Sobucky Super Aromas Single Flavor Tests -- TESTING SERIES II NOW!

Thanks out to @Wllmc from @BullCityFlavors for sending these out for testing. Not a lot of information out there on these, so decided to start LOW with these.

All mixed at the percentages listed, @ 3mg, 70v/30p, tested on a SteamCrave RDTA v.1, with dual vertical, 7 wrap, 24ga. Kanthal coils, with fresh cotton and dry burned coils in between tests. Steeped for 1+ week.

https://www.bullcityflavors.com/sobucky-super-aromas-1/

Apple Strudel (SSA) 1.5% (9-18-20) – Sugar, and Spice, and everything Nice is what this one had. As far as the strudel portion, your take on a strudel will dictate what you think about it’s inclusion here. I got a solid bakery from this one, that paired perfectly with the sweet and full, slightly spiced apple. The apple(s) were of the “filing” type, and similar to FLV’s Apple Filling, but with less spice. There were some spice notes, but very low in the mix, and in no way obtrusive. At 1.5% it was very even, full, and satisfying with little to no concern of over or under flavoring. The bakery element did waver to and from a strudel-ish note, but was so evenly paired with the apple it was hard to nit pick it.
Sweetness was right about mid level, and expected in a desert type flavor. Pretty good one here, with not much to take off for. If anything might need to be boosted, it might be the strudel, but that would be a toss up. For a very natural tasting (not artificial) Apple Strudel that is mid sweet, and quite full at lower percentages, this one can get it done for you. Far better than most of the “Apple Pies” out there.
9.2/10.

Bubble Gum (SSA) 1% (10-9-20) – Another FIRST for me, as I have NEVER solo’d a Bubble Gum before, so your mileage may vary. I typically have countless flavors to make comparisons to, contrasts, rankings, etc., so breaking new ground. In the tank this one smelled, well, almost exactly like your typical American Bubble Yum. No fruit flavorings, just good old pink Bubble Gum. At times it wandered around, but never really left it’s profile. Having used BG’s a lot, mostly pairings with WM’s or Looper recipes, it was interesting to finally solo one. It stayed fairly true to a BG throughout the tank with no perceivable wintergreen or anise that others sometimes have, and interestingly, was right about mid level sweet. @ 1% it felt pretty good, with no signs of being over/under powered, and at times, it almost had that white powdered sugar they sometimes put on the pieces to prevent sticking to the wrapper. Not being a BG aficionado, I was still impressed by how accurate it was overall, despite wandering about a bit at times. I could see this working out with my WM and Loopers nicely. I will play around with this one a bit after the review, and see how it fares and pairs. As it sits, a pretty accurate Bubble Gum, with no fancy fruits, that does the job well. 8.5/10.

Butterscotch (SSA) 1% (10-9-20) – First one, second series on deck !!! How many Butterscotches have I tried ?? Probably all of them, and most have their plusses and minuses, with probably MF’s being the top current pick for comparison. This one came across as a somewhat more relaxed flavor @ 1%, so it’s possible stepping it up, might pull it forward more, but it was quite good, even at 1%. This one didn’t hit you as hard up front (relaxed), but you could feel the sweetness and buttery-ness begin to build on the inhale, and it peaked near the end of the exhale. Almost a meshing of a buttery, caramely-ness that carried through most of the vape. Because it was more relaxed, it was harder to pick certain elements out, and it def. was not a candied BS, and therefore left it firmly in the more natural camp. Very clean, very authentic, and further testing above 1% will have to be done to see if it can be pulled more forward. For a somewhat relaxed, more natural tasting BS, this one does it right. No real take-offs, off notes, etc., and sweetness was about mid level. Somewhat subdued @ 1%, but very good none the less. 8/10 .

Compote Cherry (SSA) .75% (9-19-20) – Let’s admit it, cherries are the DEVIL of DIY IMO. I have had, and been let down by MORE cherries than I can remember. We’ve all had them, the medicinal, soapy, perfumey, and just plain baddies. Is there reluctance every time I try one ?? Ummm, YES. Sniff tested all of these while trying to decide on the strengths to test as, as there was LITTLE to no info on them. Settled on 0.75% for this one, and … (suspense) … it worked out GREAT. NO of the aforementioned cherry issues were found here today. Whew, what a relief. At this testing weight, it was very full, BUT, with none of the ceiling hitting side effects, so I’m going to go with a 0.50-0.75% rec. on this one. As it stood, a very unique cherry, which just means, it tastes like none of the other ones I’ve tried, and the “compote” may be partially to blame for that. A compote is where whole fruit is cooked down in sugar/water, unlike a jam wherein the fruit is typically cut up. They DO taste different, and am trying to decide if the uniqueness of this one is the compote. The cherry was very broad spectrum, and didn’t reside in just one specific cherry, but I think the overwhelming profile leaned towards maraschino, but it’s more than just that. Didn’t really pick up on a black cherry, but let’s just leave it at a full bodied mara for now. There was this little peppy BURST that I got on every finish on this one, that was very interesting. Almost like a sharp little Fuji Apple kicker on the tail end, but I don’t want to pigeon hole it to that specific, but it’s LIKE that. Sweetness was a click or two above mid level (duh, compote), and it did not appear too high, for the flavor. The overall profile was exactly as it was named, with no change throughout the tank. Having been wacked (possible over flavoring on my part) by many cherries before, this one was a welcome relief on my quest FOR the cherry. I’m QUITE sure, if this one was overflavored there COULD be some issues, so GO LOW, and I suggest a 0.50-0.75% starting point. It might not carry ALL of your cherry weight in mixes, but it damn sure could, and I think I’m going to let @alfredpudding know about this, as his Cherry Bomb was utterly brilliant, and insanely good. What an impressive Cherry this was to try, and if you’ve been hurt by cherries before, you def. want to add this one to your list. Something feels unholy in giving a cherry a 10 out of 10, so for religious reasons, I will cap this off @ 9.9/10.

