Part II:
In case you haven’t been following the first series, @Jetz was kind enough to send a MASSIVE shipment out of their FLAVRZ flavors, One-Shots, and Flavor Shots for the purposes of this review. He sent SOO many I had to break them down into Series. This is (duh), the Second Series, with MORE to follow.
As always, the flavors are/were tested at the listed percentages, in a 70v/30p/3mg carrier base. All tested on my very trusted SteamCrave RDTA v.1 running dual vertical Kanthal 24ga. coils, which were dry burned in between every test, with fresh KGD cotton. They were all tested at 65 watts.
On the FIRST series, I started testing at 5% for the most part, and stepped many up to 8% and by a wide margin, they all seemed to fit better there. Unless specifically stated in each review to the contrary, I ran this second series at 8%.
In case you missed it up top, jump to series I here.
Marshmallow (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-6-23) – Starting off with this, the FIRST flavor in the second series from FLAVRZ, with a BANG !!! I had to make REALLY sure before I made any “official” statements, and ran through THREE testers just to make sure. I think this may be the NEW, Best Marshmallow I have ever tried. Any of you who know my S’mores obsession, know that I know the mallows. I regularly use FA, and TPA’s for different purposes, but this one, hehe, is damned good. As mentioned, I shifted my testing weights (unless otherwise specified), at 8%, and this one was BANG ON at that weight. My first impression was, “Wow, this is an ACCURATE marshmallow”, and three testers later, that hasn’t changed. Most others are good, and have their pro’s and con’s, and I use each MFG’s for different purposes. I literally tasted JUST like I had stuffed a real marshmallow into the SteamCrave. Mouthfeel was def. above average, and although I can’t speak to any “softening”, or “tempering” in mixes yet, solo’d, this was now the Marshmallow to get. Accurate, accurate, and MORE accurate was all you need to know about this one. Nice smell, taste, mouthfeel, it just had it all. Some flavors can start to mute, or sour after a few tankfuls, but this one finished JUST like it started. A beautifully fluffy, accurate, spot on marshmallow. Despite looking VERY hard for any nit-picks I could not find even a HINT of one with this flavor. Sweetness was a few ticks above mid-level, and there were no off-notes to be had. 8% solo, suited this flavor just fine, and I can’t WAIT to get it into a S’mores. Not burnt, browned, campfired in anyway, just a super authentic tasting marshmallow. With only slight hints of vanilla, it stayed completely true to a neutral marshmallow. If you love S’mores, Marshmallows, or are in need, just ADD it to the cart now. 10/10 without hesitation.
Marshmallow Custard (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-7-23) – This one proved to be an INTERESTING flavor to say the least. Having NOT tested FLAVRZ’s Vanilla Custard yet, BUT having tested the Marshmallow, I felt I did get some of the MM I’d previously tested in there. It was tempered, or rather, blanketed in a somewhat creamy Custard, which did taste like a Vanilla Custard. It was not very eggy, and seemed to be more of a Custard/Pudding pairing. Exactly nailing it down was tricky due to the MM pairing. At 8% it was solid, and didn’t feel the need for more, and there were no off-notes but for a slight astringent finish. I’ll know more when I solo the VC as to whether or not that was the culprit or not. Just below mid-level sweet, and fairly rich. Rich enough to make you wonder how FLAVRZ did it, sans all of the DAAP. Rich, somewhat creamy, and mallowed up, really sums this one up. 3 testers later, I still couldn’t tell if the VC had a slight eggy-ness or not, and if so, it was covered up by the delicious mallow form the Marshmallow. The pairing of the two, was really interesting, and seemed to play off of the two main element’s strengths, without conflicting. All in, this was an interesting, and unique pairing of a pudding-like Vanilla Custard, with possibly just a smidge of eggy-ness, melded into a realistic marshmallow. Minor take-offs for the slight astringent finish, but that, was about all there was to nit-pick on this one. Tastily done, and leaving it hgih @ 9.0/10.
