The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[billherbst]

Billherbst, I have a couple RY4s from a contest from E-juice USA (one VG, one PG/VG) if you want me to send you 3ml each. I think they are meh, but they are still new. Never know what a couple days in the post office will do for them.

hangdude,

How very kind of you to offer (even if they are meh, LOL). I think we should probably pass on those, and let them rest in peace.

 

[thehangdude]

hangdude,

How very kind of you to offer (even if they are meh, LOL). I think we should probably pass on those, and let them rest in peace.

I also have some really good Joogler's Blend. I don't know if you've tried it yet. It is a brighter RY4 than PV4 or Quick nic's. Very similar to OzarkFresh. It has kind of a USA tobacco with a good blend (yet small amounts) of caramel and vanilla.

 

[billherbst]

I want to write a bit about three RY4s:

PrimeVaping PV4, #10 in the most recently updated rankings
KalamazooVaporShop RY4, ranked at #13
Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice, at #17

All three of these juices are really very good RY4s, and I feel that they deserve higher rankings than I've given them. The problem, of course, is that we're blessed with an abundance of extremely good RY4s on this list. If I move one juice up in the rankings, some other RY4 has to move down. To some extent, the rankings are inevitably a "flavor du jour" contest. I try not to be cavalier or fickle, but things do change over time.

For instance, PrimeVaping PV4 started out at #4 in the original rankings, but has gradually been demoted all the way to #10 as other terrific RY4s came on the scene (Ikenvape RY4 Gold's PG blend and Janty Classic RY4) or as RY4s already on the list improved with steeping (see below). Does that mean that PrimeVaping PV4 got worse? No, it's every bit as good now as it was when I first vaped it---caramel rich, but not too sweet. A delicious RY4.

Esmoke4Life's Riskee Yuice began at #15 as the last of the group of four RY4s that I initially felt were overly "bright": VaporTalk Dulcis, LiquidXpress Taboo, ElixirLiquid, and Riskee. After steeping awhile, the other three have moved way up in the rankings---Dulcis to #2, Taboo to #3, and Elixir to #9. Riskee, however, actually dropped two spots to #17. I vaped it again today (in my usual testing fashion, dripped into a Joye LR510 2.0 ohm atty on a Hello 016 battery cranking out 4.0 volts) as part of another round of comparison testing, and not only is Riskee less bright now, but aging has brought out its lovely nuttiness, which is one of my personal fave RY4 additives.

Finally, KalamazooVaporShop RY4 was at #8 originally and has now fallen five places to #13. And that's a shame, because the KVS is a very solid RY4, well-balanced and tasty, with a great overall punch.

What all this adds up to is another major re-shuffling of the rankings. I moved PrimeVaping, Kalamazoo, and Riskee into the Top 10. On the other hand, QuickNic and OzarkFresh have lost some of their initial luster for me over the past month; they drop out of the Top 10 to the beginning of the second 10. Also, GoodEjuice RY4 has jumped two spots to #17 because steeping has made it noticeably richer and slightly less sweet to me. The category groups haven't changed, but I'll include them in this post to keep everything together in one place.

Madvapes Dekang pre-mix, now at #16, has become my "laboratory reference standard" for RY4s, providing a baseline, with 15 RY4s above it in the rankings and 15 below. Those above Dekang pre-mix improve on the basic RY4 recipe, making it even better, while those below it alter the recipe in ways I'm not as fond of [subjectivity alert!].

Let me state again that I recommend all the juices in the Top 20, for whatever that's worth. As always, YMMV.


Rankings

1. Ikenvape IKV RY4 Gold, PG Blend
2. VaporTalk Dulcis
3. LiquidXpress Taboo
4. Janty RY4
5. BackwoodsBrew RY4
6. VapeRite Organic VR4
7. PrimeVaping PV4
8. ElixirLiquid RY4
9. KalamazooVaporShop RY4
10. Esmoke4Life Riskee Yuice

11. QuickNicVapor RY4
12. OzarkFresh Kentucky Burley RY4
13. Want2Vape RY4
14. VapeMasters R4
15. VapeRite RY4
16. Madvapes Dekang RY4
17. GoodEJuice RY4
18. NiteLiteVapor Renegade RY4
19. VaporStation VS4
20. VaporStation RY4

21. FreedomSmokeUSA RY4
22. Want2Vape Rock Star
23. AwesomeVapor RY4
24. Halo Tribeca
25. Mist-Stix RY4
26. Kick Bass Vapor RY4
27. VoidMist RY4
28. Vapure VY4
29. AltSmoke RY4

30. BlueMistVaping RY4
31. FlavourArt oRYental 4


Category Groups

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

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

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

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

Vanilla
BackwoodsBrew RY4
QuickNicVapor RY4OzarkFresh 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
GoodEJuice RY4
VoidMist RY4

Balanced/Blended
VaporTalk Dulcis
Janty RY4
PrimeVaping PV4
ElixirLiquid RY4
KalamazooVaporShop RY4
VapeRite RY4
Madvapes Dekang RY4
GoodEJuice RY4
VaporStation VS4
Want2Vape Rock Star
Halo Tribeca

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

Bizarre (just plain weird)
BlueMistVaping RY4
FlavourArt oRYental 4

 

[zotzer]

Being day 10, I was fixing to give BWB a first try. Guess I'll wait a while.

