The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[billherbst]

Description from NLV web site: “NLV's premium blended tobacco flavor in a blanket of rich Caramel.”

18mg, 60/40 PG/VG blend (standard for this juice), medium-amber-colored liquid, tested by dripping into a bonut-modded IKV 1.6-ohm LR306 atty powered by an SLB Kgo battery providing 4.1V for a power output of 10.5 watts.

Over the past year, my favorite RY4-variant (variant both in name and in recipe formulation) has been Vaperite VR4. I love that juice for its creamy-rich, gooey caramel and natural extract tobacco. Well, move over VR4, your twin brother just showed up!

NiteLiteVapor’s new flavor, Caramel Corral Tobacco, is almost a dead ringer for Vaperite VR4. If the two juices are not perfectly identical twins, they are at least fraternal siblings with a clear and strong family resemblance, both in viscosity and flavor.

There are differences, of course, besides coming from different vendors. First, the natural extract tobacco in VR4 is significantly stronger than the synthetic tobacco blend used in Caramel Corral (which is consistent with other NLV juices such as Bounty Hunter, where the tobacco is a subtle undertone rather than a focused, up-front flavor). Second, the caramels aren't exactly identical flavor-wise.

Still, the caramels in both VR4 and Caramel Corral are very rich and almost gooey. Not anything like sugar-sweetened hard caramel candy flavor---much more akin to the old Kraft thick caramel syrup ice cream topping, where the richness is not sugary at all but deeply caramel, and the syrup is so thick that it just barely pours and almost needs to be spooned onto the ice cream.

If I did a blindfolded taste test of both juices, I'm not sure I could tell them apart. They are really very similar to my palate.

All of which leaves me in a quandary. I like having VR4 ranked at #4 on the Big List, because the Top 10 should have at least one obviously eccentric RY4 formulation in it. But how then shall I rank Caramel Corral? It’s so close to VR4 that it couldn’t be ranked much higher or lower, but do we really need two such strikingly similar idiosyncratic RY4-variants in the Top 10? I don’t know, but I feel that I don’t have a choice. For now, I’ll rank Caramel Corral at #5 and include it in the same category groups as VR4.

Does this mean that Caramel Corral is really 18 ranking slots better than NiteLiteVapor’s other entry, Renegade RY4? Yes, it actually does mean that. Renegade is good, and a #23 ranking ain’t so shabby on a list with 59 RY4s, but Caramel Corral is more than just good. It’s downright superlative, like all the juices in the Top 10 on the Big List. At least to my taste buds. As always, your tastes may differ.

Link: https://www.nitelitevapor.us/shop/a...kbNd818j4gy7Zj2TU&shop_param=cid=5&aid=6.001&

 

[billherbst]

18mg, unknown PG/VG blend, pale-golden-colored liquid, tested by dripping into a bonut-modded IKV 1.6-ohm LR306 atty powered by an SLB Kgo battery providing 4.1V for a power output of 10.5 watts.

Discussion of Chinese juices is all over the map on ECF. Some folks love Dekang and other Chinese-made juices. Other folks hate ‘em. And some vapers seem to hold opinions about Chinese juice that are formed largely by cultural biases or gossipy stereotypes---namely, that USA-made juices are somehow better or “safer” because of higher quality control standards than Chinese juices. Well, kids, I’ve never believed that, but for people that do, the recent Box Elder nicotine scandal sure threw a monkey wrench into their assumptions.

Whether you’re a fan or a critic of Chinese juices, one thing is certain: the Chinese really know how to make darn good RY4s. Oh yes, some truly superlative American RY4s and RY4-variants do exist, but there are a lot more real stinker USA-made RY4s in the vaping marketplace. By contrast, although not every Chinese-formulated and manufactured RY4 is top of the line, almost all of them are consistently good.

If someone lined up ten unlabeled bottles of Chinese RY4s and ten unlabeled American RY4s and let you pick only one, your chances of getting an RY4 that you’d like (and, conversely, of not getting one that you’d hate) would be much better if you picked any of the Chinese RY4s, even at random.