Creme Brulee (SSA) 1% (10-11-20) – OK, I think @woftam might have been the first one to mention this, but this one (like a very few others) is dark, and soulless. Now, some people will be scared off, others will embrace it’s darkness. At 1% (4-5 drops) in my 10ml tester, the mix was (duh), very dark. OK, but how’d it taste ? Brulee is a burnt cream, and caramelized sugar desert. There were aspects of the aforementioned in here, but in somewhat reduced quantities. There was an almost coffee note on the lower end that added to the burnt note. I will check the coils/cotton after the tester tank, but I suspect it will be quite dark as well. Overall the flavor was good, but more of a caramelized sugar coffee with some cream elements. At 1% it was fairly strong, and mid level sweet, and the burnt note(s) seemed to increase somewhat throughout the testing. Continued testing, and an increasing burnt note led me to believe that it may have been fouling the cotton/coils more than originally suspected. Good flavor, but the extreme darkness and perceived increasing burnt note will make this one harder to use. Because of this, leaving it at 5/10.

Crisp Waffle (SSA) 1.0% (9-19-20) – When smelling in the bottle, this reminded me of the original INW Waffle YC. Having never solo’d that one, I could not directly compare the two. Vaping this one, revealed a very rich, and full waffle, BUT, with no distinct butter or maple syrup, which was GREAT. That way you could use it in far more recipes, but alter with B and MS if/as needed. Outstanding. I wasn’t sure where to test this one, and it’s POSSIBLE that 1.0% may have pushed it too far, but read on, and you decide. At the testing weight it did not feel like it was hitting the ceiling, but the “toasted” or “burnt” notes that I was getting, along with a peanut were emerging on the back end of the vape. Now that’s not to say that they got in the way OF the waffle in any way, shape, or form, they did not, but they were present. I will probably have to re-test this lower at maybe 0.50%, just to see. Even with the very small (not offensive, but present) alternate notes, this one WAS indeed a super delicious waffle. It had some dark, rich undertones, which may have been from the burnt/toasted element, but overall it did not taste burnt, like burnt toast, but merely had some of it, in the finish. Belgian, American, Wheat ?? Hard to say, but it leaned mid to darker, and away from a lighter, and not towards a wheat, so we’ll settle on a mid-dark waffle. Sweetness was just below mid level, and despite looking HARD for any butter or maple syrup, it was not to be found here. There was a certain richness/fullness that almost implied butter was in there, but you couldn’t pick it out. Even at 1.0% with some of the burnt/peanut push at the end, it never left focus on the waffle, so your tastes will dictate the effect of them, and/or if lowering the rate would reduce them further. All in, for a naked waffle, with some impressive almost bakery grainy-ness, this one’s got it. I will amend this review if I get time to test lower, and at this testing weight, it feels good at 8.5/10.

Dessert Chocolate (SSA) 0.85% (9-16-20) – FIRST ONE on deck, and I chose a DARK ONE at that. Don’t be AFRAID, just because something’s dark, hehe, but you might change your cotton more often, depending on the flavor. Upon FIRST vape, I KNEW this was a KNOCK OUT flavor. Chocolates are hard to get right, whether it’s Band Aids in Milk Chocolates, or Dark and Bitter/Dry in Dark Chocolates. This one had NO off-putting notes whatsoever. I can’t think of a direct comparison, but at first FLV’s Red Velvet came to mind, as it had some very good almost cake elements to it. No Band Aid, no dryness, no bitterness. At this testing weight, it was very nice, rich, and full. It could even be used lower if needed, so we are talking Ultra concentrates at this level and lower. Tested this at 65 watts, with no scorching or burning that I could detect, which was another plus. The chocolate leaned darker, but wasn’t a full “Dark” chocolate, and the cakey-ness could not be denied, and it really pulled it into a desert type flavor. You could almost solo vape this IMO, because of the great pairing of the choco and cake. The cake notes (or whatever you deem them to be) really pulled this into a unique category all it’s own, much like Wonder Flavor’s Smores Cupcake did. All in, this first one, was far better than I expected, AND, at a very low mixing rate. Because of the added richness (cakey-ness) I could DEF. see this in quite a few desert, smores, etc. recipes. While not a “pure” chocolate per se, it’s damned good, and should be on your “must try” list, if you are new to SSA flavors. 9.9/10.

Guava (SSA) 1% (10-11-20) – Last one on deck for the end of Series II. I think we’re going to finish it with a BANG. Haven’t vaped a lot of Guavas, but that didn’t stop this one from basically nailing the profile. Pink, fleshy, and punchy were the initial thoughts, with an almost slight fermented kick that really added to the authenticity. Very clean and full at 1%, and that felt really good, not under/over powered. Sweetness was about mid level, and the pink punch factor on this one can not be overstated. Most of the flavor remained in the mid region, with a smidge of low end, and some nice high end punch to finish it off. It stays fairly true and natural throughout the tank with a hint of candied, but only a hint. NO take-offs to be found with this one, and you could obviously go lower for accents, and possibly higher for main notes if needed. Clean, fresh, and accurate were the big take-aways on this one, and it just plain worked. 9.25/10.

Ice Cream (SSA) 2.0% (9-20-20) – I had to finish TWO tester tanks on this one, to try and nail down what was going on here. First things first, probably the BEST Ice Cream flavor I have tried to date. Not vanilla, not chocolate, no pepper, no BA, none of the typical creamy aftertastes that most of the other players have, BUT (ain’t there always a BUT ?), it was fairly subdued. I smelled this one in the bottle, and knew I’d have to mix it higher, and I did. Even at 2.0%, it was still very laid back. You could say weaker, but it felt laid back. As it stood, a delicious sweet ice cream, with no offensive notes, no heavy creameries, and very neutral. Now, despite this being as great as it was, it would be easy to overpower this in a mix, so mixing wise, some caution would be need to be used. It reminded me of a Chic Fil A (for you US members) ice cream. Very natural tasting, sweetness was a tick above mid level, and had an absolutely clean finish. Because SSA has a Vanilla Ice Cream which I have not tested, am wondering if it was as good, but stronger, maybe a pairing of the two to solidify, and anchor the base might work. Minor take offs, but ONLY for it’s laid back nature, NOT the flavor profile. Two tank fulls, and haven’t found an off note yet. 8.0/10.

