The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[M_FactorX19]

has anyone tried Gourmetvapors RY4? i have some in the mail but wanted to see if anyone has tried thiers and how it stacks up.

 

[thehangdude]

@billherbst, Are your rankings best to worst if looking for "x"? Or are they ranked from most "x" to least "x" (in catagory). For example,

Deep/Dark
OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
VapeMasters R4
Want2Vape RY4

Is Ozark the Deepest/Darkest, or the best if you are looking for a Deep/Dark type RY4?

 

[Buddafucco]

I'm glad you broke it down into categories, its a good addition to the thread, but I like your original numbered system better.

 

[billherbst]

Are your rankings best to worst if looking for "x"? Or are they ranked from most "x" to least "x" (in catagory).

Neither. Juices within categories are unranked. No good-to-bad or most-to-least. The whole business of numerical rankings was making me crazy, because it's way too subjective and virtually guaranteed to generate disagreement and disappointment. The reason for the new system is to minimize those conflicts.

In the Deep/Dark category you cited, my personal opinion is that Vapemasters' R4 is the most deep/dark (Vapemasters is no longer available, but it's very likely similar to VaporRenu's Re[4]nu, since the bottles are the same and Vapemasters offered the same line of juices as VaporRenu does now). The other two are a toss-up. Both Want2Vape and OzarkFresh are well-anchored RY4s with solid foundations that don't emphasize brightness.

What that category tells you is: "If you like deeper or darker-toned flavors, these three vendors' RY4s are worth considering." All juices listed within a category have more pronounced emphasis on that flavor/quality than juices not listed in the category.

In reviewing additional RY4s from other vendors to add to the big list---as I will do next week---I'll continue to indicate as part of the review my personal reaction to a given juice---love it, like it, don't much cotton to it, hate it, whatever. But those preferences won't carry over into the categories.

I'd like the information I provide on the thread to be a generally reliable and trustworthy guide for most people, not just those who share my idiosyncratic tastes.

 

[thehangdude]

I'm glad you broke it down into categories, its a good addition to the thread, but I like your original numbered system better.

+1
Its good to know what type the RY4 is (nutty, sweet ...). I like that you rake them, and have no problem as long as you state why brand X is better or worse. For example you wrote: "W2V Rock Star is among the brightest of all the RY4 variants I’ve tried, with a very pronounced high end sparkle, in the same neighborhood as Elixir and Taboo. That effect is refreshing for some palates, but not mine." Someone looking for a RY4 can then decide if they want to try this one.

I say this thread has helped me as much as any on ecf.

 

[Diablo]

I like both systems. Having juices categorized is nice so somebody can dial in a flavor they are looking for. The number system lets us decide what we want to spend our hard earned cash on. Maintaining both would be great imo. For me I don't think a categorized system alone would make me want to take my wallet out and buy a juice I never tried before, in fact I am sure it wont. After all we are just talking about RY4's and not all tobacco juices in general, where a categorized system would probably mean more. I hope you reconsider and maintain both.

 

[billherbst]

OK, I'm with you folks in thinking that we can keep both evaluations, as long as we take an old crop-duster biplane and sky-write over ECF in letters 1,000 feet high that the numerical rankings are MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY, based on my very own subjective, individual, and sometimes eccentric likes and dislikes.

Every time I add a new juice, I'll categorize it AND rank it numerically in the Big List. I'll also update both the categories and the rankings whenever I wake up and have to ask myself, "What the heck was I thinking?" (which is not a daily event, thankfully, but frequent enough to remind me of my fallibility and keep me humble).

 

[Diablo]

OK, I'm with you folks in thinking that we can keep both evaluations, as long as we take an old crop-duster biplane and sky-write over ECF in letters 1,000 feet high that the numerical rankings are MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY, based on my very own subjective, individual, and sometimes eccentric likes and dislikes.

Thanks Bill

Yeah I bet your mailbox filled up in a few hrs from the BWB RY4 fanboys when it lost 1st place. But all in all this thread has been pretty civilized. A thread like this sets the bar high and the vendors will step it up a few notches to get noticed and make some great juices IMO.

