Decadent Vapours Absinthe
ConcreteRiver
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 15 wrap 26g 3mm Nifethal 70 coils @.17 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Decadent Vapours Absinthe @ %5, 60/40 VG/PG, Steeped 14 days.
Flavor Description: Absinthe, or more accurately all of the anise and herbal complexity from absinthe without that super hot, boozy back end. Anise right up front, with some greener basil or fennel herbaceousness . Also it's a slightly radioactive light green color, so that's cool?
Inhale is all candied anise. Not super dense, and the sweetness level is pretty subdued. Exhale has that anise flavor right up front. Not just top notes but right down the middle of the vape as well. As that Anise tapers out a bit, green herbal fennel and basil shows up in the top notes and a base sweetness shows up. Warm, floral almost spiciness there on top of that more solid anise candy base. I also get some warm floral vanilla in there too. Still fairly thin and not super sweet, but nothing astringent or chemical there. Mouthfeel is a bit drier than I'd expect, not really reading as a liquid. Lingering anise with just a bit of a tingly sensation.
Off-flavors: Nah, pretty much everything you'd expect from an absinthe flavor. Solo, I feel like it's just a bit dry and I want it juicier to better mimic an actual liquid, but it's dead on to profile flavor-wise.
Throat Hit: So my personal achilles heel for this concentrate is that It's hard as hell for me to vape. I haven't really seen it mentioned anywhere else, so it may just be me. It seems to just tighten my chest up something fierce. It's not harsh at all, but I just cannot take large draws of this stuff. I don't have the same problem with a straight anise or some of the other herbal flavors I've tried, so I have no actual idea what's going on. I noticed it solo, as well as mixed. It gets a bit better as my throat acclimates, but I still feel like I'm fighting that mysterious chest tightness. I've had a chest cold for going on about 2 weeks, but FWIW this seems to be making a pretty great expectorant... so have fun with that.
Uses & Pairings: This will definitely work as a cocktail vape. It's a tiny bit dry for me solo, but with some INW Cactus or CAP Cucumber for some moisture I can definitely see rocking this as just an absinthe vape. Also a good call in a cocktail that calls for absinthe. Bonus points for for the first person to nail a Corpse Reviver #2 vape.
Outside of cocktails, good interesting component for fruit mixes. Dark berries, apples, and citrus would be my suggestions, but probably worth playing around with.
Also an interesting pairing with florals and herbal flavors like spearmint and vanilla.
Good base for anise candy as well. No real booze here, but a strong, strong well rounded anise flavor.
Notes:
S&V concentration testing, 3% is too weak. I'm still getting some raw cotton in there. 5% is better, but still feeling a bit thin. 7% is getting me a nice thicker vape. The anise is definitely right up front, but it's a nice, round note that isn't a sharp, astringent kind of spice note and not so aggressive it just turns into black licorice. 9% is pushing it for me, as the sweetness is a bit much and you're losing some of the subtlety that keeps this from reading as black licorice. I'd use this at 8% as a single or primary flavor, and mix at something like 5% for an anise component.
I have absolutely no problem recommending this if you're into absinthe. The relatively high use percentage is a bit of a bummer, especially because I'm stuck having to order out of the country to get this stuff, although The cost isn't all that bad. With the exchange rate it's about $3.50 for 10ml and chef's will ship an order for a flat $6.50. They have a good selection of stuff that's hard to source domestically for 'muricans so it gives you a chance to pick up DV, Flavormonks, Solubarome, and strangely cheap 10ml sizes of the crazy priced Flavorah stuff (like a 70% discount on Alpine Strawberry which is crazy). Plus they carry Jungle Flavors, so it can save you an ECX order if you primarily order domestically with a different company. Good stuff though, wish it was stronger and didn't constrict my airways... but it really is tasty. I plan on taking this, mixing at 10%+ with 16mg and throwing it in my icare for a mtl type of vape.
Second Opinions:
So, /u/Runtdastardly is a fan. Their Osiris really is a great use of this concentrate. Their notes on ELR are as follows:
"DV's Absinthe is the real deal. The hype is real, kids. It's a perfect representation, and that lovely, ectoplasmic green hue, which I hope is safe, looks exquisite in mixes.
TPA's absinthe (yeah, that's right, lower case) is what DV Absinthe's is to a burrito at Chipotle VS a super carnitas burrito in Tijuana.
DV Absinthe is costly for US mixers, but, IMHO, totally worth it. Treat yourself to a 100ML bottle and use it in everything. It's seriously that good."
I continue to be a fan of Vaping with Vic's juice reviews. Here's the review for DV's pre-made Absinthe juice.
And here's some more DV Absinthe love in /u/CheebaSteeba/ 's Aura recipe.