Vape Train Australia Light Rum
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 @.31 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Vape Train Light Rum, 1%, 4% and 8%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 18 days.
Flavor Description: A rum top note, but actually boozy.
The rum here feels maybe a bit darker and sweeter than a white rum. I'd probably call it a golden rum or repasado if you're feeling fancy. There's a lighter fruity caramel type note as opposed to just hot booze like you'd get with a real light rum. Again, getting fancy, I'd try to spin as something like a sherry cask age as that fruitiness definitely has something vaguely grape-ish to it. Actually has a moderate booziness, giving a pretty clear impression of an alcohol while not being particularly aggressive.
Relatively top heavy flavor, with a whole lot more going on in the top notes than in the base of the flavor. Some sweeter, lightly caramel type body here but it's pretty thin. Even at higher percentages, I'm still getting some of my testing mix coming through. Kind of unsatisfying as a single flavor rum vape.
Fairly thin overall, and you really only get some of those hotter rum notes and some sweetness in mixes. While not cloying by itself, it will definitely sweeten up a mix.
Off-Flavors: Not a bunch of body here, maybe a bit sweet for a light rum.
Throat Hit: Moderate, but it's a booze and feels pretty appropriate.
Percentage testing: At 1%, this isn't really working for me. More light, sweet fruitiness than a distinct rum note. Very thin.
At 4%, I'm getting a pretty solid sweet rum top note. Lightly fruity, with a light caramel body. Tastes boozy.
At 8% I'm really not getting any more booze than 4%. The body is just a bit thicker, but still feels a bit undersaturated and thin.
Vape Train suggests mixing with this at 2-5% and using it standalone from 5-9%. Just based on these tests, I'd probably be using this around 4-5%. I'm not really getting a fuller rum or more satisfying booze effect than that higher. Definitely an accent flavor as a solo rum.
Uses & Pairings: Without any backup, this comes across like a splash of a fairly mellow rum in a cocktail mix. Using just the light rum, I'd wager you could get pretty close to a rum and coke or mojito where the rum isn't really being pushed around by super aggressive fruity flavors.
You know that thing where FA Jamaican Rum is delicious but not really boozy? Yeah, this fixes that. All of the rum's I've tried so far don't really have a pronounced booziness. This does, and it pretty much slots on top of darker, heavier rum flavors if thats your thing. Seriously, 4% of this on top of 2% FA Jamaican Rum and you're basically in cocktail town. It may now be possible to make a boozy pina coloda. We talking mai tais, dark and stormies, hurricanes, daquiris... really, the sky is the limit here in terms of cocktail applications.
You want to go darker? Like a spiced rum? Starting adding some TPA Brown Sugar or FLV Caramel for some extra sweetness and depth on top of that FA Jamaican Rum and start adding in whatever spices you dig like cloves, cinnamon, and some extra vanilla. The hangover isn't included.
I wouldn't really be using this outside of cocktail applications. Most of the rum going into bakeries, custards, and candies has most of the booze driven off by heating... and there are better options for that.
Second Opinions: