The Flavor Apprentice Fruit Smoothie
ConcreteRiver
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 12 wrap 24g 3.5mm SS316 @.33 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: TPA Fruit Smoothie, 3% and 6%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 10 days.
Flavor Description: Dense mouthfeel and tangy candy, not really a fruit smoothie in the traditional sense.
There's definitely something fruity in here. Feels sort of waxy and artificial. Tastes generically red with some cherry and strawberry, but occasionally I pick up a bit of banana and maybe kiwi. Hard to pin down an exact flavor on this one. Much more of a candy fruit flavor than anything realistic. I do pick up some tarter notes, but it's coming across more like a generic candy tartness. Overall effect tastes a lot like an energy drink flavor, with that pixie stick kind of sweetness which sticks out a bit next to the waxiness of that fruit.
I think the smoothie part of the refers mostly the texture. Dense, thick mouthfeel that feels a bit separate from those fruitier notes. I'm not picking up any dairy notes from the smoothie portion of this, and that volume itself feels pretty neutral. That waxiness on the fruit also comes across in the vapor, and seems a bit sticky. Kind of like vaping candy flavored lip gloss.
Off-flavors: Candied fruit instead of anything like the actual fruit you'd use in a fruit smoothie. Nothing chemical or unpleasant though.
Throat Hit: Light. That tartness can get a bit harsh but the volume here is crazy smooth.
Percentage testing: At 3% the fruit part of this just tastes generically sweet and tart. I'm picking up maybe something red tasting, but not much nuance or definition. Texture is full and the mouthfeel is waxy.
At 6%, noticeably more sweet and tart. Fruit is maybe a bit more defined and I'm getting a clearer cherry note. Seems denser and thicker. Still nothing that really reminds me of a fruit smoothie.
Just based on these tests, I'd probably be using in candy vapes around 8% as a primary note. There is a lot of body and texture here but not much actual flavor at lower percentages, so may be useful just for texture and tartness at 2-3%.
Uses & Pairings: For being called fruit smoothie, I don't really know how you'd make this taste non-artifical. Would take additional fruits well with that texture, you'd just have to deal with that waxy candy sweetness.
I'd use this more as a candy base. If you crank up the flavor a bit with some more cherry, strawberry, or pomegranate you'd probably come out with something that felt a lot like a taffy vape. I'd stay away from anything too floral, but should work well with most fruits you want to throw at it as a chewy candy base.
The more I vape this, the more it's starting to remind of something like Nerds. I Think you could keep that neutral volume, and start throwing in more FW/TPA Sweet and Tart to really saturate this and turn into a a brighter, acidic candy vape that isn't too thin and harsh.
Second Opinions: Nah, not that I've found.