The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[billherbst]

Finally posted my review of Janty DK RY4, Classic RY4, and Elixir RY4. I know that there are fans of Classic and Elixir here (and I totally respect that you love those juices), but for me DK RY4 is still the gold standard for synthetic RY4s.

RPad,

Your video reviews and interviews are terrific. Too many vaping videos are little more than sloppy, unedited home movies with bad sound (100-decibel guitar-thrashing heavy metal intros followed by vocals you can't even hear), bad video (lousy lighting or low-res), no script (rambling on and on, or presuming that I actually want to spend my time watching someone else vape), etc. Your videos are always well-prepared, well-rehearsed, crisply edited, with great production values. In addition to the thoughtfulness of your comments, the high-quality of your video presentation is what separates the men from the boys, and the professionals from the amateurs.

I agree with your descriptions of the Janty RY4s, even though our personal assessments are reversed: I'm among those who prefer the extra flavoring in Elixir over the leaner mixes in DK and Classic. Elixir does seem to live right in the gray zone between Classic and Modern/Custom, although I continue to list it as Classic.

 

[Jerms]

Finally posted my review of Janty DK RY4, Classic RY4, and Elixir RY4. I know that there are fans of Classic and Elixir here (and I totally respect that you love those juices), but for me DK RY4 is still the gold standard for synthetic RY4s.

Another excellent video Ray. I haven't had the Elixir, I kind of want to get it for the bottle and label lol. I passed on it with the understanding it's the most "sour" of the three, but maybe I am wrong about that? If it's at or exceeds the sour in DK it's too much for me. Though my DK mixed with a little English Malt Toffee from Highbrow has really been rockin it lately.

I think I'll spend some time with the far surperior Janty Classic RY4 later today, it's for where particular people congregate

Sent from my LGL55C using Tapatalk 2

 

[billherbst]

I haven't had the Elixir, I kind of want to get it for the bottle and label lol. I passed on it with the understanding it's the most "sour" of the three, but maybe I am wrong about that? If it's at or exceeds the sour in DK it's too much for me. Though my DK mixed with a little English Malt Toffee from Highbrow has really been rockin it lately.

I think I'll spend some time with the far surperior Janty Classic RY4 later today, it's for where particular people congregate

Jerms,

After reading your post, I vaped all three Janty RY4s side-by-side. They're all loaded into Boge or SmokTech cartos that stay on my desk with 97 other RY4-loaded cartos. I put the three cartos onto three VAMOs, each set to 7.5 watts RMS. The cartos are all relatively new and topped up.

My RY4 DK Series---which is supposed the same recipe as the 2007 original RY4---has a definite sourness, which includes a slight citrus tone. It's also the leanest of the three Series in terms of overall flavoring. Next in chronology is RY4 Classic Series, which has less sourness than DK, but is brighter and better balanced. Finally, RY4 Elixir Series has the most intense sourness, but without any citrus. Elixir is also the sweetest of the three, so I don't think of it as the most sour really, but the one with greatest sour-sweet counterbalanced contrast, along with more flavoring in general than the other two.

Of the three, RY4 DK is the most ad hoc (meaning that it tastes like the one-day creation it was), RY4 Classic is the most refined, and RY4 Elixir is the most bold. By the way, the Janty RY4 from 2009-2010 that Kent C. sent me is a little different. Like Classic, it's less sour, but it's also sweet like Elixir, which makes it the sweetest tasting overall.

Given your stated criteria (implying that sour isn't your thing), I think you're wise to stick with RY4 Classic Series.

 

[Jerms]

Jerms,

After reading your post, I vaped all three Janty RY4s side-by-side. They're all loaded into Boge or SmokTech cartos that stay on my desk with 97 other RY4-loaded cartos. I put the three cartos onto three VAMOs, each set to 7.5 watts RMS. The cartos are all relatively new and topped up.

