This is my review of Black Note V-Line, a new range of tobacco e-liquids made from naturally-extracted tobacco.
Contents
What is Black Note V Line?
Black Note V Line is the latest range in the Black Note family of naturally-extracted, US-produced tobacco e liquids.
The new Black Note V Line comprises five real tobacco flavours in total, and is supplied by Vapour UK. I’ll be dealing with each of these five flavours in turn as part of this V Line review.
A big fan of real tobacco flavours, I really like what Black Note have done with their liquids in the past. I reviewed the previous range that came out a few years ago, and so was pleasantly surprised about the arrival of a new lot of juices.
Needless to say, I was also happy to see that the Black Note V Line liquids are somewhat cheaper than the last ones!
You can order Black Note V Line e liquid from Vapour UK for £4.75. There’s also a 5% discount for this and other products from their online store with this discount code: ECIGFIND
What’s different about V Line?
Blended tobacco vs single leaf
According to the US manufacturers, tobacco leaf used in Black Note V Line is a blend of several different tobacco varieties. Conversely, only single leaf tobacco is used in the Classic range recipes. So, a bit like the difference between blended scotch and single malt whisky then, I guess. But will I notice the difference, I wonder?
Production process
The Black Note people mature their V Line e liquid by steeping in wine oak barrels, and this is what gives some of the flavours a “fruity” characteristic. The entire production process takes 2-3 years in total. So not your average vape juice, then.
Blended leaves and steeping aside, the rest of the V Line production process is apparently very similar to that of the Classic Black Note e-liquid range. In other words, they age the tobacco, steep it through cold-maceration for six weeks, then filter and bottle it as usual.
E liquid for smokers
Unlike the Classic range, new V Line e liquid aims to make Black Note more appealing to smokers. Or in other words, the designers have created these liquids with recent ex-smokers and new vapers in mind.
This is evident from the lower UK price of £4.75 per 10ml. What’s more, V Line flavours are apparently brighter, presumably to appeal to quitters craving flavour hits.
Coil friendly
Earlier Black Note versions developed a reputation for damaging coils due to a tendency to gather gunk. Black Note V e liquid now comes with a new “coil friendly” formulation, which means this is now less of a problem.
Product purity
I should probably point out in this review that one of Black Note V Line’s key selling points is product purity. This means they don’t add any nasty stuff, like diacetyl, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings.
Here’s a quick list of the V Line specs taken from the Vapour UK website, if you want the nitty gritty,
Black Note V Line – Flavours
Are you Pop or Jazz?
There are five flavours in the V Line range in total, and all are themed around musical genres. Well, this is a nice touch, isn’t it? However, it also sends out a clear message to the customer.
This message is that V Line liquid is intended only for the most discerning and cultured lovers of art and music (and tobacco). In fact, I’m a bit miffed that they missed out funk, folk-rock, prog and 80’s synth, but I guess those ones might not have worked so well.
The Five Flavours!
Anyway, the five new Black Note V Line flavours are:
Pop (English Blend)
Pop (English Blend) has a light, round, fruity and quite sweet flavour. It’s a pleasant enough vape and vapour is soft, warm and friendly. However, I could detect only the faintest smidgen of tobacco flavour, and this was on the exhale. I was left somewhat disappointed.
As long as you’re not expecting to get blown away by a blinding tobacco flavour, Pop is a nice, smooth vape. What’s more, thanks to barrel conditioning, it’s a fruity one too. Subtle notes of pomegranate, peach, bubble gum, nougat, honey and cream also add to its complexity.
For me though, the strong fruity flavours in Pop simply eclipsed any tobacco flavour that was there. And after all, Black Note e liquid is supposed to be all about the tobacco.
6.5/10
Rock (Italian Blend)
Rock (Italian Blend), on the other hand, is another story, altogether. This e liquid is exactly what I was expecting from the new Black Note V Line range.
Rock is a truly outstanding tobacco flavour, which exceeds anything I tasted, even in the previous Black Note Classic range. This is a rich, smoky, tobacco treat to be savoured, caressed and maybe even slept with.