Marshmallow Natural (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-7-23) – Having had GREAT results with the previously tested Marshmallow, was indeed wondering how different the “natural” would be in comparison. My immediate reaction was not natural, but more of a smaller, dusted, candied Marshmallow. It even had the almost wintergreen-ish powdered finish note. Sweetness was just above mid-level, and it felt pretty good at 8%. While the previously tested Marshmallow tasted exactly like a fresh marshmallow, this one continued to taste like a smaller dusted marshmallow, almost like you would get in some breakfast cereals. No overt malty notes, and because of the “candied” and “powdered”-ness, it tasted less like a real,fresh marshmallow. It was def. different than the MM, and that would allow for different uses between the two of them. My preference would easily be the Marshmallow. This one did have a distinct, very slight metallic undertone that I couldn’t shake, and while not off-putting, was still there. All in, it was fairly accurate for a smaller powdered marshmallow, but not sure if “natural” was the selling point. It felt good at 8.0/10.
Menthol (FLAVRZ) 1% (5-7-23) – As a general rule, I do NOT use cooling agents of ANY kind. Even small amounts of cooling can completely ruin a juice for me. SO, with THAT said, Menthol. I tested this SUPER low due to my complete dislike, and distrust for cooling agents. This didn’t let me down, as I hated it, just as much as any OTHER. Granted Menthol may not be as extreme as some of the others, and it did impart a taste. That taste was Vicks VapoRub. There was minor cooling at 1%, and, well, it tasted menthol-y. Despite really not liking menthol, I did complete the test, but JUST for you guys. Having little to no other menthols tested to compare, let’s just say, it tastes like Menthol, and it seemed to have more taste than cooling at this weight. It tasted like it was named, so for that, I’ll leave it fairly high @ 9.5/10.
Mixed Berry (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-7-23) – Right out of the gate, I liked this medley. It was non-descript in so much that I couldn’t clearly identify any specific berries, and that is a testament to it’s ratios OF the different berries. It actually kind of reminded me of RFSC’s Yumberry. At 8% it was full but also slightly relaxed. Sweetness was about mid level, and there was some nice tarty-ness on the finish that helped it pop. There were no off-notes, and the more I tested this one, the more it seemed I might be getting a delicious Red Currant in this one. At times it felt like something was holding this one back from popping a little more, hence my aforementioned “slightly relaxed”. It felt like it was about 80-85% of the way there. No overt darker berries, but a great Red Currant with some others flirting around it in the mix. It was a little below mid-level sweet, and there was nothing out of place, and about the only take-off would be the slight recessive-ness. Rating on flavor only I would have rated it higher, but with the slight relaxed nature, it still felt really good @ 8.75/10.
Mixed Berry Natural (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-9-23) – Testing this one directly after the Mixed Berry, I could better compare/contrast the two of them. This one presented almost exactly at the Mixed Berry regular, BUT, it was better, and more intense, and that was a good thing. I got the same nondescript berry medley that seemed centered around a red currant and some other mid dark berries. I wasn’t sure exactly what changes were made in this, the “natural” version, but it worked. About mid level sweet as the regular, and no off-notes, and it was damned good at 8%. Noticeably more present than the regular version, and with about the same tarty finish as the regular. All in, a mirror image of the regular Mixed Berry, but better, and with increased saturation Easily a 1 point increase, and leaving it at 9.75/10.
Mulberry (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-10-23) – I think Darren had mentioned this one, and he was waiting to hear what I thought about it, and NOW I see why. It was great. It tasted like a lot MORE than “just a mulberry”. It had the common similarities to a raspberry, but seemed to have more punch and tart than expected. Almost like what a blue raspberry is to a raspberry. It felt taken to the NEXT level Sweetness just above mid-level, and no off-notes, or florals at 8%, which was a great weight for this. The main notes tasted more complex, and richer than a simple berry. Not a medley per se, but def. far more complex than just a single berry. It had some really nice lower/darker tones, mids, and a nice high end tart finish. Although it wasn’t overt, it had a nice darker, almost earthy undertone, BUT, in a good way, that seemed to tie it all together. A really good Mulberry, with raspberry notes, along with some darker berry notes, and a really good tart finish it was this did, all day long. A very good berry to add to your collection, and I couldn’t go lower than 9.8/10 on this one.
