Black Note E-Juice Review: A True Cigarette-Like Vape

About Black Note

After realizing that many of the so-called tobacco-flavored e-juices available didn’t actually taste like tobacco, Black Note saw an opportunity to do what no e-juice brand had done before: create a naturally extracted tobacco e-liquid that would appease vapers by actually tasting like tobacco.

The rest is history, and Black Note has been making naturally extracted tobacco e-liquid since 2015. Their e-liquids contain no artificial flavors or sweeteners, and only tobacco-derived nicotine. They also contain no diacteyl, no acetyl propionyl, and, in the case of their menthol flavors, contain pulegone-free menthol.

Black Note: What To Expect

Black Note specializes in tobacco flavors, so that’s exactly what they offer: tobacco and menthol e-juices. Currently, they offer nine tobacco blends, with each one extracted from a different variety of tobacco leaf:

• Special Blend & Special Blend 3.0
• Special Blend Menthol
• Virginia Tobacco
• Kentucky Tobacco
• American Blend
• Cigar Tobacco
• Cavendish Tobacco
• Latakia Tobacco
• Burley Tobacco

There’s a little something for everyone, no matter your preferred tobacco taste. Special Blend is a light tobacco flavor, while Special Blend 3.0 is a fuller tobacco taste. If you like menthol cigarettes, Special Blend Menthol gives you just that. There’s Virginia Tobacco if you like a little sweetness, or Kentucky Tobacco if you want something more robust and intense.

If you’re unsure which flavor is right for you, Black Note has a helpful page that will help you choose a starting flavor based on what you smoke now.

They also offer an incredible choice of VG/PG blends, nicotine types, and nicotine strengths. For freebase nicotine, they offer 50/50 or 70VG in 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, or 18mg/ml. Salt nicotine comes as a 50/50 blend in either 20mg or 30mg/ml.

Black Note’s e-liquids contain only five ingredients (six in the case of their menthol e-liquids):

• Natural tobacco extract
• 100% naturally derived nicotine
• Vegetable glycerin
• Propylene glycol
• Purified Water
• For menthol e-liquids: Menthol from mint extract

How are they made?

Creating tobacco-derived e-liquids sounds straightforward enough on paper. But how exactly do you go from tobacco leaf to a bottled e-liquid? It can’t be an easy feat to accomplish, and I don’t think that just any e-liquid company can produce an e-juice like this, at least not a good one.

With that in mind, I did a little more research on Black Note, and I discovered that the founders come from a long line of tobacco experts who have farmed and processed tobacco for generations.

They start by selecting only non-GMO tobacco seeds, then breed and cross-breed those seeds to ensure only the healthiest tobacco varieties are produced.

Next, they ensure the seeds have the right location, fertile soil, and precise growing conditions. They stay vigilant throughout the entire process, harvesting the plants only when they are fully ripe and ready.

They carefully harvest the leaves, then gradually cure and dry them. Depending on the tobacco variety, they use sun-curing, air-curing, flue-curing, fire-curing, or a combination of these methods. 

Once the leaves are fully cured, they are fragile, so they have to be moistened to protect against breakage during handling. This is done in a moistening chamber, after which the leaves are sorted into grades based on their quality, color, and size. Only the top 50% of all leaves make it onto the next step.

Next, the tobacco leaves are conditioned and aged to enhance their flavor, allowing them to develop a full range of flavor and aroma notes. Leaves are then selected from different growing areas, climate zones, and stalk positions, and mixed to create unique blends.

The leaves are then milled or cut and cold-soaked for six to eight weeks to extract the active compounds, such as the flavor notes and aromatic essences. This cold extraction protects against bitterness and harshness, ensuring a smooth vape.

Finally, the extract is filtered, mixed, and bottled. As an interesting tidbit, Black Note’s e-juices are entirely bottled and packaged in Italy.

How do the flavors taste?

For this review, I spent a few weeks with three of Black Note’s most popular e-liquids: Special Blend, Special Blend 3.0, and Special Blend Menthol. I received all three flavors in both freebase and nicotine salt form: 70VG with 6mg/ml of nicotine for the freebase versions, and 50/50 with 20mg or 30mg of nicotine for the salt nicotine versions.

