specs: The 5ml bottle of 100% USA-made VaporBeast Holy Grail RY4 that was sent to me for review by our colleague Jim Bob (thanks, JB!) contains a deep amber-colored but still transparent liquid (darker than many RY4s), at 24mg nic in a 70/e0 base blend. Testing was done using a 2.6 ohm CE3 bottom coil carto powered by a ProVari set to 4.1 volts to produce 6.5 watts (CE3 bottom coils prefer less watts and give superior performance at relatively low voltage).
If Tim, the owner of
VaporBeast, writes his own copy for product descriptions on-site, then he must have read some of our thread, because his blurb is well-informed about RY4:
This RY4 mix has just enough sweetness to take you to the promised land! The tobacco base is rounded off with vanilla and hints of caramel. It's got that sweet & sour appeal at times, but its interesting because of its' chameleon characteristics. You will likely discover different flavors bursting out at different voltages as well as on different devices. This will likely be one of the best RY4 variations you have ever experienced. Discover why we named this juice the "Holy Grail."
Naming this
Holy Grail RY4 implies one of two meanings, either specific or general. The specific meaning would be that this RY4 replicates the mythic lost Dekang RY4 from days of yore. If so, I cant comment, because I wasnt vaping then and never had any of the fabled Dekang. The more general meaning is that this juice is where the vapers quest ends for the best RY4 ever. On that one I can and will comment, since Ive vaped and reviewed more than 80 RY4s.
When I began vaping
Holy Grail RY4 for the first time as I started writing this review, my palate immediately picked up a flavor note that seemed odd to me. I think it's linked with the vanilla, but it might be the tobacco base, which I presume to be synthetic, since custom RY4s using natural tobacco extracts are usually defined as such. Anyway, that note took me aback. It wasn't terrible,
per se, but my palate threw up a red flag. Within minutes, however, the strangeness of that flavor had nearly normalized itself in my brain. It's still present, but not offensive to me.
I can taste the core components---tobacco, vanilla, and caramel---but they are well-blended rather than distinct. Tobacco is the solid base flavor here, with an up-front presence, augmented by the vanilla, plus (as the description states) a hint of caramel. Thats a recipe profile I like, rather than the inverted profile of many classic RY4s where caramel predominates with support from the tobacco and a touch of vanilla. The sweet-sour contrast is very subtle, and while the juice is definitely sweet, I'm not sure I'd class this as a dessert-type RY4. It is, however, richer than many RY4s---the vanilla especially---even without extra flavoring added.
How good is it? Is this truly the Holy Grail of RY4s, or is that just another exercise in marketing hyperbole? Well, I like it, but I don't regard it as the Holy Grail. I'd put VaporBeast RY4 a bit below my current favorites: RWVapors RY4, Vapor..... RY4, and CrystalELiquid RY4 Double Tobacco.
This a very boldly flavorful RY4. Taste is subjective, of course, and varies too wildly to guarantee that
everyone will like it, but I think most vapers who appreciate RY4 will enjoy this well-made juice. I guess that odd note from the vanilla could mar the experience for someone, but all the other elements are beautifully in place.
VaporBeast Holy Grail RY4 grade:
A- (Edit: I've been vaping this enjoyably for hours, so I bumped the grade from B+ to A-)
Link to purchase:
http://www.vaporbeast.com/Holy_Grail_RY4_Sweet_Tobacco_p/l4.htm
i didnt got the black licorice but it was overpowered by that taste of mouthwash/spearmint.
