Time off is for reflection. I reflect that I have waited way too long to try the vendor Naturally Extracted Tobacco, LLC. Having looked at their website and lusted after their NET juices for such a long time, I’m finally taking the plunge. At the moment, I’m saying, “vape gear be damned” and “hello, tasty new flavorings with which to create vapor liquids”. So, that is my reflection and here are some of my reflective choices; descriptions of which are copied and pasted from the NET site; jeez, they sound good!
Cigar:
Excalibur ~
Our first release utilizing an enhanced multi-step extraction process:
A triple-fermented, Cuban-seed Nicaraguan maduro wrapper (aged for nearly 2 years, including a hefty stint in a Bourbon barrel) encases a rich and well-aged blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers. A HIGHLY regarded full-flavored, but very well-balanced smoke that’s layered with notes of coffee, cocoa, sweet cedar, and earth. With our scaled up 3-step extraction process, these elements have transferred incredibly well into the extract…
Ruins ~
Cigars, I readily admit, are difficult to translate into a satisfactory flavor for vaping…most require moderate to long(ish) aging/maturing/“steep” times to achieve anything noteworthy. That being said, this is truly the most full-flavored and enjoyable cigar extracted eLiquid I have ever personally tasted, or created…for my palette at least, and this was immediately apparent upon first-taste within MINUTES of being mixed from FRESH extract. I attribute this largely due to the Habano Ecuador ligero leaf wrapper. Criollo, typically used for binder and filler, rather than the wrapper of a cigar, are typically rather intense and spicy, and like any of the cigar tobaccos, particularly so when grown in sun-rich locales or when taken from higher cuts or “primings.” Ligero is the highest, most sun-soaked leaf priming of the criollo plant, and has an aroma and flavor intensity even greater than a Sumatran-derived top-priming (i.e. see the description of our cigar: 7th Cut) grown in the same region.
The difference in wrappers between The Ruins and 7th Cut is obvious when one considers much of what is inside these different wrappers is nearly identical: Nicaraguan binders and fillers. The Ruins does, however, add another dimension inside as well, also lending the more prominent robust flavor profile: additional filler of Honduran grown Cuban-seed. The result: Toasted nut, dark and oily leather, earthy and dry oak wood notes abound!
7th Cut ~
A very rare Seventh Cut/priming Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with the added boldness and “spice” inherent in this more sun-exposed tobacco leaf encases a hearty Mexican Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Ometepe. This is one fine cigar that has been extracted; creating a somewhat dry and smokey spiced cigar flavor for those that prefer a quality, nuanced complexity. The eLiquid vapes somewhat differently than the cigar “smokes,” per reviews… it has a more subtle complexity, a familiar dry “bite” inherent to the aged dark tobaccos typical of premium cigars, and while the black pepper notes are apparent, they are not overwhelming. Leathery for sure, but more of an unsweetened tea-note rather than coffee/espresso some smokers describe. Regardless, “decadent” is spot-on as the mild sweetness one may detect on the exhale from this AJ cigar-extracted eLiquid, can be largely contributed to that 7th Cut Sumatra cape…
3 Crown ~
Our flagship cigar e-liquid, 3-Crown is a full-flavored yet smooth, medium-bodied tobacco vape made from a cigar using an aged Dominican tobacco filler wrapped in an Ecuadorian tobacco leaf.
Pipe:
Oak Cask ~
An Aromatic pipe blend of Bright Virginias, soft and creamy Black Cavendish, with a touch of Mexican Burley and topped with aged single-malt Scotch whiskey distilled in the Highlands of Scotland, imparting it’s characteristic “peaty and smokey” flavor to this rich and delightful vapor.
E=mc2 ~
Legend has it, House of Windsor Revelation was a favorite of Albert Einstein. While the original Revelation is no longer available, several blends have been created to approximate the flavor of the English pipe blend so loved by one of the worlds most renowned minds.
Rum Rebellion ~
This flavored pipe tobacco was recommended by one of our loyal customers and friends on ECF. Rum is infused with this pipe tobacco comprised of flue, air, and fire-cured leaves to create a boldly flavored vape. Let your vape-buds be the judge!
