Summary:
If you’re not familiar with the black currant, think of it as cranberry’s sweeter, more attractive culinary cousin (no botanical relation.) Picture a small berry with the sweetness and tartness of a grape, having a unique characteristic flavor similar to cooked cranberries but deeper and fuller.
Flavorah did an outstanding job of imitating this fruit’s unique flavor. Use at 1.5% for fresh, ripe berries; 3.0-3.5% for a cooked berry flavor.
Setup: Inde Duo with SS clapton coils, TC set at 435 F, power capped at 80W.
Testing: FLV Black Currant, 0.5% - 4.0%, 70/30 VG/PG, tasted at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days steep.
Off-flavors: none up to 3.5%
Throat Hit: none
Percentage testing:
-
At 0.5%, it's very faint. Nothing to see here, move along.
-
At 1.0%, there’s a recognizable berry flavor. Kinda like fruit punch with 10% juice. Too faint to make out much detail
-
At 1.5% it’s unmistakably black currant, albeit lacking the tartness of the actual fruit. The unique musky flavor found in ripe black currants is center stage.
-
At 2.0%, it gets a tad jammy. All the same flavors are still present, but now give the impression of cooked berries.
-
At 2.5%, as before, but more so. Not quite jam, more like cooked-down berry puree with little (if any) added sweetness. Also developing a pleasantly thick mouthfeel at this level.
-
At 3.0%, sweeter, and starting to lose some of the nuances. Incredibly thick mouthfeel. This is black currant jelly, spot-on.
-
At 3.5%, it’s definitely black currant jam now. Very full flavor, syrupy mouthfeel. I so want to pair this with some ripe cheese right now!
-
At 4.0%, the musky notes get oversaturated and turn funky. Not entirely unpleasant, but not at all fruity anymore. Earthy and fermented, overripe.
-
Effect of steeping beyond 1 day was not noticeable at 1.5% and below. At higher concentrations, the cooked notes grew stronger while the fruitiness waned a bit with additional steeping.
Suggested uses/pairings:
At 3-3.5%: pie crust, heavy dairy, cheesecakes, cheeses. At lower levels, it should fit in anywhere its paler, tarter culinary cousins—the cranberry and the lingonberry—do.
Ingredient|% :---|---: Black Currant (Flavorah)|3.25 Brie Cheese (Flavorah)|2.00 Saline (1.8% solution)|0.25 Sweet Fig (Flavorah)|1.00
Flavor total: 6.5%
Brie and black currant kompott is a match made in heaven. The fig adds some dark sweet notes and rounds the whole thing out nicely.
The saline is optional, it sharpens the cheese notes a bit. Feel free to add some kind of bread if you like.
Remember to rate it at e-liquid-recipes.com!
How would you compare FLV Black Currant to FA Black Currant?
I too would like to know as I hate paying for flv flavors if I don't have to. I now use WF boysenberry Raspberry instead of flv boysenberry cause it's cheaper and close enough when not a main note.
I tend to agree with the previous discussion that FA's really is more of a Sweetened Red Currant flavor. It has its uses, but isn't nearly as realistic as FLV's.
I get at 3% what you're describing at 4%. Sounds like I need to go back and try it again at 2.5 or so.
I never cease to be fascinated by how taste perception varies from person to person.
I just tried FLV Moscato at 3%, based on the existing review, and it tastes like pure liquid hand soap to me.