How r things coming with tht brother? I hope u get it all finished soon, as it’s starting to get colder & colder
We’re still on the structural repairs, still waiting on the big stuff.
I hope all goes well & they hurry & get it finished…, tysm for the wonderful reviews on these flavors (as usual)
Thanks a lot @St3v0, I appreciate it, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to ya !!!
No problem…, I greatly appreciate all the generous time & effort u put into these SFTs…, it really is a big help, as u give ppl a great perspective on a lot! I hope u & urs have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Years! Hopefully 2021 will be better for everyone!
I’ve VSO Oatmeal, Pomegranate, Bitters and Cranberry coming in. As much as I HATE SFT I guess I’m going to break down and do it since you haven’t Session LOL
Good stuff @MichelleHughes, add them to the list !!!
The flavor seems to ‘bloom’ mid exhale. I have to admit, first impression was too dark, but after a few days tried it again, and it’s quickly growing on me!
I could see this one being used in bakeries(think Cobbler,Crumble,Tart), lower(2-3%) to aid other, brighter berries into becoming ‘cooked’ with that vibe I’m getting from it’s darkness.
That’s IT, in a nutshell.
Great review @SessionDrummer
@whthek I’m glad you liked it, and even more glad you posted your thoughts up on it.
Thanks to @SwaggyShane for not only doubling my entire order, but including the FULL Raw Flavor Lineup, we’ll be digging back into a whole lotta VSO flavors.
Apple Cider (VSO) 3%
*Apple Raw (VSO) 0.3%
*Blueberry Raw (VSO) 0.3%
Caramel Apple (VSO) 14%
Corn (VSO) 3%
Eggnog (VSO) 3%
Fig (VSO) 3%
*Grape Raw (VSO) 0.3%
Harvest Moon (VSO) 14%
Oatmeal (VSO) 4%
Pumpkin (VSO) 3%
Raisin (VSO) 3%
Sabayon (VSO)v4%
Soul Warming Cider (VSO) 14%
*Strawberry Raw (VSO) 0.3%
The Great Pumpkin Fudge (VSO) 17%
Sorting percentages now, mixing shortly …
Apple Cider (VSO) 3% (11-22-21) – It seemed fitting to start out with this one with the onset of Fall/Winter upon us, and an Apple Cider was just what the doctor ordered. At 3% this one was present, but somewhat relaxed, and it rapidly became obvious that this WAS a great cider. Now here’s the thing, it wasn’t spiked in ANY form, meaning, no spices or any alterations, just a simply clean, authentic Apple Cider. You could (and probably should) start to spike it up with whatever you desired, and it screamed for some Cinnamon, Clove, etc. Now, even in it’s unadulterated state, it was very accurate, with some punchy apple notes, and some sediment. Wait, what ?? Learning about the difference between Apple Juice and Apple Cider will help explain that. The “sediment” as I"m terming it, adds to a darker texture, and pulls it from a clear Apple Juice into the cider that it is. Not really fermented, but just a nice, darker cider is really the only way to describe this. I may have to mix up another with some FLV Rich Cinnamon, a hint of Cream, maybe a few others JUST to see. As it stood, it was very good, and clean, accurate, and blank slate kept coming to mind, and that’s a real plus for us. If you want it straight, use it straight, if you want cinnamon, other spices, you can do that as you see fit. First one in Series II, was a surprising wow-zer. Nicely done Shane, and placing it at a 9.2/10.
Apple Raw (VSO) 0.3% (11-24-21) – Be advised, these “Raw” flavors are Ultra concentrated, with no dilution, and should be used VERY low. Starting out my FIRST ever VSO “Raw” flavor test, with Shane’s Apple. As stated, mixed this very low at 0.3% and it tasted really good at this weight, and MIGHT even be able to be increased to 0.5% depending. At 0.3% it was slightly subdued, but very tasty and accurate. After just having tested the Apple Cider, this one was similar, but without the darker, sedimentary notes found in the cider. NOT an Apple Juice, so it wasn’t spiked with sweetener, and was actually lower than mid-level sweet. Not a Fuji for sure, but was maybe a mix of Red and Golden delicious, but even that, was a guess. It was very unique in the apple realm for me, and couldn’t really think of a direct comparison for it. Very natural, smooth, accurate, and a very good, somewhat lighter apple experience. Because it was so accurate, and clean, could see this one getting a lot of uses, depending on your needs. No seeds, no stems, just a very clean apple here folks, no other way to put it. If time permits, I might mix it up @ +0.20% to 0.50% just to see what happens, hehe. As billed, it is a definite Apple, and a really good one at that, that straddled just maybe, a Red and Golden delicious paring. A delicate flavor, but still very good. Solidly leaving this @ 9.5/10.
Updated 11-24-21 – MOVED (5) multi-flavors to the VSO One-Shot Review thread.