My RY4 DK Series---which is supposed the same recipe as the 2007 original RY4---has a definite sourness, which includes a slight citrus tone. It's also the leanest of the three Series in terms of overall flavoring. Next in chronology is RY4 Classic Series, which has less sourness than DK, but is brighter and better balanced. Finally, RY4 Elixir Series has the most intense sourness, but without any citrus. Elixir is also the sweetest of the three, so I don't think of it as the most sour really, but the one with greatest sour-sweet counterbalanced contrast, along with more flavoring in general than the other two.

Of the three, RY4 DK is the most ad hoc (meaning that it tastes like the one-day creation it was), RY4 Classic is the most refined, and RY4 Elixir is the most bold. By the way, the Janty RY4 from 2009-2010 that Kent C. sent me is a little different. Like Classic, it's less sour, but it's also sweet like Elixir, which makes it the sweetest tasting overall.

Given your stated criteria (implying that sour isn't your thing), I think you're wise to stick with RY4 Classic Series.

That's interesting. I may end up getting the Elixir just to satisfy my curiosity. You mention getting a citrus tone from DK, and I think I know what you're refering to. I get a citrus taste, that I wouldn't classify as a specific fruit, but a general citrus bite. Maybe it's the combo of that and the "sour" that is a little much to me.

I'm thinking there's a chance I may like the Elixir, because even though it may be more sour than DK, you say it's also sweeter; which along with lacking the citrus may create a balance I like. As I type this I'm thinking there really isn't any flavor notes I don't enjoy in DK, it's more that the balance doesn't work for me. Especially since adding just a little EMT makes it fantastic to me, the sour and citrus is still noticable but balanced in a way that doesn't distract me. With DK straight, I taste the sour and citrus as very dominant and the other flavors are harder to detect. Like my toungue is mapped with too many of the receptors that react to the sour.

Yeah, I've decided to add Elixir to my list. Stronger flavor and more sweet may create a balance with the sour that clicks for me. Just a guess. If not, I can always try fixing it up with English Malt Toffee.

Sent from my LGL55C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Calivapr123]

Great, well presented and informational review of the 3 different Janty RY4, Rpad, thank you

 

[billherbst]

Cali,

I did a little googling to see if I could find a source of Dekang Gold Label, which seems to have only six juices, three of which are tobacco blends (Vaping Prime, Western Conquerer, and Zero Gram), but only two of those contain nic (Zero Gram doesn't). Apparently, these liquids are available only in 10ml bottles at 12mg or 18mg nic in all-PG, all-VG, or 50/50 bases.

I came up with two U.S. vendors---EVCigarettes and LiteCigUSA, but LiteCig was out of stock. I ruled out Western Conqueror at EVCigs because customer reviews defined it as a Marlboro wanna-be with very strong vanilla. Not my thing. That left Vaping Prime, which one customer review described as pleasingly sweet with vanilla and cocoa. OK, so it's another TINO (Tobacco in name only). For 80¢/ml shipped, I had to pass.

Guess I'll just have to wait to find out what Dekang's doing with their Gold Label natural line.

 

[billherbst]

This post contains statements that are hard to believe---not for anyone else who reads it, only for me. But then, sometimes we surprise ourselves.

In today’s mail I received an RY4 that I’d ordered entirely for my own pleasure. I’ve assumed for a long time that I’d never do that again. That’s the first surprise; the second and third surprises are what RY4 I bought and which vendor I bought it from.

I got a 15ml bottle of Spicy RY4 from ECBlend. I already had a 5ml sample bottle of Spicy RY4 that I reviewed last week along with a new review of ECBlend’s current regular RY4. Before writing the review I ordered a second bottle of Spicy RY4, this time a 15ml bottle at 36mg nic in a 50/50 base with double extra flavor. This evening I combined both bottles, added 8mls of VG, and voilà! Now I have 30mls of Spicy RY4 at 22mg nic with extra flavor. (One way or another, I frankenjuice or DIY many of my liquids these days; I’m good at it now, and it’s so much fun!)

