Vape Train Australia Blackberry
ConcreteRiver
Disclaimer: I didn't pay for this, shoutout to Vape Train for sending this to me.
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 12 wrap 24g 3.5mm SS316 @.32 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Vape Train Blackberry, 1%, 4% and 8%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 28 days.
Flavor Description: Some realistic blackberry with a heavier dark berry candy edge.
I am getting some distinct blackberry here. There is a realistic dark blackberry tartness. Feels more like a true blackberry tartness rather than the flatter, sweeter himalayan blackberry. It's not really center-stage in the flavor, but the blackberry that I can taste is fairly accurate. Light floral edge, but on the tame side compared to some of the other widely available blackberries (cough Flavourart cough)
If I didn't know what I was vaping, I would have guessed boysenberry though. Specifically, this tastes a lot like a fresh, realistic blackberry flavor mixed with PUR Boysenberry Preserves. There's a candy sweetness and stickiness that reminds me a lot of that swedish fish-ish flavor that FA Blackcurrant can pick up. Seems to be bullying that more delicate realistic blackberry a bit.
Overall, that sweetness and texture does pull the flavor more into the candy category. It almost has a fresh blue raspberry thing going on (if that isn't the dumbest sentence to ever appear on this sub.)
Off-Flavors: Too sweet and sticky for a fresh blackberry. Brighter boysenberry or candy blackcurrant thing going on. Light floral edge.
Throat Hit: Light. Bit of a bite but nothing major for a berry.
Percentage testing: At 1% this feels floral and thin. Just getting a bare hint of a dark berry flavor.
At 4% I'm already getting more of that boysenberry candy flavor than realistic blackberry. Moderate body and sweetness, florals feel pretty restrained.
At 8% that floral note has picked up a bit and doesn't quite seem to be cohering with that candy type base. Heavier body and a good deal of sweetness. Realistic blackberry is getting a bit lost.
Vape Train suggests mixing with this at 3-5% and 5-9% as a standalone. Just based on these tests, I'd be on the low end of that. I'd probably be using this around 3% as an accent and 6% as a primary note.
Uses & Pairings: While this isn't "bad" or unpleasant at all, it doesn't squarely fit into a blackberry profile for me.
I'd accentuate the candy berry thing going on here instead of going hard blackberry. Should work pretty well in brighter, vibrant candy type applications. I'd play it off an aggressive raspberry like INW. You could also further accentuate that sticky redness with some CAP 27 Fish or FA Blackcurrant.
Mixing this with a darker blackberry flavor like TPA Blackberry should add a bit of realism back if you wanted to attempt this in a bakery or custard type profile.
Second Opinions: Not seeing anything out there.