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.
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.
From Darren on ELR, regarding specifically the soon to be GONE, VTA flavors, BUT, not limited to …
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.
Unicorn Vomit (FLAVRZ) 8% (5-30-23) – I’ve never Unicorn’d before, so breaking NEW ground, again. At 8% this one was still fairly weak, with fairly unidentifiable individual flavors, but my first impressions were “Skilttles meets Sweettarts”. While somewhat relaxed, it really did present as a mixture of both of the aforementioned candies. I tried adding a drop of SS to see if it would “boost” it, and it did, albeit slightly. After about the third tester, it seemed as if the Sweet Tarts were a bit higher than the Skittles, if that helps. Having never unicorn’d before, I could still see a use for this flavor, as it’s bright, candied tart/sweet/sour notes could be easily used in numerous recipes, but as a solo, it felt a little lacking. Not that it was 2 dimensional, but it just felt like it needed something. No off-notes, and at the testing weight it was just below mid-level sweet. After finishing the last tester, my original assessment stood, and that was (you guessed it), a bright, punchy pairing of Sweet Tarts, and Skittles. The somewhat relaxed nature of this one would be about the only take-off, and it felt fairly placed @ 7.1/10.
Virginia Tobacco (Premium) (FLAVRZ) 6% (5-31-23) – As mentioned previously, I am NOT a tobacco-head, and don’t travel in the NET circles, so if you want a REAL in depth tobacco break down, I’m not the guy, hehe. BUT, let’s talk about this ANY way. To my tastes, AND, as a non-tobacco flavor kind of guy, this was a good one. It presented as a brighter tobacco, POSSIBLY flue cured, and with some really good earthy tones that kept it grounded. It was a brighter tobacco throughout, with just a pinch of the lower/earthy notes on the finish for clarification. It had an almost “leafy” quality to it, and seemed mostly absent of most of the darker tones, and/or burnt aspects. It was sweetened, but I would NOT call it sweet, and it was a bit lower than mid-level sweet. Throughout the entire 3 testers, I did get an almost “green” note, which is/was hard to explain, but it translated into more a a cured tobacco accent, without the darker, more smoky notes. At 6% it was full, and didn’t feel like it needed to be increased at all. In closing, this one was a crisp, clean, light tobacco leaf, possibly flue cured, with an almost “green” undertone, with some light earthy tones, but sans the darker smokey notes. You guys know I’m reluctant to review baccos, and scoring them is even harder, but this one seemed to be really on target for a Virginia Tobacco, and I’m scoring it high @ 9.75/10. Not candied like an RY4, and maybe the perfect tobacco for other not tobacco-ers like me.
Watermelon (FLAVRZ) 8% (6-1-23) – I could tell the moment I tasted this one, something was up. It didn’t smell like a full on watermelon, and it didn’t taste like one either. What it DID taste like, was more of a Watermelon crossed with one or more other melons. At 8% it was middling strong, and not in your face in any way. At first I thought maybe I was getting some rind from it, and further testing seemed to prove that to be true. Now while it wasn’t a bad flavor, it never really took off as a juicy red watermelon, but stayed more in the medley camp. It was fairly fresh, and had good juicy notes, and nothing off-putting, or floral I personally would have preferred a much more juicy red focused approach to it. Not every one can be a winner, right ? All in, for a “Some watermelon, and some of these other melons” not too shabby, but as a solo watermelon, it left things a little lacking. It was an interesting vape, and I had polished off two testers before I knew it. It felt fairly placed a little lower, and at a 6.0/10
Watermelon OZ (FLAVRZ) 8% (6-2-23) – Aussies HELP me out here !!! I got into this one RIGHT on the heels of the Watermelon, and again, I wasn’t getting a huge, full on watermelon. It was almost like I was getting a lot of the white fleshy part, and some rind, but none of the red. I’m wondering if this is an Australian thing, or maybe this/these particular compounds just aren’t translating for me. With THAT outta the way, this tasted much better, and fuller than the regular Watermelon, and despite not knocking it out of the park for my needs for the “red” part of the WM, it was good. I believe it is one of FLAVRZ best sellers, so it COULD be me, hehe. I did continue to get a very good “melon” and “rind” from it throughout all of the testers, and by melon, I don’t mean anything like a honeydew, but still very melon-like. To my tastes, it was actually a fair amount fresher than the regular WM, and juicier. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and there were no off-notes, florals, or perfumes. I feel the need to repeat this, but even without the red sticky WM that I am/was used to not really showing up to the party, it was a damned good, and addictive flavor. I’ll def. have to rate this above the regular WM. In closing, a VERY good melon which presented as fresh, and juicy, with plenty of rind notes, and about the only take-offs (for my tastes) would be the fairly lacking “red” watermelon notes. Judging by my scale and criteria, 8.0/10 felt pretty good. Aussies SOUND OFF on this one if you’ve got experiences with Australian Watermelons !!!
White Chocolate (FLAVRZ) 8% (6-2-23) – Out of the gate, I could tell this was one of the weaker flavors. It was almost stronger when tasting, than vaping. While light, it proved to be a very clean, accurate white chocolate. What I was glad I DIDN"T GET was some of the funkyness, or chalky dryness that I’ve gotten from a few of the other WC’s. Smooth, somewhat (but not entirely) creamy, with a light mouthfeel. I think that because it WAS lighter, and not overly heavy handed, some of the more subtle notes were visible (to the palate that is). Sweet, buttery, and just a hint of vanilla, with NO cocoa, just like a good WC should be. Nothing sour, dry, or out of place, and it was just at about mid level sweet. As I’ve stated regarding a few other of the flavors, about the only real take off would be the light presence. Granted solo’ing put’s it ENTIRELY under the spotlight, and cannot even BEGIN to assume/predict how it will pair in recipes, but some caution should be used so as not to overpower it. All in, a good, clean, fairly relaxed WC, with none of the sourness or dryness that can plague many of them. As mentioned, taking off, but only due to the relaxed presentation. Subtly placing this one at 7.0/10.