Hey, I've posted some notes for this week's episode below.
PART 3:
Noted Ep. 165: CHEESECAKE (ft. Eyemsam)
CAP New York Cheesecake: Emily doesn't like above 1% as she gets a sourness that she doesn't like. Sam tested at 5%, didn't get a lot of flavour as a SF. Although it's a great ingredient. Can be used as low as 0.5% in custard and cream mixes to add a thick, smooth mouthfeel. Can really thicken up a custard. Can add a nicce thick, richness or a base-y sweetness. To get a full cheesecake it has to pushed over 6%. But ID10-T gets a fake butter off note up that high. Not the best cheesecake, but very useful as an additive.
Tested at 5%. For use as a cheesecake use over 6%. Can be used as low as 0.5% for mouthfeel.
1.02.12 and 1.06.32
CAP New York Cheesecake V2: Not barf-y. Not nearly as rich as the original. But also doesn't have the hint of fake butter off note V1 has. Has some tangy-ness, but not as tangy and not as robust. Tastes like crustless cheesecake. Really lovely thick mouthfeel, very creamy. Not that sweet. Hint of vanilla. As an ingredient ID10-T prefers V1 for its richness and thickness. But thought V2 was the better cheesecake. Don't know if V2 would thicken up a custard in the same way V1 does as doesn't have quite the same richness and depth. But could make a cheesecake out of it.
1.04.00
PUR New York Cheesecake: If you want a replacement for CAP NYCC Emily suggests using PUR NYCC. Has the same rich creaminess and a lot of the same vanilla notes. It has a nice cheesy twang that's not quite a sour as CAP. It doesn't get the same fake butter off note at higher %s. May not work as well as an additive as a little drier than CAP. But definitely a better cheesecake. Not sure if it has a crust, or if it's slightly overcooked. Doesn't have a distinct crust. Has a bit of maltiness or darkness. No grainy-ness.
1.06.32
CBV Kasekuchen: Tastes like a very authentic cheesecake on a popcorn based crust. Sharp tang, but not too sharp. Sweet, butter rich cheesecake. Might have been going for more of a biscuit crust, rather than graham, but comes across more like popcorn. Even has a lingering popcorn roomnote. But seems like it could be easily covered by another bakery as it's fairly faint. Hint of nice, warm vanilla in the mid-range. Could definitely build a cheesecake out of it.
1.07.53
Flavor Jungle Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake (oneshot): Could have had a better balance of spices for pumpkin spice. Supposed to be cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove. Needs more cinnamon and ginger and a bit less nutmeg. Very nutmeg forward with some cinnamon and ginger. The sucralose is pretty prominent. Besides those issues it's pretty authentic. Get the pumpkin spice, nice creamy middle, a little tang, a distinct graham crust base and a sugar lips finish. Not overly sweet. Could probably make a better one, but it's still pretty good.
Tested at the recommended 12.5%.
1.10.55
Mixin' Vixens Just Peachy ((oneshot) available at Flavor Jungle): A cheesecake covered in peach sauce with some brighter chunks of peach, maybe some nectarine. Pretty peach forward, it's the predominant note. Tastes like there's some TFA Nectarine in it. May work for those that don't like cheesecake, but do like peaches and cream as there's not a whole lot of cheesecake. Very slightly tangy, very rich thick creaminess under all the peach. Not overly sweet.
1.14.09
TFA Cheesecake Graham Crust: Very versatile. Not just graham cracker, but distinctly a graham crust. Buttery. Perfect graham crust with a little of the creamy part of the cheesecake. Some people get a coconut off note. Contains gamma-octalactone, so those sensitive to it taste coconut.
Usually used around 2-3%. ID10-T has pushed it up to 6%, no off notes, but a lot of TFA CCGC!
1.16.05
Tasty Puff Cheesecake: (Not bad, but ranked lower) A little bit of a tang. No off notes. Not a lot of crust. More distinctly a cheesecake than many others this week. Needs some help to be a cheesecake. Would be really versatile in a mix.
