I don't know if something like this already exists, search didn't come up with much. Let's make a list of common flavor tasting problems / oddities, and recommendations to alleviate them. These are mine:

​

Strawberry non-tasters: Probably the most well known issue, many people have problem tasting strawberry flavorings. I would like to describe it for the nth time for the fortunate people who don't have this problem: I can taste real strawberries just fine, I can smell the flavoring in the bottle, but most strawberry flavorings feel like unflavored vg/pg when vaped in normal-people percentages. If I overflavor I do get some notes, but these are mostly what I think are supporting notes, because on their own they taste off. For example TFA Strawberry tastes like really bitter herbs, just a bitter sharp top note with no body.

Solutions: Tying to the point above, most strawberries seem to be top noteish with no body (or that's how I perceive them). Adding body helps, some creams, custards, bakeries and whatnot. The unbearable TFA Strawberry above does not cause as bad of a taste when used in botboys famous recipe for example, I can even taste something resembling strawberry. And it definitely tastes different from how VBIC would taste standalone, so strawberry definitely imparts something even if it can not be tasted on its own (VBIC also tastes peppery to me, will get to that) Also sweetener helps.

Here are the best strawberry flavorings I have found that work for me. Note that "work for me" means I can taste something faint that resembles strawberry, rather than OMG it's full on strawberry.

FA Strawberry (Regular): Naturalish strawberry (smell in the bottle) that has less of the bitter hay notes. I can faintly taste this on a lucky day. Their new juicy strawberry is supposedly better for non-tasters, but it was not the case for me.

INW Shisha Strawberry: This has what seems to be a syrupy body, as a result it's faintly tasteable. Probably the best of the bunch.

CAP Sweet Strawberry: I can overflavor this without much off notes to the point I can taste some nondescript red/pink sweetness and with a little imagination it can feel like strawberry. Works for sweetening stuff with pinkness.

My final recommendation is go mix the Cuttwood internal leak recipe. I don't think or claim it's the best strawberry cream/custard out there, it's not even strawberry heavy, but it was with this juice that I discovered I can taste strawberry faintly if supported by a suitable body. Or rather strawberry, even if not quite tasteable on its own, can sweeten/morph a body. Something in there made it work for me so I kept experimenting instead of giving up on strawberry forever.

​

Some custards/creams tasting peppery: Also have this problem, and what I have discovered over the years is that this is mostly a TFA thing. Top offenders are TFA Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, TFA Vanilla Custard and their chocolates (Don't really remember if it was both Milk & White or either one of them, has been a long time since I used any). For those who don't have it: Basically you taste a black pepper like note, it especially dominates the second half/exhale/trail part of the vape). Now strangely this pepper-flavor could become an acquired taste, at least it was the case with me. It's not a yucky/disgusting note to me, just odd. And over time I realized that I developed a liking for it, depends on your tastes.

Fortunately for those who don't like it, Vanilla Ice Creams and custards from other vendors are mostly OK, some recommendations would be Cap Vanilla Custard, INW Custard. Also non-diketone variants of the offending TFA flavors are not peppery to me, TFA Vanilla Bean Gelato & TFA Vanilla Swirl. However, I have also seen people tasting pepper in Capellas VC. They probably have a more severe case of pepper-tasting.

​

Some caramels tasting awful: I also have this one, and whenever I see comments like "awful", "disgusting", "dumped it in the sink" etc. for a popular/well liked e liquid with caramel profile (think of Gambit, Boss Reserve type of profiles) I know these are my people. We are numerous but we are not yet well organized as the strawberry non-tasters and pepper tasters are. This oddity, unlike the others above makes the juice totally unvapable, even %1 of the offending flavor is a death sentence. If I have to describe it, I taste something like a burning dumpster, burning organic (vomit / rotten food) stuff mixed with burning plastic bags. (Sorry it's hard to describe)

Worst offenders for me are "rich" caramels. FW Salted Caramel, FLV Caramel, CAP Caramel, TFA Caramel Org. (to some extent).

I have found some caramels are OK, like TFA Caramel Candy, FA Caramel, MB Caramel. These don't have the off note, but they are not as rich I guess. The best flavoring I have found that works for me was FW Caramel Candy. Does not have the off note, and is somewhat rich. Also I have been trying to rewire my brain and power through this, I still do not enjoy the offending flavors but I can now tolerate them in very low amounts.

​

Vanilla faintness: This, I think is also common. I remember reading at least one subreddit-favorite flavor reviewer (probably concreteriver but can't remember) mention this in his/her blog. Maybe vanilla is not supposed to be an in your face flavor, but anyway, this syndrome manifests itself in not being able to taste vanilla in a mix or standalone unless there is a huge amount of it. Thus it also makes it really hard to distinguish the subtleties of different vanillas from each other, for example FA Vanilla Bourbon vs FA Vanilla Classic.

My recommendation is once again using a vanilla with a body that enhances it, like cream or simply use Vanilla custards for the Vanilla fix. TFA Vanilla Swirl or TFA Vanilla Bean Gelato are good with other notes not completely overpowering the Vanilla. INW Shisha is just too creamy/custardy to me but people like it as an in your face Vanilla it seems. I can not get my hands on Holy Vanilla which is also well regarded. CAP French Vanilla is also strong, but also comes with strong custard/cream notes.

As for dry / non creamy Vanillas, the strongest I have encountered in my searches was FA Vanilla Tahity. This is a sharper vanilla but can be tasted strongly.

​

To be continued if I remember anything else. Please feel free to add anything you are stricken by, the more people you know are affected, the better. Please remember this is about a general profile (e.g. Custard) rather than "XBrand Custard tastes bad to me".