Ice Cream Vanilla (SSA) 1.5% (10-11-20) – Deciding on what strength to mix this at after testing SSA’s Ice Cream @ 2% proved difficult. It smelled stronger in the bottle, so decided to drop 0.5% from the original Ice Cream. Even mixed down from their Ice Cream, this one presented as much more forward, and fuller. A lot of similarities to SSA’s Ice Cream but with more presence, and some nice Vanilla notes thrown in. The vanilla seemed close to a vanilla bean that was high enough in the mix to make itself known but not overpower the profile. Clean, accurate, and I actually think better than their Ice Cream. I love the fresh approach to an Ice Cream SSA has taken, as none of the somewhat off-putting sour or typical cream notes found in many other IC’s. One of the best I have tried. Even presenting stronger/fuller/richer than the regular Ice Cream, it isn’t as heavy handed as say LB’s VIC. Sweetness was lower than mid level, and I could see numerous uses for this one, as was the case with the Ice Cream. Moving this up on the scale for a fuller, richer, more flavorful experience than the regular IC. 8.95/10 .

Irish Cream (SSA) 1.5% (9-20-20) – Having never vaped an Irish Cream, but had it in quite a few drinks before, I knew what I was in for. At 1.5% it felt fairly strong but not overpowering. I did not get any Whiskey from it, but I did get a fair amount of coffee, cream, some chocolate, and quite probably a vanilla cream in there. As a whole it was very good, and the coffee note remained throughout the vape. Almost a toffee coffee with some cream. Sweetness was lower than mid level, and despite having a cream element, it didn’t feel overly creamy. No bitter, or off-putting notes, and despite finishing the tank, I kept returning to my coffee with toffee and cream. It is very possible that IC’s may not fully be in my wheelhouse, but this was a good vape. Because the coffee element was present throughout the vape, it struck me as more of a coffee drink. All in, with the forward coffee element, feels good @ 7.0/10.

Juicy Cherries (SSA) 0.75% (10-10-20) – Oh no !!! Did Sobucky just come out with ANOTHER great Cherry ?? !!! Yes, … yes they did. As with their other cherry tested, I was slightly scared to load this one up into the Vapesled, but I did indeed do, just that. YES, this one is ANOTHER Great Cherry from Sobucky. PLEASE take note of my sub-percent testing strength, as more and more of these ARE proving to be Ultras (Ultra-Concentrates(ed), and this one is no different. If you test this at 3% and blow up, I warned you. :slight_smile: OK, this one is just as good, if not better than SSA’s Compote Cherry, but the “better” part will be up to you, the end user, and what profile you’re looking for. This again (I know, repeating), had NO medicinal, floral, cough syrupy notes of any shape, kind or form. EMBRACE the madness of that for a second. That makes TWO from these guys. OK, at this ultra low 0.75% it was a VERY satisfying Cherry Vape, with NO signs of hitting the ceiling, but it was so rich and full at this weight, I wouldn’t go much higher, for fear of (bad things). I was having a hard time quantifying exactly what type of cherry/cherries this was, let the wife try, she seemed to think more of a Luden’s lozenge, BUT, again, NOT a cough drop medicinal style. To me, this was somewhat of a darker cherry than the Compote, but not totally towards a Black Cherry. Confused yet ?? Good, me too, hehe. It did have some aspects of a Maraschino in there, and some of a Black Cherry, but it was more than the sum of them. Sweetness was actually below mid level, and honestly, I could not find any take-offs. I know, it’s a CHERRY, there’s GOT to be something wrong with it, right ? Not really, except maybe the name. Juicy Cherries had me thinking of TPA’s Juicy Peach, or FA’s Juicy Strawberry, but I didn’t get an overwhelming “juicy” from it. Wasn’t dry, and was a great darker, somewhat black cherry-ish flavor, but maybe the name is the ONLY thing wrong with this one. Had some slight tartness, but only slight, and maybe you could almost taste the pit a little. All in, despite it not presenting as overly “juicy” this is the second great cherry vape from Sobucky, and if you are in need for a darker cherry, with aspects of both a Mara and a BC, you should get this one. Start mixing it LOW though, 0.5-0.75% range, or you’re on your own. Feels great at 9.5/10.

Mascarpone Cream (SSA) 1.5% (9-23-20) – Getting near the end of this trial run batch, and the Mascarpone Cream is on deck. Creams can be hard to SFT, as by themselves, they can be hard to taste sometimes, quantify other times, and their EFFECT cannot always be fully realized in SFT’s, but test we shall. First things first NO BA in this flavor. It presented as a very even keeled cream, with some sweet undertones. Undertones, because it tasted lower than mid level sweet, but it peaked at the end of the vape, interesting. The flavor itself was hard to quantify, and didn’t taste like a vanilla, but it was in that ballpark. Nice mouthfeel, and did impress as a cream. Maybe the best way to describe it was a fairly thick-ish, filling cream type flavor. Due to the nature OF SFT’s I cannot gauge it’s impact on other flavors, but I can see using this to fatten up mixes, round them out, and take off some sharp edges, without burying the mix. It’s light enough where I think that will work easily, without being a BA rich, heavy handed cream assault. While testing creams, milks, dairies isn’t the MOST exciting thing to do, most of us use creams in a lot of our mixes. For it’s non-heavy handed approach, and neutral flavor, I give it high marks because it will increase it’s usefulness on your rack. Not a milk, not a dairy, but a very good, semi-sweet filling cream. 9.25/10.

Mocca Coffee (SSA) .75% (9-27-20) – Bet you guys thought I forgot about this one with all the things going on this week. Bad news, I DIDN’T !!! Finishing up this series on the Sobucky Super Aromas, this one WAS one of the darker ones (4th from the left in the pic), and even mixing it low @ 0.75%, it was fairly dark in the tester bottle. Now although I was getting an almost coffee-ish flavor fro their Irish Cream, THIS ONE, nails it down, and buries it. WOW, this one WAS that good. OK, for perspective, the hands down BEST coffee-ish mix I have ever tested has to go, hands down to The Italian Vaper at DIY Flavor Chaser with his Italian Cafe Gelato. Granted this one is but a single flavor, it was nearing the ballpark of the aforementioned, and THAT, is some rare air. This one was surprisingly rich, full, and delicious at this testing weight, and you could probably even reduce to 0.5% (ultra), and still have plenty of flavor. Smelling it was exactly like vaping it, and it was a velvety smooth, seemless roller coaster ride of a coffee, some caramel, and some chocolate. It was not bitter, and had no sharp edges, so there is a full on cream element in there, but it takes a backseat to the tripple punch coffee/caramel/mocha. Despite being as strong as it was at this weight, it was in no way hitting the ceiling, sweetness was mid level, and despite CHAIN vaping this one, I could not make it reveal anything that was unpleasant. The way the compounds were combined just really worked, and seamless just kept coming to mind. Mid to darker coffee, with no acidic tones, and tasted VERY authentic. If you are looking for a GREAT Mocca Coffee, that is spot on accurate, seamlessly melded, nicely sweet, that is authentic, this one NEEDS to be on your list. I’m going to recommend that our resident coffee guy @Rocky02852 take a look at this one, to see if he could use it. As it stands, for a single flavor, to present MORE complex and enjoyable than most coffee one shots, this is an impressive way to end the series. Hands down, no contest, 10/10.

