Vape Train Australia Shisha Melon
ConcreteRiver
Disclaimer: I didn't pay for this, shoutout to Vape Train for sending it 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 Shisha Melon, 3% and 7%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 21 days. Flavor Description: Candied cantaloupe and creamy vanilla.
The melon here seems to be the closet to cantaloupe. I realize it’s not the most scientific thing, but the product picture does show cantaloupes and it seems to mostly check out. The cantaloupe feels a little bit more artificial that authentic. Feels like it has some more candied notes that lean close to the canary melon in INW Melon. Lightly juicy melon, but I’m getting a bit of bitterness to this. It seems maybe just a touch floral, and also lightly fermented? Like a chunk of cantaloupe that’s been left out on a buffet table for a bit too long.
Some heavier, richer notes here that sort of fit with a cantaloupe, but there also seems to be some kind of vanilla in here. Feels like a soft-serve ethyl vanillin type flavor, and the creamier parts of this have a fluffier texture. Overall effect is kind of like cantaloupe on whipped cream. Not unpleasant at all, but the vanilla is fairly prominent.
Mouthfeel overall is full, with that fluffier vanilla cream base and the slight juiciness from the cantaloupe. Top end feels just a bit dry, but overall is a reasonably full solo vape. Sweetness pulls toward candy for the cantaloupe, but that creamier base feels like a pretty restrained whipped cream level of sweetness.
Off-Flavors: Creamy vanilla base. Light floral notes and a bit of a vaguely fermented funk.
Throat Hit: Light. Base is very smooth but seems just a bit throaty on the top end.
Percentage testing: At 3%, this feels like a relatively smooth blend of vanilla cream and cantaloupe. Feels fairly soft, without any real separation. Melon is a touch weak, but doesn’t have too many of those more aggressive candy notes. Sweet and sort of just pleasant without being too full of a flavor.
At 7%, i’m getting a clearer separation between the melon and the cream base. Feels more like melon on top of vanilla cream. Fluffy texture to the cream, slight juiciness to the melon with a heavier candied melon taste. Starting to get those off notes though.
The only percentage guideline from Vape Train on this is 5-10%. Just based on these tests, I’d probably be on the lower end of that. I’d use this as an accent around 2% and a primary note from 5-6%.
Uses & Pairings: You could easily play up the creamy vanilla in the base here and add some more whipped cream. In general, canteloupe takes buttery notes better than other melons, so something like CAP Vanilla Whipped Cream wouldn’t be out of the question. You could also thicken this up substantially with something like INW Shisha Vanilla.
Hard to mix around that vanilla note, so any fruits you pair with this are going to pick up a bit of an ambrosia or fruit salad vibe. With that said, should pair well with oranges, strawberries, peaches, pineapples or apricots. You could double down on the melon salad thing with some honeydew or watermelon.
Second Opinions: Nada via the Google.