First let me start off by saying two things; tobacco flavored ejuice super-duper freaks meowt. My previous experience with it was in 2012, when I was using a cig-a-like with refillable liquid cartomizers, and I bought all my juices from the same incredible vendor, one that had, up until this point, rolled out nothing but hits for me.
I was about 6 months quit, and starting to itch for an analog, because cig-a-like, so I thought the solution was to maybe stray from my preferred coffee, cream and floral vapes and dip a toe in the tobacco waters. Elvis Fucking Christ, what a colossal mistake that turned out to be.
For those who have never had the pleasure, allow me to describe what tobacco ejuice was like back then. Fish all the butts out of a dangerously full, dirty ashtray, but leave the ash and fragments of half-charred tobacco shag. Sprinkle liberally with a lot of barbershop talc and deglaze with some cold, long-forgotten Earl Grey tea, ideally with milk, that's formed a nice scum on top. Add a dash of cheap perfume you bought from a guy selling “Paris Fragrance” and incense off a blanket outside Downtown Crossing station. Whisk until frothy, then strain through the discarded stocking of a hooker that died of Guinness World Book Records-worthy athlete's foot. Drip into crappy (But clean! Though it won't be after this!) plastic carto with silica wicks and vape at 4.2 watts because you don't know no bettah'. Keep a bucket handy.
Side note: my neighbor's toddler is having a straight-up meltdown in our shared driveway right now, and I swear, it is my fault. I mean, that sissy bitch has a couple meltdowns every day, usually way earlier than this, but, my recollection of how awful tobacco ejuice is seems so potent that I feel like there is a sickly, gray-green miasma emanating from my house and overtaking the 'hood like a poisoned fog. Wow, I've got earbuds in, and he is straight up bleeding through those and my closed windows. Get it the fuck together, Colton! Preschool in Boston is not going to be kind to your pansy ass.
Anyway, the other thing I wanted to say was, sorry, /u/ID10-T! I know you were hoping for a real disaster of a review, where I just acted out vigorous vomiting in onomatopoeia form, but, this flavor is a surprise to us both!
My Build/Wattage: 7 wraps, Kanthal, 26 guage, at 2.0mm, 20-25 watts on an RTA, Japanese organic cotton wicking.
What It Smells Like In The Bottle: Smoky soy sauce with a touch of burned black coffee and mahogany, which made me totally tumescent.
Percentage & Steep Time: 3% in a 70/30 VG/PG Mix.1 Month to the day, which I could hardly wait for.
Throat Hit: Like a 4.5 out of 10. It starts out bold, but seems to smooth out pretty quickly.
What I Look Forward To Trying To Mix It With: INW Wera Garden Coffee, which was one of my first flavor buys, so, yeah, mistake, and it has always tasted like burnt hair when I tried to mix it with any creams, but this might finally be the place for it! Also; FA Black Fire, FA Clove, FA Honey, TFA Brown Sugar and FW Hazelnut.
What You Should Avoid Mixing It With: Honestly, I'm having a hard time with this, and that's likely due to my lack of experience mixing with tobacco flavors. I want to say almost every fruit, but, maybe apple might be nice? Or a cherry, fig or plum? Anything bright would be bad. Try it solo first. You'll see what I mean .
But Runt, How Does It Vape?: Honestly, like a dream. I'm so glad I found this before fall/winter. I can see myself leaning on this a lot. It's leathery, but not in a motorcycle jacket way. It's smoky, but not in a bonfire way. It's sweet, but not in a RY4 way. Dig if you will a picture: It's like a touch of black honey on the very tip of your tongue on the inhale, and then you exhale pure antique books and rich Corinthian leather as you reach for your peaty, smoky, single malt, which is sitting on an intricately carved Indian rosewood end table.
It's not quite a pipe tobacco, I don't think, though it could easily be shaped into that. This is a really classic, idealized tobacco flavor, like “2012 Me” was hoping for. It's much more savory than a RY4, which limits your mix-ins, but opens up a wealth of disused flavors that you might have given up on. If you want to vape like a Sir, give it a shot solo. This might be your jam.
What To Pair It With: Drinks-wise: anything single-malt, whiskey & bourbon, too! A nice stout. Or, an Old Fashioned with a touch of extra orange zest. Coffee. Black Tea. Food-wise? Try it after BBQ or Indian. A good beef stew, or maybe a steak & ale pie. A starchy mid-western casserole? This will go well with winter comfort food for sure!
TL;DR: mix this up at 3% 70/30 VG/PG at the nic level of choice for all those old schoolers that “don't want no fruity flavors” to quit with. Try it that way for a fall/wintry change for yourself, then dream of all the tasty shit you can work into it, then POST THOSE RECIPES! Share your creations with this flavor, because, my palate is ready!
EDIT: Here's a link to /u/T_Mace's more current review of this flavor, which beautifully illustrates the benefit of multiple flavor reviews, and the subjective nature of taste. https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/59s8p4/connecticut_shade_flavorah/?context=10
Super stoked for this review. My next FLV order is almost all tobacco as I love a good, hearty tobacco vape with a strong drink in the fall and winter months. You most definitely sold me on this one.