ECBlend’s regular RY4 turned out to be better than either of their earlier RY4 versions I bought two years ago, which took me aback a little. But the real shock was the Spicy RY4. I added it to my cart on a whim to reduce the relative cost of shipping. I fully expected to hate Spicy RY4 as just another failed experiment in pushing the limits of the Custom RY4 flavor profile. Wonder of wonders, I liked it. A lot. I liked it so much that I wanted to have more than a little 5ml bottle of it, and now I do.

I don’t have an inherent bias about spicy eliquids. Of the ones I’ve tried, I liked some and didn’t like others. I remember buying a bottle of the very spicy Wyatt Earp Cowboy Blend Tobacco juice from FSUSA way back in my second month of vaping (Nov 2011). The “Wow” factor of its spicy kick was breathtaking. I liked it in short bursts and ended up with a 120ml bottle, most of which I still have. I atty-drip a little Wyatt Earp from time to time---if only to remind myself about my early days of vaping---and my reactions range from “interesting” to “hmmm” to “yuk.” Spicy RY4 is better, much better actually, probably because the sweetness of the RY4 both complements and contrasts with the spiciness. (ECBlend’s recipe for Spicy RY4 contains additional sweetener beyond just caramel and vanilla---it’s their proprietary blend of ethyl maltol and flavoring. Personally, I use Now-brand pure stevia liquid as my DIY sweetener.)

I don’t have any clear notion about what flavorings were used to give Spicy RY4 its spiciness. Cardamom? Clove? Cinnamon? Anise? Fennel? Pepper? I can’t taste any of them as individual flavors, and that impresses me. It seems like the vaping equivalent of Chinese 5-spice, you know? The spiciness of the oriental tobacco used in Spicy RY4 strikes me as its own creature rather than a combination of flavors. And the caramel/vanilla harmonizes wonderfully with that spicy tobacco. At least to me. Maybe my palate isn’t nearly as sophisticated as some of us presume, in much the same way that some Americans assume that Sweet and Sour Pork is an example of refined Chinese cuisine. LOL. What can I say? Sweet and spicy doesn’t require a learning curve.

There are no customer reviews of Spicy RY4 on the ECBlend site, so that probably means one of two things: Either this is a fairly new juice in ECBlend’s Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink lineup of juices, or I’m the only person who likes it. I’ll check the product page every so often to see what other people think, but if it turns out that I’m the only person on the planet who likes Spicy RY4, that’s OK with me. I don’t know if I’ll vape the entire 30ml bottle of Spicy RY4, but I’m sure glad to have it.

[Note to RpadTV: I don’t think we could get away with using the term “Modern” to categorize Spicy RY4. The only catch-all genre term that works for me on this one is “Custom.”]

 

[Calivapr123]

@Bill - Thanks for the notes on the Dekang Gold Label, seems like there really is only one that might be interesting, as far as Tobacco Vapes in concerned.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

I posted this in the general juice forum then remembered this thread that helped me find my all-day vape.

with Isaac and the crew at Ikenvape getting screwed over and having to take down the website I find myself in a bind. I've been vaping Ikanvape's RY4 Gold PG for 3 years. It is my go to flavor, my only vap 99.99% of the time. I typically order 120ml at time but got busy and let my supply drop low, I've only got about 12ml of juice left and that will last me maybe a week. I've tried a few other RYs and even other flavors but cannot get through more than a few hours before I switch back.

If you love Ikenvape's RY4 what other juice do think I should get as a backup?

 

[billherbst]

I posted this in the general juice forum then remembered this thread that helped me find my all-day vape.

with Isaac and the crew at Ikenvape getting screwed over and having to take down the website I find myself in a bind. I've been vaping Ikanvape's RY4 Gold PG for 3 years. It is my go to flavor, my only vap 99.99% of the time. I typically order 120ml at time but got busy and let my supply drop low, I've only got about 12ml of juice left and that will last me maybe a week. I've tried a few other RYs and even other flavors but cannot get through more than a few hours before I switch back.

If you love Ikenvape's RY4 what other juice do think I should get as a backup?