.

hangdude,
I am a BWB fan, and even so, fresh RY4 was a bit over the top for me. Yesterday was the first time since week #1 that I pulled out the BWB RY4 to try again (born on 5/10/11). It was very good.

I would recommend, though, to test BWB RY4 on your palatte mid-day. YMMV, but it seems that morning tastebuds can be a little more sensitive, and BWB RY4 is best after they've been "warmed up" a bit.

 

[BWG707]

I would like for you to try Vixen Vapers RY4. I would like to hear your take on this juice. It's one of my favorites. It's, as you would call it a "brighter" flavor. I get a very clean taste from it no lingering aftertaste. It's somewhat mild- not too much of a tobacco taste and not too sweet. I like to hear other opinions of this juice, where it stacks up againist some of the other RY4s.

 

[Ceegary]

Just found and caught up on this great thread. I've vaped many on the list and also not vaped many, some are on my to-try list. Here are some random thoughts in response to many comments through the thread.

A lot of vendors have signature bases that one likes or dislikes. I happen to like BWB, Halo, VS, Vaperite, W2V and some KBV & AV, so I like some of those RY4s. BWB's to me is Backo with caramel & vanilla, I like Backo so it's good, didn't knock my socks off but might of if I wasn't already familiar with many of Don's juices. FSUSA is a nice juice, I've vaped a lot of it, but sorry, as many have mentioned it's NOT a RY4 despite it's label. Tribeca is by far my favorite Halo juice, it's a very well balanced and yes I like the Halo base but mostly with this and Freedom, though I sometimes also enjoy the Prime 8 for ginger flavor. All taste is subjective though, so it's ok for some to hate it.

I find most juices need steeping (or sleeping as I call it because steeping is really when you leave something in a liquid to impart flavor like a tea-bag). I've found many juices harsh, or lacking flavor that 2 to 3 weeks later are great. When I get juice in, I usually air them overnight, give a good shake and let them rest for a while. Might sneek a few drops here and there, but really prefer to just wait so my first impression can be accurate. I can appeciate vendors making to order, but I also sometimes love buying on the classies so I don't have to wait..

Under the "Nutty" category I feel VS Frisco is missing. When I'm looking for a predominant nut flavor it delivers a nice hazelnut profile while still maintaining good balance. I mix up my vaping a lot, usually run through 5 to 10 flavors a day between loading 3Go-gos, LR Boge cartos, Dual Coil cartos and dripping LR 306. So I vary between wanting dry, sweet or predominant notes when picking up an RY4. To me the greatest thing about vaping is the variety of good flavor and I practice that on a daily basis, so I highly appreciate the rankings on personal best as well as groupings. Don't think I will ever vape all of them but will add some to my try list, which is topped by IKV's now. Thanks for the thread.

 

[billherbst]

Under the "Nutty" category I feel VS Frisco is missing. When I'm looking for a predominant nut flavor it delivers a nice hazelnut profile while still maintaining good balance. I mix up my vaping a lot, usually run through 5 to 10 flavors a day between loading 3Go-gos, LR Boge cartos, Dual Coil cartos and dripping LR 306. So I vary between wanting dry, sweet or predominant notes when picking up an RY4.

Ceegary,

Thanks for that thoughtful, informative post.

I happen to love Frisco (along with a bunch of other VaporStation tobaccos: Tennessee, Tampa, and Phoenix, but Frisco is my fave). I like it so much that it's in my daily rotation of juices. (Like you, I'm a "juice bumblebee," flitting from one flower to the next all day long.)

With our mutual regard for Frisco established, I have to ask: Do you really feel that Frisco is an RY4? I don't know exactly what other flavors are in Frisco besides tobacco and hazelnut, but it sure doesn't taste like an RY4 to me, since I don't pick up any caramel at all and probably no vanilla as well. But maybe I'm wrong.

To my palate, Frisco is an entirely different creature than an RY4. Similarly, BWB Hazelnut Tobacco isn't an RY4, either, but Halo Tribeca definitely is. Yeah, I know, I gave it a low ranking, but that's just me. For some folks, Tribeca is a fantastic RY4.

The question here becomes, What's an RY4 and what's not? My "working definition" has been: tobacco, caramel, and vanilla as primary flavors, with nuttiness as the main optional ingredient. Past that, it's a matter of taste and where to draw the line. So, for example, FSUSA RY4 gets included, because of the name and the three primary ingredients, but it's close to the edge due to its less distinct additional flavors.

