100629 - spent $18.99 with revolverecig for 30ml/24mg Clove Black
100702 - received it.
Conditions for testing:
Joye510; black
New cartridge; 15 drops
Fresh, new, dedicated attorney
I mean atomizer. (atty, get it? Why can't people type out atomizer? It's fun and looks bad ....) 1 drop on the new atomizer.
Automatic battery, fully charged
Reporting to you live as it happened
It smells like maple in the bottle. It is thinner than my other liquids so far; pure PG for this one and guessing some alcohol in there as well. I know you're not supposed to taste the nic juice, but I did and it tastes like cinnamon only.
I imagine I am lighting up a Djarum Black clove in my dimly lit room...... On the first few puffs, almost NO vapor was produced. On the 4th or 5th puffing attempt, I'm getting hella good vapor that tastes like maple on the inhale; possible cherry on the exhale. The first few drags after that make me cough, but just a little. Excellect throat kick.
Now, after a few minutes, I am not coughing anymore and the taste is more sublime. I can't prove it, of course, but it's like there is an almond in there somewhere, too. Frequent refills of the cartridge are probably going to be needed. I've used 19 drops so far (15 to juice the cart, 1 in the new PLUS blown out atomizer & 3 more just now) and I've only been vaping it for about 15 minutes. The flavor itself seems juicy. Getting undertones of anise now on exhale and cinnamon still when I smack my palette. Here's the deal: I still haven't tasted a straight up clove or any eugenol in this mix. Maybe the eugenol is in there, because my throat is not so aware of the vapor kick anymore. I got the highest nic concentration they offer at 24mg and so that's definitely working.
Let me preface my bottom line with the declaration, "I am not a clove connoisseur and haven't smoked one in months."
Conclusion:
I was pretty sure I didn't like this juice on immediate first impression. Now I can say that it is pleasant enough tasting and I will continue to vape it (30ml, I mean, right?), but I am also hot on the trail of that authentic Indonesian kretek sauce. This stuff MIGHT be comparable to Djarum Black, but it's not the exact flavor I am looking for, and I expected that going in. It is savory, however... SOLID 3 out of 5 stars. I'm holdin' back a star because I can't taste actual clove, and a star because of too much maple. My mouthpiece smells like it now.
In my personal opinion (now we're cookin'), if you're a demanding vaper of the most demanding variety who simply must have the Black, something tells me you shouldn't buy it. If, on the other hand, you enjoy tasting a creative take on the clove cigarette, then this is something you'd want to smack on, or experiment with as a lead component and improve upon.
Sidebar (hijack my own thread):
I remember Sampoerna X-Tra and think I, myself could do better than this... so I guess we'll have to see about that. I had a neighbor a few years ago who mixed fragrances. We would get baked and I would listen to her wax philosophical about molecules and notes. This is neither here nor there; I have no idea what's in their sauce, but I think if you want to make good DIY modeled after something like this, that it's incredibly more complex than just taking some tobacco juice and cloving it up with LorAnn's candy flavors alone. You have to isolate each desirable component of a real kretek and fill it in at the "molecular" level in your DIY sauce, probably like with the Perfumer's Apprentice.
Further, I am betting this is a complex, multi-tiered mix of different COMPOUND flavors. Like for example, I have an ....-ratio mix of 4 ingredients, an ....-ratio mix of 6 ingredients and then my basic foundation; my ideal unflavored nic fluid. I'd take those indivual mixes and remix them again (in ....-retentively accurate ratios) into my final product. Something like that, anyway... Kretek recipe, kretek recipes...
Now, I'm just gonna preach at ya!
Quality is important. Processes must be effective. Recipes MUST be faithfully reproduced. Consistency of flavor is key. I am thinking about asking some of my juice makers if they are ISO 9001 registered. I know there is already an "approved supplier list" floating around here somewhere on this forum; not that they call it that, but that's what it is.
My ideal kretek flavor has been elusive and indeed, proven a challenge to everyone who's accepted it. This stuff is good, but I can do better. I am gonna take up the reins now. I got flavors and notes on order. The question is: Can I succeed where the mighty have failed?