Natural Lemon (SSA) 0.75% (11-6-21) – This WAS a GREAT Lemon. Now, what that out of the way, “Natural” ?? Mmmmmm, not exactly. I didn’t want anyone to skip off, if I led with that. This Lemon from Sobucky DID favor Lemon Heads, BUT, I think it was cut WITH some natural lemon. I feel it’s really a 65% Lemon Head / 35% Natural Lemon mix. Now, it’s up to you if that’s a winner or not. As it stood, it was quite good, just enough sweet, and tart, and lots of Lemon Heads, but swirling around in there were some natural and almost punchy notes. I don’t know if “smooth” is a word used to describe Lemons often, but this one was almost smooth, with no bitterness. At times you could almost get a whiff of a citrus oil note, which just added to the whole Lemon experience. If you were looking for a pure natural like Medicine Flower, well, this ain’t it. Is it damned good ?? Hell yes !!! Everyone has different needs, but if the aforementioned appeals to you, get Sobucky on the phone and get you some !!! With only minor take offs to the somewhat lacking “natural”-ness, but only minor. 9.3/10.

Natural Raspberry (SSA) 0.75% (11-7-21) – OK, right out of the gate, this doesn’t taste like a Natural Raspberry. Full Stop. Now that THAT is out of the way, it’s actually an INTERESTING flavor, none the less. It never really screamed Raspberry, and if you want that, you need to go to

Medicine Flower

Wild Raspberry (MF) 1% (8-28-18) – Bing, bang, BOOM !!! Review over, I think you get the idea. I had QUITE a hard time, trying to find faults with this beauty. Vaped 3 tank fulls trying to find any faults, and couldn’t. Wow, I’m glad I got the Wild one as it was great. Just about every other raspberry I’ve tried, I’ve had issues with in some way or another, but not this one. Massively delicious, darker raspberry, full, rich, and just the right touch of bright on the finish. Could you taste the seeds even ?? Almost, just almost. Sweetness was perfectly balanced in this one, some hints of sour and brightness, but the smooth and darker deliciousness just washes over you when you vape it. What’s it like ?? Hmmmm, I did get some similarities to Inawera’s Raspberry, but without any of the heavy handed sharpness that it can present. Similar, but this one is far superior. I’m wondering if adding a smidge OF the INW might add a little punch to this one or not. Honestly, after 3 tank fulls, I’m not sure I would dare to try as it is just too damned good, solo. Not candied in any way, very full and impactful at this percentage, and too good to put down. The first thing that I thought, literally on the first test, on the first tank was, “I’ve got to throw this in some custard” !!! Very fresh and natural tasting, with just the right amount of darkness (wild perhaps), and very hard to put down. 10/10 without question.

Now, what WAS this one ?? More of a mid bright, non-descript berry (now wait for it), that had a particularly odd finish. Light graham ? Caramel ? Brown Sugar ? It’s hard to tell, but it’s there all day long. THAT is what kept this interesting, “What the hell IS that note” ?? I reduced this to 0.75% and it felt ok here, with below mid level sweet, and an overall smooth feel. Raspberries should have some tart, maybe a smidge of sour to authenticate them, but this one was actually smooth, so I think that hurt it overall. Not a terrible flavor, and probably NOT one you should buy if you were in need of a natural raspberry, BUT, if you’re a curiosity seeker, pick it up, and see if YOU can figure out that finish note. As named, can’t go too high on this one, so leaving it at a 5.5/10.

Nectarines (SSA) 1% (10-11-20) – This one smelled almost spot on in the bottle, and vaping it revealed a very light, airy nectarine flavor. I almost got more of it smelling off the bottle than I did in the vape. Maybe I’m test blind to Nectarines ?? Actually added 2-3 drops directly into the tester tank, mixed, and it improved slightly. Either I’m partially blind to this flavor, OR, it’s just a very light flavor. It did taste very natural with some good citrus notes, and almost some citrus oil (but only a smidge), and plenty of juicy-ness. Sweetness was lower than mid-level, and I kept thinking of how clean it tasted, but that could have been from it’s light airy-ness. If any of you test this, and get a more full on nectarine, reveal the secret to me. As it was, it was indeed a very clean, accurate nectarine, but for my tastes, it was just very light, and airy, and would be easily overcome in a mix, unless boosted. Very good, but very light and delicate at the same time. Punching it at 6.75/10.

Purple Plum (SSA) 1% (11-7-21) – If you really knew how many different types of plums there were you’d probably go PlumCrazy !!! Yes, there’s a lot. I won’t delve into which particular one this is, but suffice it to say, this Purple Plum tasted pretty good, and accurate (hint, Purple). Fairly accurate, and mostly natural tasting, it did give a good sense of “purple”. Nicely present @ 1% and at about mid level sweet, Sobucky did a really good job of capturing this elusive fruit. I got mainly the fleshy body of the fruit, and no tart skin in it, and that would have really pushed this one into super delicious. Even missing the tart skin, this body only plum was convincing, accurate, and tasty. Nothing off-putting or out of place, no florals, etc. I couldn’t help but wonder if a smidge of TPA Sour might just even make it better. As it stood, a solid, plum delicious contender from Sobucky. Minor take offs for the missing tart skin notes, and it felt deliciously plated @ 9.2/10