And so it is with GreenhouseOne’s house-brand RY4. It’s another good, tasty RY4 from China, another rock-solid contender. Is it a prize-winner, like Janty RY4 or Dekang RY4’s current recipe? Nope. To me, it falls short of being superb. But it’s still darn good---balanced, flavorful, with no elements that detract from the whole. Eminently vapeable. And, like most juices from Chinese vendors, it’s really affordable (if you don’t mind opting for the slower, less expensive shipping option): $8.99 for 30mls and $13.99 for 60mls. Friends, that’s cheap.

GreenhouseOne RY4 is ranked at #25, in the upper-middle of the Big List.
Category Groups are Dessert (more sweet) and Balanced/Blended.

Link: GreenhouseOne RY4

 

[billherbst]

24mg, unknown PG/VG blend (selected by vendor), medium-amber-colored liquid, tested by dripping into a bonut-modded IKV 1.6-ohm LR306 atty powered by an SLB Kgo battery providing 4.1V for a power output of 10.5 watts.

Mom&PopVaporShop sells a very good RY4 that I like immensely and have already ranked highly on the Big List (at #11). So this juice---named RY4v2---is literally an RY4-variant, since it is clearly a variation on a theme.

In a sense, I feel as though I were hawking the sequel to a movie: “If you liked Mission Impossible (or Home Alone, or Sex and the City), then you’ll love Mission Impossible 2 (or Home Alone 2, or Sex and the City 2)!!!" Funny thing is, I didn’t like any of those movies or their sequels. I can, however, act as an enthusiastic pitchman for these juices: “If you liked Mom&Pop RY4, then you’ll love Mom&Pop RY4v2!!!" LOL.

The only movie-and-sequel I can think of where the sequel was actually better than the original was The Godfather II, which improved on The Godfather with an even better script and superior storytelling. (Too bad Godfather III was such a travesty…). Most of the time, however, the original is better than the sequel, which is produced mainly to cash in on a good thing and ends up being a pale shadow of its predecessor. So, which is it here? Is RY4v2 more like The Godfather II in its brilliance or Smokey and the Bandit II in its crass lack of substance? Well, neither really.

I find M&P RY4v2 to be as good on the yummy-tasty-wow scale as M&P RY4. Not better or worse. Just different. Slightly. RY4v2 is clearly the offspring of the same parents (literally, Mom&Pop) who gave birth to its older sibling, RY4. Strong family resemblance, but individual characters. How do they differ? RY4 has more tobacco absolute, whereas RY4v2 has more caramel. Both qualify as “caramel-rich,” but v2 has more. Also, RY4v2 is a little sweeter---enough so to replace its older brother in the dessert category. By contrast, M&P RY4 emphasizes the tobacco first.

In the rankings, I need to keep Mom&Pop RY4 paired with Moondrop RY42 at #11 and #12 because they carry the flag of tobacco absolute. But I’ll put Mom&Pop RY4v2 just below them at #13.

The rankings change, as most of you know. If people read only the first and last pages of this thread, they’d be surprised or even shocked, because the rankings in Post #1 have pretty much gotten the crap beaten out of them after six months. But then---for me---messing with the rankings is part of what keeps this thread interesting. LOL.

Link: RY4v2

 

[Mooninmyeyes]

well i think alot comes to personal taste, i like a few different ones. But i just got gp4 from good prophets -it is yummy-carmel -vanilla -reminds me of carmel corn flavoring

 

[billherbst]

Below is the most current update of the rankings and category groups. Please keep in mind that these rankings are just my opinion---your taste buds and nose may not sing to your brain like mine do to my brain.

Notice that Tribeca moved up a whole bunch of slots in the rankings, into the 30s. I re-sampled Tribeca with hopes of liking it better, but Halo’s “purity” signature still tastes like bug spray to me. Nonetheless, I bumped Tribeca higher in the rankings to offer some solace to the many Tribeca lovers.

