BLACK NOTE E-LIQUID REVIEW #5
A Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review
Black Note is a brilliantly crafted tobacco line from two different worlds. This quote from Ethan Parsa the marketing director sums it up, “Farming, Extraction, Filtration, and Final Product are crafted in Italy, following EU’s strict guidelines when it comes to farming and manufacturing. Bottling and packaging is done in the United States.” The different curing processes to extract the nicotine from the natural tobacco leaves has brought a depth and flavor to this eliquid that we all truly appreciated. These blends are recommended for a higher ohm coil and tanks like the Aspire Nautilus and rebuildables like the Kayfun. We did our usual Sub-ohm builds and absolutely adored the flavors. I also tried one in a Kanger Sub Tank Mini with a 1.2 ohm coil, just to give you all that view as well. The team and I believe that no matter what your flavor preference that you could all find a time or place to sit down and relax with one of these blends. We are running with a four member team due to one of us being under the weather for this review period. Yes, these are that special…
FLAVORS:
Prelude
Sonata
Adagio
Cadenza
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.
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 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!!
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.
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.
ADAGIO: “ Adagio offers the uniquely sweet, mildly spicy, aromatic flavor of Havana tobacco, complemented by rich, smoky undertones to create a flavor that’s recognized around the globe. Grown for centuries in Cuba’s moist, tropical climate, Havana is regarded as one of the world’s most flavorful tobaccos.”
Dori: 5 stars. I definitely get more of a throat hit with Adagio than the other two so far, and I’m thinking it may be the “mildly spicy” note that hits me at the beginning of the inhale. I am enjoying this one as well though! I wish I had been a tobacco connoisseur back in the day instead of being stuck on the REDS. Lol. The inhale is a nice, mildly sweet tobacco with a hint of spice. The exhale is just a lightly sweet tobacco. It does have a bit of a smoky undertone to it, but it’s really smooth and has a great flavor. I enjoyed this from 35-45 watts. So far, these have been pretty on point to the descriptions. I have to note again that I have only found one or two tobacco flavored vapes that have tickled my fancy…and they have been flavored blends. These are straight up tobacco blends and I could vape all three so far.
Alicia: 5 stars. Adagio gives me both sides of the tobacco flavors that I love. The inhale starts off sweet, with notes of the cooked oat flavor that I really liked in Prelude. The exhale transforms into a smoky tobacco with undertones of spices that really add to the depth of this flavor. The throat hit is definitely noticeable, it’s not gentle but it’s not harsh. It’s sitting right in the middle. At first, I thought my throat might get irritated after vaping this for awhile but it surprised me and actually ended up complimenting the vape. It gave me a close feeling of actual tobacco. With Adagio being sweet and smoky all rolled into one, I can see myself vaping this frequently.
Scott: 5 stars. I feel this is probably the strongest tobacco flavor of the Black Note line, and still a great tobacco flavor. On the inhale, the smokiness is the first thing I pick up when vaping this e-liquid, with mild undertones of sweetness. It remains present in the nose throughout my puff with hints of that sweetness that come through as I continue your draw. There is the presence of spices, but they seem to take the role of an undertone along side the smokiness.
Dana: 5 stars. Adagio is on the lighter side of this line, just as a light tobacco would be. It has a nice, smooth, lightly sweet inhale with a caramel finish in the exhale. It has a nice mild throat hit and is perfect with a fresh cup of coffee when you wake up in the morning and don’t want to vape anything too harsh. I know Dori said this as well, but as I have stated in previous reviews, I am not much of a fan of tobacco eLiquids. However, this line is the best made in my honest opinion. That is why I have given them all 5 stars. If I could have rated them higher-I would have!! They are just that good and so worth trying if you ever want to try something new that you will savor for years to come. I can’t believer Black Note would recommend NOT sub-ohming with these blends!!
CADENZA: “Sun-cured, highly aromatic and mildly spicy, basma tobacco is considered by some tobacco experts to be the finest aromatic tobacco in the world. Grown exclusively in the mountainous area of western Greece known as Xanthi, basma has earned a reputation as the “king of tobaccos.”
Dori: 5 stars. The basma tobacco reminds me of the Havanna. I get the spice in the background of the inhale, but it’s not overwhelming in any way though it adds a bit of a kick to the throat hit. I also taste a smooth, mildly sweet oat flavored tobacco which seems to be a similarity in all four so far. I really enjoy how the spice is subtle in the inhale and the exhale. The blend is really smooth, and the vapor production is nice. I find that I can sit back and relax with this one, but I can with all of them so far. I have never really craved a tobacco flavor before, but these Black Note blends all have an incredible flavor to them. I have enjoyed a few with coffee and even a couple with an Angry Orchard.
Alicia: 5 stars. One thing that I think should be said about this line is to not base your thoughts off of the first hit. Seriously, the first hit on a lot of these flavors made me want to say yuck! But when I got to the 3rd or 4th hit, the flavor really came through and I realized how good it actually tastes. With that said, Cadenza had me saying yuck with the first hit, and probably even the 2nd, but the longer I vaped this, the more the flavors actually came through and I started to like it, really like it! Cadenza is more of an earthy tobacco. It’s dry, but not harsh. It’s full of flavor. The inhale is earthy with tiny hints of sweetness that really jump out at my taste buds. The exhale is more of the earthy tobacco, but it has a spicy aroma about it that really makes it a master of mixes. The description states that it’s known as the “King of Tobacco’s” and I can see why. True to the tobacco flavor with hidden extras added in that really make your taste buds jump for joy. This is an e-liquid that deserves to be savored down to the last drop.
Scott: 5 stars. I agree with Alicia that you have to give these eliquids a little chance. Cadenza is on the earthy side, but it is a good earthy flavor. On the inhale, I tasted hints of spicyness, sweetness, and a slight undertone of either woodsy or earthy flavor from a very rich, but mild tobacco flavor. On the exhale, I got more of the spice and sweetness and then tobacco leaving a nice sweetness on the tongue.
Dana: 5 stars. Cadenza has a mildly sweet nutty flavor on the inhale with a light crisp finish on the exhale. This flavor also has a mild throat hit and very nice vapor production. Grab yourself your favorite cocktail with this eLiquid and enjoy a nice relaxing experience. (Note that with or without the cocktail, you will enjoy the vaping part!)
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.
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 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.
Dori Odosso and the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team
