The Really Big RY4 Roundup (long)

[billherbst]

Got some Janty Elixir RY4 in today. It is a very well blended juice. The caramel flavor is right and tastes great. The tobacco can be a little bit chinese-y(chinese tobacco), but it doesn't take anything away from the juice and is barely noticeable. Janty is definitely the standard for RY4. I'm interested in how different this is from the Janty DK version and if it's even noticeable. The hunt continues for me though...Tribeca is still my favorite, but I think i will eventually find one I like more that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to buy.

Sero,

To me, these three best-known Janty RY4s---DK Series, Classic, and Elixir---share a clear and obvious family resemblance. There are, however, discernible taste differences between them. I've written about these three RY4s in previous posts, but here's today's comparison:

Janty RY4 (DK Series) is the oldest brother, with the calmest and most restrained flavors, but also the most "mature" or "adult" overall taste. The flavor is slightly darker and more business-like. RY4 DK has a veiled sourness with a slightly citrus tone that highlights the sweetness. The balance is extraordinary, with the individual flavor components merged into a single, unified overall flavor experience, more than in either of its brothers, which are relatively unified, but allow individual flavors to shine through.

Janty RY4 (Elixir Series) is the youngest sibling and changes the mix, bringing a bolder caramel to the front. All the flavors are kicked up a bit, but the caramel more than the vanilla and tobacco. That’s what makes Elixir what it is---all the flavors are slightly intensified, which makes each component more recognizable. It still has a unified core, but the individual flavors spill over onto the palate. Elixir also adds a more obvious sweet-sour counterbalance (with the sourness being more neutral). This counterbalancing of sweet and sour is present but masked in the DK version, where the sourness poses as a lemon-y citrus element. In terms of overall flavor, Elixir RY4 stands out as the richest of the three.

Janty RY4 (Classic Series) is the middle brother, sandwiched between the other two versions, DK and Elixir. RY4 Classic retains more of the DK citrus-y feel, rather than the straighter sour-sweet of Elixir. It has more flavor than its older brother, RY4 DK, but less than it's richer younger brother, Elixir. Unlike the middle child in family systems archetypes, however, Classic is the brightest of the three, offering the most high-end sparkle.

What distinguishes these RY4s from the vast majority of other vendors’ RY4s and gives them their family resemblance is the brightness, the balance of flavors, and the sour/citrus counterbalancing of the natural sweetness. For eliquids made entirely with synthetic flavorings, these juices are almost miraculously natural-tasting. All three are superlative RY4s.

 

[Sero]

Thanks for the comparison bill, I agree about the elixir. I added some VG to it, and it is great! I will definitely have to try the other two at some point. I have some JY4 coming in tomorrow from roarvapors, so i will post my impressions on that as well.

 

[billherbst]

Tonight I re-sampled my DIY Skydancer RY4, made with my home-brewed Skydancer NET, after four days of steeping. That's not long enough, of course, but that's OK. I was pleasantly surprised.

Skydancer RY4 is in roughly the same ballpark as all three of the recent retail NETs---MOV Full Virginia Flake RY4, MyVapeJuice Rogue RY4, and QuickNic ouR whY Qu4tro. Each is different in how the tobacco component tastes, which is to be expected, given that the tobaccos used to create the extracts were different in each case, but all four are basic RY4 recipes---just tobacco, caramel, and vanilla. They're all definitely Custom RY4s, since the three flavoring components come through as more separate flavors than the blended unity of Classic RY4s. In addition, the tobaccos in all four of the NET RY4s are stronger and more distinctive (which is to say, more idiosyncratic) than the milder and more neutral synthetic tobacco flavorings that characterize the Classic flavor profile.

Frankly, I'm very surprised that my amateur NET DIY effort compares as favorably as it does to the three retail NET RY4s. I'm not sure if that means that the retail NET RY4s aren't as good as I thought or if my own DIY NET RY4 is better than expected. Probably some of both.

 

[passerbyeus]

Like WE expected anything less.....

Tonight I re-sampled my DIY Skydancer RY4, made with my home-brewed Skydancer NET, after four days of steeping. That's not long enough, of course, but that's OK. I was pleasantly surprised.

Skydancer RY4 is in roughly the same ballpark as all three of the recent retail NETs---MOV Full Virginia Flake RY4, MyVapeJuice Rogue RY4, and QuickNic ouR whY Qu4tro. Each is different in how the tobacco component tastes, which is to be expected, given that the tobaccos used to create the extracts were different in each case, but all four are basic RY4 recipes---just tobacco, caramel, and vanilla. They're all definitely Custom RY4s, since the three flavoring components come through as more separate flavors than the blended unity of Classic RY4s. In addition, the tobaccos in all four of the NET RY4s are stronger and more distinctive (which is to say, more idiosyncratic) than the milder and more neutral synthetic tobacco flavorings that characterize the Classic flavor profile.

