REVIEWS
JUICE REVIEWS BY ALEX SHENKER
QUARTET FORTE LEGATO
Quartet from Black Note features a
Latakia tobacco blend. A Syrian tobacco
that is apparently cured once in the
sun and then again using the smoke
from different herbs. The flavours in this
e-liquid are very complex and definitely
for the tobacco vape enthusiasts out
there. It’s a very peppery flavour with
punchy, aromatic notes that would
take me weeks to decipher. I’ve never
hidden the fact that tobacco e-liquids
aren’t really my thing, but I can definitely
appreciate the amount of effort and work
that Black Note put in to create easily the
best quality and most authentic tasting
tobaccos on the market. Now apparently the Burley tobacco
blend featured in Forte is used in many
of the most popular brands of cigarettes
sold today. Black Note have taken
these leaves, selected from a farm near
Mount Vesuvius in Italy, steeped them
for six weeks and used their essence
to create this rich, complex tobacco
e-liquid. The flavour is full-bodied and
very reminiscent of a classic cigarette.
There are so many different notes and
undertones on display I’d struggle to put
it in to words. So I’ll just say that if you’re
someone who smokes cigarettes but is
looking to try vaping and wants a familiar
flavour, Forte effortlessly bridges the gap
between the two. Last up we have Legato, another Italian
tobacco blend, this time Kentucky. It’s
a much smoother flavour than the other
two I’ve sampled today. Though it’s still
very rich and earthy, I found Legato a
lot easier to vape than the other two
flavours as the tobacco is a little less
punchy and in your face. It’s a really
sophisticated flavour and I’d definitely
recommend this juice to anyone looking
for more of an entry point in to the high-
end tobacco liquid market. It’s also worth
mentioning that all of these Black Note
juices are 50:50 in VG:PG so they’re
really accessible and can be used in
pretty much any vape. I can definitely
see myself vaping more of Legato as it is
the mildest of the three today and I may
well be converted.
MOUNTAIN
FOX
CBD
STRAWBERRY & WATERMELON BLACKCURRANT & MENTHOL MANGOES & CREAM
VG/PG Ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Minimal
Throat hit: Moderate VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Minimal
Throat hit: Moderate VG/PG ratio: 70/30
Additional sweetener: Minimal
Throat hit: Moderate
It’s often best to stick with simple
flavour profiles when formulating CBD
e-liquids, as the organic compounds
lend their own distinct taste to the mix.
Strawberry and watermelon is a well-
loved combination that may be seen as
a safe choice but it works well in this
context. The predominant flavour here
is a sticky candied strawberry. This is
complemented well by a more subtle,
candied watermelon and whilst this is
not a ground breaking pair, it is pleasant.
The botanical flavour from the CBD
isolate is relatively noticeable but works
well with the fruit elements. This is a
mellow CBD e-liquid ideal for beginners. Blackcurrant & Menthol is another
simple but classic profile from Mountain
Fox CBD. This blend doesn’t try to
overcomplicate things and instead opts
for something which plays well with the
CBD isolate. The blackcurrant is potent
and of the candied variety, carrying
plenty of sweetness whilst retaining
some of the deeper notes you might
expect from a more natural portrayal.
This is supported by a strong menthol
finish that not only works well with the
fruit notes but also does a good job of
concealing the flavour imparted by CBD.
Vapers who do not wish to taste the CBD
element of their e-liquid will enjoy this one. Mango is a difficult flavour to replicate at
the best of times, so it is quite ambitious
of Mountain Fox to try and incorporate
it into a CBD blend. In this case I’m not
entirely sure that it comes across as
intended but that’s not to say that this
is an unpleasant flavour. The top note
is a vague tropical fruit that’s difficult
to pinpoint. Mango may well be part of
the mix but it certainly isn’t dominant.
The supporting cream flavour is quite
mild but does bring some sweetness to
the profile. The natural CBD flavour is
much more prominent here than in the
other Mountain Fox offerings that I have
sampled and it is pleasant, though likely
an acquired taste. This one is probably
more suited to those who want to taste
the CBD in their e-liquid.
190 | VM19
JUICE REVIEWS BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES