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Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by Team Spinfuel
BLACK NOTE E-LIQUID REVIEW #5
A Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review
In our exploration of Black Note’s tobacco line, it’s clear that this brand is a masterful blend of two distinct worlds. As Ethan Parsa, the marketing director, aptly puts it, “The journey of Black Note’s e-liquid begins in Italy, where farming, extraction, and filtration follow the EU’s rigorous standards.
The final step, bottling and packaging, is meticulously done in the United States.” This cross-continental craftsmanship brings an unparalleled depth and complexity to their e-liquids that we’ve come to deeply appreciate.
The variety in curing processes used to extract nicotine from natural tobacco leaves is what sets Black Note apart. Each blend offers a unique depth of flavor, a testament to their dedication to quality.
While these blends are typically recommended for higher ohm coils and tanks like the Aspire Nautilus or rebuildables like the Kayfun, we found they perform exceptionally well in sub-ohm setups too.
Personally, I tried one in a Kanger Sub Tank Mini with a 1.2 ohm coil and was impressed by the nuanced flavors.
Our team, albeit one member short this review period, is unanimous in our belief: Black Note has a blend for every palate and every moment. Whether you’re seeking a robust, full-bodied tobacco experience or something more subtle and aromatic, there’s a time and place for each of Black Note’s offerings in your vaping journey. They’re not just special; they’re a class apart in the world of tobacco e-liquids.
Black Note Flavors:
Virginia Tobacco (Prelude)
Cavendish Tobacco (Sonata)
Menthol Tobacco (Solo)
Spinfuel Protocols:
If this is the first time you are reading a Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review, we suggest that you take a look at the new protocols we’ve set up for each of the reviews we will do moving forward. You’ll need to know how long we vape the eliquid, in what manner, what we look for, and how an eliquid may earn a coveted Spinfuel Choice Award.
In addition, in order to understand the scores and our comments about each one, knowing the intricacies of our methods will give you a greater understanding of the process. Click here.
Black Note Particulars:
Black Note Vapor Liquid comes in 30ml clear glass bottles with glass child proof droppers. They retail for $29/30ml which is the most expensive I have seen an eliquid. This is a $.97/ml price, but these blends are also the best line we have probably tasted as a team considering the marks they scored.
I am sure the different curing process and farming over seas is an expense and the flavor to me is an expense I would make from time to time. There is also a Notebook available of 8-7.5ml bottles for $58 if you would like to sample them all. When I looked at their website, the reviews were all top notch.
The blends are a 50vg/50pg blend which is better for tanks such as the Aspire Nautilus like I stated, but can definitely be used in a good Sub-Ohm Tank as well. Some of us really enjoyed dripping them with our coil builds as well. The nicotine levels available are: 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, and 24mg.
Black Note Superb Packaging:
We received 30ml clear glass bottles with tamper proof droppers and child resistant caps. The bottles were packaged in a decorative cardboard tube. This is the best packaging we’ve seen to date as well. The name and a story about the blend is featured on the tube and it’s just very well done.
The have the nicotine level, batch number, pg/vg ratio, size, warning and can fit everything on there neatly and attractively. The labels match the cardboard tube package with a shorter version of the product story. They are classy and well done!!
The Black Note e-Juice:
This is what it is all about: the flavor. We have five to cover. I’m Dori, the head writer, and will kick every flavor off with my thoughts as the team follows.
Remember as always, taste is subjective and is in the mouth of the beholder. I do believe I’ve assembled a truly unique team. We all have different palates and I value each opinion of those on my team. Let’s see what we come up with for these for five tobacco blends!!
BLACK NOTE PRELUDE: “Grown in the sandy alluvial plains at the foot of the Italian Alps, Prelude’s Virginia tobacco derives subtle flavors unique to the Verona soils. Once harvested, the leaves are flue-cured to release their natural sugars and resins, resulting in light, bright taste and aroma.”
Dori: 5 stars. Ok, first off I am surprised at how smooth Prelude is for a 50vg/50pg blend and also that I actually am enjoying the flavor. On the inhale, it reminds me of a nice, sweet oat flavor. I know it’s a sweet tobacco, but it reminds me of cooked, sweet oatmeal.
The exhale is just the natural, light sweetness. Whatever the flue-curing does to extract the natural sweetness of the tobacco, I’m sold!! The taste is very bright and I could see myself vaping this for a change up in my flavor rotation. This is just a lovely and unique flavor that I think a lot of people would enjoy whether they are tobacco vape lovers or not.