 

[STILLSMOK9]

Anyone tried Myfreedomsmokes RY4?

 

[GMalarkey]

OK, I'm with you folks in thinking that we can keep both evaluations, as long as we take an old crop-duster biplane and sky-write over ECF in letters 1,000 feet high that the numerical rankings are MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY, based on my very own subjective, individual, and sometimes eccentric likes and dislikes.

Every time I add a new juice, I'll categorize it AND rank it numerically in the Big List. I'll also update both the categories and the rankings whenever I wake up and have to ask myself, "What the heck was I thinking?" (which is not a daily event, thankfully, but frequent enough to remind me of my fallibility and keep me humble).

Perhaps a disclaimer tattooed on your chest then used a a profile pic would suffice.

 

[Torqueguy]

What a great thread.

For what it's worth, I've been on a search for ry4 and for my tastes, the hands down winner is Ikenvape gold, in 18mg, pg blend. The vg doesn't have the same flavor and throat hit. In order to not waste that bottle, I blended the whole bottle of vg with 4 bottles of pg. Came out great and was able to save the vg which I didnt like all that much.

Because the Ikenvape is less sweet, I like it in the morning and as my all day vape. After dinner, my favorite is BWB 555. It had no flavor when I first got it but after steeping for a couple weeks, it became very flavorful, sweet but not icky sweet.

No luck scoring BWB ry4 yet but if it's as good as the 555, i'm sure it will be great.

 

[billherbst]

For what it's worth, I've been on a search for ry4 and for my tastes, the hands down winner is Ikenvape gold, in 18mg, pg blend.

Torqueguy,

Then you're really going to the updated rankings that follow my next review, which I wrote last night and will post today...

I feel the same way you do about the difference between IKV RY4 Gold's PG versus VG blends. I started out able to get only the VG blend (70VG/30PG), and in my review was less than lavish in my praise. Then I finally did get some of the PG version, and ever since, Ikenvape RY4 has been rising through the ranks with a bullet. Last night I finally caved and gave it the crown, as you'll see in the rankings post after the Janty RY4 review.

 

[wrigleyvillain]

How did I miss this before today? Nice job.

 

[wv2win]

Anyone tried Myfreedomsmokes RY4?

Yeah, I did. It was quite a while ago and I didn't order any more, so obviously it didn't do it for me. At the time I was looking for something close to the original and that didn't do it. Not saying it was bad, just not what I was looking for. I do remember it was better than some real strong RY4's I had tried.

I finally settled in on Janty's RY4 as the closes but not quite as good as the original. It is good, however, in my subjective opinion. I would put it in the "subtle" category.

 

[billherbst]

Janty proclaims proudly on its web site that theirs is the "original Janty RY4 best seller, introduced on the market in 2007 by Janty." That comment seems at first glance to imply that this is the fabled "original RY4," but note the clever wording: "original Janty RY4 best seller," which leaves a bit of wiggle room for debate about whether this is the Holy Grail original Dekang formula, or just the same juice Janty's been selling all along.

Either way, it's a distinctive and terrific juice. I tested the all-PG sample from Janty's Classic line by dripping on a 2.0 ohm Joye LR510 atty powered by a Hello 016 battery providing 4.0 volts.

The tobacco is forward, but not too forward, the caramel and vanilla are smooth and well-blended with what is to me a pleasing sweetness---although non-sweet aficionados may disagree---plus I get some subtle nuttiness, which I like a lot in RY4s. I'm not always a big fan of peanut flavor in tobacco juices (some 555s and DK-TAB based tobacco blends don't thrill me for that reason), but here---as with the whole group of nutty RY4s---the nut component is more a composite nuttiness than straight peanut. Brightness and depth are nicely balanced. At 18mg, throat hit is good and vapor production is what we'd expect from straight PG.

To my palate, this is a well-crafted and delicious RY4 that deserves a Top 10 ranking, with just one nagging caveat: price. Janty RY4 leans toward the expensive end of the scale. In Janty's Elixir line, their RY4 is $13 for 15mls, and in the Classic line is $17 for 20mls or $24 for 30mls. Add shipping, and the total cost triggers my skinflint alarms. On the other hand, higher-priced juices that I like and vape often are a much better value than cheap juices I don't like and won't vape at all. Better expensive than lousy. (Darn, now I'll have to pony up and buy some RY4 from Janty's new Elixir line...)

