##DF Ice - Original##
Summary
This flavoring is just what I've always wanted in a coolant; it's like dropping an ice cube in your recipe. It waters the flavors down slightly and adds a super subtle, wonderful coolness. It works great as an accent to drink or cocktail recipes. One thing to note is that in using other coolants, it is much less potent -- you'll want to use it around 1-2% to get the effect you're looking for instead of 0.25%-1% (for those that go higher than 1% with TFA Koolada or something similar you will not be impressed with the level of cooling on this flavoring). This flavoring works really well with heavy/forward flavors or syrupy flavors since it does seem to subdue flavors a bit with diluted watery-ness. Where I get off flavors from things like TFA Koolada, I really get no flavor at all from this one. The best way to describe it is if you dropped some ice or ice-water in your recipe.
On the Nose
Nothing
Recommended Usage
Stand alone: 3-5%
In a mix: 1-2%
Throat
None
Ideal Pairings
Cocktails, sodas, beverages
Steep
1-3 Days
Recipe Inclusion: Wolf Cola
Ratio: 30PG/70VG
Steep: S&V
Ingredient|%| :--|:--| DF Ice -- Original|1.5%| FA Cola (USA Pleasure)|4%| FLV Rich Cinnamon|0.125%| INW Marzipan|1%|
This recipe tastes like a liter a' cola you got at the drive through that's been sitting for about 20 mins; right as it's super refreshing, slightly effeversecnt still, and diluted with much needed water (ice). The FA cola obviously carries most of the flavor, gaining a nice cherry body from the marzipan and using the ice to carry the flavor into a refreshing territory. One drop of Rich Cinnamon/30mL gives just an extra touch of spice and effervesence to promote the flavor of the only cola for true refreshment, Wolf Cola: Splash in to the beast.
How does DF Ice compare to FA Polar Blast? They sound similar in strength and taste (or absence of an added taste) but can't recall anyone describing a diluted effect with Blast.
FA Polar Blast is definitely a little less prominent than say TFA Koolada, I'd say DF Ice is probably a step below FA Polar Blast. I don't recall getting much of a diluting or watered-down aspect from the polar blast, at least not like I do from DF Ice. I haven't tried it as a sub in here yet since the DF Ice was doing just what I needed it to. I just ran out of wolf cola though so I might try mixing it up with FA Polar Blast to see how it does; if I do I will let you know!
Tried subbing the DF Ice for FA Polar Blast, certainly different effects; I don't notice any diluting effect with the polar blast, and the coolness is much more prominent, even at 0.75%. DF Ice is the winner here!
Edit: Update, also tried at 0.25% and still don't notice much of a dilutant or watere-down aspect. One thing I really like about the DF Ice is how it can reduce harshness instead of add to it.
Excellent news! DF Ice sounds like the coolant of choice for sodas and slurpees, and I'm definitely going to try it in a Tom Collins mix to check the effect with citrus. Oh, and southern style iced tea with lime.
Thank you for the review and for the comparison info!
I'm new so I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm curious:
Why can't you just lower the %'s of the other flavors if you're looking to dilute them? Just dilute them with PG/VG? What benefit does this add that you couldn't get that way?
Like with Coke you can't do that because Coke makes it, you don't have the choice of a weaker Coke. But you do have that choice with 4% Cola flavoring. Bring it down to 3% or 2%.
So, IMO, dilution in this sense is different than going lower on flavor; when you go lower on flavor it is just weaker, if you have a prominent or syrupy flavor when you dilute it it kind of thins the body out a bit and prevents it from overwhelming the palate.
Originally I had it at 2%, but wasn't getting enough flavor; brought it to 3% same thing, but at 4% the flavor was wonderful and the ice is what gave it a sort of watery base to lay on and bring it in to a more refreshing territory, rather than syrupy and heavy or overwhelming.
I've noticed similar aspects in things like TFA Champange and what not in the way they can kind of water-down a recipe. It's hard to describe but I hope that paints the picture.
Not OP so I can't say for sure, but the FA Cola may have a certain body or texture at 4% that's just not the same at a lower %. It might also lose some flavor after a steep, so that could be another reason. That FLV rich cinnamon is a doozy so having a substantial base for it to blend with is key, otherwise it can easily overpower a mix.
I'm curious who you buy your DF ice flavor from? I've been wanting to make a cola juice and I've never tried a coolant flavoring. I buy all my flavors from BCV. I'll have to check if they have it. Recipe looks really good! Thank you for your work on it.
Thanks man. Yeah I think you'd need to go to Delosi's site or try Nicotine Labs. It is certainly much different than other coolants I've tried, can't recommend it enough.
Excellent notes. I really enjoy cooling agents as I make a lot of beverage style vapes and I feel like it does alter your perception of the vape substantially as your adding another level to the experience that stands apart from the flavor profile. The way your describing this makes me think of a more subtle version of WS-23. Any idea what the composition is?
A bit late here but have you tried WS-23 and can you compare it to that if you have?
All good, I'm late to this reply! I haven't actually, but I have tried TFA Koolada and FA Polar Blast and it is wildly different than both of those.
Given the fact Koolada is WS-3, and this isn't WS-23, I wonder if there's any way to determine if it is eithe of WS-5 or WS-12? Those normally have more of a cooling effect, but perhaps used in a weaker solution than WS-3 or WS-23? As far as I know, there are a half dozen cooling agents with GRAS classification... it'd be nice to know which this one uses.
How does one get cherry from marzipan?
Cherries and Almonds are in the same family and thus share similar qualities. It's not a prominent Cherry flavor (as in it's more of an almond-cherry instead of straight up cherry), though it's certainly present. I get more cherry from INW Marzipan than I do FA Marzipan, which is why I used it here. I suppose it would have been more accurate to say that I used it for it's almond and cherry notes (since it does lend some good almond flavor), although the reason I grabbed it is for the cherry note that I get from it -- the other stuff is just a bonus.
I'm actually munching on some Marzipan dough and Marzipan candies right now in preparation for the NOTED show and I'm getting much more cherry flavor than I am almond; when I think almond I'm thinking more along the lines of a a raw almond, toasted almond, or almond butter flavor.
Nevertheless, it is an excellent ingredient for a soda type vape with the different qualities it offers and works wonderfully here.
Edit: Looks like the culprit here could be Benzaldehyde which is present in extractions from wild bitter almonds and is also a major contributor to the complex aromas of Apricots, Cherries, Plums, and Peaches