Orange (FLAVRZ) 6% (5-12-23) – I spent a little extra time with this one, to better try and explain it. It was very good at 6%, and really seemed to be a mix of natural and artificial combined. It was a neat one as it never really seemed to be either, but both. At times I thought it was almost orange soda-y, but not completely. At times I got an almost tangerine undertone, mixed with a nice juicy orange. On the finish, there was always a nice citrus oil effect, that really closed the deal. Fairly fresh, somewhat juicy, and it really did straddle both the natural and artifical both, which would allow it to be used much more than if it were one OR the other. Not candied, nor a soda, and sweetness was at about mid level, with no off-notes to be had. It was a really good orange that straddled more than one type, and with some interesting trangerine (almost) undertones with a really impressive citrus oil (almost) finish. Too good to nit-pick, and it would really work for most, if not all of my orange needs, including a GREAT orange-sicle. Placing this little juicer high at 9.6/10.
Peach (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-13-23) – “Golden Yellow and Delicious” were my immediate take-aways on this flavor. WOW, because FLAVRZ got this one right too. After a short break in, and 3 testers later, this one stayed impressive. It didn’t present like a fresh picked peach, BUT, it did taste more like peaches in syrup, sans the syrup. What I really liked was it had plenty of rich yellow almost canned peaches nuances, with some nice ripe aspects on the top if that makes sense. Typically peaches for me are one or the other, meaning ripe OR (fill in the blank), but here we had BOTH. Sweetness was about mid level, and despite really leaning towards peaches in syrup, it was in no way syrupy, or sickly sweet. Just a hint or tart, and just surrounded in juicy yellow peach is the best way I can explain this flavor. It was nicely full at 8% with no off-notes, and it was also very hard to nit-pick. I think your needs for a peach will decide better than I can, but for an (almost) peaches in syrup, with great ripe notes, and a touch of apricot, you can’t go wrong with this one. Most of my uses will favor a peach like this, and therefore will rate it fairly high, with no real issues or nitpicks. 9.6/10.
Peacharine (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-14-23) – One of the MOST interesting things for me when testing flavors, is when two (or more) known, easily identifiable flavors are mashed up, and they take on a completely NEW light. This one, WAS one of those flavors. I went into this one thinking I would simply identify what ratio each of the main notes were, and move on. That DID however, prove to be complicated, hehe. A Peach, and a Nectarine meet in a bar and … You get the idea. Now what was most interesting, was I had JUST tested FLAVRZ’s Peach with great results, and had expected that to show up here as well. If it WAS, it was ingeniously concealed. If I looked REALLY hard, (at times) I could almost pick out a Peach, and Nectarine, but overall, the two were soo well blended / ratio’d, that I couldn’t detect either. The melding of the two, REALLY did present as a NEW flavor of sorts. Juicy, fresh, and with nuances OF Peaches and Nectarines, but fully neither. No overt tartness, sour, or sharp notes overall, and no off-notes either. At 8% it was actually really good. If you want a UNIQUE fruity mashup that probably tastes like NOTHING on your racks right now, this one WILL fill that spot. Because it rode the lightning, and was just perfectly split between the two main flavors, you could get a lot of use out of this one, and in a myriad of recipes. I like to be surprised with flavors, and it doesn’t happen as often any more, but this one, DID, just that. A really unique pairing from FLAVRZ, that really did seem to create a NEW flavor from the mashup. Hard to mark down just because of the lack of identifiable fruits, and marking UP, for the execution on it. Handily a 9.3/10.
Peanut (FLAVRZ) 6% (5-14-23) – “Sometimes, you feel like a nut …”. And this IS one of those times my friends. Matter of fact, if you’re allergic to nuts you may NOT want to try this one, as it was damned peanut-y. At 6% it was about perfectly situated, and didn’t feel over, or under-powered. No off-notes, or overt artificial notes either. It presented as a slightly salty, slightly sweet Peanut. It had JUST that right amount of earthy-ness to sell itself, but without being overpowering. After 3 testers, nothing changed, and I liked it just as much as I did on the first tankful. Crisp, peanut-y with some earthy tones, and just enough salty and sweet to sell it. To be accurate, it was more sweet than salty, by maybe a 2:1 ratio, and that still left it just below mid-level sweet. It was strong enough without being overpowering, and lingered on the tongue which was actually very much LIKE eating fresh peanuts. About the only take-off would be for the slightly higher than expected sweetness, which just ever so slightly pushed it out of 100% authentic, BUT, that didn’t stop me from powering through 3 testers before I knew it. Solidly a mostly realistic Peanut, with barely any take-offs, I had no choice but to leave this hgih @ 9.0/10.