Check out some of HS tobacco's if you haven't yet, they are pretty amazing.
I believe it! HS French Vanilla Ice Cream is incredible.
Really really looking forward to trying some HS & INW tobaccos now that the fear is gone.
Some can be a bit of a pain to work with, and the steep is a bitch, but if you nail one then it's great.
Here is a recipe using INW cavendish and vanilla for pipe, it's on the sweet side for sure but has a really smooth tobacco finish. Not on ADV but great with a night cap.
https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/10721#campfire_tobacco_by_trevorxgage
Excellent, excellent review. This flavor is so enjoyable. I'd say this hits the mark for tobacco lovers as well as non-tobacco-lovers. It has the perfect amount of sweetness and savoriness to please both palates. I have it standalone at 1, 2, and 3% going on 2 weeks now. Personally so far, I'm enjoying the 2% most, but your review has me eager to give it a solid month to allow them to reach their maximum potential. My palate is picking up mostly coffee notes with subtle chocolate/mocha undertones. But definitely not the usual burnt coffee flavor we all associate with coffee vapes; it's much more smooth and savory. I also get those leathery nuances that cones with tobaccos. As much as I'm enjoying it standalone, I'm looking forward to mixing it with other flavors. My instinct tells me to mix it with coffees or chocolates, but I'm gonna brainstorm a bit after reading this. Fig sounds amazing.
I don't really get "pipe tobacco" either. More in the cigar direction. But I'm no tobacco expert, just an enthusiast. This may even work at a very low % in dessert vapes; like you said, nuts, creams, etc. I'll report back when I get around to mixing it further.
Thank you for the review! You got me more excited to play with this sucker.
Excellent review. If this isn't a buck a mL, I might have to order it.
IMO, FA Torrone works wonders for toning down tobaccos into something more preferable. 1% with a strong tobacco is pretty tame, 2% is actually nice, 3% if you have big cajones. I haven't bothered going beyond that, because honestly 3% is enough for me in a mix or standalone for that matter. It really seems to compliment dark flavors such as tobaccos.
Granted I've recently only started diving into tobaccos, and I don't have a plethora of them to compare to each other, but Torrone is definitely friendly at a higher % than most traditional recipes call for. TFA Kentucky Bourbon, FA Almond, FA Oakwood, FA Marzipan, FA Bilberry are all as nice pairings as well. I haven't tried everything, but these I have had good luck with. I plan on venturing out from there, so keep an eye out. After some of my mixes steep a little more, I plan on sharing the recipes here and on ATF.
EDIT: Due to it's rather almost boozy nature, FLV Butterscotch is a nice pairing as well if you want to go that route. It isn't exactly creamy like other butterscotch concentrates, so it doesn't seem to mute out savory flavors that provide a bit of a throat hit.
You had me at smokey soy sauce! lol.
I'm not really into tobacco vapes but this review was very nicely written and entertaining to read. You might have convinced me to give this a try.
Awesome job!
Nice review dude. I'm just starting to mix with Connecticut. Hazelnut would be dope, if you have FLV Pistachio it could be nice and or CAP Toasted Almond
Thanks! I don't have FLV Pistacio, sadly, but I do have CAP Toasted Almond, and I can't believe I didn't think of that or FA Torrone. I'm weirdly hesitant to sweeten this up too much, though, so definitely one or the other, most likely CAP Toasted Almond.
I'm also kind of obsessed with trying a mix with FA Black Fire + FA Clove to ressurect a nice late-80's goth cabaret vibe.
I agree about not sweetening Connecticut. That's why my first choice would be FLV Pistachio. It's a dry nut flavor, I don't find it sweet at all really. Hazelnut would be a great pairing as you originally mentioned. The CAP Toasted Almond might work, might not. I'm curios though and will give it a shot.
I could not do clove as it doesn't agree with me but Black Fire is in my collection and I should make more use of it.
I'm as happy as can be for another great read and the fact that you found something you enjoy. I'll get my schadenfreude somewhere else.
Wow what an in-depth review! Both the backstory and flavor profile haha =) I totally hear you with tobaccos, which is why I think I get so blown away when I taste a good tobacco. Even the best tobaccos back then were like a shoe, but the better ones were like a good shoe. I'm always intrigued by good tobaccos so I may have to check this one out, especially since we're drawing in on that time of year.
I should be thanking you! It was your reviews for INW Black for Pipe and INW Black Cherry for Pipe that drew me out of my little box of trauma where tobacco flavors were concerned.
Those two are still sitting on my wish list, but, I'm pulling the trigger this week, or whenever BCV comes back online, so I can finally mix up [The Norseman] (https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/7816#the_norseman_by_cheebasteeba)
OH! And I'm getting INW Cherimoya so I can finally make your Cherimoya Rabri, too!