RY4 Rankings (includes RY4-variants)

#1-10…..Superlative, Nectar of the Gods
#11-20.…Very Good, like fine wine
#21-30….Good, well worth vaping
#31-40….OK, decent in a pinch
#41-50....So-So, but wouldn't be my choice
#51-60.…My least favorites


1. Janty RY4
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
10. Want2Vape RY4

11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
15. ESCI Toasted Toffee Tobacco Kick Juice
16. VaporStation VS4
17. ValueVapor Dekang RY3
18. GoodProphets Keemer RY3 VG
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
20. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice

21. ElixirLiquid RY4
22. Sweet-Vapes RY4
23. NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
24. BackwoodsBrew RY4
25. Greenhouse One RY4
26. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
27. CopperCreek Voodoo
28. ECBlend Ruyan 4 (lite recipe)
29. QuickNicVapor RY4
30. Vixen Vapors RY4

31. GoodProphets GP4
32. VapeRite RY4
33. ValueVapor Dekang RY1-2
34. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
35. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
36. EliteVaporworks RY4
37. GoodEJuice RY4
38. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4
39. Halo Tribeca
40. VapeDoctor RY4

41. GourmetVapor RY4
42. VaporStation RY4
43. KickBassVapor RY4
44. TopShelf RY4
45. SmokeForPennys RY4
46. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
47. Want2Vape Rock Star
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
49. ParkesVaping RY4
50. AltSmoke RY4

51. HighCaliber Our 4
52. VapeMasters R4
53. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
54. HoneyvilleVapor RY4
55. AwesomeVapor RY4
56. Mist-Stix RY4
57. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
58. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
59. BlueMistVaping RY4
60. FlavourArt oRYental 4


Category Groups

Stronger Tobacco (less sweet)
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
14. ParkesVaping PV4
16. VaporStation VS4
17. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice
18. Sweet-Vapes RY4
24. BackwoodsBrew RY4
26. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
32. VapeRite RY4
34. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
38. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4

Dessert (more sweet)
1. Janty RY4
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
25. Greenhouse One RY4
29. QuickNicVapor RY4
30. Vixen Vapors RY4
31. GoodProphets GP4
34. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY4
35. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
37. GoodEJuice RY4
40. VapeDoctor RY4
43. KickBassVapor RY4
44. TopShelf RY4
45. SmokeForPennys RY4
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
51. HighCaliber Our 4
57. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
58. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
xx. nHaler RY4 (unranked)

Sweet & Sour
1. Janty RY4
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
14. ESCI Toasted Toffee Tobacco Kick Juice
49. ParkesVaping RY4

Nutty
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
20. ElixirLiquid RY4
29. QuickNicVapor RY4
32. VapeRite RY4
35. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
49. ParkesVaping RY4

Caramel Rich
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. Want2Vape RY4
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
18. GoodProphets Keemer RY3 VG
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
25. Greenhouse One RY4
27. CopperCreek Voodoo
30. Vixen Vapors RY4
36. EliteVaporworks RY4
37. GoodEJuice RY4
41. GourmetVapor RY4
43. KickBassVapor RY4
44. TopShelf RY4
47. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
57. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
58. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
xx. nHaler RY4 (unranked)

Vanilla Rich
6. PrimeVaping PV4
22. Sweet-Vapes RY4
24. BackwoodsBrew RY4
29. QuickNicVapor RY4
46. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
52. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
57. VoidMist RY4 Version 3

Liqueur
24. BackwoodsBrew RY4
29. QuickNicVapor RY4
30. Vixen Vapors RY4

Balanced/Blended
1. Janty RY4 Elixir
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
16. VaporStation VS4
21. ElixirLiquid RY4
25. Greenhouse One RY4
26. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
28. ECBlend Ruyan 4 (lite recipe)
31. GoodProphets GP4
32. VapeRite RY4
34. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
35. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
36. EliteVaporworks RY4
37. GoodEJuice RY4
39. Halo Tribeca
42. VaporStation RY4
45. SmokeForPennys RY4
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
49. ParkesVaping RY4
55. AwesomeVapor RY4

Distinctive (atypical)
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
24. BackwoodsBrew RY4
27. CopperCreek Voodoo
34. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1
38. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4
39. Halo Tribeca
43. KickBassVapor RY4
46. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
47. Want2Vape Rock Star
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
51. HighCaliber Our 4
53. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
57. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
58. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4

So-So (undistinguished)
48. ParkesVaping RY4
56. Mist-Stix RY4
57. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
58. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4

Bizarre (just plain weird)
59. BlueMistVaping RY4
60. FlavourArt oRYental 4

 

[nakin1014]

Hey all,

I just wanted to throw this comment in here, as I think it's quite unfair to other companies IMHO.
Nite lite vapor, is a company that buys their e-liquid wholesale from another company. A lot of e-liquid companies spend hours, days, weeks and even months trying to come up with a perfect bottle of juice for all of us to vape and enjoy. When all NLV is doing is throwing bottles in a package and labeling it as their "signature" juice, when in all reality it's far from their signature juice.
Sorry if I burst anyone's bubble or ticked you off. Any other e-liquid company can do this.