Peanut Butter (FLAVRZ) 6%
Pear (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-14-23) – Getting the “sugar sand” effect from any flavor can be almost impossible, including Pear flavors. Sadly I did not get it from this one, BUT, I seldom do with any Pear flavor. This one started out really good, but kind of fizzled out near the end. It had SOME Pear nuances, and a very distinct “green-ness” that was SIMILAR to a Green Apple, BUT, without the tart or sharp notes, so similar was just for lack of better terms. Even at 8% it was a lighter flavor, and you COULD indeed get some Pear FROM it, but it wasn’t overtly a Pear. Perhaps going even higher might have worked, but it just seemed like a lighter flavor. No off-notes, and nothing out of place, but it just needed a bit MORE of the Pear that was in there. What I did get was a fresh, green pear, lightly sweet, and it had a really nice “crisp” finish. Not tarty like a green apple, but “crisp” was the best way to describe it. All in, a good START for a Pear, but it would need a little boosting to help it. All in a good, but fairly light/recessed fresh pear. The ONLY take-offs were for the fairly recessed nature OF the flavor not the flavor itself. It felt good at 6.5/10.
Plum (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-20-23) – Finishing out the P’s with the Plum from FLAVRZ. I honestly didn’t get a ton of Plum FROM this one, but more of a grape-ish, with maybe a hint of Port Wine mixed in. I mean, it wasn’t a full on grape, but that was the closest comparison I could think of. Maybe some plum skin perhaps, but the full Plum never really revealed itself. The funny thing was, it WAS a good flavor, and had some darker purple undertones, some grape notes, and some almost grape/plum skin notes. Very interesting. Sweetness was below mid level, and there was a slightly sour, almost fermented undertone to it, which is why I think a grape-ish flavor is the best comparison. It was nicely purple and full at 8%, and there was nothing off-putting, JUST not putting out a lot of Plum for me. For a Plum, I will have to down-rate it a bit, but don’t let that scare you off, as for a almost grape (purple) flavor, with a hint of wine, it was actually very good. Trying to place it fairly purley for it’s namesake @ 5.0/10.
Portello (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-20-23) – BACK to the P’s we go, with the Portello from Flavrz. Thankfully (as I’d never heard of it before), @Jetz was kind enough to drop some intel on the Portello. This one, WAS another interesting one. This one had a distinct berry mix/medley, BUT, they weren’t always completely identifiable. At times I did get some darker berries, and maybe even a hint of grape, but most of the time, it was just more of a mid to darker berry medley. Now the interesting thing was it tasted like it was riding on a soda carrier. Now it wasn’t billed as a “soda”, but it sure tasted like it had soda undertones. No fizz, no carbonation, but it tasted like MORE than just berries. At 8% it was actually very good, and there was nothing off-putting. At times I almost wondered if this was berries riding on top of some of FLAVRZ Creaming Soda. At about mid level sweetness, and having some nice tarty-ness on the finish, this one was good and unique. It wasn’t as sharp as a berry only flavor, and I kept trying to identify what it was paired with. A really hard one to fully identify, but I’ll leave it as a very good mid to mid-darker berry medley that tasted like it was riding on top of a creaming soda. Not straight berries, but in many ways, better. Solidly placing this one at 9.3/10.
Popcorn (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-16-23) – Wow, I had a great time testing this one, and it was hard to put down. I HAD expected maybe a heavy/heavier AP note, or Los Fritos, BUT, neither were present. Score !!! What I did get, was a very nice, slightly light freshly popped popcorn, that had some pretty good butter notes. Sweetness was almost at mid-level, which was unexpected, as it was not a “Kettle Corn” flavor, BUT, it wasn’t that distracting. It was freshly popped through and through, but was not a heavy overall flavor. No face-smashing AP, no drooling butter, but a more refined, almost more “pleasant” popcorn. Before I knew it, the 3 testers were done, which is testament to how good it was. Because it was somewhat sweeter, it would be HELLA easy to push into a Caramel Corn, or a Kettle Corn. The corn notes were fairly natural, and accurate, and stayed fresh tasting to the last tank, with zero bitterness or burnt notes. Strangely enough, I had the urge to mix up a Popcorn Custard while testing this one !!! All in, it was a very good, freshly popped popcorn, with good butter notes, and mid level sweetness, that didn’t get overly “corny”. About the only nitpick would be the slight relaxed nature of it, and not the profile(s). Minor take-offs for that, and at 8% it was pretty good as a solo. Easily a 9.1/10.
