MIXING NOW !!!
Testing out the 5 new Flavor Jungle Ultimates, and 5 One Shots. All tested at the listed percentages, suggested by the MFG. All partial or split percentages were middled from the MFG suggested testing range. All tested on SteamCrave RDTA v.1 with dual 24 ga. Kanthal vertical coils, and either fresh, or freshly burned coils, and Koh Gen Do cotton. Steeped at least 1.5 weeks, and tested at 65 watts.
Ultimate Bavarian Cream (Jungle Flavors) 4.5% (11-21-24) – Let’s get this party started with the new Ultimates !!! This one smelled similar to other BC’s in the bottle, but testing it revealed some differences. Missing were some of the typical dark(er) notes that I get from my other BC’s, which at times seems/ed to border on an almost scorched caramel. This one was fairly free of those darker undertones, and had a very nice, clean, almost Vanilla Bean profile. It was squarely in the BC camp, but just different, with the two aforementioned aspects being the most noticeable. At JF’s recommended strength it was fairly strong, and I’d put it at about a 6.5/10 strength wise. Higher levels might at to more saturation. Very clean, accurate, with no off-notes to complain about. Sweetness was a few ticks below mid-level, and I had no real complaints. I think what you prefer in a BC will dictate if this is for you or not. Overall, it was a somewhat “cleaner” Bavarian Cream, but none of the dark(er) scorched notes found in some others. Because it was a little relaxed at this weight, I don’t know if it could be a primary BC in mixes or not, but would surely work in about every other way. Clean, accurate, and with a nice Vanilla Bean nuance was what this brought to the table. As far as the scoring, I’m basing that on MY preferences, which would include some of the darker, slightly scorched notes, and a little more intensity. I finalized it at a 7.5/10.
Ultimate Fuji Apple (Jungle Flavors) 2% (11-23-24) – If you like Fujis, you’ll like this flavor. My main go to, is FA’s Fuji, and I know it well, and this one, almost tasted fuller than FA’s. This one had every characteristic of a great Fuji, along with a nice honey-like undertone, which paired perfectly with the bright, sharp, punchy top end notes. The ratio of sweet, tart, and slightly sour were very spot on, and I couldn’t see them being any better. In comparison to FA’s, this one seemed to have more body, and some of the heavier notes accented better, rounding it out, and making it more realistic. It still had plenty of the bright punchy high end notes, and the tempering with the almost honey-like notes really worked to showcase both, without either overpowering the other.
At 2% if was very good, with no need to increase, and even after 3 tankfuls, I couldn’t come up with a single complaint. No off-notes, issues, complaints, nada. Granted I don’t use Fuji as much as many of my other flavors, when I do, I could see using this one a LOT. It was actually hard to put down, which is never a bad thing. This one was just about perfect IMO, and leaving it JUST off of perfect, at a 9.9/10.
Ultimate Pineapple (Jungle Flavors) 2% (11-23-24) – Disclaimer !!! My bottle arrived broken, and it covered ALL the bottles in the bag, so I got a little overloaded on this flavor when upacking them LOL. I’ll try to keep it civil. This actually was a great Pineapple, once I got it in the tank that was. My current go to, is VTA Sugarloaf for comparison(s). This one seemed similar to it, but only somewhat. It had a lots of bright punchy high end notes that helped it pop, as well as some of the mid and almost darker notes which helped round it out. It you backed me into a corner, it would be SIMILAR to INW Pineapple mixed with VTA Sugarloaf, … similar. The body was pretty interesting, as it had some “canned” notes, i.e. canned pineapple, but also some nice fleshy notes which were very natural tasting.
At 2% it was very good, but slightly on the light(er) side, registering about an 8/10 strength wise. Sweetness was right around mid-level. When I mentioned “canned”, it was very similar to canned pineapple in juice, but not candied, nor in a syrup. No off-notes, and about the only complaint was a slight dryness on the finish. Even as a main note, I think that could easily be covered up, as it was only minor. A very interesting Pineapple, which spanned “canned”, natural (fresh), and juicy. Enough bright punchy notes to help it break through in a mix, and enough of the mid notes to round it out. Marking down only for the slight dryness on the finish. 9.3/10. This one’s a keeper.