Filthy,

That's a really tough one. Certain RY4s are relatively unique, such as BWB RY4. Ikenvape RY4 Gold is in that group. The sad answer is that there's no equivalent to IKV Gold on The Big RY4 List. Two that I can think of are in the nutty ballpark: VapeKing VK4 and LiquidXpress Taboo. VapeKing is closer, but it's probably no good for you because VK is an Australian vendor that (by Australian law) cannot sell eliquids containing nicotine, so they sell "doublers," where you add your own liquid nicotine base. Not only do you have to pay international shipping, you have to DIY it as well. That leaves Taboo, which is probably your best bet:

Link to purchase: LiquidXpress Taboo

Other than that, monitor the classies and cross your fingers that someone has some IKV RY4 Gold to sell.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Filthy,

That's a really tough one. Certain RY4s are relatively unique, such as BWB RY4. Ikenvape RY4 Gold is in that group. The sad answer is that there's no equivalent to IKV Gold on The Big RY4 List. Two that I can think of are in the nutty ballpark: VapeKing VK4 and LiquidXpress Taboo. VapeKing is closer, but it's probably no good for you because VK is an Australian vendor that (by Australian law) cannot sell eliquids containing nicotine, so they sell "doublers," where you add your own liquid nicotine base. Not only do you have to pay international shipping, you have to DIY it as well. That leaves Taboo, which is probably your best bet:

Link to purchase: LiquidXpress Taboo
Other than that, monitor the classies and cross your fingers that someone has some IKV RY4 Gold to sell.

Bill,
Thanks for link to taboo, got some on order. I might checkout VapeKing as well. I keep some 100mg nic in the freezer for just in case.

 

[RPadTV]

I'm vaping some of the old-school Janty RY4 from Kent C side-by-side with Janty DK RY4. The additional piney/earthy/musky flavor is definitely noticeable. When many people think of "pine" they think of household cleaners. That's not what this flavor brings to the table. It's striking and unusual -- some fans of DK RY4 will welcome it and some won't. It's a very interesting flavor. Even though it's earthy and musky, the end result (to my tastebuds) is a brighter juice. That said, I don't know that it's a better juice for many vapers. Of course I'm biased because of my fandom for DK RY4, but while the piney flavor of old-school RY4 makes it distinct, removing it gives DK RY4 a broader appeal.

I'm going to keep vaping it over the next week to see if I notice anything else. Bill's better with descriptors than I am.

 

[Kent C]

I'm vaping some of the old-school Janty RY4 from Kent C side-by-side with Janty DK RY4. The additional piney/earthy/musky flavor is definitely noticeable. When many people think of "pine" they think of household cleaners. That's not what this flavor brings to the table. It's striking and unusual -- some fans of DK RY4 will welcome it and some won't. It's a very interesting flavor. Even though it's earthy and musky, the end result (to my tastebuds) is a brighter juice. That said, I don't know that it's a better juice for many vapers. Of course I'm biased because of my fandom for DK RY4, but while the piney flavor of old-school RY4 makes it distinct, removing it gives DK RY4 a broader appeal.

I'm going to keep vaping it over the next week to see if I notice anything else. Bill's better with descriptors than I am.

RPad.... that is very close to the consensus way back when. It was a love/hate flavor but there were more than loved it than hated it. There were are few I knew who were put off by it at first, but learned to like it... for even some of them, it became their no. 1 vape. I recall a bit more of the caramel cream note than the way it is now but those that preferred the caramel cream as a ptimary note liked the Ruyan #4 from china or the RY3, which was much less musky, over the Janty RY4. If one could find a nice caramel cream type flavor and add a ml of the old RY4 to say a 5ml bottle, you'd be close to what the old RY4 was for most.... imo, and as I recall it.

