My first flavor review! Almost 8 months and I finally found some time to give back to the community that has done SO much for me. I don't consider myself a flavor guru, but I do feel like I have a firm grasp on how well certain concentrates mesh with one-another. This is the first of 5 or 6 reviews from the RF lineup that I'm currently testing. I'm a straight shooter which is why I barely leave reviews or release recipes since my description game isn't very strong. All of my notes on flavors and recipes will be straight to the point.
Gremlin sent a 5mL bottle of it with my last order. Even though it was free, I don't want it to go to waste!
Testing @ 5, 10, 12, 14% 70/30:
Setup:
- OG Goon 24 with single SS316L Tri-fused clapton @ .18 ohms & 95W. Pulse BF 22 with single spaced SS316L fused clapton @ .22ohm & 75W. Fresh cotton wicks on both. Steeped 23 days.
My take:
- Real Flavors has a few awesome flavors, but this is not one of them. It's extremely middle of the road, but not a useless or bad flavor by any means. I get equal parts of strawberry and kiwi but the blend is not particularly strong. It's sweet and candied, but not obvious enough to be a top note in any recipe. However, it has a relatively thick mouthfeel and isn't dry or harsh at all. At this percentage, I could see it being used as a base to layer brighter fruits and a bit of cactus to create a pretty satisfying and mouth-watering candy flavor. With the density I'm getting, it could probably even be used just to sweeten a fruit 'n cream mix since the flavor isn't too pronounced and can be easily hidden by more potent concentrates.
Sample recipe:
I'm bad at naming things...Steep time: 2 days.
- 10% RF Strawberry Kiwi (VG)
- 2% JF Sweet Strawberry
- 3.5% FW Kiwi
- .25% INW Cactus
- .1% TFA Dragonfruit
It's a simple little mix that's easy on the throat after the Kiwi has calmed down. The Sweet Strawberry and Kiwi boost the Strawberry Kiwi while the Cactus and Dragonfruit respectively moisten and bind the dominant flavors. Vapor is sweet, wet and dense.
EDIT:
This is a VG-based concentrate. Retested at 10, 12, and 14%. My thoughts from above remain the same. This is a weak flavor that NEEDS help to be recognized in a mix.
Is this regular RF or SC?
It's Real Flavors, but it's not the SC version.
Ewww
Upon further inspection, I'm actually not sure if it's the SC or VG version. It's pretty thin, so I'm gonna say it's the SC version. The bottle I received didn't specify, so I assumed it was a standard PG dilution. But RF only carries SC and VG for this flavor.
My experience with the RF (VG) concentrates is 12-20 % and a 3-4 week steep to get any satisfaction out of them...they're actually not too bad if your going after single flavor VG mixes .. if this is your thing, Walt puts out some decent flavors ..
Created http://theflavorwiki.net/wiki/RF_Strawberry_Kiwi_(VG)
#Thanks!
You're welcome! Gremlin didn't specify if it was the SC or VG version, so I assumed it was just a regular ol PG dilution. But im going to get with them and find out which version they sent and retest if needed. The other bottles they sent clearly state VG or SC. This sample just has the brand and concentrate name.
Was it hard to work with or was it a nightmare to work with.
Created http://theflavorwiki.net/wiki/RF_Strawberry_Kiwi_(SC)
#Thanks!
It looks like based on RF's recommended percents you may have overflavored causing the perceived weakness? Usually overflavoring adds a weird zing to anything though...
Yeah, I'm gonna retest within the recommended margins on their website. Considering I'm 2.5% over the recommended percentage, I wonder if it's just a linear flavor that kinda tops out in the 2-3% range. Or maybe it's just as weak as I assume it is. I guess we'll see when I retest and edit this in a few weeks.
Gremlin just replied:
- Hi Jeremy! If the label doesn't have a big box saying super concentrates then they'll all be the regular vg line versions. We're phasing those out and giving them away little by little to make room for the new SC stuff. I hope you enjoy!