 

[billherbst]

Hey all,

I just wanted to throw this comment in here, as I think it's quite unfair to other companies IMHO.
Nite lite vapor, is a company that buys their e-liquid wholesale from another company. A lot of e-liquid companies spend hours, days, weeks and even months trying to come up with a perfect bottle of juice for all of us to vape and enjoy. When all NLV is doing is throwing bottles in a package and labeling it as their "signature" juice, when in all reality it's far from their signature juice.
Sorry if I burst anyone's bubble or ticked you off. Any other e-liquid company can do this.

nakin,

My understanding differs from yours.

Yes, some retail vendors do make and bottle their own juices. This requires considerable capital, since juice vendors---especially those who become successful---do not make the juices they sell in their spare time at the kitchen table. "Clean" facilities are required, along with considerable inventories of PG/VG bases, nic liquid, flavoring concentrates, and bottles.

As a result, many vendors choose to contract with eliquid manufacturers to supply the vendor with pre-mixed, bottled, and custom labeled juices. Sometimes the supplier provides its own line of juices, such as Top Vapor does with Madvapes, or Dekang does with literally hundreds of vendors. In that case, the vendor and supplier work out an agreement as to which specific juices the vendor will sell---the entire line or only selected flavors.

Other times, a vendor works with a supplier to develop a line of juices that are proprietary to that vendor. I believe this to be the case with NiteLiteVapor. Gene, the owner of NLV, creates the juice formulas---working with the supplier's chemist to select specific flavorings and determine/refine the recipe mixes. Gene "owns" and controls the formula; his supplier agrees to source the chosen ingredients, manufacture and bottle the juice, and custom label the bottles for NLV.

In other words, there's nothing "generic" about NLV's juices. They are custom-formulated by Gene and made to order by the supplier according to his specifications. The supplier cannot wholesale NLV's juices to any other vendor. If problems arise obtaining or pricing the flavorings (as has occurred with a number of NLV juices), the supplier stops making those juices and NLV discontinues them.

These kinds of agreements (and disagreements) are common practice in the industry. They are not underhanded or "unfair" to anyone, including other vendors.

 

[EleanorR]

"Other times, a vendor works with a supplier to develop a line of juices that are proprietary to that vendor. I believe this to be the case with NiteLiteVapor. Gene, the owner of NLV, creates the juice formulas---working with the supplier's chemist to select specific flavorings and determine/refine the recipe mixes. Gene "owns" and controls the formula; his supplier agrees to source the chosen ingredients, manufacture and bottle the juice, and custom label the bottles for NLV.

In other words, there's nothing "generic" about NLV's juices. They are custom-formulated by Gene and made to order by the supplier according to his specifications. The supplier cannot wholesale NLV's juices to any other vendor. If problems arise obtaining or pricing the flavorings (as has occurred with a number of NLV juices), the supplier stops making those juices and NLV discontinues them."

BINGO!

And a Merry Christmas to you too, nakin 1014.

 

[Shilo]

You need to sample Goodejuice's GJ4 house extracted- its fantastic-- not just their regular RY4 type.

 

[billherbst]

You need to sample Goodejuice's GJ4 house extracted- its fantastic-- not just their regular RY4 type.

shiloh,

If by "you," you mean me---the guy who started the thread and does the reviews and big ranking list, then I beat you to the punch, sort of. I already ordered a bottle of GJ4, which I received a couple days ago. It's now sitting unopened in its package. I'm letting it steep awhile before opening, vaping, and reviewing/ranking it next week.

I'm always happy to hear when someone finds a juice that is 'fantastic' to his/her palate. All the elements of vaping matter---power sources (batteries and mods), vaporizing devices (atties, cartos, tanks, etc.), and the many other components and accessories that go with PVs---but the single most critical factor in the whole mix is the eliquid. Finally, vaping lives or dies, succeeds or fails, with the juice.