Bitter-sweet tobacco overtones, with some woodiness from the barrels, Rock definitely satisfies. While it’s quite a dry one compared to the other flavours, any bitterness is balanced by residual sweetness.
Overall, an amazingly rich, complex and smooth-vaping tobacco flavour, which goes down a treat. I think this one might be my top tobacco vape yet. Heavy, sweet, woody overtones and a good, well-rounded and smoky rich Virginia tobacco flavour overall. Outstanding.
10/10
Jazz (American Blend)
Jazz boasts a rich, dark tobacco flavour that’s almost as strong as Rock’s. This is really satisfying right from the first puff.
Like Rock, Jazz is also a woody, and slightly smoky blend. What’s different about Jazz though is the spiciness. Delicious notes of ginger and cinnamon complement the bitterness of the tobacco, but without taking over completely.
There’s also something slightly fruity about Jazz, though I can’t put my finger on it completely. Mango, maybe? Dark and mysterious, Jazz is definitely the most exotic member of the Black Note V-Line e liquid family.
9/10
Reggae (Menthol Blend)
Reggae is the only tobacco menthol e liquid in the Black Note V-Line range. If you liked Solo from the older Classic range, you’ll also like Reggae.
Though this e liquid is a blend of peppermint and spearmint, peppermint is the strongest note. This makes for a soft flavour overall, but one which is nevertheless fresh and clean-tasting.
Reggae also has a very satisfying underlying tobacco flavour. Though not the main note, the tobacco is still obvious enough to enjoy, thanks to the careful balance of menthol tones. Soft, mild vapour and a lovely smooth vape.
8.5/10
House (Oriental Blend)
House is possibly the most subtle flavour of the V-Line range though this doesn’t mean it’s boring.
House has a noticeable, but mild tobacco flavour, which is mostly sweet, but with some bitter tones, too. It’s slightly fruity, but has none of the woodiness or smokiness of Rock or Jazz.
This one is an e liquid that’s all about the tobacco, but you do have to tune into it. A nice round and soft-tasting vapour, and a very pleasant all-day vape with no sharp edges.
It may be true that House doesn’t have quite such a big personality as some of the other Black Note V-Line flavours. That said, it still hits the spot.
8/10
Best Black Note V Line flavour?
For me, Rock is easily the best flavour in the Black Note V Line e liquid range. Why? Because compared to the others, Rock has the richest, strongest and most satisfying real tobacco flavour of all.
It’s a proper cowboy vape, with everything anyone could want in a tobacco e liquid. Depth, richness and an aftertaste to die for. You won’t be disappointed!
Jazz and Reggae are close runners up, too. Both are excellent e liquids, and both have clearly-defined tobacco flavours. House, though a strong contender, is a nice enough tobacco vape.
However, it’s a lot milder, and in my opinion, just doesn’t have the same depth of character as the others.
Which V-Line strength?
Given that V-Line e liquids don’t contain nic salts, it’s best to keep strength fairly low for the sake of smoothness.
For most MTL users including heavy ex-smokers, I’d recommend buying the 6mg version (not the 9mg). You can then top up to your desired strength with a good salt liquid.
This way, flavours will be slightly diluted, but you’ll at least get a smoother vape.
Black Note V – which device for best flavour?
Black Note V Line e liquids taste better from MTL (mouth-to-lung) devices than they do from DL (Direct-to-Lung) ones.
As I discovered during this review, V Line is all about flavour – not – vapour. If you only care about blowing clouds, these liquids are probably not for you.
As with the Classic e liquid range, you can get great flavours with Black Note V Line with a thin coil (1.0ohms) and low power (12 watts should do it).
Like the Black Note classic range, V Line tobacco e liquid also requires the right coil device or set up to really get flavours popping out. But this doesn’t mean you need an expensive device to get the most out of them.
For this review, I tested my batch of Black Note V e liquid in several different devices to see if flavours still performed well. These ranged from the mid-range Hastur MTL Mulan tank, the Vandy Vape Pulse 24 RDA (drip tank) through to the budget ePuffer Xpod.
Naturally, flavours tasted richest out of the Mulan MTL and drip tank, though I still got quite good results from the cheaper pod vape device.