100702 - received it.
Conditions for testing:
Joye510; black
New cartridge; 15 drops
Fresh, new, dedicated attorney
I mean atomizer. (atty, get it? Why can't people type out atomizer? It's fun and looks bad ....) 1 drop on the new atomizer.Automatic battery, fully charged
Reporting to you live as it happened
It smells like maple in the bottle. It is thinner than my other liquids so far; pure PG for this one and guessing some alcohol in there as well. I know you're not supposed to taste the nic juice, but I did and it tastes like cinnamon only.
I imagine I am lighting up a Djarum Black clove in my dimly lit room...... On the first few puffs, almost NO vapor was produced. On the 4th or 5th puffing attempt, I'm getting hella good vapor that tastes like maple on the inhale; possible cherry on the exhale. The first few drags after that make me cough, but just a little. Excellect throat kick.
Now, after a few minutes, I am not coughing anymore and the taste is more sublime. I can't prove it, of course, but it's like there is an almond in there somewhere, too. Frequent refills of the cartridge are probably going to be needed. I've used 19 drops so far (15 to juice the cart, 1 in the new PLUS blown out atomizer & 3 more just now) and I've only been vaping it for about 15 minutes. The flavor itself seems juicy. Getting undertones of anise now on exhale and cinnamon still when I smack my palette. Here's the deal: I still haven't tasted a straight up clove or any eugenol in this mix. Maybe the eugenol is in there, because my throat is not so aware of the vapor kick anymore. I got the highest nic concentration they offer at 24mg and so that's definitely working.
Let me preface my bottom line with the declaration, "I am not a clove connoisseur and haven't smoked one in months."
Conclusion:
I was pretty sure I didn't like this juice on immediate first impression. Now I can say that it is pleasant enough tasting and I will continue to vape it (30ml, I mean, right?), but I am also hot on the trail of that authentic Indonesian kretek sauce. This stuff MIGHT be comparable to Djarum Black, but it's not the exact flavor I am looking for, and I expected that going in. It is savory, however... SOLID 3 out of 5 stars. I'm holdin' back a star because I can't taste actual clove, and a star because of too much maple. My mouthpiece smells like it now.
In my personal opinion (now we're cookin'), if you're a demanding vaper of the most demanding variety who simply must have the Black, something tells me you shouldn't buy it. If, on the other hand, you enjoy tasting a creative take on the clove cigarette, then this is something you'd want to smack on, or experiment with as a lead component and improve upon.
Sidebar (hijack my own thread):
I remember Sampoerna X-Tra and think I, myself could do better than this... so I guess we'll have to see about that. I had a neighbor a few years ago who mixed fragrances. We would get baked and I would listen to her wax philosophical about molecules and notes. This is neither here nor there; I have no idea what's in their sauce, but I think if you want to make good DIY modeled after something like this, that it's incredibly more complex than just taking some tobacco juice and cloving it up with LorAnn's candy flavors alone. You have to isolate each desirable component of a real kretek and fill it in at the "molecular" level in your DIY sauce, probably like with the Perfumer's Apprentice.
Further, I am betting this is a complex, multi-tiered mix of different COMPOUND flavors. Like for example, I have an ....-ratio mix of 4 ingredients, an ....-ratio mix of 6 ingredients and then my basic foundation; my ideal unflavored nic fluid. I'd take those indivual mixes and remix them again (in ....-retentively accurate ratios) into my final product. Something like that, anyway... Kretek recipe, kretek recipes...
Now, I'm just gonna preach at ya!
Quality is important. Processes must be effective. Recipes MUST be faithfully reproduced. Consistency of flavor is key. I am thinking about asking some of my juice makers if they are ISO 9001 registered. I know there is already an "approved supplier list" floating around here somewhere on this forum; not that they call it that, but that's what it is.
My ideal kretek flavor has been elusive and indeed, proven a challenge to everyone who's accepted it. This stuff is good, but I can do better. I am gonna take up the reins now. I got flavors and notes on order. The question is: Can I succeed where the mighty have failed?