 

[wigglr]

shiloh,

If by "you," you mean me---the guy who started the thread and does the reviews and big ranking list, then I beat you to the punch, sort of. I already ordered a bottle of GJ4, which I received a couple days ago. It's now sitting unopened in its package. I'm letting it steep awhile before opening, vaping, and reviewing/ranking it next week.

I'm always happy to hear when someone finds a juice that is 'fantastic' to his/her palate. All the elements of vaping matter---power sources (batteries and mods), vaporizing devices (atties, cartos, tanks, etc.), and the many other components and accessories that go with PVs---but the single most critical factor in the whole mix is the eliquid. Finally, vaping lives or dies, succeeds or fails, with the juice.

Bill, I found it very similar to the VR4 (Vaperite), but that just may be my palate. You do the best reviews on ECF so I will let you do it justice

 

[DoubleHelix]

I am by no means a RY4 expert , only know Vaperite is the only one I have not really cared for, but I got some GreenhouseOne @ 18mg (a bit higher than I vape normally) free with my last order of atties. And might I say, those who have said it before are right, it is a nice light RY4, nothing to predominate (maybe the tabac if anything) but really quite good!

 

[MikeA5]

Bill,
For the past 3 days I've been reading the posts on this very long RY4 thread. In the process I've payed little attention to my wife, dog and cats. LOL
And I want to say.... Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Now I've ordered RY4 style eliquids from several vendors none of which have arrived yet. I'll be posting my impressions of them when I've tried them for a while.
Thank you and thank you to the many other people that have contributed to this thread.

 

[Str8V8ping]

I am by no means a RY4 expert , only know Vaperite is the only one I have not really cared for, but I got some GreenhouseOne @ 18mg (a bit higher than I vape normally) free with my last order of atties. And might I say, those who have said it before are right, it is a nice light RY4, nothing to predominate (maybe the tabac if anything) but really quite good!

GHO RY4 is me fav .

 

[Shilo]

shiloh,

If by "you," you mean me---the guy who started the thread and does the reviews and big ranking list, then I beat you to the punch, sort of. I already ordered a bottle of GJ4, which I received a couple days ago. It's now sitting unopened in its package. I'm letting it steep awhile before opening, vaping, and reviewing/ranking it next week.

I'm always happy to hear when someone finds a juice that is 'fantastic' to his/her palate. All the elements of vaping matter---power sources (batteries and mods), vaporizing devices (atties, cartos, tanks, etc.), and the many other components and accessories that go with PVs---but the single most critical factor in the whole mix is the eliquid. Finally, vaping lives or dies, succeeds or fails, with the juice.

I look forward to your impressions. I never even knew I liked RY4 till their stuff

 

[billherbst]

When I look back to the beginnings of this thread six months ago in June 2011, I have some perceptions in hindsight that I had no context for back then. Before the thread, I had vaped about ten RY4s. I added another ten before leaving the first post with its reviews and initial rankings.

As I think about it now, there were three general groups or genres of RY4s last summer. One was the then-current crop of Chinese-made RY4s, from any and all of the various Chinese wholesale manufacturers---including major players in the vaping marketplace, such as Dekang and Hangsen---or from European and American retail vendors whose RY4s were custom formulated by Chinese suppliers (such as Janty RY4 and VaporTalk Dulcis, to use two prime examples). That group of RY4s shared a common lineage---as a group, they were (and are) more similar than diverse, and usually very good: well-balanced, clean, and tasty.

The second group was the American-made RY4s, sometimes manufactured by American juice wholesalers, but frequently produced on a smaller scale by independent retail vendors who made their own in-house versions of RY4. Unlike the Chinese RY4s, where consistency is a hallmark, the American-made RY4s varied widely (and sometimes wildly) in ingredients and overall flavor, and were more often different than similar. Selected juices in this group emphasized tobacco as a primary flavor, but a larger percentage were sweet dessert vapes. Within the group, some juices were superb, but others were either disappointing or dreadful.

