lately i came across the VTA 'Citrus Mate' and 'Tart Mate', and pondered if theyre any good, since we know most adds are rather lame eg. 'Sour' of That Poor Apprentice or 'Sour-Wiz' and 'MTS' of Flavor fArt - boring stuff.

asking in chat, noone seemed to have used them, theres two SFT 'Lost Notes' at ELR by Frunkster,https://e-liquid-recipes.com/flavor/221669 and https://e-liquid-recipes.com/flavor/231617 ;but as additives they seem kinda hard to SFT. since I really dig the citric high notes in fruitmixes, I decided to spend those 3 bucks 50 for the learning opportunity - or for the trashbin - and messed some with'em. knowing that usually sherbet, lemonades and sodas are doing the thing, heres my two cents.

VTA Tart Mate:Tart Mate gives a moderate generic citric push in the midrange of it, mean to say, it really supports the tart part and does its job as such. intensity ~7/10, including some bitter-ish notes and not too high flying kick like the tart of a less ripe fuji, it simply helps whatever kind of tart you wanna bring forth in a mix without being too lemony. seems to work well with fruit in cream and bakery too, appears to liven up the often dullish cooked/baked part of the fruit. to my ears its recommendable to simply try a 10ml bottle and see for yourself. maybe you decide you dont need it, maybe it becomes your new go-to for tart mixes.

**VTA Citrus Mate:**Citrus Mate is quite similar to Tart Mate, only it goes higher in the acidic notes and clearly reaches the "sour" part of that scale. again, intensity ~7/10 and less lower bitter notes, it really does help the citric taste of fruit, this time rather like a granny smith or a ripe lime. even though lemonade and sherbet reach higher top notes than this mate, it still might be the kicker in the mix, for it comes with fewer bitter low end, which might suit a mix better if the bitter would throw the mix off balance. again, id recommend getting 10ml and play with it, see if it will be your new mate for citrus.

-for comparison, i would NOT recommend getting the TPA sour or FA sour wiz or MTS or such. rather get something tasty for the bucks. FYI, i read that the VTA "Sour Mate" is just as boring as TFA sour and FA sour wiz, so i skipped that one for i already have enough dead bottles in the shelf.

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and since i was feeling lucky, i went ahead and bought the 'Bake Boost' of Chef's Flavors - for genuine 99ct i decided to give it a shot. and yay, it was a hit!

CF Bake Boost:Bake Boost simply holds up its promise - just like the above VTA mates - as it pushes the typical tastes of baked stuff forward in a more generic way than a flavor would do. intensity ~6/10, it associates the very stuff that happens when you bake or fry something - that which turns brown by the heating process without getting burnt or any bitter offnotes.as SFT it tastes like any non-specific bakery, as in almost cake, almost waffle, almost cookie, almost yellow cake or bisquit, but ALMOST - not specific. and it really seems to enhance the bakery part, although for yellow or angel cake it may be over the top. and once more, I do recommend trying it out in case you happen to order at chefs or can access CF elsewhere. (unlike FA MTS-wizard, again, buy something yum instead; but this bake boost really helps the deep-end-yum of most bakery!)

altogether I feel fully satisfied with all these three, the citrus mate and bake booster sure become staples for me and will find their place in my mixology, hence i assumed such post might be helpful for those who ponder about mates and boosters.