Frankly, I'm very surprised that my amateur NET DIY effort compares as favorably as it does to the three retail NET RY4s. I'm not sure if that means that the retail NET RY4s aren't as good as I thought or if my own DIY NET RY4 is better than expected. Probably some of both.

 

[thehangdude]

Frankly, I'm very surprised that my amateur NET DIY effort compares as favorably as it does to the three retail NET RY4s. I'm not sure if that means that the retail NET RY4s aren't as good as I thought or if my own DIY NET RY4 is better than expected. Probably some of both.

I play guitar (for fun, not profit). Sometimes as I am messing around, a riff or chord progression will turn into me writing a song. I think my songs are pretty good. I then compare them to an artist and might say, "It is kind of like that John Cougar song. In fact it is at least as good as ..."

But you never know how good your chili is until you enter it into a chili cook-off.

So myself and the other twenty-some-odd reviewers here will be waiting for our samples of Skydancer RY4.

 

[passerbyeus]

I am looking for a RY4 with a nice peppery taste to it, not earthy, with all the RY4s I have tried I cant recall any like that, even if itds not a RY4 would be fine, now I have had some tobacco vapes like that many many bottles ago I just cant recall what it was from.

 

[thehangdude]

I am looking for a RY4 with a nice peppery taste to it, not earthy, with all the RY4s I have tried I cant recall any like that, even if itds not a RY4 would be fine, now I have had some tobacco vapes like that many many bottles ago I just cant recall what it was from.

The main one I remember is Love From Above from Prime Vaping. Some people taste a pepper flavor in Casablanca (Backwoods Brew) and Harbor Nite (Nite Lite Vapor). I just taste the nutty tobacco from them.

I can't think of a peppery RY4, but that might be interesting.

 

[billherbst]

...you never know how good your chili is until you enter it into a chili cook-off. So myself and the other twenty-some-odd reviewers here will be waiting for our samples of Skydancer RY4.

dude,

To my way of thinking, this is less like a chili cook-off and more like pizza. There's thin crust and deep dish, and someone who was raised on one type and loves it may not like the other.

I probably will send out some samples eventually (have to make up a big batch of Skydancer RY4 first, and I'm still playing around with the recipe ingredients (Lorann Naturals Creamy Caramel or w2v Caramel #2? Capellas French Vanilla or TFA Bavarian Cream? just to offer two out of hundreds of examples) and mix percentages---how much of each component to use?

What I'm noticing so far is that most of the NET RY4s share a family resemblance. Today I compared Skydancer RY4 V2 against VapeRite VR4, and they're much more similar than different, but neither tastes remotely like a Classic RY4.

To get a fair day in court, it'd be nice if the people to whom I send out samples of Skydancer RY4 have at least some experience with NET juices in general and NET-based RY4s in particular. If I get my act together enough to actually mail 5ml bottles, I'll probably send them to all the usual suspects on the thread, whether or not they're NET savvy. I'm just saying that chances are better of favorable reactions if the tester's palate is already acclimated to NETs.

 

[passerbyeus]

Casablanca was the one I do recall my very first time of trying it but the second and third time I could never tatse that again, I never got it from Love From Above, and as of Harbor I have not really like any of the tobaccos they have so I will not even go there unless I know for a fact.

The main one I remember is Love From Above from Prime Vaping. Some people taste a pepper flavor in Casablanca (Backwoods Brew) and Harbor Nite (Nite Lite Vapor). I just taste the nutty tobacco from them.

I can't think of a peppery RY4, but that might be interesting.

 

[billherbst]

Wyatt Earp Tobacco from FreedomSmokeUSA. Peppery as all get-out.

 

[passerbyeus]

Thats right I have had that one also, I would like that one for that, but the liquorice is to much for me, I ordered DIY Classic Tobacco from Totally Wicked to give it a try.

Wyatt Earp Tobacco from FreedomSmokeUSA. Peppery as all get-out.

 

[Roxxette]

I had the pleasure of vaping 3 Bill diy, 2 were disgusting (imo) and the other was fantastic with strong taste on the vanilla i loved it, sad the 3ml bottle went so fast.