Raspberry Syrup (SSA) 1.0% (9-17-20) – As sometimes happens, the moment you start a new flavor, you get an impression, that you can’t shake throughout the entire test, and it happened again. First thoughts were INW Raspberry Malina meets MF Wild Raspberry. Let’s start out with what this one wasn’t. I didn’t get a huge “syrup”-ness from this one, BUT, that’s about the ONLY bad thing I COULD find with it. At 1% it was nice and full, and probably COULD be run lower, but in no way was it hitting the ceiling @ 1%. Super damned delicious, with about ZERO of the issues that I’ve had with most other RB’s. It centered around a mid and somewhat dark raspberry, with surprisingly low sweetness (hence the “where’s the syrup”). It had a really nice tart-ish finish that really drove an already GREAT raspberry flavor, all the way home. Tasted very natural with zero off-putting notes or characteristics, and almost seemed to have a smidge of seeds in there. Currently (but not with MF’s Wild Rasp) I have to combine multiple players to get a great RB, but this one, can really hold it’s own, and leave you wanting more. Second one from SSA that I’ve tested, and thus far, VERY impressive. If you have tried MF Wild Rasp, and INW Malina, then invision the two of them combined, and that will get you very in the ballpark of this one. Despite being named a “syrup”, the lower than expected sweetness would allow far greater uses of this one, and you could spike the sweet up if needed. I hate to say it so early in the testing here, but this one also, could/should be on your must try list from SSA. Very clean, accurate, and natural tasting Raspberry, that encompassed almost everything you’d want FROM a Raspberry. 10/10.

Ripe Banana (SSA) 1% (10-11-20) – I think many people’s perspective on bananas might depend on how they actually like to eat them (or the profile they want too LOL). I like mine leaning to the green side, and if they’re over ripe, I can’t really eat them. Long is the list of nanas out there, and most favor a ripened, or creamed profile. This one actually captured how I like to eat mine, with a little bit of green in it. You may hate that profile, so be advised, that is what I got from this one. Fairly full @ 1%, with lower than mid-level sweetness, and an almost puree of a banana with hints of the green on top. It had a somewhat creamy texture, but didn’t appear creamed if that makes sense. The green portion really tasted accurate, and got most of it on the tail end of the vape. Because of the green notes, and the somewhat laid back nature of it, it might not carry the main nana freight, but could be very useful in many recipes where you need to flush out a fuller banana. I did not get any candied or runts notes from this, and tasted roughly 50/50 natural/artificial. Not the strongest or most natural nana out there, but for my tastes, this one seemed very unique, and could take a space all it’s own on your rack. 8.75/10.

Ripe Cherry (SSA) 0.6% (11-7-21) – With this, the third Cherry from Sobucky (I know I’m repeating), surely this one, would be the poison, soapy perfume, right ?? Ummm NOPE. THREE great cherries in a row from Sobucky, and many MFG’s can’t even get ONE right. The Compote Cherry was more of a jammed (compote) Cherry, the Juicy Cherries was a darker, almost Black Cherry for comparison. This one favored more of a Maraschino Cherry, but it had some DARKNESS in it, hehe, JUST to keep you on your toes. Above mid level sweet by a hair, a few tart notes, and a delicious mid body of a Mara, but with a slightly darker finish. Like most Cherries (please heed my low testing percentages on ALL three Sobucky Cherries), you could go TOO high, and blow your face off. Luckily I’ve already DONE THAT for you guys years ago, and learned my lessons. In the words of the famous Flavorah Goddess @SmokyBlue, “Start Low”. I think I saw another review of this one, wherein the tester got some “plastic shower curtain”, but it was tested FAR too high @ 2.0%. At 0.6% this one was perfect, non-fatiguing, and had NO off notes, florals, or soapy-ness. Because this one smelled SOO good in the bottle (as did Sobucky’s Cola), I mixed it up into a delicious Cherry Cola, so feel free to try it in action. All in, a third delicious cherry from Sobucky, that centered around the maraschino, with a darker finish, which worked to round it out, and give it some weight. Hands down, damn near perfect, and leaving it at 9.8/10.

Ripe Coconut (SSA) 1% (10-9-20) – I know I’ve said this before, but there are some really bad coconuts out there, some are oily, some are suntan lotion-y, and some are almost floral. It is never without hesitation that a new coconut is tested hehe. Great news is, this is one of the good ones. NONE of the aforementioned notes, characteristics, or attributes in this one. It does appear hard to make a rich, full, accurate Coconut without it pushing into suntan lotion-ville, but somehow, Sobucky did it. Very, full, rich, and almost (not totally) creamy coconut here, that came across as quite natural without any candied aspects, or off-putting notes. It was plenty full @ 1%, and you could probably go a little higher or lower as needed, and what I really liked about this one (beyond the obvious) was that it smelled exactly like it did in the tank, as vaping it. I have had countless flavors wherein they smell great in the tank, but when vaping are NOT the same lol. Presented as a very even mix of almost the milk, flesh, and you could almost detect some flakes in there !!! Chainvaping it didn’t reveal any issues or changes, which was nice. Overall, a very rich and full, natural coconut that didn’t lean to candied, that was mid-level sweet, and non-fatiguing. Your personal tastes may dictate whether or not you mix at, above, or below my testing weight. Did directly contemplate running to mix up a Coconut Cream Pie and a Dragon’s Blood, BUT, after I get through all these testers. 9.4/10.

Ripe Peach (SSA) 1% (11-9-21) – Getting closer to the end of this, Series III in the Sobucky line, but we’re NOT slowing down yet !!! Peach, my old friend, how are you ? Ok, first things first, WAS this Peach Juicy ? Kinda. When I think of a “juicy peach” I really like how TPA did it, and although it’s not a super peach, it is very juicy. This one had much less of the juicy, but what it DID have, MORE than made up for it. This, is a beautiful, yellow peach flavor that once you start, you will find hard to put down, even as a solo. @ 1% it felt almost perfect, below mid level sweet, and presented as very natural tasting. I almost hate to say that is has almost some “canned” peach elements in it, as that may conjure up images of sickly sweet, syrupy peaches, which this is not, but it has some elements of that, paired, with a nicely ripened yellow peach. While not overly “juicy” it was not dry, and there were no offputting notes to distract you from it’s yellowy deliciousness. If you love peaches, and don’t need a super juicy one, or a white one, this will most def. work for you. Just delicious. Is it “Ripe” ?? Sure it is !!! It was very hard to find any negatives with this one, so leaving it fairly high @ 9.75/10.