In summary, Janty's RY4 is a major winner. Buying a bottle may take a bigger chunk out of your wallet, but the extra simoleons will have been well spent for a ticket into Vape Heaven.

Many thanks to wv2win for providing me with a sample bottle for review. Updated rankings will appear in the next post.

 

[billherbst]

The numerical rankings keep morphing, at least in the Top 10, which has shuffled considerably. Some juices continue to improve, winning me over more as time goes by, such as Ikenvape, Dulcis, and Taboo. Other juices are not aging as well and no longer taste quite as great as they did when I first vaped them, so they get bumped as others climb over them. Are the juices changing, or is it just me? I don't know. Maybe my taste buds are fickle, but that's part of the fun of rankings, eh? How boring if they just stayed the same.

My main frustration here is that so many superlative RY4s are available for our enjoyment that I wish we could cram 20 of them into the Top 10. So, please understand that even the second ten in the rankings are quite tasty and are RY4s about which their respective vendors can feel justifiable pride. To cite but one example among many, Renegade RY4 sits 14 places down from the top-ranked IKV RY4 Gold, but that distance is deceptive. Renegade is a good juice, and most anyone who buys it should be pleased.

Below are my revised rankings as of today, followed by the category groupings:

1. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
2. VaporTalk Dulcis
3. LiquidXpress Taboo
4. Janty RY4
5. QuickNicVapor RY4
6. BackwoodsBrew RY4
7. VapeRite Organic VR4
8. OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
9. ElixirLiquid RY4
10. PrimeVaping PV4

11. Want2Vape RY4
12. VapeMasters R4
13. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
14. VapeRite RY4
15. Madvapes Dekang RY4
16. NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
17. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice
18. VaporStation VS4
19. VaporStation RY4
20. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4

21. Want2Vape Rock Star
22. AwesomeVapor RY4
23. GoodEjuice RY4
24. Mist-Stix RY4
25. Kick Bass Vapor RY4
26. VoidMist RY4
27. Vapure VY4
28. AltSmoke RY4
29. BlueMistVaping RY4
30. FlavourArt oRYental 4

Untested/Unranked: Halo Tribeca
Untested/Unranked: MyFreedomSmokes RY4


Stronger Tobacco (less sweet)
Ikenvape RY4 Gold
VaporTalk Dulcis
BackwoodsBrew RY4
VapeRite RY4
NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice
VaporStation VS4

Dessert (more sweet)
Janty RY4
QuickNicVapor RY4
KalamazooVaporShop RY4
Kick Bass Vapor RY4
Vapure VY4

Nutty
Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
LiquidXpress Taboo
Janty RY4
QuickNicVapor RY4
OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
ElixirLiquid RY4
VapeRite RY4
KalamazooVaporShop RY4

Caramel Rich
LiquidXpress Taboo
QuickNicVapor RY4
VapeRite Organic VR4
PrimeVaping PV4
Want2Vape RY4
Kick Bass Vapor RY4
VoidMist RY4
Vapure VY4

Vanilla
QuickNicVapor RY4
BackwoodsBrew RY4
OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
FreedomSmokeUSA RY4

Bright/Lively
Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
VaporTalk Dulcis
LiquidXpress Taboo
ElixirLiquid RY4
Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice
Want2Vape Rock Star

Deep/Dark
OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
VapeMasters R4
Want2Vape RY4
VoidMist RY4


Balanced/Blended
VaporTalk Dulcis
Janty RY4
PrimeVaping PV4
ElixirLiquid RY4
VapeRite RY4
KalamazooVaporShop RY4
VaporStation VS4
Want2Vape Rock Star

Middle-of-the-Road
NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
VaporStation RY4
AwesomeVapor RY4
AltSmoke RY4

Variants (non-typical)
BackwoodsBrew RY4
VapeRite Organic VR4
FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
Want2Vape Rock Star
Kick Bass Vapor RY4
VoidMist RY4
Vapure VY4

Bizarre (just plain weird)
BlueMistVaping RY4
FlavourArt oRYental 4

 

[wv2win]

Janty proclaims proudly on its web site that theirs is the "original Janty RY4 best seller, introduced on the market in 2007 by Janty." That comment seems at first glance to imply that this is the fabled "original RY4," but note the clever wording: "original Janty RY4 best seller," which leaves a bit of wiggle room for debate about whether this is the Holy Grail original Dekang formula, or just the same juice Janty's been selling all along.

