeks of steeping, it mellowed little bit but still has that dominate taste. For me, it tastes like an "Analog" from another universe

I am sorry that it's not working out for you. Yes, there is a sweetness to it. But the blend still amazes me, and I end up chain vaping it every time I start it. While Wrangler Light is a good cigarette type of flavor, ANALOG takes that to a richer, bolder more complex level that I enjoy.

I would suggest to vape something else, let it steep on the shelf and see how both the juice, and yourself, change in the coming months

 

[Chinook]

I am sorry that it's not working out for you. Yes, there is a sweetness to it. But the blend still amazes me, and I end up chain vaping it every time I start it. While Wrangler Light is a good cigarette type of flavor, ANALOG takes that to a richer, bolder more complex level that I enjoy.

I would suggest to vape something else, let it steep on the shelf and see how both the juice, and yourself, change in the coming months

Hey no problems, I enjoyed everything you recommended, except Analog So that's like 9 in 10, not bad at all

I don't mind the sweetness but it tastes like Aspartame went wild or something very chemically like that to me. Maybe I hit a bad batch?

I will let it steep little bit more and see. Indeed, it did get better and mellower after 2-3 weeks for me.

 

[billherbst]

Jerms, how does Bill's American Spirits compare with NETcom's BS? Although I think Bill's is the Organic one and NETcom's is the regular one (not the recent Organic one).

Chinook,

Yes, my home-brewed American Spirit extract was made from a fresh pack of American Spirit Organic cigarettes.

With all my extracts, I mix juice in small 6ml bottles. That way, I can experiment with different extract percentages, base blends, and nic strengths. The bottles of American Spirit and Nat Sherman MCD juice I sent to Jerms both used 13% extract, which is less than most of the retail NET juices. I've mixed them for myself from 11% all the way to 25%. The low end mixes are subtle and nuanced, while the high end is almost "thick" with flavor that is much more blunt. I don't have a preference for mix percentage---I just vape whatever I've mixed, then change it when I top up a 6ml bottle or mix a new one from scratch.

With my pipe tobacco blend extracts, I've been settling in at 18-20% extract in the mixed juices. The multiple flavors in those blends seems to work better when they're mixed at a higher potency.

 

[Chinook]

Thanks Bill!

I've been mixing at 25% extract so far and they are OK. I think my extracts are not as potent though. I have one done similar to your "slow cooked" ones and that one is steeping for a week. So far that juice has decent nuances but I'm hoping the flavors will get amplified more. And the extract has the darkest color so far... I also have a cold extract going and it's aroma has been deepening. I'll let that go 30+ days. It's fun to experiment!

 

[erawk]

Regarding the GeJ Analog, it's the only juice that I'm struggling with from GeJ. It has a type of sweet smell and a bit of that taste which comes out very artificial and chemically for me. After 3 weeks of steeping, it mellowed little bit but still has that dominate taste. For me, it tastes like an "Analog" from another universe

I felt the same way about Analog when i first got it. Heres my initial impression from oct 7th.

Right now im still not sure about Analog by GeJ. it does have good flavor and throat hit, although it reminds me WAY too much of this synthetic RY4 tobacco i used to get from TVR. So maybe its just a personal thing. Every time i vape it it just seems synthetic to me based on the fact that the flavor is almost identical to the stuff i used to get from the vapor room. Hopefully my mind will get over this, and my pallet will be able to pick up on more natural tones in the flavor with some steeping, cause i DO actually like it.

My opinion of it definitely grew a lot over time as it steeped. It gained a fuller, more robust tobacco note and the synthetic thing died off. i only had 12mls so i probably nbeed to reorder to give it another shot.

 

[rdsok]

I ordered the GeJ Menthol Analog at the first of November instead of getting it straight up this time as I normally do. I also tasted a chemically flavor when I first got it and as a few others mentioned... it has mellowed to a point I have to look for it to taste it now. I believe it took over a month for that to happen. My uncertainty comes from having put it down until the end of November or so when I could still taste that flavor... I just revisited it just now to find it mostly missing now. Until these last few posts on the subject, I had thought that chemical flavor was coming from the menthol and not the tobacco side... it appears I stand corrected now.