****** UPDATED ****** Flavor Jungle actually reached out to me, and is going to be replacing my broken bottle of the Ultimate Pineapple. Excellent customer service, and YES, this flavor, is Still a keeper.
Ultimate Pink Grapefruit (Jungle Flavors) 3.25% / 4.0% (11-24-24) – Wow, wow, wow, RIGHT out of the gate. When mixing these up, this is the one that stood out. I started testing at 3.25%, and bumped it up to 4% to see if it got better, and it did. This may just be the MOST accurate, and authentic Pink Grapefruit I have tried. In comparison to white grapefruits, Pinks are typically sweeter, and do not have the typical bitterness of whites, and that is EXACTLY what this one was. JF did a great job with this one.
Very natural, with very accurate sweetness, and sourness, and a fresh punchy taste. Not candied, canned, or in any way artificial tasting. No pith, no seeds, no skin. Literally like you were eating a fresh peeled Pink Grapefruit. Sweetness was two ticks above mid-level, and there were NO off-notes to be had. I finished off all three testers before I knew it, and am about 101% sure, this could run as a solo flavor. Natural, fresh, sweet, tart/sour with no bitterness is exactly what you got with this one, and if you like Pink Grapefruits, you should RUN to pick this one up. Release the Kraken, because this one nailed it. 10/10.
Ultimate White Chocolate Mint (Jungle Flavors) 3% (11-24-24) – This, the final Ultimate flavor in this series, actually really surprised me. I’m not what you would call a fan of BOTH White Chocolate, and Mint, yet somehow, I really liked this flavor. First off, the ratios, and this is one I have struggled with when trying to make a WC and M / PM recipe. It was roughly 70% White Chocolate to 30% Mint, which surprisingly worked here, and allowed the WC to fully show through. Most WC’s I’ve tried, just don’t even taste like WC’s, but this one was better than most. Creamy, rich, good mouthfeel, and with an almost powdered milk saturation (not milk) to it, which WAS pretty Cocoa Butter-ish. The mint was a mix of both natural, and an almost syrup’d mint mix if that makes sense, which completely worked here.
At 3% it was very full, and didn’t need any increasing, and there were no off-notes to be found. While Mint(s) can often induce a cooling effect (which I can’t stand), in this flavor it was very minimal. All in, a VERY smartly ratio’d White Chocolate and Mint. The White Choco might be one of, if not THE closest that I have tested. As is always the case with the “good” ones, I blew through all of my testers before writing this. For two flavors not typically in my wheelhouse, this one impressed me, and leaving it very high, and at a 9.8/10.
One Shots:
Baccy Bliss (Jungle Flavors) 10% (11-28-24) – Happy Thanksgiving out to you and yours guys. Starting out with the FIRST NEW Jungle Flavors One-Shot (to me), on this Thanksgiving day. From the MFG …
Enjoy this buttery biscuit based, layered with a golden leaf baccy, rich caramel, and lucious vanilla cream.
And guess what ?? That’s EXACTLY what I got, and I mean literally. At first I was afraid it was just going to be another RY off-shoot, but this one did pull itself away from the RY pack. All 4 of the elements were there, and individually identifiable, but at the same time, they did almost meld into a completely new profile combinded. Hehe, I realize the contradiction, but it was not a blurry mash up. Now, for you bacco purists, this might not be for you, as it was somewhat sweeter, and not a pure bacco, but anyone buying this knew that in advance. The tobacco did present as a fresh cut leaf tobacco, and the buttery biscuit, seemed to favor more of a European “biscuit” than an American one, which left it being far more of a sweetened cookie, with some great buttery accents. The caramel, and vanilla cream were lower in the mix, and a lot harder to fully flush out, but still present enough to taste them.
