Flavor Express Sweet Grape
ConcreteRiver
Disclaimer: I didn't pay for these, shoutout to ECX for sending them to me.
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 12 wrap 24g 3.5mm SS316 @.31 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Flavor Express Sweet Grape, 1% and 3%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 21 days.
Flavor Description: White grape juice, with some aloe notes.
The description calls out a candy grape, but this tastes a lot more like a white grape flavor. Fairly heavy lychee-esque white grape right up front of the vape. Greener notes start to come in after that, with a tarter, lightly astringent white grape skin bordering on an almost aloe flavor. There is a bit of a sweeter, almost candied grape in the base but the top of the flavor is pretty identifiably white grape.
Those greener notes here get a little aggressive. It has a bit of a cheap shampoo or aloe drink kind of taste to it. Nothing too intense, but there is just a bit of a bitter floral note on that shows up on the tail end of the exhale. Not nearly as perfumey FA White Grape. Similar to FLV Moscato, but maybe a bit less tart and rhubarb-esque than that can get.
This is fairly sweet for a fruit flavor, but it doesn't have a heavy, warm jolly rancher sweetness. More of a sweetened juice drink sweetness. Lighter mouthfeel with some actual juiciness in here, but does seem to dry out a bit on the tail end of the exhale, at least for me.
Off-flavors: Greener notes on that white grape. Totally standard for white grape flavors, but ends up tasting a bit like a cheap riesling with just a tiny bit of a fruity cheap shampoo in there.
Throat Hit: Light. Base of the flavor is fairly smooth and juicy but I get a bit of dry harshness on the tail of the exhale.
Percentage testing: At 1%, this is a pretty solid if light white grape juice flavor. Soft, slightly juicy mouthfeel. Flavor seems a little undersaturated but good balance of sweeter "grape" and tarter white grape notes. Green notes are working more as an accent.
At 3% this is substantially greener. Fuller mouthfeel and a heavier sweetness. I'm getting some of that shampoo off note.
Just based on these tests, I'd probably be mixing with this as a accent flavor at around 2% to avoid most of those green notes. Not really going to have the body for a primary note there. If you really wanted to go green and tart with it, I'd bump it to 4%.
Uses & Pairings: There are numerous options for a more punchy, convincing candy grape so I'd probably skip trying to turn this into one by itself. Low percentages may be useful in adding some tartness into those candy flavors though.
Seems like more a fit for the background of fruit blends to add some juiciness and sweetness. Should pair well with other grapes, apples, and pears without calling too much attention to itself. I could also see this working well behind harsher citrus to smooth them out and bulk them up a bit.
Or hey, use it fill out that aloe drink vape you've been working on.
Second Opinions: I can't find much substantive out there.
Here's the product page from ECX. Their description: "Sweet Grape by Flavors Express is a perfect candy grape flavor for those looking to emulate grape soda or grape candy type mixes in their next DIY recipe. This flavor works very well by itself or paired with other fruit, candy and beverage flavors!"