 

[billherbst]

I'm vaping some of the old-school Janty RY4 from Kent C side-by-side with Janty DK RY4. The additional piney/earthy/musky flavor is definitely noticeable. When many people think of "pine" they think of household cleaners. That's not what this flavor brings to the table. It's striking and unusual -- some fans of DK RY4 will welcome it and some won't. It's a very interesting flavor. Even though it's earthy and musky, the end result (to my tastebuds) is a brighter juice. That said, I don't know that it's a better juice for many vapers. Of course I'm biased because of my fandom for DK RY4, but while the piney flavor of old-school RY4 makes it distinct, removing it gives DK RY4 a broader appeal.

I'm going to keep vaping it over the next week to see if I notice anything else. Bill's better with descriptors than I am.

RPad,

As he may have shared with you, Kent holds that the mystery flavor is Eastern Pine Seed, rather than the much more common pine resin scent/flavor that many of us toss off in disgust as Pine-Sol. I assume he's correct, because---like you---I can certainly taste that hard-to-pin-down element, and it's nowhere close to that piney flavor I detest.

While the juice is a little brighter than DK, you and I are both on the fence about whether that pine seed element adds or detracts yumminess, an indecision I take to imply that we really don't think it does, but don't wish to appear unfair or hasty in our judgments. That said, I'd be surprised if either of us came around to preferring the 2010 RY4 to the later Janty versions (RY4 DK being technically later, although the recipe is supposed to be the same as the 2007 original). I actually preferred the 2009 RY4 from the pack of carts that Kent sent me. The carts had some now-defunct connector (801, 901, whatever), so I took out the soaked batting and squeezed the juice into a 3ml bottle. The RY4 from the carts tasted different to me---and better, although that's splitting hairs---than the 2010 bottled RY4 that Kent so generously sent us.

 

[RPadTV]

Here's a review that covers two Janty RY4 variants -- Ludo's and RY4-X. Bill has already written about RY4-X. It's the excellent RY4 Classic with the tobacco dialed to 11. To me, it's a very good juice, but I enjoyed RY4 Classic because of its great balance. Personally, if I want a tobacco-heavy RY4 then I'll go with a NET e-liquid, like Goodejuice GJ4. Keep in my mind that NETs are my favorite type of e-liquids in general. If you love the artibacco taste then you'll probably enjoy RY4-X.

Ludo's Blend is a very unusual e-liquid that I loved. The base is DK RY4, which is my favorite of the Janty RY4s. You get mint on the inhale, followed by the DK RY4 flavor and topped off with a bit of coffee. I really enjoyed the multiple flavors in this one -- pleasantly unusual and very striking.

Full review and steeping notes here.

 

[Jerms]

I don't watch much juice reviews, but you always do a great job Ray. Kudos my friend. I also like to watch DeathsMistress aka the Vape Girl, but mainly because she's really pretty.

Ludo's RY4 sounds pretty interesting, but I'm probably gonna stick to Elixer RY4 and Classic RY4-X next time I order from Janty. I'll pass on the SE 555. Sometimes I wonder why there's not a Really Big 555 Roundup thread, but then I vape a nutty tobacco and understand..

Sent from my LGL55C using Tapatalk 2

 

[billherbst]

Sometimes I wonder why there's not a Really Big 555 Roundup thread, but then I vape a nutty tobacco and understand.

Jerms,

LOL.

I've been asked on numerous occasions to start a Really Big 555 Roundup thread. I always decline. I'm not starting a thread for a juice I don't like. I've never met a standard 555 that I could vape for more than about 30 seconds. Two unusual 555s do pass muster for me as interesting and enjoyable vapes---BWB 555 Exotic and SpringVapor Black Label 555---but they're not even close to what a typical Dekang-like State Express 555 knock-off tastes like.

 

[MFToms59]

The BWB and Spring Vapor were two I enjoyed, the 555 that got me initially hooked was Smokeless Image, 555 was my primary work vape before venturing into NET Juices.

 

[Zire02]

I loved the 555 from smokeless image, it's the one juice that i'd buy from them again. Know any other juices that are similar?
Also a huge ry4 fan

 

[billherbst]

Wow, that's two votes for Smokeless Image 555. Impressive. I haven't tried it, so I'm unable to recommend something similar. Maybe someone else will.