Disclaimer: I didn't pay for these, shoutout to ECX for sending them to me.
Setup: Recoil w/ flavor barrel, Dual 12 wrap 24g 3.5mm SS316 @.31 ohms. 60w power, 450F temp limit. Full Cotton Wicks.
Testing: Jungle Flavors Fresh Cream, 1 and 4%, 60/40 VG/PG base, Steeped 16 days.
Flavor Description: Accurate, smooth cream, a whole lot like the FA Version.
Pretty spot on to a heavy-ish cream flavor. Light buttery note but no butyric or really heavy dairy flavors. Some light tartness, but it's mostly from the bottom heavy nature of the flavor. Doesn't really seem to be interacting with the flavor, I think I'm mostly just tasting my testing base. Doesn't come across as crazy rich or thick, utility cream without any weirdness or off-flavors.
Smooth mouthfeel and a flatter texture. Basically no top notes, and a moderately thick middle and base to the flavor. Doesn't cross into a fluffier whipped cream. Just a touch sweeter than straight cream, but doesn't have any heavy artificial feeling sweetness.
So if you put this side by side with FA Fresh Cream I'd really have trouble telling the difference. The flavor here is really similar. I'd say the JF version is just a hair more tart, but that could easily be my older bottle of FA. Texture-wise, again, it feels pretty identical. I think the middle of the FA is maybe a touch thicker but the base is pretty indistinguishable. I think the primary difference is going to be the concentration, it feels like FA is just a bit more concentrated. All of these differences could easily be explained by age of the concentrate or even how tightly the bottles seal.
Off-flavors: Nah, not really. Using FA as a benchmark, nothing that doesn't belong in there.
Throat Hit: Nah, not really.
Percentage testing: Not a great solo vape, but at 1% I'm getting a light, flat cream flavor. Not a lot of sweetness, and just a bit of body. Mouthfeel still feels just a bit thin.
At 4%, quite a bit more volume and I'm getting light buttery notes. Still nothing that tastes particularly butryic to me. Still feels pretty flat. Seems to be drying out just a bit.
Just given these tests, I'd probably be around 1.5% as an accent, and 3% as primary flavor.
Uses & Pairings: This is about as close to a direct sub for a flavor as I've tested from different manufacturers, so this would basically slot in any recipe with FA Fresh Cream at basically the same percentage if not a touch more.
Pretty versatile overall. Useful for a milk type base without any of the more aggressive dairy notes present in some of the milk flavors. Mellow enough to not really stand out at low percentages against drier profiles while smoothing things out.
Second Opinions: Again, I'm not finding much out there.
Here's the product page from ECX. Their description: "Fresh Cream from Jungle boasts creamy dairy notes that pair well with just about any fruit and dessert recipes. Add this versatile flavor to your flavor collection today!" One five star review by user "Rangler510" titled "Better than that other brand": "Really thick and full mouth feel. Used at 2.5%. Very pleased!"
Thanks Concrete. Loving your YT channel now too. You mention this was steeped 16 days - was this incidental i.e. does it change significantly after 7 days? Does FA Fresh Cream need around the same time as JF Fresh Cream?
Seems to be about the same as FA Fresh Cream in terms of steeping. I put down that sample of FA to go side by side at the same time I put down the JF. I'm sure there are some more subtle changes, but I've never noticed anything drastic over a week with FA.
And I feel bad, that youtube channel got linked while I was down with a broken camera. Should have some new videos coming up there soon.
Congrats on mixer of the year! Good to see you didn't drop the mic and become a ghost.
So basically, if you already have FA, no need to pick this one up?
Great review as always , seems Jungle Flavors not only copies other manufacturers flavors they try to get them to taste the same also , Fresh Cream , Fuji Apple , Forest Mix, TFA's Cheesecake Graham Crust, Inawera Biscuit , Cactus
Yeah, seems to be about where they are with it. I've had some of their "original" stuff, but apparently it's leftover from an earlier iteration of jungle flavors before ECX got involved.
How do Jungle Flavors strength compare to similar flavors to other brands? Would using similar percentages to other brands yield similar results (accounting for taste differences, of course)? ECX is having 20% off sale right now for Jungle Flavors, and I was thinking of getting Aniseed for a anise/mint recipe that I'm trying out. Trying to replicate MBV White Out, FWIW.
Edit: for clarity
Generally, I think they are just a hair weaker than FA, so you're probably between 2-4% on them depending on the flavor for primary flavors in a mix. Aniseed sounds interesting, I have no clue which flavorhouse's Aniseed they would have modeled that after so I might be a holdover from their original line.
Looks like White Out was one of the older MBV juices, so it was probably FW? Just looking over their lineup though, I have no idea what they would have been using.
Great write up per usual. Thanks for post your thoughts on all these flavors. ECX is not my main place to shop so I have not gotten any Jungle Flavors as of yet. Can you tell me some of the "must haves" for you? I've read some good things about some of their offerings.
I haven't tried all of their stuff, but I've found a few I dig. I like their Fuji for realism over FA. I think their tiramisu is better than the FA equivalent. Honey peach is nice, sweet, and relatively non-harsh, but it can go a bit peach rings in mixes. Their RY4 Double is a better version of TPA's if you like that. I like their Juicy Lemon for a desert, sherbert style lemon. A lot of people use Strawberry Sweet for a strawberry syrup type flavor. Their Bavarian cream is really good as well. And I think their biscuit is less coconut-y than INW, so that's pretty handy. Oh, and their honeydew is solid and not a soapy nightmare to work with like TPA.