As always, the purpose of this thread is to gather the community to explore a category of flavor and its many uses. And it's also to have FUN!
Post recipes containing this week's Flavor of the Week, as the star or in a supporting role, with or without development notes. Talk about other people's recipes that use it. Compare and contrast different manufacturers' versions of the FOTW. Ask for help using that flavor in general or to achieve something specific, offer advice, brainstorm ideas, consider substitutions, suggest pairings... really anything at all as long as it's on topic.
#This week's flavor is... Exotic Spices and Spice Blends
How did that get to be the FOTW?
It was requested! If you're not interested in the upcoming FOTWs, please take this opportunity and comment to request one that interests you (or send me a PM to do that).
Past FOTW posts can be found here
The NOTED podcasts, which are basically video FOTWs, are listed on this sheet, maintained by /u/apexified
Next week's flavor will be: Plum
The week after that will be: Pineapple
The week after that will be: Mixed Drinks
The week after that will be: Passionfruit
The week after that will be: Rice & Horchata
The week after that will be: Guava
The week after that will be: Cinnamon
The week after that will be: Pudding
The week after that will be: Cucumber
The week after that will be: Dragonfruit & Starfruit & Snakefruit
The week after that will be: Lychee
The week after that will be: Grapefruit
The week after that will be: Apricot
The week after that will be: New World-brand Strawberries (TFA, CAP, FLV, WF, LB, PUR, etc)
The week after that will be: Old World-brand Strawberries (FA, JF, INW, etc)
The week after that will be: Far East-brand Strawberries (FE/SC, HS, HC, VT, etc)
The week after that will be: Energy Drinks
The week after that will be: Sugary Candy (Pixie Sticks, Sweet Tarts)
The week after that will be: Eggnog
The week after that will be: Red Licorice & Swedish Fish
The week after that will be: Pound & Butter Cake
The week after that will be: Sponge & Fluffy Cake
The week after that will be: Chocolate Cake
Everyone should cumin side and look at this post! No age limit required, so no need to cardamom.
FA Cardamom at 0.5%. 0.25% is for babies. Here is a good example: dumbo ears by u/queuetue and I kheer you by u/HumanPuck
​
Flv clove for tobaccos 0.1 - 0.25%
Dune by u/KindGround
I recently mixed a recipe where I upped cardamom to 0.75% from 0.5%, and, like an idiot, I accidentally put in about 1.25% (supposed to be 0.45g, I put in 0.75g because me no read good). It's steeping. I'll let you know how it turns out. Smells darn good though.
you may have accidentally made joy in a bottle
|Flavor Facts - Spice Mixes| |---| |Noted - Spice Mixes on YT| |Noted - Spice Mixes on DoD| |Clove Recipes on ATF| |Clove Recipes on ELR| |Spice Recipes on ATF| |Spice Recipes on ELR|
A Compilation of Flavor Facts can be found here
|Flavor|Company|Review|ATF|ELR| |---|---|---|---|---| |Allspice|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Delosi|by PerennialPhilosopher|On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|DIY Flavor Shack| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Flavor Express| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Flavor West| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Flavorah|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|FlavourArt| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Inawera| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Cloves|Inawera| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Cloves|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|One on One| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|The Flavor Apprentice| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Clove|Vape Train| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Cardamom|FlavourArt|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Cardamom|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF| - - - | |Cardamom|Solub Arome| - - - |On ATF| - - - | |Cardamom|The Flavor Apprentice| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Cardamom|Vape Train| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Nutmeg|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Nutmeg|One on One| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Nutmeg|Real Flavors| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Saffron|FlavourArt| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Saffron|The Flavor Apprentice| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Pie (Spice)|Capella| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Spice|Flavor West|by Chrisdvr1|On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Spice|Flavorah| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Spice|Hangsen| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Spice|One on One| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Pumpkin Spice|The Flavor Apprentice| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Persimmon Spice|Flavorah|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Shisha Punch|Inawera|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Bakers Touch|Liquid Barn|by mysticrosell|On ATF|On ELR| |Holiday Spice|The Flavor Apprentice| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Bakery Spice Blend|Vape Train|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR|
|Flavor|Company|Review|ATF|ELR| |---|---|---|---|---| |Spice M|Inawera| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Back Bar Bitters|Flavorah| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Bitters|Vape Train| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Heat|Flavorah|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Hot Spices|Inawera| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Shisha Chili and Hot Spice|Inawera|by ConcreteRiver|On ATF|On ELR| |Wood Spice|Flavorah|by T_Mace|On ATF|On ELR| |Black Pepper|FlavourArt| - - - |On ATF|On ELR| |Mulling Spice|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF| - - - | |Spice|Natures Flavors| - - - |On ATF|On ELR|
What, ginger isn't a spice anymore?
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Many spices have antimicrobial properties.
NB. I know you know - just pasting for reference
Yes - ginger is a spice - a very popular spice. That's why it got to be FOTW all by itself.
Cinnamon is a spice too - it will have it's own week soon. This week shudda been called "Minor Spices & Spice Mixes" Week.
I've tried mixing with TFA Clove a few times but it's incredibly potent stuff. Need to grab a different clove and try again sometime. Goes well with strawberry and banana.
FLV Heat 0.75% (have taken it up to 1.5%, seen it used as low as 0.1%) - It’s more of a feeling that a flavor, like the opposite of WS-23, just a tasteless hot sensation like the feeling you have after eating hot peppers, without the actual hot pepper flavor. It’s surprisingly not “harsh” to vape in the usual sense of the word, it’s just spicy. It’s more in the finish of the vape than on top. It lingers in your mouth and will make your lips tingle. Mixing with sweetener really increases that effect.