Ripe Pear (SSA) 1% (11-10-21) – Click Here

Shortbread Cookie (SSA) 2% (9-18-20) – Oh Nooo, another cookie ?? Think again. That’s what I thought going into this one, “Do we need another cookie” ?? Well, after trying this one, I think we DO. This review directly followed my review of SSA’s Raspberry Syrup, and I immediately wanted to mix the two of these. At 2%, this one was right on track, rich, full, buttery, and somehow, really captured the Shortbread aspect(s). Not sure how they did it, but it is clearly NOT a cookie, or biscuit, but lands smack, dab, in the middle of Shortbread city. One could say it is “similar” to Jungle Flavor’s biscuit, which presented almost as a pairing of INW Bicuit, and FA’s Cookie, but this one is much more than that. SSA apparently spent some time really nailing the shortbread aspect of this, and it shows. You almost get a grainy bakery in this one, coupled with some buttery goodness. Not topped out at 2%, and it felt great at this weight. Sweetness was almost mid level, with no real take-offs. Surely it could be push/pulled if needed, depending on your American vs. European bakery needs, but you might just find after testing it, that you wont. All in, this is an outstanding, and perhaps the best shortbread cookie (type) that I have tested. Didn’t really pick up any vanilla per se, and not 100% sure if I’m getting a smidge of almond or not, but possibly so. If you’re in the market for a great shortbread cookie, and/or love your bakeries, you’ll have to add this one to your list as well. Sorry guys, I’m trying to go critical on these flavors, but after 3 in, I’m having a hard time finding any faults thus far. I kept teetering on a rating, because you just can’t rate everything at the top, but I emptied an entire tester tank on this one as well, and was left with no negatives. A great bakery shortbread cookie here, with butter elements that just can’t be denied. 10/10.

Whipped Cream (SSA) 1.25% (10-10-20) – Does anyone get excited to test a Whipped Cream ?? Often times not. This one had me re-thinking that. Because it smelled a little weaker in the bottle, mixed this one a little higher @ 1.25%, and it worked out great at this weight. A surprisingly full, rich, and satisfying Whipped Cream vape. It was far more present than most WC’s I’ve tried, and it was good enough that you could just solo vape this all day if you wanted. Yes, that good. A lot of people have sworn by TPA’s WC for it’s Triacetin, which helped tone sharp edges, and aided in blending. I could not find any sheets on these SSA flavors, so I can’t comment on that aspect. After finishing an entire tank, and moving on to the second, I was still blown away by how authentic this one was, and very present. No mistaking that you had a WC in the tank here. Light vanilla notes, creamy, with moderate mouthfeel just kept pushing this right to the top of the WC’s I have tried. Sweetness was actually lower than expected, especially for a WC, which would just allow even MORE uses for this one. Authentic, very present, slight vanilla, and creamy goodness is what this brought to the table. After finishing the second tank, I still couldn’t find any faults with this one. Deliciously solid at 9.8/10 .

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Dessert Chocolate (SSA) 0.85% (9-16-20) – FIRST ONE on deck, and I chose a DARK ONE at that. Don’t be AFRAID, just because something’s dark, hehe, but you might change your cotton more often, depending on the flavor. Upon FIRST vape, I KNEW this was a KNOCK OUT flavor. Chocolates are hard to get right, whether it’s Band Aids in Milk Chocolates, or Dark and Bitter/Dry in Dark Chocolates. This one had NO off-putting notes whatsoever. I can’t think of a direct comparison, but at first FLV’s Red Velvet came to mind, as it had some very good almost cake elements to it. No Band Aid, no dryness, no bitterness. At this testing weight, it was very nice, rich, and full. It could even be used lower if needed, so we are talking Ultra concentrates at this level and lower. Tested this at 65 watts, with no scorching or burning that I could detect, which was another plus. The chocolate leaned darker, but wasn’t a full “Dark” chocolate, and the cakey-ness could not be denied, and it really pulled it into a desert type flavor. You could almost solo vape this IMO, because of the great pairing of the choco and cake. The cake notes (or whatever you deem them to be) really pulled this into a unique category all it’s own, much like Wonder Flavor’s Smores Cupcake did. All in, this first one, was far better than I expected, AND, at a very low mixing rate. Because of the added richness (cakey-ness) I could DEF. see this in quite a few desert, smores, etc. recipes. While not a “pure” chocolate per se, it’s damned good, and should be on your “must try” list, if you are new to SSA flavors. 9.9/10.

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Raspberry Syrup (SSA) 1.0% (9-17-20) – As sometimes happens, the moment you start a new flavor, you get an impression, that you can’t shake throughout the entire test, and it happened again. First thoughts were INW Raspberry Malina meets MF Wild Raspberry. Let’s start out with what this one wasn’t. I didn’t get a huge “syrup”-ness from this one, BUT, that’s about the ONLY bad thing I COULD find with it. At 1% it was nice and full, and probably COULD be run lower, but in no way was it hitting the ceiling @ 1%. Super damned delicious, with about ZERO of the issues that I’ve had with most other RB’s. It centered around a mid and somewhat dark raspberry, with surprisingly low sweetness (hence the “where’s the syrup”). It had a really nice tart-ish finish that really drove an already GREAT raspberry flavor, all the way home. Tasted very natural with zero off-putting notes or characteristics, and almost seemed to have a smidge of seeds in there. Currently (but not with MF’s Wild Rasp) I have to combine multiple players to get a great RB, but this one, can really hold it’s own, and leave you wanting more. Second one from SSA that I’ve tested, and thus far, VERY impressive. If you have tried MF Wild Rasp, and INW Malina, then invision the two of them combined, and that will get you very in the ballpark of this one. Despite being named a “syrup”, the lower than expected sweetness would allow far greater uses of this one, and you could spike the sweet up if needed. I hate to say it so early in the testing here, but this one also, could/should be on your must try list from SSA. Very clean, accurate, and natural tasting Raspberry, that encompassed almost everything you’d want FROM a Raspberry. 10/10.