Rainbow Drops (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-21-23) – If you’re old enough, you remember the Original Skittles. You know, with the Lime instead of the newer version with Green Apple. Yes, that’s RIGHT, they did the “Green Switch-a-roo” on ya. Needless to say, old OR new, this flavor, Rainbow Drops is about as SPOT ON for a Skittles flavors, that I’ve ever tested. Sure sure, there are a lot of them out there, and many end up going down “Sweet Tart” road, but this one stayed very true and accurate for, Skittles. Much like just eating a handful of them, I couldn’t always pick out the individual flavors, except for sometimes getting the Grape, and maybe the Orange, and most times, it was just a handful of Skittles. It was about perfect at 8%, and did NOT leave you wanting, with the candied fruit medley you’ve probably grown up with, with just the right balance of fruit flavors, sweet, and tart. No sweet tarts here, just skittles. Sweetness was a few ticks above mid-level, which was expected, and was not cloyingly sweet. The slight citrus kick at the end, worked well to finish it off, and the entire front and middle of it was just (you guessed it), like hammering away a handful. Very authentic, and absolutely nothing out of place, missing, or askew here. If you love the Skittles, you WILL love this flavor, and if you don’t, well, hehe, move along, because that is what you get with this one. A few testers into it, it was still bright, and zingy with no muting, or fatigue. All in, if you love the Skittles, just get a bottle of this now. Easily a 9.9/10.
Raspberry (FLAVRZ) 6% / 3% (5-21) – In case you’re wondering why I have 6%, then 3% for the testing weights, was because I initially started at 6%, and it felt and tasted a little TOO high, with some florals, and maybe some bending. The good news was, reducing in half to 3% things became MUCH more manageable. At the lower weight, things calmed RIGHT down, and I could better assess the Raspberry. It presented as a mostly natural RB, that covered almost the entire spectrum of a RB. Low, mid, and high notes, with no real emphasis on any one of the three. It tasted very red, with some darker hints swirling around, and I would compare this to a Malina from INW. Similar but different, but that will get you in the ballpark. Just below mid level sweet, and with a good helping of tart/sour which helped to liven it up, and help it pop more. Because of the lower than mid level sweetness, it was def. NOT a candied, or candy RB. Fresh, not overly juicy, but not dry, and with no florals, perfumes, or any off-notes at the lower testing weight. Probably the most consistent aspect to this one would be it’s “crispness”. A very crisp Raspberry, without being sharp, or harsh. All in, as long as you stay in the “zone” this one performed and tasted very good. No off-notes, but there was a very certain tart-ness that carried through from beginning to end, and I feel that really helped this one, and was not a negative. When finishing the 3rd tester, I had considered a possible red currant undertone in this one that I did not notice as the higher rate. I would strongly suggest starting to solo this one at 3%. It felt very crisply placed @ 9.0/10.
Rum and Raisin (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-23-23) – I’ve never had a R&R before, and I wanted to get INTO this one. Smelled VERY good, and just like it was billed. Now, some of it seemed to get lost in translation, but not all of it. It felt like it tasted about 70% of the way there, when comparing to how it smelled. The raisin notes were just spot on DELICIOUS, and the Rum was less present when tasting than it was when smelling, but was fairly below the raisin. The raisin itself presented as maybe both golden and brown together, and it (IMO) was the star of the show. It was a completely unique flavor, like none other on my racks, and I have a LOT of flavors on my racks. If time permits later I will add this to the re-test list, and test it up higher to see if it better mimic’d the smell. At 8% it was present, and full, and it was honestly hard to put down. I had guzzled through 3 testers before I knew it, and thought, “Uh oh, who’s doing the review” ?? What was surprising about this one, was it didn’t present as a pure raisin, but it was still very present. It tasted richer than a simple plain raisin, and with the Rum lower in the mix, I couldn’t decipher exactly what it was paired with, maybe a fig undertone for just a guess, and needless to say it was damned good. It was one of the harder flavors to fully isolate and explain, but if you’re even some what remotely raisin curious, it would be worth a pickup. About the only take-off would be the shift from how it smelled and then tasted. Didn’t taste bad in ANY way, it just didn’t 100% translate. Possibly fixed by upping the percentage. As it stood, a very good raisin-ish flavor, with subtle Rum undertones, that had NO off-notes, and stayed a few ticks below mid-level sweet. Minor take-offs for the translation. 8/0/10.