At 10% it was nicely strong, with no need to increase, and about a 9.5/10 on the strength scale, with sweetness being about two ticks above mid-level, which did not prove to be cloyingly sweet. No off-notes, or actually any complaints with this one. On the start, the leafy, somewhat earthy tobacco was front and center, along with the buttery biscuit, and on the finish the caramel and vanilla became more noticeable. Now trying to rate or gauage a tobacco for everyone is impossible, as tastes can range from pure tobacco-ists (NET’ers), all the way down to the more “candied” RY users, so I can only do so for MY tastes. I think the inclusion of the buttery biscuit actually worked really well here to temper the somewhat earthy leaf tobacco. Not overshadow, but just temper it a bit. The vanilla and caramel, while being lower in the mix, did work to bend the overall profile. Overall, I felt it was pretty tasty, and because I’m NOT an RY4 hater, it worked for me. If you are a NET’er, well, it probably won’t be for you, hehe. All in, a tasty bacco mix, and 100% accurate to what Jungle Flavors claimed. Leaving it pretty high, with no issues or complaints, at a 9.1/10.
Pina Colada Party (Jungle Flavors) 10% (11-29-24) – What is the bare minimum for a PC ?? I’d say Coconut, Pineapple, and Rum, or at LEAST. This one had MOST of that, with a little cherry tossed in on top. From the MFG:
Our Piña Colada One Shots delivers an enticing aroma where creamy coconut and juicy pineapple are enriched by a hint of spicy rum undertones and topped with a sweet cherry garnish. Versatile and vibrant, this tropical blend is perfect for enhancing everything from cocktails and desserts to candies, bringing a touch of island paradise to any creation.
About the only element I could barely pick up on, was the rum. Sometimes I got a hint, other times not. The Pineapple, and Coconut were pretty evenly matched strength wise, and that worked pretty good. The cherry while present, was much lower in the mix. As I mention often, sometimes flavors / mixes take some time to “break in” when first testing, and this one did somewhat. The biggest change from immediate, to post break in would be the dryness from the coconut. At first it was pretty present, and almost distracting, but after the break in period, it abated quite nicely. It was still present, but not as distracting as initially. The Pineapple was juicy, yellow, and sweet, and the coocnut was much more of a dry flake, than a coconut cream. The cherry, while lower in the mix, was a sweetened Maraschino type, and did work to accent the overall mix.
At 10% it was fairly strong, and close to a 7/10 on the strength scale, and sweetness was just at about mid level, which worked with this profile. No off-notes, and no complaints, EXCEPT for, hehe, the fairly, to somewhat present dryness from the coconut. You’re personal tastes may dictate as to how big of a deal that would be or not. All in, a pretty accurate, fresh, and peppy Pina Colada, with a hint of cherry, and MAYBE, some rum. Knocking down mostly for the somewhat dry, astringent kicker on the coconut, and very light rum, and left it still fairly high at a 7.5/10.
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (Jungle Flavors) 12.5% (11-29-24) – Mmmmmm, if you want to SKIP to the end, save some time, you can, and just GET a big bottle. OK, I have to come clean, this one is VERY similar to a recipe that I created, so this is RIGHT in my wheelhouse, so keep that in mind, when reading this review. OK, right out of the gate, crust, crust, and CRUST. Yes, crust. Often times this is overlooked, overshadowed, or just not even attempted. NOT with this one. It was front and center, realistic, with a buttery flakey-ness that didn’t quit. The cheesecake presented completely as a velvety smooth, creamy cheesecake, not to be confused with a much more aggressive N.Y. style cheesecake. No real cheese-y-ness, sour, or footy notes here, just a super smooth and tasty, creamy cheesecake. This was bent, just enough, but a light pumpkin spice. It was just light enough to spice it up, but without any overt exact spice notes, or bitterness. TBH, it was soo good, I couldn’t even TELL you if there was whipped cream on the top or not LOL.
At 12.5% it was simply perfectly strong, and I’d give it a 10/10 on the strength scale, and it did not need increased. Sweetness hovered just below mid-level, which left it in the “all day long” camp, with no over sweetened fatigue. Zero off-notes, or anything out of place, and it was just a great flavor, that didn’t quit. I’m about 100% sure, I know what they used for the crust, cheesecake filling, AND the spice, and I am going to be playing around, just to see how right I am. In closing, an almost perfect buttery, flakey crust, overflowing with a delicious velvety smooth creamy cheesecake, mixed with JUST enough spice is what this one was. As far as One-Shots, I don’t do this very often, because I’m too picky, but in this case, release the Kraken !! 10/10.