I've grown accustom to adding my own menthol flavoring for a few reasons... primarily so I can get the exact menthol flavoring I prefer. Still, most of my friends don't vape menthols so it's nice to be able to taste the juices and see exactly what the tobacco flavors taste like. Another reason... a lot of menthol blends also contain variations of other mints in them... something I don't mind but they aren't what I look for when thinking menthol.

 

[erawk]

It finally came! Ordered 10/27.

 

[Chinook]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Mine now steeped for 30 days. It definitely got better but the taste is still there. I'll let it steep another 2-4 weeks.

I felt the same way about Analog when i first got it. Heres my initial impression from oct 7th.

My opinion of it definitely grew a lot over time as it steeped. It gained a fuller, more robust tobacco note and the synthetic thing died off. i only had 12mls so i probably nbeed to reorder to give it another shot.

I ordered the GeJ Menthol Analog at the first of November instead of getting it straight up this time as I normally do. I also tasted a chemically flavor when I first got it and as a few others mentioned... it has mellowed to a point I have to look for it to taste it now. I believe it took over a month for that to happen. My uncertainty comes from having put it down until the end of November or so when I could still taste that flavor... I just revisited it just now to find it mostly missing now. Until these last few posts on the subject, I had thought that chemical flavor was coming from the menthol and not the tobacco side... it appears I stand corrected now.

I've grown accustom to adding my own menthol flavoring for a few reasons... primarily so I can get the exact menthol flavoring I prefer. Still, most of my friends don't vape menthols so it's nice to be able to taste the juices and see exactly what the tobacco flavors taste like. Another reason... a lot of menthol blends also contain variations of other mints in them... something I don't mind but they aren't what I look for when thinking menthol.

Mine is without menthol and I get a whiff of mint/menthol on the exhale. Just a little bit though.

 

[Chinook]

It finally came! Ordered 10/27.

What is this?

 

[erawk]

Clone of the Kayfun 3.1 rebuildable from fasttech

 

[Dusty_D]

Clone of the Kayfun 3.1 rebuildable from fasttech

If it has manufacturers mark on it, then it becomes a counterfeit, not a clone. The Russian was the clone of the Kayfun 3.1. The units from FastTech are counterfeits as they copy the original devices including their markings.

I'm not knocking your choice, just adding some clarity.

 

[Chinook]

Clone of the Kayfun 3.1 rebuildable from fasttech

I have been eyeing that for a while. The reviews seem to be pretty good. Let us know what you think.

I have no idea what it is but the only negative reviews I saw was about the weak center post. Also, the oil residues from machining which can easily be cleaned with PGA soak

 

[erawk]

If it has manufacturers mark on it, then it becomes a counterfeit, not a clone. The Russian was the clone of the Kayfun 3.1. The units from FastTech are counterfeits as they copy the original devices including their markings.

I'm not knocking your choice, just adding some clarity.

Yes agreed but 99.9% of the people referring to a "3.1 clone" are not talking about a russian. They are talking about a counterfeit 3.1 from china. I have no issues with buying counterfeit, but thats a whole nother thread and really not worth debating.

 

[erawk]

I have been eyeing that for a while. The reviews seem to be pretty good. Let us know what you think.

I have no idea what it is but the only negative reviews I saw was about the weak center post. Also, the oil residues from machining which can easily be cleaned with PGA soak

I probably shouldn't be posting my initial impressions till i have more time with it, but oh well. I'm glad i didnt buy the real thing for $150+ cause im not 100% sold on the concept. I really like the elevated coil and center air but i find myself wishing i could tell how much juice is in the inner well, which is impossible to do. You sort of have to go on faith or by taste and i dont like to wait until i can taste dryness. the other issue i have is that you cant get at the coil until the tanks empty. This issue is minimal, but with a protank/BCC i can swap out a wick,coil,or head in the middle of a tank if i wanted to. The flavor/vapor production are very good; as good as my a7mini or a rebuilt BCC, but i dont think its any better. I also prefer the throat hit more in a dripper or BCC. Im not getting as much thoat hit in the kayfun. obviously more testing is required. Small critiques for an otherwise perfectly functional RBA.


My first coil was somewhere around 10 wraps of 28ga. It's running at 1.2ohms and performing quite well. TH might be a wire thing. I'll try 30ga at some point.

 

[Jerms]

What is the difference?

A NET juice uses flavoring that is made by extracting cigarette, pipe, cigar, or whole tobacco leaves. An artificial tobacco flavor uses synthetic tobacco flavorings.