Flavour Art Gin
ConcreteRiver
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 15 wrap 26g 3mm Nifethal 70 coils @.19 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: FA Gin @ %2, 60/40 VG/PG, Steeped 13 days.
Flavor Description: Juniper, basically. Really heavy on the juniper, with a lighter sour lemon base and some raw alcohol notes tucked away in there. Not particularly juicy or wet, but manages to avoid coming across as dry juniper needles. Fairly delicate flavor, with a light overall sweetness and nothing that reads as straight bitter.
Inhale is a slightly sour and moderately dense. High pine-resiny top notes over a pretty non-descript base. Really mild sweetness. Exhale has soft sour lemon right up front, and then those those juniper top notes kick in on the back half. Definitely more of a juniper berry at first, with the tail end of the exhale picking up a lot of pine or spruce notes. A relatively light raw alcohol right in the middle of that transition where the concentrate just seems to "click" for a moment. Lingering christmas tree finish as those spruce notes get pretty pronounced and the rest of the flavor thins out.
Off-flavors: Nah. Definitely reads "gin."
Throat Hit: No, not really if you're into this kind of thing. Little bit of a tingling sensation in the mouth, but nothing going on in the throat.
Uses & Pairings: We've got to talk cocktails, right? Half the battle is going to be mouthfeel. This definitely tastes like gin, the problem is the texture. I'd add a low percentage of CAP Cucumber for more savory cocktails, and INW Cactus for sweeter cocktails to get that base kind of wetness you need. You're also going to want some kind of cooling, just for that iced drink effect. Koolada is my go to for that, usually at .25%. Traditionally used with some citrus, preferably a juicier, sweeter citrus unless you just want a lime twist from FA Aurora. Works well with juicier dark berries like FA Blackcurrant and FLV Cranberry. FA Cucumber would also be an option. Florals can work, but use them sparingly. "Greener" florals that have more an actual plant vibe work better, so FA Jasmine, FLV Elderflower, or just a tiny bit of Rose. Champagnes will work well and add to the dryer boozy vibe. And FW Martini tastes just like dry vermouth.
Beyond cocktails, this is going to get a bit weird. You could add a very very low percentage (like 1 drop per 30ml) to fruit mixes to pop some of the greener peel notes with that extra kick of pine-ish juniper but it'd be really easy to over do.
Anything past that, and you're on your own.
Notes:
S&V concentration testing, this still pretty distinctive at .5%. If anything, you get more raw alcohol and that juniper note is relatively mellow and the sweetness is pretty non-existent. 1% brings in some of that sweetness and those top notes taste pretty authentically light and herbal. 1.5% has quite a bit more body, and those juniper notes are getting more aggressive. 2% is prominent juniper. 2.5% is getting sort of off-puttingly sweet solo, and that juniper is losing a lot nuance and going straight tree. 3% is getting bitter overall and a bit rough. I'd use this in a more floral, lighter bodied cocktail at 1%, knowing that the cactus or cucumber will be watering this down a bit and softening some of that juniper. I'd bump up to 2-2.5% for a cocktail involving some sweetness and citrus, as you'd need that to get the juniper to get this to carry over a more aggressive citrus zest and koolada to temper the sweetness and avoid it building on your palate.
A solid but not remarkable gin, easily available for damn near everyone. Overall a little one-note with that heavy juniper but perfectly serviceable for most of your gin needs.
Second Opinions:
"The very realistic aroma and flavor of actual gin (with the same distinct juniper flavor), especially right after mixing.
It is a little bit sweet. This is an excellent addition to fruity vapes, even if you don't drink alcohol. Adding 1% FA Gin makes light fruit flavors bright and summery; it adds spark to darker fruits and berries; it enhances all the citrus flavors.Use 2% or more Gin with fruits for vape-replicas of cocktails. Just look online at bartender recipes for inspiration (google 'gin cocktails' for a good start.)Combined with some fruits, even 2% Gin can give you a nonalcohol flavor. 2% Gin, 1% Lime Tahiti, 1% Cherry reminds me more of soda or tonic water than a mixed drink."
Happy Hour FTOW Thread. Both u/HokusKrokus/ and u/ID10-T/ call it straight juniper. /u/bogey_again finds it a bit more nuanced, calling it "juniper, coriander, with licorice basically woody with some some spice."