Tested at 5%
1.19.07
Tasty Puff Raspberry Cheesecake: Similar cheesecake note to TP Cheesecake, but with a good raspberry, A really fresh, natural, darker, tart raspberry note. Cheesecake layer needs some help, but no off notes. Could be versatile.
1.19.56
JF Cheesecake Graham Crust: Very similar to TFA CCGC, but a little better. Surprising it's not a more commonly used. TFA may be more versatile for other things, but JF is a really authentic graham crust. A little creamy cheesecake flavour which is a bit airy and not that rich. Not a lot though, but slightly more of the creamy layer than is in TFA. But the crust is amazing, great crunch, very accurate. Not sure if it has the same coconut off note as nobody is sensitive to it, they don't pick it up in TFA. But it seems like it would as it's so similar to TFA. A little less meh than TFA, penetrates better, more flavoursome. Just vapes better. The sweet graham finish lingers.
About twice as potent as TFA, so use half as much.
1.20.52
PUR Cheesecake Graham Crust: Similar to TFA and JF. Only ranked higher as it's more of a complete cheesecake. Has some of that creamy, thick cheesecake flavour. The crust part is on par with JF. It's drier (in a good way), more distinct, more separate, more of an accurate graham crust flavour. Quite a bit sweeter than TFA, on par with JF. Could probably use it for a cheesecake if you wanted to emphasize the crust. There's enough cheesecake that it isn't just crust. The crust is really good. Would be good mixed with PUR NY Cheesecake for more of the creamy layer.
1.23.09
INW Yes We Cheesecake!: The most complete SF cheesecake. Has crust, cheesecake, mouthfeel, butteriness, vanilla. Very rich, dark. Definitely baked. Really lovely, mild spice note in the crust, maybe cinnamon. Nice maltiness. Works well in the Cheesecake Trinity (3% INW YWCC, 2% CAP NYCC, 1% TFA CCGC). If ID10-T were to make a new trinity he'd do 3% INW YWCC, 2% PUR NYCC, 0.75-1% JF CCGC. According to Emily it works really well.
1.25.22
PART 2:
Noted Ep. 165: CHEESECAKE (ft. Eyemsam)
PUR Toasted Coconut Cheesecake: Not a terrible coconut, but not a cheesecake. Slightly toasted coconut with some milk in the background. Could probably get a similar result by mixing a couple of coconuts together, FA Fresh Cream and TFA Toasted Marshmallow. The toastiness is very similar to that in Toasted Marshmallow. The coconut is very similar to the drier, more natural FA Coconut with maybe a little bit of the sweetness from some of the sweeter coconuts. The dairy note on the end tastes like FA Fresh Cream. No cheesecake.
44.26
MB Cheesecake: Lemon is the predominant note. Like lemon with some cream behind it. No crust. A little buttery. More like a buttery whipped cream than cheesecake. A bit of a Smarties or Pez candy type lemon. Not unpleasant if you like lemon, but not a cheesecake. Could be a good bridge in a lemon cheesecake or any lemon cream type mix.
45.46
FA New York Cheesecake: Emily thought it had a bit of a cheesy sourness while being smooth and creamy. Nice crust. Some people get a berry note, while others don't even get a fruity sweetness. ID10-T didn't find it to be distinctly cheesecake. More like vanilla frosting spread on a graham cracker. Crust is fairly prominent. A lighter, blonde, raw graham. Like an unbaked, unspiced, crumbled up graham cracker crust. Not very buttery. Got a mild cheesy sourness, but not enough for a cheesecake. If building a cheesecake out of it it needs more cream cheese, more crust, more everything. Emily and ID10-T were a bit underwhelmed, thought there's other flavours that do everything better. Cheeba was pretty satisfied with it.
