Disclaimer: This E-liquid was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of conducting a review. This fact notwithstanding, I will, as best I'm able, provide an honest, accurate and unbiased assessment of this product.
Midas Vape https://www.facebook.com/MidasVape was begun to fulfill the need of the owner, Jason Davis, for an RY4 e-liquid that satisfied him. He found that everything he tried was either too tobacco laden or too sweet. It took him several months to find that happy medium that hit the spot for him. Sharing it with family and friends and then Alex Bustamente at Vape Revolution http://www.vaperev.com/ in Cerritos, Southern California raised Jason and his RY4 from DIY to suit personal preferences, to worldwide vaping celebrity and a catalogue of 15 finely honed liquids. http://www.vaperev.com/blog/no-myth-just-midas/
I've been looking forward to tasting and writing about the Midas range since I first heard about it not long after I began vaping.
My introduction to RY4 came in the form of a 10ml bottle of flavour concentrate from Flavourart. I mixed it at 4% to make a 20ml bottle of 12mg juice, and although it was vapable, it was a thousand leagues from what I'd hoped for. That bottle is still sitting there, collecting dust, three quarters full on my shelf. That exercise was a revelation and a glimpse, via the power of imagination, into the world of a professional e-liquid manufacturer. My esteem for anybody who could produce a half decent bottle of juice grew dramatically. Anybody who could compose vapour that produced music in my mouth and/or provoked my imagination was worthy of a small shrine.
The Midas range includes Spiced Summer Nut (tobacco with "light nutty undertones"), Spiced Winter Nut (tobacco with "rustic nutty undertones"), Peach, Cinnamon Roll (rich, buttery cinnamon roll), Vanilla Cupcake, Cinnamon Candy (bold and sweet), Toffee (smooth and luscious), Pink Lemonade, Cinnamon Chill (light cinnamon with menthol), Glacial Inferno (intense cinnamon and menthol), Glacial Menthol (double intense menthol), Icy Peach (intense menthol, light peach), Menthol (clean menthol, sweet finish), Peppermint Lime (strong peppermint, light lime) and RY4.
The entire Midas range is available from Vape Revolution, each in 20ml bottles at $12.00, in nicotine strengths of 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg. There doesn't appear to be any option to specify PG/VG ratios but the bottle I have in my hands is a 60/40 mix.
The bottle is a clear glass with a black, plastic screw top cap with a built in dropper. This makes for easy accessibility and transfer of the liquid into your preferred device. The downside of this is that the cap isn't childproof, so vapers with children around will need to take extra care in the storage and use of the Midas liquids. The label is a silver metallic paper with the word "MIDAS" in blue across the top. Further information on the label includes: the name of the liquid, PG/VG ratio, nicotine strength in mg, an ingredients list a warning that nicotine may be harmful to your health, advice to keep away from children and pets and the instruction, "DO NOT DRINK". The bottles also arrive with a tamper evident, plastic seal.
The colour of the liquid is a clear Mahogany http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahogany_(color) and has the viscosity and texture of a light cooking oil. The aroma begins with the briefest note of vanilla and continues to the end with caramel.
For the last three days, I've been vaping Midas Vape's Ry4 in my Igo-L but then on a whim, this afternoon, I filled my Spheroid with the liquid and have been vaping it with this the rest of the day. Most vapers have an all day liquid and many also have an all day device. Mine is the GP Spheroid. This is only the second time a new juice has made it into the Spheroid; this alone speaks volumes for Midas Vape's RY4.
As I review, I'm swapping between the two devices, the Igo-L and the Spheroid. With the first inhalation I experience the familiar sensation of sweetness along the forward edge of my tongue, though it's a restrained sweetness. Accompanying this is the flavour of caramel and a certain plummy quality. I want to describe it as something akin to the taste of the brandy soaked fruit that goes into a Christmas pudding. I doubt very much that there's any fruit flavours in the mix, but there is nevertheless, for me, a (subtle) quality to the vape which is suggestive of its presence. As I finish inhaling and follow with a short intake of fresh air, the caramel subsides and a mild vanilla unfurls. As I begin to exhale, the vanilla carries through with the introduction of tobacco notes which grow in intensity to dominate until the aftertaste, where every flavour, current and preceding, settles and gradually subsides.
Despite this being an 18mg sample, I'm not experiencing any throat hit as such. Vapour production however, is excellent.
Each of the elements in this juice are finely balanced. it's sweet, but not too sweet. The caramel is prominent but not at the expense of tobacco and vanilla, each of which have their moment in the spotlight. This is a full-bodied, flavoursome vape which I personally find very satisfying. There are unexpected fruity notes, real or imagined which add further dimension. I've found another very strong contender for the personal all day vape. Jason, could you send me a photo of yourself (and some more juice) for your shrine please.