Either way, it's a distinctive and terrific juice. I tested the all-PG sample from Janty's Classic line by dripping on a 2.0 ohm Joye LR510 atty powered by a Hello 016 battery providing 4.0 volts.

The tobacco is forward, but not too forward, the caramel and vanilla are smooth and well-blended with what is to me a pleasing sweetness---although non-sweet aficionados may disagree---plus I get some subtle nuttiness, which I like a lot in RY4s. I'm not always a big fan of peanut flavor in tobacco juices (some 555s and DK-TAB based tobacco blends don't thrill me for that reason), but here---as with the whole group of nutty RY4s---the nut component is more a composite nuttiness than straight peanut. Brightness and depth are nicely balanced. At 18mg, throat hit is good and vapor production is what we'd expect from straight PG.

To my palate, this is a well-crafted and delicious RY4 that deserves a Top 10 ranking, with just one nagging caveat: price. Janty RY4 leans toward the expensive end of the scale. In Janty's Elixir line, their RY4 is $13 for 15mls, and in the Classic line is $17 for 20mls or $24 for 30mls. Add shipping, and the total cost triggers my skinflint alarms. On the other hand, higher-priced juices that I like and vape often are a much better value than cheap juices I don't like and won't vape at all. Better expensive than lousy. (Darn, now I'll have to pony up and buy some RY4 from Janty's new Elixir line...)

In summary, Janty's RY4 is a major winner. Buying a bottle may take a bigger chunk out of your wallet, but the extra simoleons will have been well spent for a ticket into Vape Heaven.

Many thanks to wv2win for providing me with a sample bottle for review. Updated rankings will appear in the next post.

Very nice review, bill. I'm glad you like the Janty. I don't think that Janty actually makes their own liquid so they must be getting it from a manufacturer who I would think would sell to other suppliers. If we could just figure out who that might be, we may find a better price. Another problem with Janty's NY supplier is they run out of stock quickly and it takes 2-3 weeks or more for them to replinish. I have found their customer service to be good and they have sent me samples of other liquids at no charge from time to time. I don't vape menthol, but the sample of menthol they sent me was actually quite smooth and not overpowering.

I also want to add, I really like the way you categorize your results into categories such as "nutty", etc. I think that is much more helpful in providing readers information they can use to decide what they might like to try. Your reveiw is one of the best I have seen on ECF over the more than two years I have been on this forum.

 

[Drak]

Keep it coming, I love your reviews, descriptions, and breakdown process, it gives me new destinations!

PS, if you have a moment, I'm not at all familiar with the 'fabled' DeKang juice and it's background.
What, if I may trouble you, is the story/history behind it?

Just curious from an e-juice history perspective.

 

[Buddafucco]

Keep it coming, I love your reviews, descriptions, and breakdown process, it gives me new destinations!

PS, if you have a moment, I'm not at all familiar with the 'fabled' DeKang juice and it's background.
What, if I may trouble you, is the story/history behind it?

Just curious from an e-juice history perspective.

Another Billherbst review talked about it. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-liquids/187115-ikenvapes-original-ry4.html

 

[Diablo]

Awesome job Bill.

I really like having both categories. I can now look for what has a nutty taste, which I like, and not sweet which is a must for me on every juice I try. Then I can compare it to the numerical list and pick from there. That's a brilliant idea on how to rate the juices!!!!

I went on a BWB spending spree last week(RY4,ejoker and 5 other baccy flavors) and bought a ton of juices from them. I have enough to kill an elephant now. Once my supply of juices dwindles down, I will explore some of your other picks for sure.