47.06
LB Strawberry Cheesecake: Battle of the strawberry cheesecakes - WF vs LB! ID10-T thinks WF is the better strawberry cheesecake and LB is a better ingredient. WF is the only flavour this week that Emily would be ok with vaping as a SF. But it needs steeping for at least a week. LB is good, robust and full flavoured. The strawberry is pretty average, middle of the road. It doesn't pop all that much. Not really juicy, ripe and authentic or jammy. Not really artificial or candied but not really natural either. Could be easily bent either way by adding another strawberry. The cream is slightly tangy. But not nearly thick or rich enough for cheesecke. No crust. But it does make a good component in a strawberry cheesecake, strawberry milk, strawberry and creams etc. It's a good flavour to have and to use.
LB tested at 10%. Really good and full flavoured strawberry cheesecake at that %.
50.00
WF Strawberry Cheesecake SC: Needs to steep for at least a week. A bit gross fresh, the sourness and cheesiness needs to settle, also gets a lot richer. Strawberry is really good, really tastes like the gooey strawberry topping on a cheesecake. Comes in after the cheesecake, on the second half of the vape. No distinct crust. Cream cheese layer that tastes faintly baked, then the gloopy strawberry underneath it. Probably wouldn't work too well in a strawberry cream, strawberry milk, so not as versatile as LB. The cheesecake is pretty sour and cheesy. A really authentic crustless cheesecake after it has steeped.
52.42
FLV Berry Cheesecake: The berries go from slightly floral to full on perfume very easily. Berries are non-descript, darker and a bit tart. The cheesecake is sweet and tastes like cream cheese. But not very rich. No crust. The berries are on top of the cheesecake, not blended into it. Used low it could be useful in a lot of berry custard or cream applications. But needs help in every area to be a berry cheesecake. Needs a lot more cheesecake, some crust and a lot more sweeter, syrupy fruit that is not tart or floral in any way, so as not to exacerbate FLV's existing issues. Seems like it would be difficult to work with.
ID10-T tested at 2%, very perumey. Worked a lot better at 1.5%, but still slightly floral. 1% may be even better?
55.12
FLV Cheesecake: A good ingredient, but not a great cheesecake. Doesn't have enough of the cheesy twang. More like a deep, creamy, rich vanilla. A good, sweet, base-y cream. Doesn't explicitly read as cheesecake. Cheeba gets a caramel note, but nobody else did.
Pretty potent. Full flavoured at 1.5%. Was a bit grainy, powdery and dry at 3%, also a bit cardboard-y.
57.32
LA Cream Cheese Icing: Amazing ingredient. But as a SF just sweet mouthfeel. Smells like it's going to be a great cream cheese icing, but the flavour is bit underwheming. Needs 1-2 weeks steep. A bit gross before then. Pretty similar to OOO Vanilla Custard Cheesecake, everyone has basically stopped used LA CCI and uses OOO VCCC instead. As OOO is what LA should have been. A lot more flavourful and smoother, thicker, a little sweeter. Not quite as tangy.
59.38
PART 1:
Noted Ep. 165: CHEESECAKE (ft. Eyemsam)
(Episode aired 25th August 2020)
(Ranked from worst to first by Sam)
Even the best cheesecake flavours aren't much fun as SFs. There's no single cheesecake flavour that doesn't need help and can be used on it's own.
WF Marscapone Cheese: Some people use it really low as an additive in cheesecake recipes to add more of a cheesy tang. It works well for that. Maybe HS Italian Cream would work better for that? It's less gross and easier to work with. Doesn't have the deep, base-y funk WF Marscapone has. It's brighter and more tangy. Or maybe even FLV Brie? As a SF it's baby vomit. The worst WF flavour ID10-T has tried to date. There's two main types of off note in cheesecake flavours. A sour off note, or a deep, funky, spoiled milk type off note. This flavour has both of those.
Tested at 0.5%, 1% and 2%. Use around 0.25-0.5% as an accent in a mix
6.15
Bickford Cheesecake: Doesn't taste like cheesecake. More like a creamy shower curtain. Odd crust note. Light vinyl, plastic, chemical off note.