FA Black Pepper 0.5% - Kept low it just tastes like cracked black pepper. Over 1% it starts to get a little floral. It’s top heavy and thin is is probably what you want in a pepper flavor. It’s just a little starting note like adding pepper on top of something, doesn’t taste like much beyond that. With all the complaints about peppery nic you might think, why on earth would you add pepper to your vape, but it’s not peppery nic flavor. “Peppery” is just the most relatable way of describing bad nic, but bad nic isn’t legit black pepper like this. I see it mostly used with tobacco but IMO it’s being underused. It can actually make your basier fruits taste sweeter by contrast. Strawberries, peaches, chocolate. Look online you can find food recipes for strawberry shortcake with black pepper, chocolate cake and brownies with black pepper, Martha Stewart’s Black Pepper Cheesecake, South African Chocolate Pepper Cookies, and black pepper ice cream.
FA Cardamom 0.5% - It tastes just like green cardamom, a unique and complex flavor that’s hard to describe. Citrusy-sort of limey, minty, spicy like ginger, and herbal all at the same time. There’s also a black cardamom that tastes smoky, but I have not tried it. No off notes at 0.5%, this is what green cardamom tastes like. There’s also a black cardamom that tastes smoky, but I have not tried it. It’s a bit difficult to balance in a mix because 0.25% is so little and 0.5% can be a bit much, but anywhere in between there tastes right to me in mixes like exotic spiced tobacco and Indian desserts like Mango Lassi. It is the main spice in a Chai spice blend. It plays really well of stone fruits like peaches, too. I’ve started putting cardamom in my peach cobbler instead of cinnamon and have been happy to find it works like that in a vape, too. It’s also key to a lot of Scandinavian desserts. So there are quite a few reasons to pick this one up.
FLV Wood Spice 0.5% - Really more of a wood flavor than a spice flavor. It pretty much tastes like sandalwood. Not like burning incense, but just like smelling the wood itself. But it fits in a recipe like a spice. Just a thin little top note that comes and goes, not a lot of depth to it. It’s not perfumy at all but seems like it belongs in a men’s cologne. Such a weird niche flavor.
VT Bakery Spice 0.5% - Strong, potent clove-forward spice blend. So clove forward that I’m not entirely sure what’s behind it, but there’s more to it than that. Some cinnamon, I guess, but not just cinnamon. Nutmeg, mace, allspice? Something like that. Bit more depth to it than the average spice. Couple of recipes on ATF use it from 0.04 to 0.2%, but the 0.04 was JJ so for normal people like 0.1 to 0.25-ish. Not off notes at 0.5%, just seems like it would murder a mix up that high. The weirdest thing about this flavor is that it tastes nothing like what VT says it does. “unique blend of cinnamon, aniseed, brown sugar and Madagascar vanilla bean pod” - No mention of clove. Doesn’t taste like aniseed or vanilla, maybe some brown sugar ish sweetness, maybe. What the hell, Vape Train?
This might have have some uses, as like a generic “autumn” spice, but if you’re looking for Pumpkin Spice, FLV Pumpkin Spice murders it by having a nice balance of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. This is more in line with TFA Pumpkin Spice (death by clove), but much more pleasant as that one is a bit harsh and astringent and this is neither and has much more going for it. But if you just want cloves, FLV and to a lesser extent FA both have cleaner clove flavors.
FLV Pastry Zest - Lightly citrus laced and very lightly spiced laced donut frosting. 1%.
VT Bitters 0.75% - Basically an aspirin flavor. “Vape Train’s Bitters is our latest product to assist in creating a bitters flavour taste with a bitter mouthfeel. This product is suspended in PG and comes in liquid form ready to use in your next ejuice recipe that’s seeking an authentic bitter note.” It sounds like they’re trying to make a FA Bitter Wizard rather than the bitters you’d put in a cocktail. That’s kind of what’s they’ve done, and then some. It seems like Bitter Wizard actually just sort of helps neutralize the sweetness of VG, this goes a step further and actually tastes bitter, like eating just the white pith of a grapefruit without getting any of the sweet and flavorful part. It even leaves that feeling on your tongue like you’ve just eaten something bitter, like chewing up an aspirin. Even though it completely lacks the spice notes of actual bitters, this could be super useful for all kind of mixes, for zapping any excess sweetness out of tobaccos, making citrus more realistic, providing balance in beverages (like bitters does) and elsewhere. So much fun to be had with this one, seems like it could be an invaluable tool. It might could work for tonic water as it kind of tastes like that, but VT also has a tonic that’s more accurate so if all you want is tonic, do that.
FLV Back Bar Bitters 0.75% - Not really bitter to vape. Although it lacks the bitterness of VT, it has a nice spicy depth to it that VT lacks, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, an long with some floral touch. It has some fruity sweetness before it cuts to a much less sweet aftertaste. Aromatic Bitters should taste of orange peel but this is more like candied orange peel, all the sweetness in here is tied to the orange, and it also has just a bit of something darker underneath, like dried fig but not obviously fig. Something in the prune or raisin family. It tastes like it would be great in a holiday bakery like fruitcake, or for something like mulled wine.
INW Shisha Punch 0.75% - Similar to FLV Back Bar Bitters, but with a more prominent orange peel here compared to FLV’s more prominent spice blend with some orange peel behind it. Also, significantly more clove in this spice blend, but with bits of cinnamon and something else, maybe cardamom or ginger, behind it. Would use for mulled wine or spiced cider. Maybe in a spiced cake like fruit cake. For cocktail bitters I’d mix it with VT Bitters for that real bitter note, but I’d probably use Back Bar Bitters instead of Shisha Punch for that because Back Bar Bitters is more balanced and not so orange-peel-and-clove dominant.