What Is Pods 'n Salt RY4?

Pods 'n Salt RY4 60ml Longfill is a flavour concentrate from Pods 'n Salt, sold through Downtown Vapoury as part of the brand's longfill range. The bottle contains 30ml of concentrated flavouring in a 60ml container — you add your own nicotine base (salt or MTL shot, sold separately) to fill the remaining 30ml, shake, and vape. It is designed specifically for pod systems and MTL devices, with a 50/50 VG/PG target ratio once mixed.

The profile is RY4 tobacco — one of the most established flavour categories in vaping. The "RY" stands for Ruyan, the Chinese company that pioneered the modern e-cigarette, and "4" denotes the specific blend: tobacco, caramel, and vanilla. Pods 'n Salt describes their version as "rich and smoky" with "subtle caramel and vanilla notes," positioning it as a smooth, elegant vape rather than an aggressive tobacco punch. At R230 for the 60ml longfill, plus the cost of your base shot, the final per-millilitre price competes favourably with premium pre-mixed tobacco nic salts while giving you full control over nicotine strength.

At a Glance

The Tobacco Balance — How Strong Is It Really?

RY4 exists on a spectrum. At one end, you have tobacco-heavy versions that read like a mild cigarette with a hint of sweetness. At the other end, you have caramel-heavy versions where the tobacco is barely detectable and the profile is closer to a dessert vape. Pods 'n Salt RY4 sits in the middle — slightly toward the refined, smoother side.

The tobacco note arrives on the inhale as a soft, slightly smoky warmth — think pipe tobacco rather than cigarette ash. It is earthy and nutty, with none of the chemical harshness that turns new vapers away from tobacco profiles. By the mid-palate, the caramel emerges: not a sharp candy sweetness, but a rounded, buttery note that wraps around the tobacco. The vanilla finishes on the exhale, adding a creamy softness that lingers. The result is a profile that satisfies the tobacco craving without demanding that you actually enjoy the taste of burnt leaf.

Nicotine Options — You Choose

Because RY4 is a longfill, the nicotine strength is entirely up to you. You purchase the 30ml flavour concentrate and add a 30ml nicotine base shot to reach your preferred strength. Downtown Vapoury sells both salt and MTL base shots separately, giving you full control over the final product.

The 50/50 VG/PG Split

Once mixed, RY4 targets a 50/50 VG/PG ratio — the standard for MTL and pod-system vaping. This balance is deliberate: 50% VG provides enough vapour density to carry the flavour, while 50% PG ensures the tobacco, caramel, and vanilla notes transfer efficiently through the smaller coils and restricted airflow of pod devices.

This ratio is designed for pod systems and MTL tanks. 50/50 wicks efficiently in tight coils at 10–25W and will not cause the dry hits or leaking that thicker 70VG liquids can trigger in small pod cartridges. If you try to run RY4 in a sub-ohm tank at 40W+, the vapour will feel thin and the throat hit from the PG will become harsh. This is a pod liquid, full stop.

Flavour Breakdown

RY4 is a three-note chord: tobacco, caramel, vanilla. The art is in the balance. Too much tobacco and it becomes a chore to vape. Too much caramel and it loses the identity that makes it RY4. Pods 'n Salt's version manages to keep all three elements audible without any one drowning out the others.

The Ex-Smoker Factor — Why RY4 Still Matters

For vapers transitioning from cigarettes, fruit and candy profiles can feel like a leap too far. RY4 exists as the bridge: familiar enough to satisfy the tobacco craving, but sweet enough to make vaping genuinely enjoyable rather than a grim replacement therapy. Pods 'n Salt RY4 leans into this purpose. The tobacco is present enough to feel authentic, but the caramel and vanilla prevent it from tasting like a cigarette reproduction — which is important, because most ex-smokers do not actually enjoy the taste of cigarettes; they enjoy the ritual and the nicotine. RY4 gives you the ritual without the ashtray.

Is It Too Sweet for a Tobacco Vape?

No — the sweetness is medium and well-integrated. It does not read as a dessert vape with a tobacco afterthought. Instead, the caramel and vanilla function as softeners, rounding off the edges of the tobacco rather than competing with it. Vapers who prefer straight, unsweetened tobacco may find it slightly too gentle. Vapers who find pure tobacco too harsh or boring will find this precisely calibrated. It is the tobacco equivalent of a well-made latte: the coffee is still the point, but the milk makes it drinkable.

Which Devices Work Best

• ✓
  Refillable pod systems (0.8Ω–1.2Ω, 10–18W)

  The intended home for RY4. Devices like the Uwell Caliburn series, Vaporesso XROS, VOOPOO Vinci, and SMOK Novo handle 50/50 liquids perfectly at low wattage. The restricted airflow concentrates the tobacco and caramel notes, while the moderate wattage keeps the profile smooth rather than sharp.
• ✓
  MTL tanks (1.0Ω–1.4Ω, 12–20W)

  Traditional MTL tanks with higher-resistance coils suit this liquid well. The 50/50 base wicks reliably in tight cotton channels, and the flavour clarity at these wattages brings out the vanilla finish that can get lost in more open airflow setups.
• ✗
  Sub-ohm tanks and DTL devices

  Avoid. The 50/50 ratio is too thin for high-wattage sub-ohm coils — expect leaking, spitting, and a harsh throat hit from the PG at 30W+. Additionally, the flavour was formulated for restricted airflow; in a wide DTL draw, the tobacco will taste weak and the caramel will feel disproportionately sweet.

How to Mix Your Longfill

RY4 arrives as 30ml of concentrated flavouring in a 60ml bottle. It is not ready to vape. You need to add 30ml of nicotine base (salt or MTL shot, sold separately) to create 60ml of finished e-liquid. Here is the exact process:

How It Compares in the Pods 'n Salt Line-Up

Pods 'n Salt offers a wide range of longfill flavours through Downtown Vapoury. RY4 is the only traditional tobacco profile in the line-up, making it the default choice for ex-smokers and tobacco-preference vapers. Here is how the range breaks down:

RY4 and Jazz House are the two tobacco options in the range. RY4 is the smoother, more caramel-forward of the two, while Jazz House pushes the nutty almond note harder. If you want a tobacco vape that feels like a dessert, RY4 is the better choice. If you want something more aromatic and complex, Jazz House is worth exploring.

What RY4 Vapers Consistently Report

RY4 is one of the most reviewed and discussed profiles in vaping history. While Pods 'n Salt RY4 is a newer entrant to the South African market, the RY4 profile itself carries decades of feedback. Here is what vapers across the world — and early South African adopters — consistently say about this type of blend:

The recurring feedback pattern is clear: RY4 works because it satisfies two cravings simultaneously — the nicotine/tobacco ritual and the desire for something genuinely pleasant to taste. Vapers who switch from cigarettes to fruit flavours sometimes report missing the "weight" of tobacco. RY4 gives them that weight without the bitterness.

Frequently Asked Questions