Nicotine Comparisons
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The tasting results are really interesting. I have been lurking this topic for the last few weeks but didn't post because my preference for Xtreme vaping nicotine base is in my signature. Everyone is going to taste some things differently and everyone will have their own preferences for what they taste.
I have been vaping unflavored XV for three years. I have never noticed any quality changes from batch to batch. The price doesn't bother me a bit. I buy 250ml of 100VG in VG for $98.95 which is about $.40 for 1ml of 100mg. The last 250ml jug lasted me 18 months. I just bought another two weeks ago. Levy mixes his base nicotine each day before shipping. He uses a single Chinese source for his nicotine and it comes from a single production lab using the same processing each time. XV produced only one "off" batch of nicotine base and that was back in 2010 when a slight change in the Chinese refining lead to a pink tint in the juice. The change effected appearance only and XV sold that batch off at a discount.
I get the 250ml of 100mg XV and give it a good mixing while still sealed in the white jug. It is then poured off to 30ml amber glass Boston round bottles for freezer storage. I mix finished juice directly from 100mg using graduated cylinders. I generally make a 100ml batch of 10mg unflavored juice that lasts me about six weeks.
I have never seen much color at all in XV 100mg. The only time I get a good look at it is when it's sitting in a small 25ml graduated cylinder.
I have been vaping unflavored XV for three years. I have never noticed any quality changes from batch to batch. The price doesn't bother me a bit. I buy 250ml of 100VG in VG for $98.95 which is about $.40 for 1ml of 100mg. The last 250ml jug lasted me 18 months. I just bought another two weeks ago. Levy mixes his base nicotine each day before shipping. He uses a single Chinese source for his nicotine and it comes from a single production lab using the same processing each time. XV produced only one "off" batch of nicotine base and that was back in 2010 when a slight change in the Chinese refining lead to a pink tint in the juice. The change effected appearance only and XV sold that batch off at a discount.
I get the 250ml of 100mg XV and give it a good mixing while still sealed in the white jug. It is then poured off to 30ml amber glass Boston round bottles for freezer storage. I mix finished juice directly from 100mg using graduated cylinders. I generally make a 100ml batch of 10mg unflavored juice that lasts me about six weeks.
I have never seen much color at all in XV 100mg. The only time I get a good look at it is when it's sitting in a small 25ml graduated cylinder.
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Please bear in mind that I didn't pick these nics looking for TH. I picked them based on their reputation of being clean-tasting. That may be at odds with TH. If TH is what you seek, VT has a special nic just for that because their "premium" nic that we included in this test has a reputation for low TH.
The samples were 'rated' on 'strength.' Strength was deemed, by the raters as a negative value in both Pepperiness and Chemical / Other Taste. Thus the 'results' were 'displayed' in order of 'desirability' (or some other word that might be appropriate) in order to have the more highly valued qualities to the right in the chart. In that, the chart is consistent. ...left to right is better...not that everyone will agree with all of it.
Some might want to review my prefatory comments at post 2829.
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@Exchaner I do not like TH but I still rated it highest in XV.so I feel you may be a bit wrong on that.
Throat hit is technically defined in the tobacco industry: a tightening of the muscle in the back of the throat when hit by smoke (or vapor.) - a tingling feeling. I was surprised to see XV carries a higher rating over VZ. I have tried both and feel just the opposite. It just shows how the individual's perception can affect the results.
Personally, I feel thoat-hit as a "thumb" or pressure-effect in the back of the throat upper area, which the nicotine induces and which pg "lets freely loose" and vg somewhat mutes.
I have always heard good things about the very expensive xv nic(atleast compared to the others, cost-wise), like it's cleanliness, consistency and good throat-hit(which seems a little rare to have both these aspects in one nic - vt's throat-hit nic is still said to have low throat-hit compared to others).
Many vendors state that nic mixed with vg often, but not always, makes a pink hue. I have also seen it several times, and in very good clean tasting nic(chemnovatic nic vg dillutions). Also, according to the usp spec, vg may contain up to 5% water, which I guess is a big reason for the color change, that is if it's because of oxidation, or some other reaction, which i'm guessing.
It btw annoyes me to hear conflicting info... I have read many times that xv is from a single chinese nic-plant, but previously in this thread, someone with inside-knowledge postulated that xv was from india, and additionally it's also been stated that xv = wizard's long gone 'ice' variant...
I have always heard good things about the very expensive xv nic(atleast compared to the others, cost-wise), like it's cleanliness, consistency and good throat-hit(which seems a little rare to have both these aspects in one nic - vt's throat-hit nic is still said to have low throat-hit compared to others).