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Shortbread Cookie (SSA) 2% (9-18-20) – Oh Nooo, another cookie ?? Think again. That’s what I thought going into this one, “Do we need another cookie” ?? Well, after trying this one, I think we DO. This review directly followed my review of SSA’s Raspberry Syrup, and I immediately wanted to mix the two of these. At 2%, this one was right on track, rich, full, buttery, and somehow, really captured the Shortbread aspect(s). Not sure how they did it, but it is clearly NOT a cookie, or biscuit, but lands smack, dab, in the middle of Shortbread city. One could say it is “similar” to Jungle Flavor’s biscuit, which presented almost as a pairing of INW Bicuit, and FA’s Cookie, but this one is much more than that. SSA apparently spent some time really nailing the shortbread aspect of this, and it shows. You almost get a grainy bakery in this one, coupled with some buttery goodness. Not topped out at 2%, and it felt great at this weight. Sweetness was almost mid level, with no real take-offs. Surely it could be push/pulled if needed, depending on your American vs. European bakery needs, but you might just find after testing it, that you wont. All in, this is an outstanding, and perhaps the best shortbread cookie (type) that I have tested. Didn’t really pick up any vanilla per se, and not 100% sure if I’m getting a smidge of almond or not, but possibly so. If you’re in the market for a great shortbread cookie, and/or love your bakeries, you’ll have to add this one to your list as well. Sorry guys, I’m trying to go critical on these flavors, but after 3 in, I’m having a hard time finding any faults thus far. I kept teetering on a rating, because you just can’t rate everything at the top, but I emptied an entire tester tank on this one as well, and was left with no negatives. A great bakery shortbread cookie here, with butter elements that just can’t be denied. 10/10.

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Apple Strudel (SSA) 1.5% (9-18-20) – Sugar, and Spice, and everything Nice is what this one had. As far as the strudel portion, your take on a strudel will dictate what you think about it’s inclusion here. I got a solid bakery from this one, that paired perfectly with the sweet and full, slightly spiced apple. The apple(s) were of the “filing” type, and similar to FLV’s Apple Filling, but with less spice. There were some spice notes, but very low in the mix, and in no way obtrusive. At 1.5% it was very even, full, and satisfying with little to no concern of over or under flavoring. The bakery element did waver to and from a strudel-ish note, but was so evenly paired with the apple it was hard to nit pick it.
Sweetness was right about mid level, and expected in a desert type flavor. Pretty good one here, with not much to take off for. If anything might need to be boosted, it might be the strudel, but that would be a toss up. For a very natural tasting (not artificial) Apple Strudel that is mid sweet, and quite full at lower percentages, this one can get it done for you. Far better than most of the “Apple Pies” out there.
9.2/10.

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Wow…i have this one amd am officially excited…Ive only smelled it but have been yrying to make a Apricot Shortbread Cookie and WF wasnt doing it for me

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@SessionDrummer your time is always appreciated but damn man you’re about to kill my bank account.

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Okay I was sold at shortbread cookie. Just went and put an order for 12 of the flavors to try. God love DIY

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Hehe thank you, and sorry @Gsnap

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Compote Cherry (SSA) .75% (9-19-20) – Let’s admit it, cherries are the DEVIL of DIY IMO. I have had, and been let down by MORE cherries than I can remember. We’ve all had them, the medicinal, soapy, perfumey, and just plain baddies. Is there reluctance every time I try one ?? Ummm, YES. Sniff tested all of these while trying to decide on the strengths to test as, as there was LITTLE to no info on them. Settled on 0.75% for this one, and … (suspense) … it worked out GREAT. NO of the aforementioned cherry issues were found here today. Whew, what a relief. At this testing weight, it was very full, BUT, with none of the ceiling hitting side effects, so I’m going to go with a 0.50-0.75% rec. on this one. As it stood, a very unique cherry, which just means, it tastes like none of the other ones I’ve tried, and the “compote” may be partially to blame for that. A compote is where whole fruit is cooked down in sugar/water, unlike a jam wherein the fruit is typically cut up. They DO taste different, and am trying to decide if the uniqueness of this one is the compote. The cherry was very broad spectrum, and didn’t reside in just one specific cherry, but I think the overwhelming profile leaned towards maraschino, but it’s more than just that. Didn’t really pick up on a black cherry, but let’s just leave it at a full bodied mara for now. There was this little peppy BURST that I got on every finish on this one, that was very interesting. Almost like a sharp little Fuji Apple kicker on the tail end, but I don’t want to pigeon hole it to that specific, but it’s LIKE that. Sweetness was a click or two above mid level (duh, compote), and it did not appear too high, for the flavor. The overall profile was exactly as it was named, with no change throughout the tank. Having been wacked (possible over flavoring on my part) by many cherries before, this one was a welcome relief on my quest FOR the cherry. I’m QUITE sure, if this one was overflavored there COULD be some issues, so GO LOW, and I suggest a 0.50-0.75% starting point. It might not carry ALL of your cherry weight in mixes, but it damn sure could, and I think I’m going to let @alfredpudding know about this, as his Cherry Bomb was utterly brilliant, and insanely good. What an impressive Cherry this was to try, and if you’ve been hurt by cherries before, you def. want to add this one to your list. Something feels unholy in giving a cherry a 10 out of 10, so for religious reasons, I will cap this off @ 9.9/10.

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It’s funny you should say that @Fiddy, I actually had TWO people just contacted me, and asked me how the SSA compared to the WF one, and I’m assuming for the same reason as you mentioned. I don’t have the WF one to compare it to, but maybe the SSA’s WILL do it for you.

:slight_smile:

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Crisp Waffle (SSA) 1.0% (9-19-20) – When smelling in the bottle, this reminded me of the original INW Waffle YC. Having never solo’d that one, I could not directly compare the two. Vaping this one, revealed a very rich, and full waffle, BUT, with no distinct butter or maple syrup, which was GREAT. That way you could use it in far more recipes, but alter with B and MS if/as needed. Outstanding. I wasn’t sure where to test this one, and it’s POSSIBLE that 1.0% may have pushed it too far, but read on, and you decide. At the testing weight it did not feel like it was hitting the ceiling, but the “toasted” or “burnt” notes that I was getting, along with a peanut were emerging on the back end of the vape. Now that’s not to say that they got in the way OF the waffle in any way, shape, or form, they did not, but they were present. I will probably have to re-test this lower at maybe 0.50%, just to see. Even with the very small (not offensive, but present) alternate notes, this one WAS indeed a super delicious waffle. It had some dark, rich undertones, which may have been from the burnt/toasted element, but overall it did not taste burnt, like burnt toast, but merely had some of it, in the finish. Belgian, American, Wheat ?? Hard to say, but it leaned mid to darker, and away from a lighter, and not towards a wheat, so we’ll settle on a mid-dark waffle. Sweetness was just below mid level, and despite looking HARD for any butter or maple syrup, it was not to be found here. There was a certain richness/fullness that almost implied butter was in there, but you couldn’t pick it out. Even at 1.0% with some of the burnt/peanut push at the end, it never left focus on the waffle, so your tastes will dictate the effect of them, and/or if lowering the rate would reduce them further. All in, for a naked waffle, with some impressive almost bakery grainy-ness, this one’s got it. I will amend this review if I get time to test lower, and at this testing weight, it feels good at 8.5/10.