Rose Milk (Jungle Flavors) 15% (11-29-24) – I think this is the first ever one of Wayne’s (DIY or DIE), One Shots that I’ve purchased, so breaking NEW ground here. From the MFG …
Rose Milk DIY or DIE One Shot Concentrates is the most popular in the line. Providing the taste of fresh strawberries, cream, vanilla bean ice cream, and a subtle cookie aftertaste. So many people have enjoyed this delicious recipe!
Alright, another Strawberry Cream, or something more ?? Let’s get into it !!! The initial onrush was indeed Strawberries, but they interestingly enough, leaned heavily towards a sweetened, jammed profile. Jammy, sweet, and with a hint of tart. Beneath that layer, things started to get interesting with a very smooth, and creamy vanilla cream, maybe ice cream, but there was something else hidden in there. Pretty sure I was getting a light cheesecake buried in the vanilla cream. I didn’t get any true “cookie” profiles in there, but overall, the mix was surprisingly tasty, and NOT what you would expect from a SB and Cream.
At 15% it was nice and full, and I’d rate it at a high 9.5/10 on the strength scale. Tester after tester went by, and I couldn’t find any off-notes or complaints. Sweetness was higher, and at about 2 or 3 ticks above mid-level, so it was a sweeter juice, but it didn’t seem to slow me down surprisingly, as I don’t typically favor sweeter juices. I def. know ONE of the SB’s in there, and I can’t stress enough, how good the “jammy-ness” of the overall Strawberry profile was, AND, that it was still bright, punchy, and, (yes), jammy, even riding on top of the vanilla cream / ice cream / cheesecake layer. I love jammy SB’s, so keep that in mind regarding my rating. All in, an interesting, and unique take on the overly crowded playing field of Strawberries and Cream. To answer my earlier question, “Just another SB Cream, or Something more” ?? I would say more. Despite being pretty sweet, I can’t mark it down much for that, as it seemed to boost/enhance the SB Jam profile, and in a good way. Sweet but tasty. Leaving this one fairly high at a 9.2/10. Oh, and apparently, NO Roses were harmed in the production of this One Shot !!!
Strawberry Waffle (Jungle Flavors) 10% (12-1-24) – With this, the last One Shot in this series, we can finish it up. This one I kind of picked on a lark, as it wasn’t really in my typical flavor realm, as I much prefer a traditional Waffles, Butter, and Syrup, so I was interested to see what would happen. Getting right into it, there was NO mistaking this was a waffle flavor, and, one with some great buttery notes. There were some light grainy notes baked in, which did help to keep it pretty authentic. On top, were some delicious Strawberries, that leaned heavily towards syruped, as opposed to fresh cut or natural. The two profiles were actually paired very smartly with the ratio being roughly 60% Waffle, and 40% Strawberry. Strength wise, it was as full as you could want at 10%, and pretty much a 10/10 on the strength scale. Sweetness was somewhat high, and I’d tag it at about 2-3 ticks above mid-level, so it was a sweet one. To expand on that, you did get sweetness from the initial onrush, middle, and finish on this one, so if you were sweet sensitive, it might be at your upper limit. Not cloying, but again, a sweet one.
No off-notes to be had, and as is sometimes the case, I had blown through 3 testers before I’d realized I hadn’t written a word LOL. Many times when testing waffles, pancakes, they’re just kinda close, but not all the way there, like “Kinda Waffles”, or “Kinda Pancakes”, but the waffles here, were just plain waffle-ly. The buttery undertones washed nicely into the syrupy strawberries, and melded together nicely. About the only thing I didn’t want to leave out, was a very nice jammy-ness to the strawberries, so that would leave them syrupy, and with jammy accents. All in, for a flavor I wasn’t sure I was going to like, I did. My go to will still be butter and syrup, but this one took me by surprise. Leaving it high, with no complaints other than the fairly high sweetness levels, at a 9.0/10.