I started off at 40 watts on my Lotus LE80 mod and I didn’t change the dial. That setting was perfect. The vapor production was decent and throat hit was medium. I’ll be using the Production RDA with a .3 ohm coil build for these reviews.
Alicia: 5 stars. I started off with Prelude in my Sapor RDA, built to .3 at 80 watts. Wow, it packed a punch in the throat. So since it is a 50/50 blend, I decided to throw it (and the rest of these flavors) into my Herakles tank with a .6 coil and I left my heat at 80 watts on my HexOhm v2.1.
With that, the throat hit was toned down some, but it still gave me a hit that irritated my throat after vaping it for awhile. The flavor, however, is really good. I get the sweet cooked oats flavor that Dori mentioned on the inhale. The flavor really is something that I haven’t had before from an e-liquid and it definitely has caught my attention.
The exhale is more of a smoky and crisp dry tobacco. The exhale is extremely close to an actual tobacco, the closest I have came to so far. If I could get this flavor in a higher VG to eliminate some of the harshness in my throat, I definitely would add this into my rotation.
Scott: 5 stars. This tobacco blend is a very good mild e-liquid , the inhale is a nice blend of tobacco with undertones of sweetness coming through with a touch of smokiness. On the exhale, I tasted a light, gentle earthiness, mixed with a sweeter, mild tobacco taste. This gave me a nice sweet taste on my tongue making me want to go back for more!
Dana: 5 stars. Prelude has a slightly “green” tobacco flavor on the inhale and a toasted oatmeal taste on the exhale. I also notice a creamy flavor at the tip of the exhale. It has a medium throat hit and the amazing flavor lingers in your mouth. All of the flavors in this line are like vaping a very fine cigar.
They are perfect for any tobacco eLiquid lover out there or anyone who has a taste for fine tobacco. You would swear you are smoking real tobacco while you are vaping these liquids. All liquids were vaped using a Smoke Tech M80 Mod and a Hellboy RDA built at .3 ohms. I enjoyed most of the Black Note line set at 45 watts. I tried them all at a lower wattage but you couldn’t get the full flavor of them set too low.
BLACK NOTE SONATA: “Originating in the 17th century, Cavendish uses a unique process of cutting and curing designed to bring out the natural sweetness of the tobacco leaf. Sonata uses only fire-cured dark Virginia tobacco, steamed and cured under pressure to allow the rich, robust flavors to fully develop.”
Dori: 5 stars. Sonata isn’t as sweet as Prelude, but it’s just as smooth and also has a nice, well developed flavor. On the inhale, a lightly sweetened tobacco flavor that has a slight nutty tone to it. The flavor is most intense on the inhale, and then slowly fades as the vape continues.
Sonata is a bit richer and has more depth, and I definitely like what the steaming and curing process did for the flavor of the Cavendish tobacco in this blend. I need to stress that I am not an avid tobacco vape enthusiast, but Black Note could very well change that after only sampling two of their flavors. Again, I left this right at 40 watts and it was perfect.
The throat hit was medium and vapor production was decent.
Alicia: 5 stars. I’m getting a rich tobacco flavor that remains the same throughout the inhale and exhale. The tobacco in Sonata is more of a sweet tobacco that isn’t too dry and gives off a gentle throat hit. There are little hints of a smoked tobacco tucked in throughout the vape which tones down the sweetness just a tad and makes for a more enjoyable vape.
Without those hints I think it would be a little too sweet for my liking. I wouldn’t say Sonata would be an ADV for me. I think it’s more along the lines of one to enjoy when you sit down to relax in the evening with a nice drink on the rocks.
Scott: 5 stars. Sonata has a slightly bit stronger tobacco flavor then the Prelude. On the inhale, there is a light smoky and slightly nutty aroma of the tobacco. The exhale is a dominant, clean and natural sweetness with a strong nutty flavor. It leaves me with a pleasantly sweet and nutty taste playing on my taste buds making my tongue dance.
Dana: 5 stars. Sonata is a slightly sweet and very pleasant eLiquid. You can taste the rich notes on the inhale and creamy base notes on the exhale. Sonata has a very mild throat hit and great vapor production. This eLiquid really reminds me further of enjoying a fine cigar, but that can be said with all of the flavors in this very upscale line.
