FLAVORAH Single Flavor Tasting Notes
--> Mixed on 3/29/15 in 5 mg 10%DW/90%VG
Here are my notes from single flavors dripped in a Magma clone built single coil to 1.1 ohms. I chose starting percentages based on the Flavorah recommendation of "between 1% and 5%", as well as recommendations from others who have tried them, the smell from the bottle, and my own experience with similar flavorings.
This is my first attempt outside my own notes to convey useful first impressions of individual flavors and it's more challenging than I thought it would be! In some cases I feel like the flavor profile changes dramatically with percentage and this may be true across the board and/or in ways I haven't discovered. Bear in mind also that these are based on fairly newly mixed solutions. Hope to have more actual recipes in the not-too-distant future.
FLV Green Apple 5%
The mellowest Green Apple I have ever tasted. Not "weak", but "mellow" (more on that adjective later). Also unexpectedly creamy. Essentially similar to other green apple flavorings I have tasted. It falls on the candy side, but I have the strong impression it could be used with other more authentic-type fruits without candifying them.
FLV Creme de Menthe 5%
A creamy chocolate-mint flavor with what seems to be a tiny hint of menthol. Unlike most of the FLV flavors I've tried, I could vape this one standalone.
FLV Blueberry Muffin 5.5%
Mild blueberry with a hint of muffin. Maybe it needs higher %? Or would work better in a mix? Right now I'd say it's pretty undistinguished. Looking forward to trying the straight blueberry from FLV--people seem to really like it.
FLV Banana 1.5%
I was a little afraid to drip this one because it smells much like TFA Ripe Banana. The FLV version, while definitely a candied banana--like laffy taffy or something--seems to be much less invasive than Ripe. It's really not bad at all on top of a cotton wick already saturated with a Flavorah Coconut and Vanilla Custard combo. Also blends nicely with FLV Peach in very small amounts. I'm looking forward to experimenting with this and my favorite banana (FA Banana, which tastes more like the fruit, but is not very strong) toward my quest for the ultimate banana.
FLV Tropical Citrus 4.5%
Subdued citrus, maybe orange, light grapefruit, lemon/lime. Hard to pick out anything specific.This was more mild than I was expecting, with a surprising creamy element. I have a feeling it might be less laid back in a blend with other flavors. The FLV Tropical Punch was this way: very persistent despite having a lot of what I usually think of as "flavor absorbent" stuff added to it, e.g., cream, pastry or dough flavors.
Edit: I was wrong about it being in any way similar to Tropical Punch. With flavors added (in the dripper) it remains smooth and clear, easily overpowered by other flavors, with no bite or punchy-ness. Very nice with vanilla and/or cream for making a dreamsicle type, I would think.
FLV Spearmint 4.5%
Totally spearmint and very nice. Mixed 50/50 with FA peppermint for a nice Doublemint Gum effect (thanks for the idea for this, HIC). I've never tried another spearmint flavor, but this one is surprisingly creamy. Also quite nice in my Magma on a mechanical mod with INW Kaktus at 3% and FLV Green Apple. (I have no idea what percentage of each...I'm just doing a little flavor mash to get an idea of how they blend
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FLV Lychee 5.5%
This is my favorite of the flavors I've tried. Lychee is intense - like Chinese lychee-flavored gel candies x2. I would say I massively overdid it at 5.5% even for standalone and will try again around 2-3%. Spicy, but in the good way mangoes sometimes have. There are a few high grapefruit-y notes in there,too. Makes me wonder how it would blend with FLV Pink Guava, which is very grapefruit-y. I'm dreaming of a creamy vanilla fruit blend with a touch of flv lychee and some flv peach, FA mango--and maybe a little cardamom and rum.
FLV Pink Guava 4%
Like everyone else who has tried it has said: this tastes a lot like sweet, mellow grapefruit. It's not devoid of Guava flavor, but it's not the first thing I think of when I taste it, either. This is another of the few I could vape on its own.
FLV Coconut 5%
Really nice, even on its own. Super creamy, no musty or perfumey aspect and delicious w/ FLV v. custard. Seems similar to TFA Coconut Candy but (again!) more mellow. Not less strong, but less sharp. Alfter several days it may be developing subtle spicy notes.
FLV Strawberry 4%
This was weak at 4%. Definitely creamy, but not recognizably strawberry. I would have guessed something like vanilla. Maybe it needs more or less flavoring or sit time. Very odd. OK, I upped this to 7% and now I taste strawberry, but it is still kind of a background flavor. I am really curious how these are going to turn out in mixes. This is not something I would vape on its own.
FLV Vanilla Custard 5.5%
This is the one people have been raving about. Maybe it needs more time to cure--I mean, after only less than a week, it almost certainly does, but what I'm getting vaping it is different from what I smelled when I originally opened the bottle. It smells like something SO very familiar out of the bottle---it might be white cake mix. I tasted it on day six, and it's perfectly nice. It's not blowing my mind, but I will definitely find ways to use it. I'll try to keep posting as it cures and changes. Very tasty with FLV Coconut.
FLV Peach 5%
Similar to TFA Juicy Peach--stronger, and like a lot of FLV flavors, somehow even more mellow, missing any high, sharp notes. (That could be a plus or a minus, depending on what you want it for). I mixed some in the dripper basin with FA Fig and FLV Green Apple for a soft but fully drupe-type flavor and it's DELIGHTFUL.
Sorry to keep using the word "mellow", but that's the quality that keeps coming to mind with these--with a few definite exceptions, like FLV Lychee. But even that still has a smooth, rounded aspect. I am not sure how I feel about this quality. Maybe it is something that makes FLV especially good for vaping and was part of their criteria for deciding which flavors to carry. It is still unclear to me what effect it will have on mixing. It may well be that these are very good for beginning mixers for this reason. Time will tell.
peach & other FLAVORAH notes by redruffensore on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/307mma/my_flv_tasting_notes_peach/
A number of people on reddit have commented on Flavorah's line recently and a search there on "Flavorah" will bring you to them.