If you ever consider bussines Bill, i will be in line with my wallet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[billherbst]

I had the pleasure of vaping 3 Bill diy, 2 were disgusting (imo) and the other was fantastic with strong taste on the vanilla i loved it, sad the 3ml bottle went so fast. If you ever consider bussines Bill, i will be in line with my wallet.

I.gonz,

Two disgusting and one fantastic doesn't surprise me, although I can't remember our exchange and what I sent you. If they were DIY RY4s, I made lots of dreadful ones during my early DIY/Frankenjuicing days.

That ratio is in the ballpark of all the juice I've ever vaped---retail, diy, my own creation or others'. The scale I would use has more categories than just disgusting and fantastic, of course. Less than 2/3 of all the juices I've vaped have been disgusting, but far less than 1/3 have been fantastic. I'd put the fantastic juices I've had or made at about 10%, with the wretched juices settling in at the bottom 20%. The whole range might look something like this:

10% fantastic
5% brilliant-but-not-for-me
5% really good
10% pretty good
10% OK
20% so-so
20% poor
20% disgusting
​

Odds of my ever trying to convert my vaping hobby/avocation/obsession into an income-producing business are very slim. I guess I can't rule it out completely, since we don't know what the future will bring, but I'd be very surprised if it happened. I already have a career that I've pursued for 40 years, and though it isn't particularly lucrative, I like it and intend to keep doing it for as long as I can.

 

[passerbyeus]

passerbyeus top 4 RY4s

Totally Wicked PR RY4
Janty DK RY4
Rocky Top Vapor RY4
DIY Want2Vape RY4 (maks me cough and kills me heads but good stuff)

 

[osmo]

Ok, so I have read this forum thread a lot on trying different RY4s and have traded with posters in this thread to try different ones also. So here is a few reviews by me.

To start I have left these to steep for close to a month and used one of my Z-max v3 telescopic with a Kanger T2 in addition to using a Provari with a Smoktech DCT with both 2.0 and 3.0 cartos and here are the results based off all three. Also all flavors ordered with the standard flavoring though some do offer extra flavoring.

Quantum RY4 - New company to me and tried it due to a 50% off sale they were having. If you love an almost all tobacco flavor RY4 then you may like this one, as I had a really hard time tasting any of the other flavors. The throat hit was smooth and it produced plenty of vapor for me, it was purely the flavor that turned me off. Appearance wise this liquid is a darker RY4, I would say a brownish golden color. I am one that like an even mix of the flavors or one a little heavier on the caramel so this one definitely did not do it for me and unless it gets dramatically better with additional steeping will not be getting a reorder.
My Grade: D

PrimeVaping PV4 - Very reliable company thus far for me. The PV4 is an excellent RY4, but not really your traditional RY4. It is definitely on the sweeter side and light on the tobacco side, also occasionally give a harsher throat hit, but all in all is one for my all day vape stash. Vapor production was good and the taste is a good twist of RY4 but the occasional harsh throat hit may turn some vapors off. This liquid's appearance is very similar to quantum's RY4 though I would have to say a little darker, but that is pretty much where the similarities end. Also they have a nice 15% off coupon they sent me when I inquired on sizes larger than 30ml.
My Grade: B+

SmokeLess Image RY4 - Slow shipping from this company from time to time, but their customer service is very good and makes up for it. This RY4 is more a traditional RY4 imho. It has a very well blended flavor, excellent vapor and a very smooth throat hit. The longer it steps the more the caramel comes out in it. Occasionally when you first order this the flavor can be quite muted, but if you let it steep for a week or two the flavor comes out quite nicely. The appearance of this liquid is almost completely clear when I received it, though I did notice that in some devices it would start to get more of a yellowish color the longer it was in it, though this did not affect the flavor one bit. This is one that I always keep on hand!
My Grade: A

Mister-E-Liquid RY4 - Established company with good customer service and fast shipping. This is another custom RY4 that is very nice, but no where near a traditional RY4 at all in my opinion. Some might describe it as nutty flavor, for me it really has a Nutella like flavor on exhale and is very subtle on the tobacco flavor. There is a hint of vanilla and carmel also but this is clearly over powdered by the nutty/Nutella flavor. Produces good vapor and is very constant in the flavor. Color on this liquid is clear with a slight gold tint to it. If you like the more traditional RY4s you may not like this take on it, personally I have it as a occasional vape to change things up.
My Grade: B

VaporBeast Holy Grail RY4 - Fist off, this is definitely NOT my Holy Grail RY4 and is definitely a custom RY4. It's flavor kicks you in the face and only gets stronger the longer it steeps. The flavoring is so overwhelming that it is hard to distinguish the different flavors (which in this case was not a good thing). This actually made me nauseous the longer I vaped it and I had to stop. This is the first and only e-liquid that has had this affect on me. If you like really strong flavored e-liquid then you will probably like this one, otherwise I doubt it. Tint on this is a dark amber color.
My Grade: D- (very close to getting an F)