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Ice Cream (SSA) 2.0% (9-20-20) – I had to finish TWO tester tanks on this one, to try and nail down what was going on here. First things first, probably the BEST Ice Cream flavor I have tried to date. Not vanilla, not chocolate, no pepper, no BA, none of the typical creamy aftertastes that most of the other players have, BUT (ain’t there always a BUT ?), it was fairly subdued. I smelled this one in the bottle, and knew I’d have to mix it higher, and I did. Even at 2.0%, it was still very laid back. You could say weaker, but it felt laid back. As it stood, a delicious sweet ice cream, with no offensive notes, no heavy creameries, and very neutral. Now, despite this being as great as it was, it would be easy to overpower this in a mix, so mixing wise, some caution would be need to be used. It reminded me of a Chic Fil A (for you US members) ice cream. Very natural tasting, sweetness was a tick above mid level, and had an absolutely clean finish. Because SSA has a Vanilla Ice Cream which I have not tested, am wondering if it was as good, but stronger, maybe a pairing of the two to solidify, and anchor the base might work. Minor take offs, but ONLY for it’s laid back nature, NOT the flavor profile. Two tank fulls, and haven’t found an off note yet. 8.0/10.

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Irish Cream (SSA) 1.5% (9-20-20) – Having never vaped an Irish Cream, but had it in quite a few drinks before, I knew what I was in for. At 1.5% it felt fairly strong but not overpowering. I did not get any Whiskey from it, but I did get a fair amount of coffee, cream, some chocolate, and quite probably a vanilla cream in there. As a whole it was very good, and the coffee note remained throughout the vape. Almost a toffee coffee with some cream. Sweetness was lower than mid level, and despite having a cream element, it didn’t feel overly creamy. No bitter, or off-putting notes, and despite finishing the tank, I kept returning to my coffee with toffee and cream. It is very possible that IC’s may not fully be in my wheelhouse, but this was a good vape. Because the coffee element was present throughout the vape, it struck me as more of a coffee drink. All in, with the forward coffee element, feels good @ 7.0/10.

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Mascarpone Cream (SSA) 1.5% (9-23-20) – Getting near the end of this trial run batch, and the Mascarpone Cream is on deck. Creams can be hard to SFT, as by themselves, they can be hard to taste sometimes, quantify other times, and their EFFECT cannot always be fully realized in SFT’s, but test we shall. First things first NO BA in this flavor. It presented as a very even keeled cream, with some sweet undertones. Undertones, because it tasted lower than mid level sweet, but it peaked at the end of the vape, interesting. The flavor itself was hard to quantify, and didn’t taste like a vanilla, but it was in that ballpark. Nice mouthfeel, and did impress as a cream. Maybe the best way to describe it was a fairly thick-ish, filling cream type flavor. Due to the nature OF SFT’s I cannot gauge it’s impact on other flavors, but I can see using this to fatten up mixes, round them out, and take off some sharp edges, without burying the mix. It’s light enough where I think that will work easily, without being a BA rich, heavy handed cream assault. While testing creams, milks, dairies isn’t the MOST exciting thing to do, most of us use creams in a lot of our mixes. For it’s non-heavy handed approach, and neutral flavor, I give it high marks because it will increase it’s usefulness on your rack. Not a milk, not a dairy, but a very good, semi-sweet filling cream. 9.25/10.

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Mocca Coffee (SSA) .75% (9-27-20) – Bet you guys thought I forgot about this one with all the things going on this week. Bad news, I DIDN’T !!! Finishing up this series on the Sobucky Super Aromas, this one WAS one of the darker ones (4th from the left in the pic), and even mixing it low @ 0.75%, it was fairly dark in the tester bottle. Now although I was getting an almost coffee-ish flavor fro their Irish Cream, THIS ONE, nails it down, and buries it. WOW, this one WAS that good. OK, for perspective, the hands down BEST coffee-ish mix I have ever tested has to go, hands down to The Italian Vaper at DIY Flavor Chaser with his Italian Cafe Gelato. Granted this one is but a single flavor, it was nearing the ballpark of the aforementioned, and THAT, is some rare air. This one was surprisingly rich, full, and delicious at this testing weight, and you could probably even reduce to 0.5% (ultra), and still have plenty of flavor. Smelling it was exactly like vaping it, and it was a velvety smooth, seemless roller coaster ride of a coffee, some caramel, and some chocolate. It was not bitter, and had no sharp edges, so there is a full on cream element in there, but it takes a backseat to the tripple punch coffee/caramel/mocha. Despite being as strong as it was at this weight, it was in no way hitting the ceiling, sweetness was mid level, and despite CHAIN vaping this one, I could not make it reveal anything that was unpleasant. The way the compounds were combined just really worked, and seamless just kept coming to mind. Mid to darker coffee, with no acidic tones, and tasted VERY authentic. If you are looking for a GREAT Mocca Coffee, that is spot on accurate, seamlessly melded, nicely sweet, that is authentic, this one NEEDS to be on your list. I’m going to recommend that our resident coffee guy @Rocky02852 take a look at this one, to see if he could use it. As it stands, for a single flavor, to present MORE complex and enjoyable than most coffee one shots, this is an impressive way to end the series. Hands down, no contest, 10/10.

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That rounds out this series, and thanks again out to @wllmc for the opportunity to run these through the tank. If you want to pick some up, head over to @BullCityFlavors and get yours !!!

https://www.bullcityflavors.com/sobucky-super-aromas-1

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Thanks for the heads up Dman :+1: Headed right over to BCF when I saw this, (Thanks a lot ) picked up the following;

Mocca Coffee-SSA
Lemon Cheesecake-SSA
Milky Strawberry-SSA
Sweet Watermelon-SSA
Cranberry Jam-SSA
Sweet Yogurt-SSA

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Curious about the cranberry jam.

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Yeah, you and me both. Cranberry has always been one of my favorite flavor’s and haven’t mixed anything CB in quite awhile, that will be first on deck for me. Hmm, Cranberry Jam on toast :thinking:

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