Sherbet (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-24-23) – Oh yes peeps, we’re up to the S’s now !!! I actually didn’t realize that Sherbet most times, uses Dairy elements. Never knew that. With that little discovery out of the way, WOW, let’s call this one, the “Lil’ Zinger”. Sharp, punchy, and bright were the big take-aways with this one. None of the aforementioned were bad, and they just work, work, worked. Super punchy, and relatively “clean” throughout. It presented as a “white” sherbet, not orange, or green, etc. It centered around a bright white citrus center, and while not exactly favoring overt Lemon or Lime, it tasted like they were in there, and tempered with a “smoother” middle note. A few ticks above mid-level sweet, and although I didn’t get any “fizz” or carbonation, it was quite zingy, and poppy. Zero off-notes, and it was damn near a One-Shot by itself @ 8%. IMO, slating this as a “white” sherbet, would allow you to EASILY push/pull it, if you wanted to, BUT, you might just think it was too good on it’s own. Either way, a super Sherbet with no take-offs that I could muster. Sparkling-ly placing this one high at 9.7/10.
Shortbread (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-25-23) – Man, all I’ve got to say is, now that I’m up to the S’s, and I’m testing this Shortbread, I’m wishing I had started AT the S’s. This one was good. My initial thought was, “How in the HELL is this DAAP free” ?? Yes, my friends, rich, buttery goodness flowing from this one, along with vanilla and almond undertones, with a GREAT almost grainy bakery. Yes, it was the FULL monty. What IS in your favorite Shortbread ?? The one I bake has butter, flour, vanilla, and almond extracts, and sugar. Nothing fancy, just simply delicious, and THIS my friends, tastes almost exactly like what I bake. I really was surprised how how rich and buttery it was, especially considering the DAAP free-ness of it. The bakery notes had some very nice grainy texture to it, which added to the experience. The vanilla and almond notes while not explicitly identifiable WERE in there. Tasty, and almost crunchy. At 8% it was as strong as you would ever need, and I could find not off-notes, or anything out of place. To my tastes it was everything you would need or want in a shortbread, and nothing you didn’t. While it was fairly butter dominant, it was not greasy, or over powering. Nicely done. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and this one was very hard to nit-pick. If you are in the mood for a great buttery, rich shortbread, just add this to your cart. 9.9/10.
Spearmint (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-27-23) – Back in the saddle, and running the Spearmint. This one was a nice surprise as I had expected an overly cool, maybe bitter mint, but what I got was more of a double mint gum, missing most of the gum, wrapped around a cotton candy-ish center. 3 testers in, I still didn’t feel this was an all natural Spearmint, but much more. It did really remind me of a Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum, BUT, without most (not all), of the gum. The spearmint was pretty accurate, and you could almost taste the oil if that makes sense. The center of this one however, was much richer than expected, and the best way I could describe it, would be almost cotton candy-ish. It worked to liven up, what could have been a linear, 2 dimensional Spearmint, into something much better (IMO), and bigger. Now, if you are, or were looking for a simple, natural spearmint, this may or not not be what you want. If you want a really good Spearmint with some slight gum undertones, with a nice rich, cotton candy paired in, this WILL work out for you. At 8% it was very present, but with no off-notes, bitterness, and only a slight dryness that I typically get from mints. I was happy that I didn’t get any overt cooling from this one, as it had the typical “mint effect” that was LIKE cooling, but NOT a cooling agent. I’m a hater of all cooling agents, and this one did not “trigger” me at all in that regard. The mint was sweetened, and at just above mid-level, and tasted mostly natural with maybe a 80% natural / 20% artificial ratio. All in, this was an enjoyable one to test, and that’s coming from the “Not a big mint guy”, at that. About the only nit-pick would be the slight dryness, that again, I get from most mints, and that was minor, and just barely there on the finish. Beyond that, a really enjoyable one, and entertaining, even as a solo. It felt very good at 9.0/10.