To get the most out of these e-liquids, I used two of the top devices available right now for testing: the VAPORESSO ARMOUR OCTA box mod and tank kit for the freebase e-liquids, and the VOOPOO ARGUS G4 for the nicotine salts. These allowed me to taste the full flavors of these blends so that I could give you an accurate and honest description of how they taste.

Now, I’m going to describe how these e-juices taste to me and what I think of them. However, keep in mind that just because I like a flavor does not mean that you will like it. Similarly, if I don’t like a flavor, this does not mean that you will not like it. This is solely my subjective opinion.

Special Blend Tobacco

This is the first tobacco e-liquid I’ve tried that actually tastes like a cigarette. The light tobacco taste doesn’t taste artificial or sweet, just clean, mild, and ‘smoky’. It tastes like smoking a light cigarette, just without any nasty aftertaste, and it’s very smooth both on the inhale and exhale.

Special Blend Tobacco 3.0

Special Blend 3.0 is very similar to the original, but with a fuller cigarette taste. This is my preferred flavor of the two Special Blend Tobacco options; it has a deeper taste that comes through more fully, especially on the exhale. It’s clean and smoky, but still exceptionally smooth.

Special Blend Menthol

This flavor is super interesting, and unlike any other menthol flavors I’ve tried in the past. It has a light cooling sensation and a light mint flavor on the inhale, followed by a light tobacco base. The best way to describe this flavor is crisp and refreshing; the menthol and tobacco flavors are expertly layered and complement each other exceedingly well. This isn’t the flavor to get if you’re expecting an icy blast, but if you enjoy a milder menthol and tobacco taste, this is (as far as I’ve tried) the best there is.

How do they vape?

What surprised me the most about Black Note’s e-juices is just how smoothly they vape. Whether I’m using the freebase or nicotine salt version, they’re not harsh at all, which feels like it shouldn’t be the case because of how authentic the tobacco flavor is.

Vaping Special Blend 3.0 in the morning is like a blast from the past. A full, true cigarette flavor after waking up is just a blissful and unmatched experience, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it.

These e-juices also hit the spot in terms of satisfaction. While I think the true-to-nature flavors are what really set them apart, the smooth throat hit and nicotine satisfaction are what keep me reaching for my vape for the next draw, and Black Note’s e-liquids do the trick.

Also worth mentioning is just how easy these have been on my coils. I’ve vaped through tens of milliliters through my two devices, and I’m still using the same coils. I guess the clean taste is not just flavor alone, as these e-juices don’t seem to gunk up my coils or destroy them like sweetener-heavy e-juices do.

Verdict

As someone who has always liked the taste of cigarettes, but not the lingering smell, aftertaste, or ill effects that come with them, Black Note’s e-juices are just what I was looking for.

What I liked most is how authentic these flavors taste, and they’re not harsh, overly sweet, or artificial. They’re also smooth and very satisfying to vape in both the freebase and nicotine salt versions. Plus, they are easy on coils, which is always a welcome quality for an e-juice.

Special Blend and Special Blend 3.0 come pretty close to the taste of a cigarette, while Special Blend Menthol adds a light, refreshing menthol note without overpowering the tobacco taste. Each one has its own fit for a specific taste, and I’d recommend them as follows: Special Blend for light cigarette smokers, Special Blend 3.0 for a stronger tobacco taste, and Special Blend Menthol for ex-menthol smokers.

If you’re looking for a sweet tobacco taste or something heavily flavored, these specific flavors probably aren’t for you. But if what you want is a clean, natural e-juice that genuinely tastes like a cigarette, Black Note is probably the best that I’ve tried. The only meaningful con to these e-juices is price; at $30 to $40 USD per bottle, you’re paying a lot more than your typical e-juice, but the quality is definitely there.

For smokers trying to transition to vaping, or former smokers who still miss the taste of tobacco, these are especially easy to recommend.