A couple years ago I went into the local vape shop and asked for something that would taste the same as my marlboro reds. They thought they had just the thing and gave me a house juice.
I didn't taste like marlboros (or frankly tobacco) to me, but I didn't mind it. It got me off the real marlboros. I have tried a variety of flavors since then, but I can't stand the sweetness in most juices, especially since my senses of smell and taste have rebounded a little bit.
I've always fallen back to this fake marlboro flavor as my standard, partially because my wife thinks it has no smell, but the second I vape anything else she comments on it immediately.
I am a heavy vaper with a tight budget, so I started diluting it. I get a 50 ml bottle (24 mg nic) with a flavor boost and mix it with 100 premix of pg and vg together and I am a happy vaper.
Some time in the last few months, they changed it...it got a lot sweeter. I asked them and they said the supplier had changed something, but I could get the old stuff if I specified that is what I wanted. Now regardless of what I say I get the new stuff half the time and the good stuff half the time.
I am desperate to make it myself. I'm not good at describing this stuff but I am going to try.
- They mix it at 70/30 (that is 70 pg 30 vg). I maintain that ratio in my dilution.
- Even at full strength from the store, it is a mild flavor.
- It must me tobacco related because that is how they sell it, but it doesn't taste like perique or burley or any real pipe or cigar I have ever had.
- It is no sweetness or bitterness...it's neutral
- I don't detect any fruit, bakery or cereal flavors.
- The exhalation (exhaust?) is almost completely odorless.
- I wouldn't call it ashy or smokey
- I would call it dry. If I were naming it myself I would call Desert something (but not in reference to camel cigarettes).
Any thoughts on what I could use to get this, or alternatives with similar qualities?
Sorry if this isn't an appropriate topic or my description isn't clear enough. I would be grateful for any feedback.
Edit: I did some more research today and I'm a little more confident saying that I am looking for tobacco with very little sweetness and nut tones. Suggestions still welcome.
Definitely sounds like it would have been an RY flavour. Probably RY1 or 2 seeing as you said it isn't sweet at all.
It would probably be mixed with something. If it's a house juice why don't you ask them what the actual flavour profile is? It doesn't sound like they've ever actually told you what flavour it is aside from that it's tobacco based. Most RY mixes will say like "smooth ry4 flavour mixed with caramel" or chocolate, or bourbon, etc.
It is also entirely possible that they are just putting RY concentrate into a bottle with PG and VG and that's it.
I'll stop in and ask tomorrow. Staff is hit or miss there...I haven't seen the owner there for over a year and most of them are very young and transient.
I'm fairly certain it's not ry4 because they have a separate flavor called "SRY4" with this description: "S-RY4 is an amazing tobacco flavor with a hint of caramel and vanilla goodness; Produces great vapor and the perfect throat hit!"
The description for my favorite is: "This is similar to a very popular cigarette brand; and tastes very much like American Mix!" Note: When I started vaping this it was called "Red Marble". It was briefly renamed "American Mix" but seemed to have the same flavor. Now it is called "Classic Red". With the recent change, they told me to ask for "Old Classic Red".
RY1 or 2 are still strong possibilities.
FW has a number of tobaccos too, including American USA Blend
http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-e-liquid/browse-flavorings/tobacco-flavors/american-tobacco-usa-blend-by-flavor-west.html
And on their website, they list a bunch more as "FW-Branded". Maybe the 'Red Cowboy"?
I used to smoke marlboro reds and the flavor west red cowboy just makes me wanna throw up. And I know it's not just the flavor cause I still smoke reds when I'm drunk. It tastes nothing like marlboro reds. I guess it could just be me though, cause I can't really stand tobacco vapes, more of a creamy guy (woo milk mustard).
I'm willing to bet it's one of the TFA tobaccos, maybe "Western" or "M-Type" but who knows. You may want to go to Wizard Labs and buy a few of their 8ml samplers and see what you like (mix at your standard level, both 5% and 10% flavoring), but if you find one you like go to TFA directly and make a wholesale account and buy in bulk.
If the flavor is ok, and you just want to kill the sweetness, you could try some bitter wizard in one of the "new" ones.
That being said, there are many interpretations of "tobacco" - if it didn't taste like tobacco, then what does it taste like?