Blueberry Raw (VSO) 0.3% (11-25-21) – Just in case you missed it, I was VERY smitten with Shane’s
Original Blueberry
and this one just continued that trend, almost identically, except at 0.3% it was more relaxed than the aforementioned. I think I might re-try this one at 0.5% as well, just to see. Literally almost verbatim to the Blueberry, with a very enveloping Blueberry experience from top to bottom of a very natural, clean, accurate blueberry. No musk, no fuss, nothing off-putting. If you’ve never tasted a really clean, natural (extract) blueberry and have been using artificial ones, you really need to try one, and probably this one, because the experience you get with a great natural one, blows away any/every artificial one away. Sweetness was below mid-level, and the room note on this one, was utterly stupid, as an added bonus. As with the Blueberry, couldn’t find any takeoffs, but at 0.3% it felt like it was lacking a little presence, which could probably easily be solved by pushing to 0.5%. As it stood at this testing weight, would place it nicely at 9.5/10.
Corn (VSO) 3% (11-25-21) – Right out of the gate, I knew what this was. It wasn’t popped corn, creamy corn, canned corn, corn on the cob, it was s delicious KERNEL of corn. Wow, that was a surprise. Often times we are insulted with an AP “corny” solution, but since @SwaggyShane uses natural extracts, maybe this shouldn’t have been AS surprising. Clean, accurate, and somewhat light at 3%, and with nothing out of place to be found. A few clicks below mid level sweet, this one was a very clean corn. Half way through the test, I was kicking myself for having NOT picked up VSO’s Cornmeal at the same time. Because it was somewhat light at this percentage, I think you could bump it up maybe 1% just to see how it bloomed, but even still, at this weight, you knew what you had. Having a VERY small list of corns to compare to, this one was at, or near the top. If corn is what you want, and AP is not, this one will work wonders for you. If I get a chance to score the Cornmeal I will update this thread, and I encourage anyone else who does, to post it up as well. All in, a smartly done, clean corn kernel flavor from Shane. Nicely done. 9.65/10.
Eggnog (VSO) 3% (11-28-21) – A number 1 nutmeg. YES, Nutmeg people. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s JUST the primary note here, and it’s delicious. This one is a deliciously crafted Nutmeg driven Eggnog. After the initial nutmeg rush, there are other secondary spice notes, all completely encased in a nice creamy eggnog finish. What’s interesting here is the leveled balancing OF the different notes. Mouthfeel, and creamy-ness were there, but not overwhelmingly so, spices were there as well, but again, not in an overwhelming manner. Sweetness was about mid level, and it really felt perfect here, and at 3% it wasn’t overppowered, and might even be able to be smidged up, maybe 0.5-1.0%. At times I almost got a slight effervescence, almost soda like, but as soon as it peeked out, it was gone. I’m thinking that was probably a booze-y note. All in, this was a PERFECT flavor for the holidays, and craftily done at that. If you are looking for a very unique approach to an Eggnog, that (as most other VSO flavors) is clean, accurate, and not overbearing, this one should end up in your cart. Two testers down, non-fatiguing, nothing off-putting, and hard to fault. Don’t fear the Nutmeg, embrace it !!! Squarely placing this at 9.85/10.
Fig (VSO) 3% (11-27-21) – Figgy McFig, how do I love thee ? A HELL of a lot !!! We have a fig tree in the yard, to ANY fig flavor, is going to have a tough go of it here, for sure. I’ve found it very hard to find an accurate Fig, that was clean and natural. First things first (as expected) this one was very natural tasting, somewhat relaxed @ 3%, and very tasty. Nice and centered around the fleshy body, without any skin, which just worked. Sweetness was almost mid level and there were no off-putting notes to be found, which left you with plenty of figgy body to enjoy. Like a few other VSO’s in this second series, this one was somewhat relaxed in a SFT at 3%, and it might benefit from maybe a 0.5-1.0% bump, just to add to the experience. It’s too bad it’s Winter, or I’d run out and grab one, just to compare the two. If you’ve been let down by other fig-ish fig flavors, and need a natural one, this one should be on your list. Easily a 9.3/10.
Grape Raw (VSO) 0.3% (11-28-21) – First thoughts, “Damn, … that’s good”. End of review !!! I have a Grape Soda, that I move a lot of, but it relies heavily on FW’s Gape Soda, which is a coil gunker, so I’m always on the lookout for something I can use to boost, or replace that in that recipe. Now, this one wasn’t a soda-er, but damn, it was a DAMN fine Grape. I’ll tell you what, if you love grapes, and you buy this, and you CAN put it down, LET me know. Not candied, jammed, or sickly sweetened, this one presented as an almost medley of a white and concord grapes. Not either, but not neither. I think that will greatly increase it’s usefulness as it’s right smack dab in the middle. @ 0.3% it was about two ticks above mid-level sweet, but that didn’t slow it down. It so enveloped you IN the grape experience, I kept checking to make sure it wasn’t purple (it’s not, it’s clear). Since I mentioned my Grape Soda mix, the question becomes, what grape soda, might this one favor ? I would have to say a Fanta Grape, as that would be RIGHT up this one’s alley. Nothing off-putting, nothing out of place, and a solid grape brick, RIGHT to the face. I cannot go lower than 10/10 on this one.