I see that nobody has reviewed Pink Spot RY8 since waaaay back last November. Here's my take, vaped at 18mg in a clear DCC on my Provari Mini:
I detect top notes of bright vanilla on the inhale followed by a body of vanilla, strong vanilla accents, and vanilla, capped off with a trace of sweet vanilla on the exhale.
Seriously, though, this is one vanilla-heavy RY4 (ya think?). If you've ever smelled top-quality vanilla essence or even split open a bean, you'll know that in addition to the cookie/custard warm sweetness we all know and love as vanilla, that real vanilla has some off-notes. Boozy, borderline rancid sometimes, a stale spiciness, or even a potpourri-like dried flower note. This is the complicated nature of vanilla, which is why so many companies use the artificial stuff: it's easier to control but also less dimensional.
I am guessing that Pink Spot uses lots of real vanilla in PS8. The reason? This is one of the darkest brown E-liquids I've ever tried: a tarry, nearly opaque liquid that when shaken, clings to the bottle for a good two seconds. Natural vanilla is brown, and when added to things makes them turn brown as well. The darkish tobacco has a tart clean "twist" of sourness at the end but I don't think it's a natural tobacco extract. Also at the end of the exhale is what little caramel is included for the sake of calling it an RY4. It's there, but it's minimal. This is all about vanilla unadorned, the good and the bad, the sweetness and the bitterness.
This was one of the first liquids I ordered in my vaping journey nearly 8 months(!!) ago and I have reordered it consistently along with its companion, Swagger (similar to RY8, but more so, possibly including hazelnut and coffee). Pink Spot is famous for fruity cocktail-like flavours but they aren't really my thing. These two are keepers and I vape them often. PS is also renowned for their friendly service (and their side-splittingly funny Facebook page).
My late mother used to watch me spoon heaps of Parmesan onto my pasta and comment,"want a little spaghetti with that cheese?" If you want a little tobacco and caramel with your vanilla E-liquid, do try RY8. It won't be for everyone, but I don't think you'll regret trying it.