French Cigarette:
Gypsy Blonde ~
By the early 1980s, American-Style cigarette blends of mostly “lighter” (both in color and body) tobaccos, particularly Virginias, had become so prominent worldwide and obviously heavily influenced by their commercial success, both Gitanes and Gauloises released a “Blonde” version to keep pace with smoking trends. Hence our Gypsy Blonde which pays tribute to the evolution of even Euro-style cigarettes which have likewise began incorporating more of the smooth flavor of Virginia blends popularized in the Twentieth Century. Blonde crosses brands in maintaining some Oriental/Turkish tobaccos like a true Euro-cig, Latakia similar to Poilu, but more reservedly so, ample bright leaf Virginia, and a touch of the Gypsy line’s “mystery” funk found in her darker (and much older) sister.
Gypsy Brunes ~
Another homage to a historically relevant brand of French-style cigarettes were/are the Gitanes: which means “Gypsy Women.” Much like the original iteration(s) of Gauloises; the Bruneswas comprised of predominantly Oriental tobaccos. Rather than a light blend of aromatic wood/herb-smoked Latakia however, Gitanes Brunes instead relied upon a blend of orientals some of which were both sun-cured (traditional with Turkish varietals) and fired/smoked (but with non aromatic woods). These were then added to Flue-cured non-Virginia species as well; hence maintaining the traditional “darker” more robust flavor and “color(s)” of European cigarette tobaccos which can still be differentiated from classic American-style cigarette blends in existence today.
Certainly mysterious (and stereotypically nomadic) is the “Gypsy” culture, and given the documented flavor profile of the early Gitanes as having a somewhat sweet, almost sour “raisin-y” taste, true Perique tobacco may also be discernible in this custom N-E-T blend.
Poilu ~
An homage to the famed French cigarette of old; Poilu was fashioned after the original “darker” and more full-flavored tobaccos used in Gauloises circa early 1900s; until that is, when American-style cigarette tobacco and their reliance on predominantly Virginia varietals by and large altered the landscape of commercially-available cigarettes, even in Europe, by the mid-Twentieth century.
Heavier utilization of Oriental tobaccos of the varying locales associated with the Ottoman Empire (Syria, Cyprus, Greece), which include both the traditionally sun-cured Turkish varieties as well as the further processed post-curing which results in a Latakia “type” were prominent in Euro-cigs like Gauloises, especially in those early years leading up to and for several decades post-WWI.
Keep in mind that Poilu and the other French cig eLiquids created at N-E-T are modeled after cigarette tobaccos, as an English or Balkan pipe tobacco will have significantly heavier use of Latakia. But this does make for one much more full-bodied “analog” vape while still remaining smooth enough to not cross into Latakia-laden pipe blends.Poilu ~
An homage to the famed French cigarette of old; Poilu was fashioned after the original “darker” and more full-flavored tobaccos used in Gauloises circa early 1900s; until that is, when American-style cigarette tobacco and their reliance on predominantly Virginia varietals by and large altered the landscape of commercially-available cigarettes, even in Europe, by the mid-Twentieth century.
Heavier utilization of Oriental tobaccos of the varying locales associated with the Ottoman Empire (Syria, Cyprus, Greece), which include both the traditionally sun-cured Turkish varieties as well as the further processed post-curing which results in a Latakia “type” were prominent in Euro-cigs like Gauloises, especially in those early years leading up to and for several decades post-WWI.
Keep in mind that Poilu and the other French cig eLiquids created at N-E-T are modeled after cigarette tobaccos, as an English or Balkan pipe tobacco will have significantly heavier use of Latakia. But this does make for one much more full-bodied “analog” vape while still remaining smooth enough to not cross into Latakia-laden pipe blends.
III Castles ~
A special blend designed for our Alaskan friend “Shunji”, III Castles is a replication of a once popular RYO tin consisting (almost) entirely of Virginia varietals. This N-E-T creation uses a blend of two different Virginia extracts and just a touch of a traditional Burley to give it a little more mid-body depth.
Shunji’s Delight ~
Shunji’s III Castles turned Hybrid: Almond and Vanilla make this a smooth and creamy “low-impact” tobacco hybrid. When fresh, the light alcohol in the flavorings immediately speaks to Amaretto…after a few days of aging and evaporating off the remaining EtOH, a very creamy almond tobacco flavor takes over. The longer the aging, the more the tobacco extracts used will emerge…
Now available as a Light version, more subtle use of almond, and just a whisper of vanilla!
So, reflective no more; taking action and reviews will follow! Stay tuned.
took me FOREVER! (Didn’t have access to my iMac!) and my reviews are no where near as polished as those descriptions.
I’ve never bought a lotto ticket in my life…like they say, “you can’t win if you don’t play”. Still not gonna buy one.
“Overtime!”