Testing
Steep Time: 16 days; Percent Used: 3%; PG/VG 50/50; Nicotine: 0%
Setup
RDA: Twisted Messes Squared
Coil: Groove Fused Framed Corrugated Staple
(2x28SS316/36KA1::4x0.4N80::2xCorrugated0.4N80::1x40N80)
(5.5Wrap::DualCoils::0.12ohm)
Power: 65 Watts; Wicking: None (Wickless)
Mouthfeel
Light and Creamy. Milky texture. Bitter linger.
Throat Hit
2/10
Flavor Properties
A complex, sharp vanilla flavor with a mild creamy texture. A bit of vanilla spice on the inhale, with notes of orange and lemon citrus, a dark caramel and cinnamon on the exhale. This flavor is semi-sweet, or perhaps one might even find it to be bittersweet, similar to the sweetness of a dark chocolate, in that there is a touch of sweetness that offsets the bitterness, but I wouldn’t characterize this as a sweet flavor. (This flavor doesn’t taste like dark chocolate, only comparing to the sweetness level).
Relatable Flavors
Crema Catalana or Crème brûlée.
Off Flavors
There is a slight bitterness/sour milk note and a faint alcohol note. Tastes slightly chemical or artificial to me.
Position In The Recipe
Some may enjoy this as a standalone flavor, however it wouldn’t be a single flavor vape for me. This can be a useful flavor if used the right way (and it agrees with your palate), such as added spice to a cream/custard base, but it’s lacking somewhat in sweetness and is a bit light and sharp for a single flavor vape or base ingredient. For me the off flavors and strength of the spice have kept this out of any of my recipes.
Pairings
Creams, Custards, Bakeries, Bold Fruits, Tobacco, Coffee, Caramel, Chocolate, Spices
Notes
While it is a complex flavor, and on paper it hits many of the notes of a true Catalan Cream, it doesn’t seem like I’m actually tasting the real thing. This flavor is like the spice mix without the actual dessert. While it has notes of dark caramel, it’s lacking the intensity of the burnt sugar crust. While it is slightly creamy, it is missing the weight and body of the cream/custard. It’s more bittersweet than sweet and the vanilla bean flavor overpowers the cinnamon and citrus notes. The cinnamon is very faint, and if I didn’t already know what to look for, I might not have been able to identify it at all. The off flavors may drop off at lower percentages with the potent spice still remaining present in a mix.
Recipes ELR Sorted by Rating
Purchasing Information
Price
$2.49/10mL
$4.99/30mL
$12.99/120mL
Rating 65.2/100
If you disagree, well that’s just like, your opinion man.
(But you should write that down there in the comments)
I find this overtakes everything I have tried pairing it with, with all its spice.
Yeah this is one that I had high hopes for but rarely find myself using. There are other vanillas and spices that I prefer over this if I want that effect, and the rating is only as high as it is for the accuracy of hitting those marks, but truth be told I don't really care much for this one.
Hate this flavour. Had high hopes after reading HIC's praise, but found it to be nothing like what he described.
I don't taste any Creme Brûlée in there, just a bit of caramel and a lot of dirty spice. Not at all creamy, just nutmeg & cinnamon. Lacks a lot of body too, needs additional cream + marshmallow. Used it a couple of times (when first received it), but it quickly went in the 'do not use' drawer.
Same here re:HIC's praise. I find it humorous how on ELR the notes for any given flavor are mostly copy-pastas of HIC's notes, which are often completely different than how things taste to me, and probably to most of us on newer devices. I realize now that I probably went a bit too easy on this flavor in my review, and I was trying to find things that were good about it, but it's honestly just been sitting here since the first few times I've tried using it, and I only reviewed it because it wasn't on the wiki list and I am working my way through typing up new reviews for most of my flavors.
HIC's Flavor Notes:
FA Flavor:
This tastes just like fresh Flavor! Totally accurate, excellent, realistic Flavor flavor with just the right level of flavor, not at all artificial tasting. A Flavor flavor no other brand does near as well. More complex and true to the real Flavor than any other Flavor flavoring. This is most realistic, natural tasting Flavor flavoring you'll find. Use it just like you'd use Flavor, it's perfect for a Flavor recipe. One of FA's most useful flavors. Blends excellently with other FA flavor.
Yeah, totally agree. The notes on ELR are 99% useless, as you say, almost all are just HIC's reviews added by 10 different people.
I am not slating HIC, but like you, my taste is very different to his. He should work in advertising though, I am sure we have all bought some FA flavours based on his words.
Anyway, I appreciate your objective review, it is good that you can see the good in it despite it not being your cup of tea. Keep up the good work :)
Thanks! And yes, nothing negative to say about HIC. I've been glad to have him as a resource as I explored the world of DIY and there is still plenty of useful info in his notes, even if you disagree. Taste is subjective. But I absolutely agree, I 100% bought this flavor sometime in 2015 because of his notes.
I don't think you went too easy on it; spot on review. It does hit a lot of the notes you'd want but yeah, it's not so well balanced and you can prob do better by using a couple of better ingredients together. I think it's just too much in one flavoring, and not quite balanced enough to be a standalone
This shit is hot fire like my mixtape. Add it to some mixes you want a good thickness and spice to. Apples love Catalan cream. Trying for that recipe contest and didn't win? Try Catalan cream. Ever tried strawberries and cream with cinnamon? Fuck. Try Catalan cream.
I agree for the most part. The only things I actually like this in is when accenting a flavor that already has spices in low percentages. Like to add additional creaminess and accent any flavor that already has cinnamon. It helps boost and add a depth, almost like adding a hint of nutmeg to cinnamon. I like it in bread pudding and cinnamon rolls and banana bread at around 1. But gives everything else an off flavor to me.