The third category in the summer of 2010 wasn’t a group at all, but instead a wistful memory of one RY4: the famous “lost” Dekang RY4 formula (called by many “original RY4,” which this thread has proven to be false, since we have now established beyond doubt that Janty RY4 was and still is the first-ever, truly original RY4). That particular formulation of RY4 was sold by Dekang in 2008 and 2009, but then mysteriously vanished without a trace in May, 2010. (Actually, the secret formula's departure wasn't mysterious at all---it was stolen by Dekang’s departing chemist, who was subsequently apprehended, tried, convicted of industrial theft, and is now serving a stint in the slammer; to this day, the lost formula has not been recovered.)

Starting in June of 2010, vapers on all the ecig boards began complaining that their Dekang RY4 suddenly tasted different, and not nearly as wonderful. Over the next year, the old Dekang RY4 was bemoaned and lamented by so many vapers that it achieved legendary, almost mythic status.

To many of those who loved it, not a single juice from either of the other two groups---the then-available Chinese or American RY4s---could hold a candle to the lost Dekang RY4, which was, according to their memories, the best juice ever made.

OK, that was then. Now it’s six months later. I’ve personally vaped an additional 40-some RY4s and RY4-variants (for a total of 61), and recently I’ve noticed a subtle but significant shift in the marketplace---in two different but complementary directions.

First, the moaning and groaning that all existing and currently-available RY4s suck compared to the fabled lost Dekang seems to be losing steam, at least publicly. Oh, I’m sure some vapers still feel that way (and will probably post to that effect after reading this), but the incidence of forum posts proclaiming that opinion is far fewer these days than in the past. In the summer of 2010, numerous forum threads containing literally hundreds of posts were devoted to the “what-the-hell-happened?” motif surrounding Dekang RY4. Over the last year and a half, however, those threads and posts have gradually diminished from a huge roar from an outraged mob to a smattering of discontent by selected individuals. As a result, I’m beginning to feel that we may soon be able to lay this category to rest, so that it can become the historical footnote it is destined to be.

Simultaneously, a second development is gaining steam. The number of American RY4s made by artisan juice-masters using naturally extracted tobacco macerations is increasing. This isn’t brand-new: BackwoodsBrew, Vaperite, and Want2Vape all produced RY4s using natural tobacco extract more than a year ago, and PrimeVaping PV4 appeared last May. What’s different now is the relatively sudden appearance of four new, custom-formulated and quite adventurous RY4s, all of which use naturally extracted tobacco. These are Moondrop RY42, Mom&PopVaporShop RY4 and RY4v2, and most recently Goodejuice GJ4. There may be others (and no doubt will be soon), but I can attest to these four, because I’ve purchased and vaped them.

All right. All that is preamble to a very simple, short review of Goodejuice GJ4. Here are the test specs:

24mg, 50/50 PG/VG blend (standard for this juice), medium-amber-colored liquid, tested in a Boge 2.0 ohm LR carto powered by a freshly-charged Hello 016 battery providing 4.2 volts for 8.8 watts.

GJ4 is a very good RY4-variant. Actually, all four of the RY4s mentioned above are delicious as far as I'm concerned. I love the natural tobacco extracts used in their recipes, both as an idea (why use chemicals when the real thing exists?) and in fact (they taste good!). Not only are these natural tobacco extract flavors delicious, but they provide a heartier base for the other flavorings (caramel, vanilla, marshmallow, maple, candy cane, nuttiness, whatever...) than synthetic tobacco flavoring does. Not that natural extracts taste "more like smoking a real cigarette"---they don't. Period. End of story. In my experience, no tobacco-flavor eliquid comes remotely close to replicating the taste of smoking tobacco (which is just as well). What natural tobacco extract juices do, however, is to provide a vaping experience that is more deeply satisfying to the user, and much more pleasing to the palate than synthetic tobacco flavors. The same is true with fruit flavorings. Natural and/or organic extracts aren't wonderful because they're "purer" or more "in tune with the cosmos"---they're wonderful because they taste better.

None of these four new natural-extract-tobacco RY4s are particularly balanced or “unified” juices (unlike the Chinese RY4s, which are beautifully blended into a more singular overall taste experience). Instead, GJ4 and its three brethren all highlight the individual flavor components, mainly the tobacco and caramel, with vanilla being somewhat less distinct but present. GJ4 especially hits me with very strong tobacco on the inhale, while the other, sweeter flavors appear on exhale. My hunch is that caramel and vanilla are not the only other flavors in GJ4, but I can’t identify whatever the other flavors are. Not nutty, but something else.