Many vendors state that nic mixed with vg often, but not always, makes a pink hue. I have also seen it several times, and in very good clean tasting nic(chemnovatic nic vg dillutions). Also, according to the usp spec, vg may contain up to 5% water, which I guess is a big reason for the color change, that is if it's because of oxidation, or some other reaction, which i'm guessing.
It btw annoyes me to hear conflicting info... I have read many times that xv is from a single chinese nic-plant, but previously in this thread, someone with inside-knowledge postulated that xv was from india, and additionally it's also been stated that xv = wizard's long gone 'ice' variant...
I'd like to thank everyone who participated, and especially @Cool_Breeze for coming up with the questionnaire and collating the results.
Now let me explain my selfish reasons for sponsoring this: I started buying nic for long-term storage a few weeks after I successfully dropped a heavy 36 year habit at the end of 2013. I've got a good stock of it, but I intend to buy quite a bit more before it's banned or heavily taxed.
Most of what I've got put away is NN, their "Armor" product (same packaging as the bottle the samples in this comparison came from). Back in ancient history, like a year and a half ago, NN had an excellent reputation, but with all this talk of other "really clean" nics, I've been second guessing whether I shouldn't be buying something else in the future.
After this test, the answer in my mind is: "No". There may be other nics I'd prefer a bit if I was vaping them unflavored, but none that I like enough better to pay more (and certainly not almost 3x as much!), not to mention having to give up the advantage of it arriving "freezer ready".
I think I'd be happy enough using any of these nics fresh. In fact, I'm confident I will be using what's left of each of them that way. They're all entirely acceptable to me. I almost wish I had had included a "dirty" nic (maybe MFS?) as a comparison. In fact, if any of you guys can make a comparison between these samples and other nics, I'd sure like to hear it.
Now let me explain my selfish reasons for sponsoring this: I started buying nic for long-term storage a few weeks after I successfully dropped a heavy 36 year habit at the end of 2013. I've got a good stock of it, but I intend to buy quite a bit more before it's banned or heavily taxed.
Most of what I've got put away is NN, their "Armor" product (same packaging as the bottle the samples in this comparison came from). Back in ancient history, like a year and a half ago, NN had an excellent reputation, but with all this talk of other "really clean" nics, I've been second guessing whether I shouldn't be buying something else in the future.
After this test, the answer in my mind is: "No". There may be other nics I'd prefer a bit if I was vaping them unflavored, but none that I like enough better to pay more (and certainly not almost 3x as much!), not to mention having to give up the advantage of it arriving "freezer ready".
I think I'd be happy enough using any of these nics fresh. In fact, I'm confident I will be using what's left of each of them that way. They're all entirely acceptable to me. I almost wish I had had included a "dirty" nic (maybe MFS?) as a comparison. In fact, if any of you guys can make a comparison between these samples and other nics, I'd sure like to hear it.
Hey Rossum, thanks for all the work you have done. As someone who enjoys the throat hit and the peppery taste, I can tell the difference between MFS and most other nics with my eyes closed. The closest nic I have found to MFS is VZ - similar throat hit but less of a peppery taste. Others I have tried so far are XV, and VT ( the very first batch, probably not from Chemovatic). I prefer VT over XV for its clean taste.
I heard from Levy a couple of years ago via email regarding the origin of Xtreme Vaping nic. He told me it was sourced from a single plant in China.
When XV had the brief pink color issue in 2010 it happened with both VG and PG bases. Here are two old threads discussing this while it happened. Levy posts in the first thread and is quoted in the second.
Pink!? tinted VG/PG Nic? | E-Cigarette Forum
100mg/ml | E-Cigarette Forum
Xtreme Vaping base nicotine was available on the market for a couple of years before Wizard Labs Ice was briefly marketed.
I'm actually a bit shocked right now ... NN was a clear winner in my book and the one I thought I would prefer over all others turned out to be dead last ... VT. 
Thanks Rossum and Cool_Breeze for all your efforts ... this was a very enlightening exercise for me.
Thanks Rossum and Cool_Breeze for all your efforts ... this was a very enlightening exercise for me.
Yeah and I am glad NN came out so well as I had tried 2 120 ml bottles of VT before trying a wee sample of NN and have been storing NN up ever since. But I will say this if NN went under I'd do VT, to me they are still close. This was an interesting exercise Thank You Rossum, for the chance to taste test and Cool_Breeze for charting it. 