8.48
RF SC Cheesecake: ID10-T almost threw up. Like regurgitated cream cheese spread, no crust. Sam didn't get any really bad of notes. He thought it was brighter than some of the others. Bright vanilla cream note, weak, no crust.
Sam tested at 1%. ID10-T tested at 2%. Maybe 2% is too high?
10.00
Nic Vape Cheesecake: Tastes like wet dog cream. Gross!
11.46
Euro Flavors Cheesecake: Not very accurate. Darker sweetness. Not much crust, if any. Not very good.
12.31
HS Cheesecake: Sam found it tangy, little to no crust, some sweetness and mouthfeel. Emily got a really roasted type darkness, almost like coffee.
12.52
TFA Cheesecake: Pretty bad. Leaves an aroma in the nose like you get after you've just thrown up. Doesn't taste like cheesecake either. Really sweet. A bit like vanilla ice cream and chocolate covered cherry underneath a really strong, lingering vomit taste. It's really thick. Folkart claims its good used really low as an accent in a cheesecake mix.
14.13
Flavor Phoenix Cheesecake: A lot of butter and some tanginess. No crust. Not much like a cheesecake.
16.50
NF (Nature's Flavors) Organic Cheesecake: Very buttery. An OK cheesecake note. No crust. Heavy butter top note. Oily mouthfeel.
17.58
NF (Nature's Flavors) Organic Chocolate Cheesecake: Cocoa butter. Powdery cocoa, with a plastic-y chocolate note and butter.
18.50
OOO Vanilla Custard Cheesecake: Does great things in mixes. More of a really good cream cheese frosting. No custard, no cheesecake, not a lot of vanilla, no crust. Not strong and your face flavourful, even at 5%. Sam suspected muting at 5. Got light vanilla cream notes, soft vanilla, not a lot of cream cheese. Shines in a recipe, but not a great SF. Tastes like how LA Cream Cheese Icing smells. Sweet with a cream cheese icing vibe.
Tested at 5%, then cut down to 2.5%
19.36 and 24.00 and 59.38
OOO Lemon Cheesecake: Similar to OOO VCCC. Not a great SF, but could potentially be a good bridge in a mix between lemon and cheesecake layers. Lemon not sharp and bright, sits in the cheesecake. Not Pledge-y. More like a powdered lemonade lemon. Same cheesecake note as OOO VCCC.
Tested at 5%.
21.25
OOO Strawberry Cheesecake: Suspected there was muting at 5% as felt light. Light strawberry note. Quite similar to WF Strawberry Cheesecake SC, but WF is a bit more cheesecake-y. Same cheesecake note as OOO VCCC.
Tested at 5%
21.58
OOO Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake: No pumpkin spice. Same cheesecake note as OOO VCCC.
Tested at 5%
22.33
OOO Caramel Drizzle Cheesecake: Very light brown sugar. Heavy butter note. Same cheesecake note as OOO VCCC.
Tested at 5%.
22.53
OOO Chocolate Cheesecake: Couldn't tell it was a chocolate cheesecake. Had a powdery darkness, but no cocoa or chocolate. Same cheesecake note as the others.
23.30
VT Cheesecake: Not great. Nasty funkiness on the finish, similar to butiric. No crust. Too light and fluffy for a cheesecake. Like a cheesecake flavoured marshmallow. Very sweet.
Tested at 3%
24.25
FW Cheesecake: Funky, cheesy note. Creamy and sweet. A bit like FW Yoghurt, with a bit more of a base-y funk. Not like vomit though. Can be easily covered in a mix, but a bit off putting as a SF. Doesn't taste like it's been baked. No distinct crust.
27.05
FW Cheesecake can be used as an additive in cheesecake mixes to add an authentic tang.