Goodejuice GJ4 is a little different from the other three RY4s from Moondrop and Mom&Pop in that the natural tobacco extract used does not contain Tobacco Absolute (as far as I can tell by color and taste). Goodejuice’s natural extract is rock-solid and in the center of the blended tobacco spectrum, while Tobacco Absolute is more exotic and unusual in flavor. As a result, GJ4 is the most “conservative” or “centrist” of the four juices and may please more palates than Moondrop’s and M&P’s yummy but eccentric RY4s. My personal preference in this instance is toward the exotic, so I will rank GJ4 somewhat below the other three.

Still, this review is a solid thumbs-up to Nick at Goodejuice and his very tasty GJ4. Keep up the good work.

GJ4 is ranked at #22.
Category Groups are Stronger Tobacco and Distinctive (atypical).

Link: GoodEjuice GJ4 Tobacco

 

[billherbst]

OMG! Not another update! Well, yes. I update the rankings of the Big List and the Category Groups after every new review. As always, please keep in mind that these rankings are just my opinion---your taste buds and nose may not sing to your brain like mine do to my brain.

If you might base a buying decision on this post, look to the Category Groups rather than the Rankings, since the Categories are a better, more reliable guide to RY4s you might like.


RY4 Rankings (includes RY4-variants)

#1-10…...Superlative, Nectar of the Gods
#11-20.…Very Good, like fine wine
#21-30….Good, well worth vaping
#31-40….Close enough for horseshoes
#41-50...Only So-So, but still acceptable in a pinch
#51-60.…Passable on a desert island with no other juices
#61……...So bad it makes my skin crawl


1. Janty RY4
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
10. Want2Vape RY4

11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
15. ESCI Toasted Toffee Tobacco Kick Juice
16. VaporStation VS4
17. ValueVapor Dekang RY3
18. GoodProphets Keemer RY3 VG
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
20. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice

21. ElixirLiquid RY4
22. Goodejuice GJ4
23. Sweet-Vapes RY4
24. NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
25. BackwoodsBrew RY4
26. Greenhouse One RY4
27. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
28. CopperCreek Voodoo
28. ECBlend Ruyan 4 (lite recipe)
30. QuickNicVapor RY4

31. Vixen Vapors RY4
32. GoodProphets GP4
33. VapeRite RY4
34. ValueVapor Dekang RY1-2
35. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
36. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
37. EliteVaporworks RY4
38. GoodEJuice RY4
39. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4
40. Halo Tribeca

41. VapeDoctor RY4
42. GourmetVapor RY4
43. VaporStation RY4
44. KickBassVapor RY4
45. TopShelf RY4
46. SmokeForPennys RY4
47. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
48. Want2Vape Rock Star
49. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
50. ParkesVaping RY4

51. AltSmoke RY4
52. HighCaliber Our 4
53. VapeMasters R4
54. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
55. HoneyvilleVapor RY4
56. AwesomeVapor RY4
57. Mist-Stix RY4
58. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
59. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
60. BlueMistVaping RY4

61. FlavourArt oRYental 4


Category Groups

Stronger Tobacco (less sweet)
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
14. ParkesVaping PV4
16. VaporStation VS4
17. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice
18. Sweet-Vapes RY4
22. Goodejuice GJ4
25. BackwoodsBrew RY4
27. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
33. VapeRite RY4
35. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
39. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4

Dessert (more sweet)
1. Janty RY4
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
26. Greenhouse One RY4
30. QuickNicVapor RY4
31. Vixen Vapors RY4
32. GoodProphets GP4
35. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY4
36. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
38. GoodEJuice RY4
41. VapeDoctor RY4
44. KickBassVapor RY4
45. TopShelf RY4
46. SmokeForPennys RY4
49. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
52. HighCaliber Our 4
58. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
59. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
xx. nHaler RY4 (unranked)

Sweet & Sour
1. Janty RY4
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
14. ESCI Toasted Toffee Tobacco Kick Juice
50. ParkesVaping RY4