But I will say this if NN went under I'd do VT, to me they are still close. This was an interesting exercise Thank You Rossum, for the chance to taste test and Cool_Breeze for charting it. 
Yes, outstanding job all, and very much appreciated. 
Looks like I'm going to get some Nude on order.
Looks like I'm going to get some Nude on order.
I can say now that I am surprised, bigtime, that it was the NN that was the standout here {to me} as far as lack of color and lack of TH {I figured that C was VT} Go figure! -I prefer bold tasting nic, anyways.
The tasting showed me that all four are excellent, with nothing bad tasting about any of them to me. I tested my MFS nic alongside these four, and it was right with the bold nics. I would spend money from all five happily.
@100mg strength, all smelled essentially the same to me- I smelled a faint "fishiness" from all of them.
Perhaps VT can vary from batch to batch, but it seemed just as peppery as VZ and XV to me. NN was the least peppery to me. I may be the oddball here, but I enjoy the peppery sensation and a slight tobacco taste is something I like as it adds a good quality to my mixes which are hardly ever delicate.
Huge thanks out to Rossum and Cool_Breeze for all the hassle here. MUCH appreciated.
The tasting showed me that all four are excellent, with nothing bad tasting about any of them to me. I tested my MFS nic alongside these four, and it was right with the bold nics. I would spend money from all five happily.
@100mg strength, all smelled essentially the same to me- I smelled a faint "fishiness" from all of them.
Perhaps VT can vary from batch to batch, but it seemed just as peppery as VZ and XV to me. NN was the least peppery to me. I may be the oddball here, but I enjoy the peppery sensation and a slight tobacco taste is something I like as it adds a good quality to my mixes which are hardly ever delicate.
Huge thanks out to Rossum and Cool_Breeze for all the hassle here. MUCH appreciated.
So correct me if I'm reading this wrong...
Nude nic...
Is the clearest...
With the...
Lowest odor
Least pepper
Least chemical flavor/odor
Least tobacco flavor
Least throat hit
...
And priced lower than the rest
Tapatyped
Nude nic...
Is the clearest...
With the...
Lowest odor
Least pepper
Least chemical flavor/odor
Least tobacco flavor
Least throat hit
...
And priced lower than the rest
Tapatyped
Thanks. I always suspected that VaperTech nic was over promoted by members of ECF (why?). So, I never bought it (I am happy about it). I am using Nude Nicotine and Heartland vapes nic, which are pretty close in quality.
Thanks a lot for testing!!!
Thanks a lot for testing!!!
I wouldn't say VT is overrated. It was very good. I just thought NN was cleaner. The vt was very good. None of this testing showed how something mixes with flavors. That is just entirely to subjective based on people's tastes.
All i know is WL was the beggars choice when I was new.
Seemed EVERYBODY raved about it and/or defended it fiercely when something else was brought up.
I tried it... by the liter.
Then I was turned on to VT and no longer need to rain dance, speed steep and hop on one foot in hopes for something decent.
Just mix, shake and vape immediately.
It was revolutionary... unheard of and/or unbelievable at the time.
Or so it seemed.
Now I must try some NN...
Tapatyped
Seemed EVERYBODY raved about it and/or defended it fiercely when something else was brought up.
I tried it... by the liter.
Then I was turned on to VT and no longer need to rain dance, speed steep and hop on one foot in hopes for something decent.
Just mix, shake and vape immediately.
It was revolutionary... unheard of and/or unbelievable at the time.
Or so it seemed.
Now I must try some NN...
Tapatyped
Thanks to the testers, nic supplier, and results compiler! Interesting stuff. Great job everyone!
Thanks to Rossum for offering the testing. Seems I need to try a different vendor to see for myself.
CB thank you for your efforts. I'm a visual learner, so your explanations only confused me. The chart is easy peasy. I don't know why, but I didn't realize the results would be averaged. Knowing we have those not wanting any flavor vs those who want pepper or tab flavor, will you be posting individual results?
And I had a good laugh about the nic that required no steeping and less flavoring. I remember thinking "yeah right" at the time.
Great job testers!
CB thank you for your efforts. I'm a visual learner, so your explanations only confused me. The chart is easy peasy. I don't know why, but I didn't realize the results would be averaged. Knowing we have those not wanting any flavor vs those who want pepper or tab flavor, will you be posting individual results?
And I had a good laugh about the nic that required no steeping and less flavoring. I remember thinking "yeah right" at the time.
Great job testers!
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