Hangsen RY4 - This is a more traditional RY4 with evenly blended flavors that does not over power, only issue is that there can be quite a perfume flavor to it. The longer this liquid steeps the less the perfume flavor is there and you get a good chance to taste the other flavors which are quite nice, but there is always a trace of the perfume flavor. Vapor production is just a tad bit light and the throat hit can be a slightly harsh for those who don't like perfumy flavors.This one I use as an occasional vape and would be on my list for daily if it wasn't so perfumy. The color on this one is clear and have not seen any change to the color over time no matter what device I use.
My Grade: C

VaporGod Ry4 - I tried this one as I got a free sample with other things I ordered. This one is strong on tobacco like quantum with very little else and a rough after taste that made me not even try to trade it but instead just dumped it. Vapor production was ok along with a not overly harsh throat hit but the flavor was so bad I thought I had gotten some bad tobacco flavor. The color was an amber color. I will definitely not ever order this one, I hate to be so harsh and while I would buy their Banana Cream again I would quit vaping before buying this RY4.
My Grade: F

Rocky Top Vapor Ruyan 4 (RY4) - This is one of the few RY4's that has a distinguished tobacco flavor that I really enjoyed and is another custom RY4 albeit one of the better. While it did have a strong tobacco base you could still taste the other flavors, especially the carmel. It does have a little kick to it and occasionally the throat hits can be on the heavier side, but not overly so. Vapor production is nice also. Color wise it is more of a light amber color, though may darken as it steeps. To me the longer I vaped it the more I enjoyed it, if I ordered it again it may just very well make it into the must keep in stash.
My Grade: B+

HealthCabin DeKang RY4 - I guess this would fall under a more traditional flavor but borders it. The tobacco, vanilla and carmel is a nice blend, but on exhale I get a serious taste of peanut butter. This is almost a deal killer for me as I don't think it compliments the other flavors at all. The longer it steeps the more that peanut butter flavor comes out and not in a good way. The only way I can vape this regularly is to not let it steep to long. The vapor and throat hit are both nice and the color is clear with this e-juice. Would I order it again, well I have as it can be a change when tired of everything else and the price from HealthCabin can be quite nice but it will not be a daily vape for me nor a must have in stash.
My Grade: C-

All of the above are my personal opinion and taste is subjective to the person. I do have others that I will review later as they have a chance to steep and will post them in the future.

Also bill you have done an awesome job here and really glad that you have taken the time to do so. Hopefully I will get a chance to try everyone of the ones on your list that are still being produced, and have actually gotten to try one of the discontinued ones.

 

[billherbst]

osmo,

I'm always pleased when RY4 reviews show up on the thread by posters other than me, especially when the reviews are both thoughtful and bold. Takes the monkey off my back, you know?

My one comment is that I don't taste any peanut in my particular Dekang RY4 (also purchased from HealthCabin). I just vaped some to double check. My 50ml bottle is going on two years old, however, so perhaps the Dekang RY4 you're vaping has an altered recipe or different flavoring ingredients than mine. One can find posts on ECF going back for years that say, "The new bottle of Dekang XYZ juice I just bought doesn't taste like the juice from my old bottle of Dekang XYZ. What gives?" That doesn't prove anything, of course, but it does seem that certain Dekang synthetic tobacco blends are, if not infamous, at least slightly notorious for the vague presence of what Dr. V. has called "mystery nut flavor."

If we were all in the same room together sampling the same juice, at least we could differentiate the general bell-curve group consensus about how that juice tastes from the occasional odd reaction of a particular vaper's palate and neural flavor associations. But alas, we're all over the map (literally), vaping juices that may or may not be the same, despite the same name printed on the bottle labels.

Anyway, please feel free to post more RY4 reviews---the more the merrier.

 

[Randy C]

Sero,

To me, these three best-known Janty RY4s---DK Series, Classic, and Elixir---share a clear and obvious family resemblance. There are, however, discernible taste differences between them. I've written about these three RY4s in previous posts, but here's today's comparison:

Janty RY4 (DK Series) is the oldest brother, with the calmest and most restrained flavors, but also the most "mature" or "adult" overall taste. The flavor is slightly darker and more business-like. RY4 DK has a veiled sourness with a slightly citrus tone that highlights the sweetness. The balance is extraordinary, with the individual flavor components merged into a single, unified overall flavor experience, more than in either of its brothers, which are relatively unified, but allow individual flavors to shine through.