Try to detect vanilla, or chocolate, or coffee, caramel, celery or cinnamon or citrus. Is it bright or dull? What color is it? Put a drop on the back of your hand and rub it, what do you smell? Taste a drop (but only one, and have some water on hand).
Without more to go on, we can't do much for you - what it isn't just isn't going to get us there. :)
All that being said, a single mix of FA's Maxx Blend at 1.5% has satisfied a few Marlboro fans I know. I like it with a touch of Black Fire sometimes, when I'm feeling a bit tobacco-ey. Give it a nice long steep, but the flavor should be mostly there just after shaking.
Thanks for helping.
I tried bitter wizard (5 drops in 50 ml of my dilution) and the result was so bad that I ceased experimenting at that point.
My taste buds and sense of smell are not great (but improving) after 25+ years of smoking. I tried the tests you suggested and I can definitely rule out these flavors : Vanilla, Coffee, caramel,and cinnamon.
Less definite but still fairly confident that there is no choclate or celery flavor.
I'm not ruling out citrus. I wouldn't call it fruity or sweet. Maybe a light tanginess?
Straight from the store the color is on the brown side of golden brown. My dilution is more golden.
I should clarify that the tobacco part no longer matters to me at all. It was my initial frame of reference, but I don't like any other tobacco based juice I have tried. My favorite is unique in that it always seemed milder and lighter than the other tobaccos.
A little flavor goes a long way for me. The perfect flavor would be enough to neutralize the industrial sweetness of my pg/vg base with a tiny hint of something more. The something more's I prefer are adult flavors along the lines of coffee, tobacco (in theory), spiced rum, or whiskey. I just don't have a taste for candy, super sweet fruit, desserts or sugar cereals any more.
I'm open to any suggestions and grateful for all the feedback.
> I tried bitter wizard (5 drops in 50 ml of my dilution) and the result was so bad that I ceased experimenting at that point.
Oh, no. Don't go straight to doctoring a 50ml! I'm surprised Bitter Wizard was overpowering at a drop per 10ml, though. I'm actually more surprised you had Bitter Wizard on hand.
If you have mixing gear, then have you tried just an unflavored mix? That's what I start all my friends on. It's not what you've been buying, but it won't be offensive or bug your wife, I switch to unflavored a few times a week.
Your analysis is making this even tougher. None of the common base notes are in it, and now you report it isn't sweet? I thought sweet was the problem. :)
Sorry about my analysis...I have a hard time distinguishing flavors which was made worse by the fact that I was testing on my dilution and not the original bottle (I am an idiot).
Anyway I went to the shop today to get more information. They were very helpful but it turns out that they aren't allowed to divulge ingredients. They have a line of tobaccos, and they distinguish my favorite by saying it is the least sweet.
Then I did some smelling (they don't have vape samples). When I got to butter pecan I noticed some overlap with my favorite (not the butter part). Hazelnut too.
So I can now say that has nutty tones, and it has very little sweetness.
I also found another house juice that seemed decent that was bourbon and almond.
This helped clarify things for me. The nuttiness was what I was struggling to identify.
TFA Cowboy Blend/Western Blend- they changed names on it and I forget which is current- Tons of vape shops hawk this stuff with their house juice line. M type is also pretty similar. If the shop uses Flavor west, I would try Virginia fire cured(slightly sweet), or maybe 555. Most RY4 flavors have distinct caramel or vanilla flavors
I would say based off your description, its probably TFA red type. I work at a B&M and we call ours classic tobacco, and its the most popular tobacco flavor for beginners. TFA's western blend and RY4 have a sweetness to them. TFA red type is just a really neautral tobacco, and has a slight tangy earthy feel on the back end.
Unfortunately finding and even explaining your wanted tobacco flavor is a nightmare , most people look for years and it's just hit or miss .
Naturally extracted tobacco's "NETS" are what most seem to favor when looking for an authentic tobacco flavor in e cig juice.
Ecig Xpress has very valuable feedback from users who have tried a lot of tobacco flavors so that should give you an idea what might be up your ally.
Just go to their website and click on "tobacco's" , it will show whats available from all the flavoring companies.
Good luck