It was my plan to follow up with last week's post on layering flavors and delve into the creation process of each separate layer. However, something else came up and my thought process has changed. We'll follow up with layering next week, so that's just a little spoiler on what else is coming up and what you can look forward to.

Today, we will focus on how to review flavors. My intentions with this are indeed double sided.

First, it is very important for everyone to know how to review the flavors that they buy. I am a huge advocate in doing single batch tests of each individual flavor you get. This is probably the single largest step you can take in advancing from a beginner mixer to a novice mixer. In doing so you will be taking meticulous notes. Write down everything you do so that you can go back and reference your notes. There will come a day you will have so many flavors that you cannot recall the exact intricacies unless you can reference what you wrote.

So you may be asking yourself, "What am I writing down exactly? How do I do the single batch test?" If so, good! You're in the right place. You're willing to learn, and I'm willing to teach.

Single Batch Tasting

What you will need:

• Dilution of your choice (PG/VG)
• 10mL bottles
• Flavoring of choice
• Any additional standard mixing equipment (scale/pipettes/syringes)

It's really simple. You are creating a "recipe" of just a single flavor. Ideally, you want to sample the flavoring at several different percentages because the profile of a flavor can change at these different percentages. To get an idea of what percentage to start your testing, you need to consider the general concentration levels of the brand you're testing, and the reviews of other people to see where they are using it at. INW and FA flavors usually want to be started at 0.5-1%. FLV, TFA, FW, and LA at 2%. MF at 0.25%. Keep in mind, these are broad generalizations. There are some INW flavors I won't use above 0.125%.

So, you have your test batch made, you labeled your bottles with the percentages, flavors, and day you made it so you can try them again in a week after they've steeped. Now what?

Flavor Notes

Learning how to describe flavors and take notes can be difficult at first. I can't count how many times I've seen people say they don't have a refined palette. Describing taste with words is a bit clumsy and unnatural. However, it's just a skill that can be learned like anything else. Hint: Single batch tasting juices helps with this skill as well.

Short of just shoving the flavor in someone's mouth, you have to describe the qualities of the flavor are relatable:

• Percentage Used - flavor can wildly change at different percentages. Saying what you used it at allows me replicate the flavor your are describing
• Mouth Feel - what is the texture of the flavor when it's vapes. Is it dense, airy, creamy? Rate the density on a scale of 1-10, or use descriptive words. Very dense, moderately dense, etc.
• Flavor Properties - is it sour and with hints of citrus? Spicy? Creamy? Fresh? This list is endless. Think of the adjectives you would use to describe an orange to someone who's never eaten one before. Juicy, bright, vibrant, sticky, sweet, lightly sour. The more adjectives you can add to the description from your vocabulary the better.
• Relatable Flavors - What are some common flavors that everyone knows you can compare the flavor against? Saying that FW blood orange tastes more like orange juice than a fresh orange instantly paints a picture in your head of what to expect from the flavor.
• Off Flavors - It's there anything weird tasting in the flavor. Paint the picture. When I say that TFA Almond tastes like moldy cardboard, I bet you can almost taste it yourself. Or that FA meringue tastes like spoiled greasy cheese over 2%.
• Position in the recipe - What position in the recipe will the flavor for best; top note, background, base? Will it change based on using it at a different percentage?
• Pairings - What will the flavoring pair well with? FA Bilberry and TFA Blueberry Wild in a 1:3 ratio, respectively, is my go to blueberry.

What Not to Do

• Try to avoid subjective wording. This tastes good. This tastes bad. Tell me WHY it tastes that way. Just because you think FLV Bing Cherry tastes like cherry starburst is no reason to call it bad. That may be exactly what someone else is looking for.
• Using unrelatable things to compare the flavor to. Telling me that the flavor you tested tastes like an obscure premium juice I've never had does not tell me what it tastes like.

To get the second point of why I chose this topic today, I am currently in the process of trying to amass a large collection of flavor notes on all the fruit flavorings currently available to the community. This will require a massive amount of help and resources, but will be very rewarding and be able to help veteran and new mixers alike.

You can help contribute and monitor our progress over at /r/cloudcollective. I am still in the beginning process of identifying all the flavors I want flavor notes on.

Lastly, be sure to check out /u/matthewkocanda and myself on the new podcast sponsored by DIYorDIE Vaping, BeginnerBlending tonight at 9pm EST. We will be going over the benefits of DIY, reviewing today's Modest Monday post, and shooting the shit with NotCharlesManson and SkiddlzNinja. It will be a blast.

Second lastly, this week's recipe:

Red Velvet Cake Batter|% ---|--- FLV cupcake batter | 4 TFA red velvet cake | 2

Ok, I know I promised people I would try to stay away from FLV since a lot of people don't have it, but if you want something you can mix quick and grab on the run, tuck this one in your back pocket.

• FLV cupcake batter - very dense and rich. Lots of butter and oil notes. Not enough of a flour or egg taste to be considered a true batter, but it still has the essence of such. No fluffy mouth feel.
• TFA red velvet cake - surprisingly potent for a TFA flavor. After initially mixing, I get a sort of chemical/alcohol off flavors. After breathe steeping, this falls into the background a good bit and you are left with a rich flavor. Cream cheese icing, fluffy, hints of dark chocolate. More of a cake taste than FLV cupcake batter. Not overly sweet. Dry.