The 6ml sample bottles of RY4 and RY5 I purchased from BombayVaping are both 24mg in a 50/50 PG/VG Blend. The liquids are almost identical in color: light gold-orange, with the RY5 being ever-so-slightly darker, but so close that I could easily mistake one for the other by sight alone. I tested these by atty-dripping into a 3.5-ohm IKV i06 atty powered by a Vector Variable Volt v1.5t set to 5.0 volts, for wattage of 7.14 (because of the PWM design of the Vector and the hybrid nature of the io6, wattage seems considerably higher, in the 9-10 range, and may in fact be substantially higher). Note: These juices were born five days before this review, so my guess is that they’ll improve with some steeping time. If the change is significant, I’ll post a follow-up.
BombayVaping has created a very soothing custom
RY4. It doesn’t smash through the limits of classic RY4s, however. Instead, it massages those limits and stretches them out gently without losing the essence of what RY4 is about---a tobacco-caramel-vanilla blend. I think I perceive a slight nuttiness in the recipe, but I could be wrong about that, and, in any case, it’s very subtle.
For me, the key to Bombay RY4 is balance. The flavor elements don’t arrive side by side as individuals; they greet me as one unified, overall flavor and remain so from inhale through exhale. That shows sophistication in blending.
The high-end brightness so characteristic of classic RY4s but usually missing entirely in custom RY4s is not present here, as one might expect, but that’s not a detriment. This is like high-quality audio delivered with bass and treble controls set to flat (meaning no boost), rather than jacked up as people tend to do with cheap stereos. For RY4 lovers interested in an all-day-vape, Bombay RY4 is a very good possibility.
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By contrast, the
RY5 is where Bombay got their ya-yas out. While their RY4 stresses mature balance and harmonious unity, Bombay RY5 is the wild child, reveling in its own excess like a pig in slop. The target audience is completely different here: people who like big, bold flavors, and don’t care whether they’re blended or not---the “hit-me-with-your-best-shot” crowd. Of those people, the ones most pleased will be caramel-lovers.
Caramel sets the tone and leads the way, with tobacco and vanilla singing back-up. This isn't Three Dog Night, it's Glady Knight and the Pips. The caramel is not so much dominant as intense, definitely stronger than the other flavors.
When I vaped Bombay RY5, I thought of
ECBlend Ruyan 4 with double-extra caramel. Not that the two juices taste the same---they don’t. Actually, I didn’t much care for ECB Ruyan 4++, since the caramel was almost acrid to my palate. The old problem of too much flavoring. Bombay RY5’s caramel is delicious. But both juices carry similar intentions.
What we have here with
BombayVaping RY4 and RY5 are two brothers from the same father, but different mothers. Yes, they’re half-brothers, but their genetic heritage is quite separate, and they’re clearly drawn to making friendships with very different kinds of vapers.
BombayVaping RY4, Grade: B+
BombayVaping RY5, Grade: B
Links to purchase:
BombayVaping RY4
BombayVaping RY5