Chef's Choice Waffle
ConcreteRiver
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 15 wrap 26g 3mm Nifethal 70 coils @.14 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Chef's Choice Waffle, 3 and 6%, 60/40 VG/PG, Steeped 6 days.
Flavor Description: A drier waffle flavor, bordering on a waffle cone.
The waffle here is actually surprisingly solid. Not a bright yellow eggo type of flavor, and not straight waffle iron. I'd peg this as a close to a middle of the road waffle. Not intensely rich or buttery, but I do get some richer notes that kind of fill in that drier, sweeter kind of toasted meringue note from the waffle. Medium cook on the waffle, not a batter but doesn't have any heavier, burnt notes. Very subtle waffle iron flavor that actually blends in pretty well and complements everything instead of dominating.
I don't get any real maple out of this. There's a a darker bakery vanilla extract kind of flavor that hits some of the same bases as a maple, but I don't pick up anything that feels overwhelmingly like maple syrup here. If it's there, it's a light enough accent that it adds to the profile without dominating.
Texture here is a little dry and flat. Pulls fairly close to a waffle cone. Doesn't seem to have that fluffier mouthfeel for a full on waffle. A bit on the sweet side, but not out of profile for a waffle. There's a bit of a powdered sugar effect with that sweetness and dryness.
This reminds me a lot of a less "dirty" tasting and more full tasting version of Solubarome Waffle. That's a pretty good thing. I'd say this still leans just a bit toward a drier waffle cone flavor but I do get more richness out of this. Not quite buttery, but less dry and almost chalky than the solubarome version for sure. I don't get any of that slightly dirty waffle iron thing I get from the solubarome. I also get a lot less vanilla out of this as well. Shoutout to OptimusRhyme for sending me some of the now extinct INW Waffle, I can confidently say this probably isn't your INW Waffle replacement, but it's pretty decent in it's own right.
Just getting further into weird brands, this is one of the Chef's Flavours rebottled brands. This is from their "Chef's Choice" line, but they have a bunch of other ones. There seems to be a pretty noncontroversial consensus that these are rebranded cupcake world flavors.
Off-flavors: A little bit dry for a straight waffle. That dryness seems to make the flavor a bit muddy with prolonged vaping. Nothing too off here though.
Throat Hit: Light. Mostly just the dryness solo.
Percentage testing: At 3% this doesn't feel filled in. There's some waffle-ish top notes but I'm not getting that more solid texture. Vanilla sticks out a little bit more without the body behind it. There's a light fruitiness this low that feels a bit strange.
At 6% this is quite a bit better. Fuller base, if a little dry overall. Bakery vanilla seems better in balance here. Some very light richness here, I mostly feel it as a richer mouthfeel than the 3% than taste it is a distinct butter note.
Just based on these tests, I'd probably use this between 5 and 8%, although this seems fairly forgiving if you did want to use a heavier hand. I'd mostly watch for the dryness.
Uses & Pairings: Probably a better choice for a waffle cone than Solubarome Waffle. Just run with the dryness here, and the waffle top notes should carry through over an ice cream base.
Decent waffle to try to bulk out if you want a more traditional waffle. A little bit of AP would probably help, along with a fluffier bakery, with maybe a bit of FLV Cream or CAP VC1 to emulsify and add some richness. After that, bright, slightly syrupy fruits should work.
Use to add a little bit more "breakfast" type flavor for a pancake base.
Second Opinions: Surprisingly thin. Can't find anything on Chef's Choice Waffle, and Cupcake World Waffle is damn near impossible to google.