You know the old ad joke, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." Well, in this thread we all get to pose as experts on RY4s. All you need is one PV and one RY4, and you get a diploma as an official doctor of RY4s. So, to all the RY4 doctors out there: Is Frisco an RY4?

 

[Ceegary]

I agree it's debatable. To me the vanilla component is distinctive, I get caramel too though it's very subtle, maybe more like a component in all their bases but could be more EM, malty more than caramel, hard to distinguish when it's an undertone.

 

[billherbst]

I agree it's debatable. To me the vanilla component is distinctive, I get caramel too though it's very subtle, maybe more like a component in all their bases but could be more EM, malty more than caramel, hard to distinguish when it's an undertone.

Ceegary,

I don't know why I didn't think of this in my first response (chalk it up to brain damage), but there's another reason I don't include Frisco in the RY4 group: VaporStation has, not just one, but two RY4s already---one called (guess what?) RY4, and their signature blend, VS4. Both are on the list, though admittedly not highly ranked (not that they're bad; they're just not distinctive enough to do well against such stiff competition).

Though we could get together for a "juice-tasting" party (like a wine-tasting party but better) to hash out the caramel-vanilla-or-not question, it's basically a moot point. From my perspective, VaporStation clearly didn't intend Frisco to be an RY4, since they make and sell two of them. Instead, it's their superlative twist on 555. Case closed (or not, LOL).

 

[lasttango]

started out at #4 in the original rankings, but has gradually been demoted all the way to #10

rankings... ratings...

I mean... you did good descriptive reviews, categorizations and groupings... I don't see much sense in trying to rank and rate.
IMO, it takes focus away from all the good work you've done.

 

[LeslieT]

Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this. I am new to vapeing and this is really going to help me when I replace the RY4 I have right now (purchased it in a local shop, it's from somewhere called e-liquid emporium) I really appreciate the categorizations you did, and think I will be happiest with something on the sweeter side.

Thank you!

 

[billherbst]

rankings... ratings...

I mean... you did good descriptive reviews, categorizations and groupings... I don't see much sense in trying to rank and rate.
IMO, it takes focus away from all the good work you've done.

LT,

Earlier in the thread, I announced that I felt the rankings to be a fundamentally dumb approach, and that I had decided to replace them with unranked category groupings, but a number of people (more than one or two) posted that they liked the rankings and wanted me to keep them. So I ended up with both rankings and categories. An imperfect solution at best, and perhaps even a wrong decision on my part, but that's life in the big city.

I mean, why do people like beauty contests? Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? Why do people watch all those cooking competition shows on TV? And all those "best of" lists in magazines and awards shows---Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, etc.?

Anyway, for what it's worth, I agree with you. The original rankings in the first post were fine as an expression of my personal feelings at the time, but I fear I may have created a frankenstein monster here. Who knows? I may yet recant if the monster wreaks havoc throughout the countryside or if the thread just gets too weird for me.

 

[Diablo]

More information is better than less information, more choices are better than less. The cards are being laid down and folks can take what they want or don't want from it IMO.

 

[LeslieT]

LT.

I was sooooo confused for a minute See.. You were addressing LastTango as LT... But I'm LT too.. So I couldn't understand how your response related to me.. I get it now. All good..

 

[johnychaos]

I received 10ml Vanilla Caramel Tobacco (RY4) from Velvet Vapor on wednesday have just about used it all up, its on the sweet side but I really really enjoy it. I'm so glad someone put together a list like this, now I've got a few more vendors to try.

 

[vikings]

For what it's worth, I think this is one of the best threads I've read on ECF. Doesn't matter if you like reading rankings or categories....at least this lets us see how different RY4 blends stack up against each other

 

[Ceegary]

Instead, it's their superlative twist on 555. Case closed (or not, LOL).

Agreed. Guess I got a little carried with the "Nutty" column, but a juice that predominates in that flavor is 555. At least we both agree on liking it. Ratings and rankings aren't that important, but it's always nice to get recommendations and kind of assess what the poster likes. Here's a toast...to all the great juices that are available for our vaping pleasure!!!

 

[GMalarkey]

IMO this thread and the ranking/catorgizing has been if great help. I am about 3 weeks in to vaping and still relatively clueless. This much info in one place had been great. Thanks for the assist and thanks for helping me discover what may be my favorite type of juice.

 

[Steve414]

So i just ordered ikenvapes ry4 its good. It is exactly the same as goodprophets blendedtab to me which is good as heck.

 

[billherbst]

So i just ordered ikenvapes ry4 its good. It is exactly the same as goodprophets blendedtab to me which is good as heck.

Steve,

I'm sure your post was sincere and truthful, but if you're correct that Ikenvape RY4 Gold actually does taste exactly like Dekang Blended Tab (same as DK-TAB)---then something's reeeeeeeally rotten in Denmark, and Isaac at Ikenvape went to a whole lot of trouble, time, and expense for nothing. LOL. Just sayin'...