Nutty
2. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
20. ElixirLiquid RY4
30. QuickNicVapor RY4
33. VapeRite RY4
36. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
50. ParkesVaping RY4

Caramel Rich
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. Want2Vape RY4
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
18. GoodProphets Keemer RY3 VG
19. LiquidXpress Taboo
26. Greenhouse One RY4
28. CopperCreek Voodoo
31. Vixen Vapors RY4
37. EliteVaporworks RY4
38. GoodEJuice RY4
42. GourmetVapor RY4
44. KickBassVapor RY4
45. TopShelf RY4
48. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
58. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
59. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4
xx. nHaler RY4 (unranked)

Vanilla Rich
6. PrimeVaping PV4
23. Sweet-Vapes RY4
25. BackwoodsBrew RY4
30. QuickNicVapor RY4
47. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
49. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
53. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
58. VoidMist RY4 Version 3

Liqueur
25. BackwoodsBrew RY4
30. QuickNicVapor RY4
31. Vixen Vapors RY4

Balanced/Blended
1. Janty RY4 Elixir
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
6. PrimeVaping PV4
7. HealthCabin Dekang RY4
8. VaporTalk Dulcis
9. Bloog/Volt RY4
16. VaporStation VS4
21. ElixirLiquid RY4
26. Greenhouse One RY4
27. GoodProphets Keemer RY4 VG
29. ECBlend Ruyan 4 (lite recipe)
32. GoodProphets GP4
33. VapeRite RY4
35. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1-4
36. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
37. EliteVaporworks RY4
38. GoodEJuice RY4
40. Halo Tribeca
43. VaporStation RY4
46. SmokeForPennys RY4
49. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
50. ParkesVaping RY4
56. AwesomeVapor RY4

Distinctive (atypical)
3. Alien Visions Raf-a-licious
4. VapeRite Organic VR4
5. NiteLiteVapor Caramel Corral Tobacco
11. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4
12. Moondrop RY42
13. Mom&PopVaporShop RY4v2
14. ParkesVaping PV4
22. Goodejuice GJ4
25. BackwoodsBrew RY4
28. CopperCreek Voodoo
35. Liberty-Flights Hangsen RY1
39. TheVaporRoom Ginger's RY4
40. Halo Tribeca
44. KickBassVapor RY4
47. JooglerJuice Joogler's Blend
48. Want2Vape Rock Star
49. CopperCreek Twisted Tobacco
52. HighCaliber Our 4
54. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
58. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
59. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4

So-So (undistinguished)
50. ParkesVaping RY4
57. Mist-Stix RY4
58. VoidMist RY4 (all 3 versions as a group)
59. Vapure VY4/Liberty-Flights LF4

Bizarre (just plain weird)
60. BlueMistVaping RY4
61. FlavourArt oRYental 4

 

[Ceegary]

I think a fun game to play on Bill would be to lock him in a room, jumble all the rankings and see how well he could reproduce the latest whole list from memory

 

[sandybeach]

Bill, I looked on Janty's website, and the only RY4 they show in stock is Vitaya. Is Janty Vitaya RY4 the same as you rate #1?

 

[billherbst]

I think a fun game to play on Bill would be to lock him in a room, jumble all the rankings and see how well he could reproduce the latest whole list from memory

Cee,

Not well. Top 10 and Bottom 10, maybe. Middle 40? OMG, no way.

Every week or two I take half an hour and "test-vape" 10-15 of the RY4s on the list (about 2/3 of the list is loaded into labeled cartos and kept in ranking order, so I can find them easily). Some get five minutes if they're good. Others get only 20 seconds. I do this in part because I'm brain-damaged and can't remember what half of the list tastes like. The other reason is to re-confirm that their ranking positions are at least in the right ballpark for my palate.

I try to make the rankings "accurate" (subjectively), but---despite my best efforts---they're still screwy and sometimes perverse, even to me. The bigger the list grows, the more like a Frankenstein monster it becomes. I probably should have killed it when I had the chance, early on.

My own dark fantasy is to toss all the names into a hat and pick them out at random, so that the rankings are completely arbitrary and determined by chance, then post that. I could call it The Big RY4 Lottery. LOL.