What's good.
So riding on the coattails of my soda adventures, I decided to revisit a concentrate that I actually find a lot of enjoyment with, even though it's caused me a great deal of annoyance, FW Hard Candy. I'll leave my notes on the concentrate for that section of the post, but what I will dive into here is my torturous excursion into the realm of trying to create a "hard candy" profile. In no way do I feel like I've been successful in this, however, this is one of my favorite attempts. What do we know about hard candies, at least in the world of trying to recreate that in vape form? Since we can't achieve that teeth clicking sensation of a hard candy as it laboriously dissolves in your mouth, we have to go for the sensation we get on the tongue. Even with sweet candies, after a while, you end up getting that weird "burn" on your tongue from the constant exposure to sugar on your tastebuds. Also, most hard candies need to hold their flavor, so we need something that's going to be potent. Finally, that overt, sugary sweetness that lingers throughout, and well after you've devoured the candy.
So, with this, I knew I needed something equally sweet and tart, that was potent and addictive. And with that, I give you Kænd1, my attempt at an apple/ginger hard candy.
Kænd1 ( ATF Link )
- INW Anton Apple at 2%
- INW Two Apples at 1.5%
- FLV Ginger at 0.8%
- FW Hard Candy at 0.75%
- CAP Super Sweet at 0.5%
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FLAVOR NOTES
INW ANTON APPLE / INW TWO APPLES - I've been hard pressed to find a good application for INW Anton Apple that competes with the greatness of Antoine from /u/NotCharlesManson, there's just something about that flavor that never worked well for me. Either it was too bitter and overpowering, or it just added nothing to the recipe, or it had decent flavor, but seemed to dry everything out too much. Something about the way Manson used it with the INW Dragonfruit just kept it exactly where it needed to be, and it's an absolutely ingenious recipe that undoubtedly stood the test of time. However, I refused to be beaten by a small bottle of vegetable glycerin and aroma volatile, so I kept trying to find my own way with INW Anton Apple. Here, we use it at 2% to bring a lot of tartness and "bitterness" to the vape, but not pushing it to a point where it obliterates everything else with green apple bite. Adding the sweetness and juiciness of INW Two Apples ends up giving us this odd blend of every apple that is worth eating. As if a mad gardener cross bred a Honeycrisp, a Pink Lady, and a Granny Smith into this abhorrent slap in the face of God that ended up being everything you could ever want in an apple. Use this pairing next time you want something tart and apple forward in your mix.
FLV GINGER - I've explained this before, so I won't go nuts with the description. But 0.8% is, by all accounts, the sweet spot for FLV Ginger. Fuck you if you disagree. This is the spot where we get all the delicious spice at it's precipice. It stays underneath the apple, but you know it's there because it lovingly tickles the back of your throat on every inhale. This isn't a ginger candy, and if you want that, then look elsewhere. FLV Ginger is a delicious, earthy, and accurate representation of what ginger should be in a recipe, the accent to add depth, warmth, and spice to a profile.
FW HARD CANDY / CAP SUPER SWEET - Obviously, our hard candy in this recipe. So let's dive into this bullshit, because I've, for months, vehemently banished FW Hard Candy to the depths of my ^(large drink cooler bag) that stores all my unused flavors. Every time I'd pull it out, I'd be disappointed by an assault to the palate of hairspray and sadness. It never seemed to work for me. Maybe I was putting too much in, maybe too little. All I know, is it wasn't for me, and I refused to praise something that wouldn't work for me. But that's the definition of a coward, something I hate more than I hate myself. So I kept trying. Finally, about a few months ago, I found something that worked, and the fix was so fucking simple, that I almost gave up my proud, self-appointed title of "That Cuck That Mixed Grilled Stick," and bought a pack of smokes. Anyway, keeping FW Hard Candy at or below 1%, while adding a bit more of your preferred sweetener than you normally would, allows this pairing to create an ambiguous hard candy base that will absorb whatever other shit you throw at it. It's like a blank canvas of pressed and heated sugar, just patiently waiting for some flavor, so it can cool and harden into something beautiful. The nice thing about this in this particular recipe, is that we get something that balances out the tartness of the apple, while almost helping us get closer to a ginger candy flavor from FLV Ginger. If you want to make some hard candy recipes, and don't want to buy new shit, try this out if it's already in your arsenal.
STEEP TIME - So I've had this 30ml for the past three days, and let me tell you, this might be one of my first recipes that doesn't change AT ALL from steeping. No lost flavor, no added flavor, no weird morphing of flavors. Just as punchy and delicious three days in as it was off a shake. I won't say you should mix up a gallon of this shit, but hey, if you vape through shit quickly, I wouldn't imagine this to change a whole lot even after a week or so. The only thing I could predict is that the tartness of the apple will fade a bit and the candy sweetness will come a bit more center stage. But even that, doesn't sound like much of a problem.
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Well, there it is, friends. Nothing earth-shattering or crazy inspired, but hey, what do I ever drop that falls into that category. This is easily an all day vape for me, and I hope it will be for you. Mix 'er up, and let me know if you dig it. And if you don't, that's cool too, at least we tried. Stay fuckin' evil.