Janty RY4 (Elixir Series) is the youngest sibling and changes the mix, bringing a bolder caramel to the front. All the flavors are kicked up a bit, but the caramel more than the vanilla and tobacco. That’s what makes Elixir what it is---all the flavors are slightly intensified, which makes each component more recognizable. It still has a unified core, but the individual flavors spill over onto the palate. Elixir also adds a more obvious sweet-sour counterbalance (with the sourness being more neutral). This counterbalancing of sweet and sour is present but masked in the DK version, where the sourness poses as a lemon-y citrus element. In terms of overall flavor, Elixir RY4 stands out as the richest of the three.

Janty RY4 (Classic Series) is the middle brother, sandwiched between the other two versions, DK and Elixir. RY4 Classic retains more of the DK citrus-y feel, rather than the straighter sour-sweet of Elixir. It has more flavor than its older brother, RY4 DK, but less than it's richer younger brother, Elixir. Unlike the middle child in family systems archetypes, however, Classic is the brightest of the three, offering the most high-end sparkle.

What distinguishes these RY4s from the vast majority of other vendors’ RY4s and gives them their family resemblance is the brightness, the balance of flavors, and the sour/citrus counterbalancing of the natural sweetness. For eliquids made entirely with synthetic flavorings, these juices are almost miraculously natural-tasting. All three are superlative RY4s.

Have you ever tried Highbrow RY4? Highbrow uses a non-descriptive of citrus to balance out the flavors... It's not over the top or sour.. I was wondering if Janity tastes similar

 

[billherbst]

Have you ever tried Highbrow RY4? Highbrow uses a non-descriptive of citrus to balance out the flavors... It's not over the top or sour.. I was wondering if Janity tastes similar

Highbrow RY4 has been on The Big RY4 List for a long time, since January 2012 (see my signature below for a link to the most recent update). My initial review was very favorable, but the juice lost luster for me over time, in part because it contains cocoa (actually, a proprietary extract from home-made cocoa-based liqueur). I'm not a fan of chocolate/cocoa in RY4s, since I don't feel that it's a particularly good fit with the Holy Trinity (tobacco, caramel, and vanilla). There are just certain flavors that I'm biased against in RY4s, even Custom RY4s, and chocolate and cocoa are on that list. As a result, Highbrow RY4's current grade in the most recent RY4 Report Card is only a B-, but I'm raising it back to a B in the next update.

Highbrow RY4 does bear some similarity to Janty RY4 DK, but both Janty Classic and Elixir are much more sour.

This is not to suggest that you shouldn't love Highbrow RY4. I consider Highbrow a very classy juice vendor. Bryan makes some superlative juices---I adore Limoncello, Orange de Sangre, Cheesecake Torte, and Cappuccino Diablo. I'm just not as thrilled with Highbrow's tobaccos.

 

[osmo]

osmo,

I'm always pleased when RY4 reviews show up on the thread by posters other than me, especially when the reviews are both thoughtful and bold. Takes the monkey off my back, you know?

My one comment is that I don't taste any peanut in my particular Dekang RY4 (also purchased from HealthCabin). I just vaped some to double check. My 50ml bottle is going on two years old, however, so perhaps the Dekang RY4 you're vaping has an altered recipe or different flavoring ingredients than mine. One can find posts on ECF going back for years that say, "The new bottle of Dekang XYZ juice I just bought doesn't taste like the juice from my old bottle of Dekang XYZ. What gives?" That doesn't prove anything, of course, but it does seem that certain Dekang synthetic tobacco blends are, if not infamous, at least slightly notorious for the vague presence of what Dr. V. has called "mystery nut flavor."

If we were all in the same room together sampling the same juice, at least we could differentiate the general bell-curve group consensus about how that juice tastes from the occasional odd reaction of a particular vaper's palate and neural flavor associations. But alas, we're all over the map (literally), vaping juices that may or may not be the same, despite the same name printed on the bottle labels.

Anyway, please feel free to post more RY4 reviews---the more the merrier.

Bill,
I will happily post more RY4 reviews as I get to try them. Also, if you wish I can send you some of the Dekang RY4 that I have here so that you may get a chance to taste the "version" I got. I will say mine is definitely newer then 2 years old, so it is possible that they changed it, but may have just been a victim of the "mystery nut flavor".

 

[RPadTV]

Question for the RY4 historians out there: Are there people in the vaping business that dispute Janty's/Ludo's involvement in creating the original RY4?