LA Cheesecake: Like a cheesecake flavoured marshmallow. No crust. A bit brighter than a lot of others, has a bright vanilla. The vanilla is so bright it seems as though it may go a bit anise-y at higher %s. But no anise at 5%. Wouldn't rely on it for all or most of the creamy part of a cheesecake, but works as part of a cheesecake recipe. Especially as part of a darker, richer cheesecake where you want to add some brightness. Might work as part of a cream cheese frosting in a cake or cupcake. Also tastes like it could be a good addition to a vanilla custard recipe to add some really bright, slightly tangy vanilla. Doesn't have an overpowering cheesiness, more of an underlying cream cheese note. Definitely an unbaked cheesecake, doesn't taste cooked.
Tested at 3% and 5%
29.06
FE Cheesecake: Thick and creamy. Dark. Has a nice sweetness. Has a lot of cheesiness, but its not barf-y. It's not off putting or unpleasant, but it is very cheesy. Lacking a bit as far as cheesecake flavour goes. Could be used in a cheesecake mix to add some authentic cheesy tang. Wouldn't use it as a main note in a cheesecake mix.
32.22
DEL Cheesecake: Delightfully mediocre! Not thick enough for a cheesecake. Very nice and creamy. A little bit of vanilla. A bit of a graham note, although not super distinct. Lacking in the cheesy tang.
Tested at 5%
34.00
Clubaroma Kasekuchen: Nothing like a cheesecake. Tastes like old, dried out Hershey's chocolate. Like when a chocolate bar has started to turn white and has a powdery, crumbly consistency. Specifically tastes like Hershey's as has that distinctive chocolate sourness.
Tested at 2%
36.11
PUR Candy Cake: Described by PUR as a cheesecake and subtle apple mix, with hints of candy. The cheesecake is thin and a bit fluffy, like a cheesecake flavoured marshmallow. Mixed with a syrupy, cooked apple, a bit like PUR Country Apple. It's really weird and not particularly pleasant. Has a sweet, hard candy finish, like an unflavoured peppermint disc. There's a clear separation betweeen the elements. Get the cheescake first, then the apple, with candy on the end. It's a weird combination. Might be able to use it in some sort of apple cream recipe or candied apple?
39.09
MB Galaxy Cheesecake: Blueberry, almond, cookie cheesecake. Not a heavy cheesecake note. More like a meringue or frosting. Darker berry notes that were slightly perumey and floral, but not overbearing. A bit of a darker cookie note. Almond on the exhale. Nothing gross, but very muddled. No cheesecake. Full flavoured, decent mouthfeel.
Tested at 7%
40.56
HC Cheesecake: Burnt, crustless cheesecake. Very sweet. Rich and creamy. Thick, smooth. Authentic twang. Burnt off note. Almost like burnt coffee. Not a strong burnt off note, but enough to be a turn off. Probably could only be covered by something really dark, like coffee or chocolate. If you wanted to make something like a coffee or chocolate cheesecake this could be ideal. But likely wouldn't work with most other things.
Tested at 1%
43.25
Interesting that Sam didn't get any flavor at 5% of CAP NYCC. I have a 4% SFT and the flavor is almost too much, got some stinky cheese vibe to it, but generally very punchy in your face.
And then I don't think TFA CC Graham is a cheesecake at all, I only get Graham crust from it. And at 2-3% it's overwhelming for me and rather dominant, prefer it as 1-2% to accent or it's just too much graham crust.
But yeah taste is subjective, just found it interesting how contrasting it was on those two.
I like the new cheesecake trinity idea guys :) I was just thinking about how much I pick up from this community and feeling grateful for it. I would like to hear some more notes on ice creams! when was VIC the last FOTW?
Hey, I had a look and it seems they have only done one episode on ice cream, which was in November 2018 (it's available on Youtube if you wanted to watch it). If you wanted to request Ice Cream for FOTW you can write a comment on this weeks FOTW thread. ID10-T will see it and can let you know if he thinks it's suitable to be added to the list. Seems like they might be due for another ice cream week though?