Strawberry Candy Type (SSA) 1% / 2% (11-5-24) – Last one on deck in this small series, and the first one, I decided to double. I started the test at 1%, and although OK, it clearly needed some more. It improved somewhat at 2%. Even doubled it wasn’t what I would call a screaming flavor. My initial thoughts were a mix of a somewhat candied Strawberry, and a generic Pink Candy. I had hoped by doubling it, the fairly generic pink candy would have morphed into a juicy Starburst, but that never really took shape. The pink candy tasted fairly smooth with no real spark or sparkle to it, but it was nicely contrasted by the SB which had some nice, juicy sharpness to it, and helped to almost pull, or elevate the semi-bland pink candy UP in the mix. I didn’t get any other notes, other than the two mentioned.
At 2% the flavor worked much better, with about a 30% increase in overall strength from the initial 1%. Sweetness was a few ticks above mid-level, but not cloying, and expected for a candy flavor. The contrast of the smooth pink candy, vs. the tarty, and sharp SB worked very well together. No off-notes or complaints other than the somewhat relaxed-ed-ness at 1%. All in, a pretty good Strawberry Pink Candy, and I blew through 3 testers before remembering to score it. I was originally going to leave it at a flat 9, but the sharp punchy SB inclined me to push it up, to a 9.5/10.