Sponge Cake (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-28-23) – Yum was the word of the day with this one. Who doesn’t love a good spongy sponge cake ? This one presented as a very good sponge cake, BUT, with some yellow cake notes as well. Realizing there are multiple Sponge Cakes out there, the ones I bake always have egg whites, and Baking Soda. This one had many of those characteristics, and was pretty accurate in doing so. I did seem to get some other almost “yellow cake” notes in there as well, and it seemed to rich-en it up a bit, and gave it more body. Many times I thought I could almost TASTE the Baking Soda. At 8% it was very full, and did NOT leave you wanting, and was unmistakably cakey. Sweetness was a few ticks above mid-level, and there were no off-notes, and smelling it, was JUST like tasting it. What you smelled was what you got. In keeping with a traditional SC, it was lighter, without heavy egg yolk or butter notes, but was in no way thin. I was surprised by how rich it was, and that’s where I think I was detecting some yellow cake notes. Not many, but it tasted like it had a little more “weight” than just a light SC. It was an impressive flavor, and I had blown through all 3 testers before I knew it. Light, cakey, with some heavier YC (Yellow Cake) notes thrown in on top. If you love the cake, and need/want one of the Sponge variety, you might as well sign up for this one. Not sure if it’s a take-off or not, because the YC notes that I felt I got, seemed to fatten it up JUST enough, without being overbearing, and because it worked so well, not sure if I could take-off for them. Going to leave this at a 9.2/10, because it was too good not to, and it’s cakey-ness could not be ignored.
Strawberry (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-28-23) – “More Cowbell”, errrrr, “More Strawberry”. I got into this one RIGHT as we were opening the pool up, so I had some good one on one time with it. What I liked most about this one, was the complete, and utter ONRUSH of Strawberry. Juicy, Red, and Look Out !!! It presented as a 50/50 mix of natural / artificial, but didn’t really lean one way or another. The majority of the flavor seemed centered around a juicy red SB, with some green/white (Alpine) notes sprinkled on the top. With the inclusion of the latter, it really was a full spectrum SB. It did taste fairly fresh, and with good juicy-ness too boot. At 8% it was very red, and full, and nothing tasted out of place. The only complaint was, there was a little “translation” issue, wherein it tasted just a bit fuller on the finger, than it did vaping. It wasn’t muted, but it tasted constrained a bit, and I couldn’t figure out why. It was probably more obvious, because of the massive onrush in the beginning, that the finish felt a little lack luster. Sweetness was about mid-level, and there was a certain “tart” that hit you on the finish that was a nice send off. All in, a good wide spectrum 50/50 natural/artificial SB, that was fresh, and juicy with a nice little tart sparkle on the finish. As mentioned, the only take-off would be for the somewhat lack luster finish. It felt freshly placed at 7.5/10. If I get some time (LOL), and can play around with this more I WILL update this review.
Strawberry Biscuit (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-28-23) – Butter, Biscuit, Strawberry, what ELSE could you need ?? Hopefully not much, because THAT is what this one way. Now, the good thing was, none of the three was overpowering, no salty bisquik biscuit, no greasy over butter, and no out of place candied SB here. The SB almost fell behind the other two, but only just. Because the SB was a little lighter, I couldn’t be 100% sure if it was a jam or not (Spoiler, FLAVRZ SB Jam is up next), but it played nice with the other two. The biscuit was present enough to know it was there, and the butter, while clean, accented it nicely. At 8% it was full, but not screaming in your face loud. Sweetness was a little below mid level, and there were no clear off-notes. The SB could maybe have used just a bit more, and maybe a bit more tarty jammy-ness to help it break through more clearly on the finish, but that was about the list of my “shoulda, coulda, woulda”-s. If it wouldn’t have slowed me down, I would have added a touch OF the SB Jam, JUST to see, BUT, gotta stay ON mission. Beyond wanting to tweak the SB just a bit, I got a minor muddled dark(er) note on the finish, and couldn’t fully identify it, but it was only minor. Not quite a one-shot, but still pretty good. Minor take-offs for the slight lack of SB pizazz on the finish, and the darker end note, and that was it. Tasty, just not completely jammy. It felt fairly placed at 8.9/10.