BLACK NOT SOLO: “Solo begins with a fine, ultra-smooth Virginia tobacco to provide a rich, flavorful base, then incorporates a layer of natural menthol oils derived through a special extraction process. The result is a refreshing mint flavor without any harsh bite for a bright, cool vaping experience.”
Dori: 5 stars. Being that I’m not a tobacco vape fan, I am definitely not into the menthol aspect at all. I do, however, like an occasional menthol flavored vape to clear out my sinuses and refresh my palate. Solo has a great balance because not only can I taste a lovely menthol flavor, but the great tobacco flavoring the Black Note uses too.
On the inhale, the menthol is a bit strong but it mellows out to where you can taste the tobacco notes pretty quick.
The menthol is still lingering in the background and it is nice and smooth throughout the exhale. I just really dig the overall blend here. That is saying a ton.
Props on a line well done and NOT specifically designed for sub-ohming, but tasting SUPER just that way. Solo has a medium throat hit and nice vapor production. I liked this around 40 watts.
Alicia: 5 stars. I’ve been impatiently waiting to get to this one. With all of the other flavors in this line being really good, I was excited to try a menthol flavor, hoping that the menthol and tobacco mix would be as good as the others.
I’m sure we all know at least one person that is still searching for that perfect menthol tobacco flavor to help them kick the stinkys.
Solo, well, coming from a menthol/mint lover, it’s good. Is it good enough to help those looking for a menthol tobacco? No. I don’t think it is. There is tobacco in this flavor but it’s very mild and I can only taste it in the exhale. So, I’d have to say it’s not great as a menthol tobacco.
Now, as just a menthol/mint flavor, I have to give it an A++! I turned my heat down to 60 watts, still using my Herakles tank with a .6 coil, and the flavor is good! It’s not the cough drop, kill your throat when you inhale menthol.
It’s smooth, minty and sweet throughout the inhale.
The exhale is more of the smooth and sweet menthol but there are hints of tobacco weaved through the menthol. Now, for a beginner, I doubt they would even be able to pick up on the tobacco flavor.
But for those of us that are more experienced, you can definitely taste the light tobacco that is mixed in with the exhale.
If we could add just a little more tobacco to this e-liquid, it would be a great one for those still searching to pick up. I’ll keep this one in my rotation just because I love menthol flavors and this is one of the smoothest ones I have found yet.
Scott: 4 stars. For Solo being a menthol eLiquid, I really enjoyed how the mint flavoring gradually built up. The tobacco blended in and made it a nice mixture where it toned down the menthol and it became a cooling, icy wave of menthol and tobacco by the exhale.
This was my least favorite of the line, but I would still recommend it to menthol vape lovers out there.
Dana: 5 stars. Solo has a lovely, strong, minty inhale and a mildly sweet exhale. For any menthol lovers out there, you must try this one. It is now my all time favorite menthol, and I don’t ever vape menthol. If you haven’t heard of this line before, you soon will.
In my honest opinion it is going to shoot up the ladder as a very popular eLiquid. Even if you do not like tobacco vapes, you still should give any of these flavors a try, they are that good.
Black Note E-Liquid – Conclusion:
The Black Note Line has been the best solid line that I’ve reviewed since I have taken over the team thus far. I have NEVER given out all 5 stars. All of the eLiquids fit the description to a tee and were smooth and very tasty.
The thing that gets me the most is that they recommend you do NOT sub-ohm these. By all means, please DO! They are 50vg/50pg blends and while Alicia mentioned some throat irritation from the extra PG in one of the flavors, the rest of us had no issues.
I can only imagine how these would taste in a 70vg/30pg ratio and I urge Black Note to try that even though I am not sure it is totally necessary. The unique process of curing the tobacco really brings out a pure, clean, and natural flavor that tobacco lovers will appreciate and savor.
I imagine these blends would truly help a ton of people transition from analogs to vaping with a lot more ease. Some people just have a problem finding that ONE special tobacco or menthol flavor. I’m lucky to have a couple good ones here, but I can always use a couple more.
As always, the team and I all have a unique way of tasting flavors but you’ll know who you relate to most after you read all of the reviews. We all have our own style. These are our opinions and it is nice to have different views sometimes on the same product.
More in Spinfuel:
The Black Note e-Liquid Interview
What Exactly is Vaping Anyway? How Does it Work?
Exploring the World of Vaping in 2023: A Flavorful Journey to Quit Smoking
A Guide to Vape Coils for Vape Lovers