Strawberry Jam (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-28-23) – OK, now we’re cooking with some Jammy Jam Jams. Right away the jammy-ness was very present, and as a whole, it seemed more present than the regular Strawberry. What was interesting, was that it was below mid-level sweet, which you could easily do, if you needed to. It’s nice it wasn’t sickly sweet out of the gate. The strawberry notes were fresh, and rich, but with a fairly jammy slant. It ranged full range from low, mid, and high notes, and had a slightly sweeter finish, than a tarty one. Like the previously tested FLAVRZ Strawberry, it felt like it was missing a little pizazz on the finish, and this time, I’ll take @Jetz’s advice, and see if adding a drop or two of Super Sweet improves that. There was an underlying richness, that was almost buttery, and I’ve gotten this from another SB Jam before, and it works. Very subtle, not overpowering, but it added some richness to the jam notes. At 8% it was strong but not overbearing, and no off-notes to be found. After adding two drops of SS to the tester bottle and re-filling, the SB pizazz did increase, and as expected, it got stickier, and jammier, so it was easy to push into that. All in, a good Jammy SB, and from the MFG it lacked a little punch on the finish, but a dash of sweetener picked it right up. Jamming this one at 9.0/10.
Sugar Cookie (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-29-23) – This one presented as a delicious Sugar Cookie, with an outstanding Vanilla accent. A little butter, a little bakery, and just overflowing with the Vanilla. The bakery wasn’t overly grainy, so there was no “grit” to it, more of a light bakery note, and the butter was fairly obscured by the vanilla, but still just barely present. Sweetness was at about mid level, and there were no off-notes, and, it felt pretty damned tasty at 8%. It was hard to fully define just the vanilla because it was so expertly crafted in with the bakery and butter, but it seemed to favor a mid to brighter vanilla. No spicy-ness, or darker tones, so it was a brighter, cleaner sugar cookie if that makes sense. It also had an almost “creamy-ness” to it, but that could have been the butter/bakery in disguise. All in, there was NO mistaking it WAS a sugar cookie, and a bright, clean one at that. About the only take-off would be a very slight almost sourness on the finish, but even that wavered in and out of perception, so it was minor at best. About the only want, might have been to have a little more “bakery” or “grain” to bolster the cookie part JUST a smidge more, and to give it some weight. All in however, it was a crisp, clean one, and it felt very good at 9.4/10.
Toast Coconut (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-29-23) – This one turned into a mystery of sorts, as I was having a hard time trying to figure out exactly what it was trying to be. Def. a coconut, but I wasn’t getting dry, flaky, or toasted from it, but more of a juicy coconut in coconut milk perhaps. At 8% it was actually quite good, with no oily-ness, suntan lotion, etc, and it was about mid level sweet. Sweetened coconut in a can perhaps, but the “toast” or “toasted” completely evaded my tastes. It leaned more artificial than natural at maybe a 80% artificial / 20% natural ratio. When I think of a toasted coconut, I think of a dry, flaky, coconut with darker toasted notes, but that was not what I got. Not bad, not bad at all, but not really a toasted coconut. No off-notes, which can be hard to do with coconuts, but kind of off base as far as the name, so despite liking it as a sweetened coconut in milk, will have to down rate a little. Leaving this one at 6.5/10.
Tobacco # 37 (FLAVRZ) 6% (5-29-23) – For the record, I am NOT the Tobacco Guy. Hell, I barely even vape them, so no deep NET diving here. With THAT said, and being a non-bacco vaper, this one, I enjoyed. The tobacco had some nice “leafy” qualities, and there was a definite caramel undertone, BUT, not to be confused with an RY4, as this one was MO bacco, and less caramel. There was this other note that kicked in, just on the very end, and it was intriguing. FLAVRZ calls it a burnt brown sugar, and you know what, I think that’s it. Deep and somewhat earthy, the bacco was the star of the show on the front end, then the slightly lighter, rich caramel kicked in for the middle, and then the burnt brown sugar on the finish. Wham, Bamm, Boom. Triple threat. I know RY4’s are often criticized for being too candy like, and although this one was just above mid-level sweet, it didn’t scream candied to me. The mid to dark tobacco WAS the star, with the caramel and brown sugar playing supporting roles. Well, well, well, FLAVRZ has gone and done it now, as previously stated, I am NOT the tobacco guy, but I liked this one. Nothing out of place, and the three main players, fit like a glove, and were plenty strong at 6%… Maybe one of you “bacco-heads” can delve deeper into this one, but for my tastes, it was full, rich, somewhat earthy, and complex enough to satisfy, and keep on doing so. Very good, and nicely placing this one very high @ 9.8/10.