I bought some FA Lemon Sicily from Nic River a little while ago. From all the recipes I've seen people have written, it sounds like it's supposed to be a pretty strong flavor. I don't see many recipes that call for much more than 1.5%. My bottle smells like nothing. I tried it on its own up to 5%. I made lemon meringue pie and a vanilla custard tart recipes I made and I was trying Lemon Sicily up to 3% and not smelling or tasting amything in it. Was wondering if it just sat on the shelf too long before they sold it (it was on sale) or if there would be any other reason for there to be no or negligible aroma in a flavor concentrate?
I don't doubt your experience but you should be aware that lemon sicily fades extremely quick. I love lemon so have a whole pile of them. It's not one that I would use a base for anything. In fact I don't use it much at all anymore for this reason. There are far better alternatives available.
Oh, I'll be the first to admit I don't have a huge amount of experience. But when I was mixing that tart flavor, I let it steep five weeks without the lemon and then added it and started vaping. I had heard it didn't stick around a long time. I'm probably gonna try the suggestions the other user made though. I haven't tried any FE, but I like everything I've tried of INW so far.
Lemon Sicily is typically used as the zest part of the lemon. INW lemon mix is a better alternative for this and it doesn't disappear right away. FE lemon is good. VT sour lemon as well. You mentioned CAP juicy lemon. That one has it's uses but as stated is kind of weak. There's more depending on what you're trying to do with it. Really not a one size fits all.
FA LS should be strong. I know it fades, but not to nothing. I have a few bottle kicking around nearing two years in my collection, still strong.
This isn't recommended, but have you tapped the nipple of the bottle and tried a tiny taste of the flavor directly? Or maybe add a few drops to a little water.
There's also the case that you can't taste the lemon... but I've never heard of a lemon non-taster (coming from a normal strawberry non-taster).
Ooh that's a good call. Ugh, still tasteless. I'm a cook, and I'm pretty sensitive to the taste of citrus, actually; lemon's one of the few citrus I really like. Maybe the chemical makeup of the flavor concentrate is different enough from real lemon that I can't taste it...but I'm assuming nic river just sold me a bunk bottle. I think they are vendors that refill 15 ml bottles from larger bottles, so I may have gotten an unlucky bottle of just pg, or it's really old. Probably both. Those're my theories at this point lol.
Where did you get it?
RiverSupply/NicRiver
Ah I see that. Lemon Sicily can fade yes. How long ago was this?
No worries! I got it a little less than a year ago and I've been frustrated with it since lol. I should honestly just replace it from a different seller, but I don't just have the extra cash to throw at something I already set aside cash to throw at lol. I've learned my lesson about buying discounted concentrates lol. There CAP Juicy Lemon and a few other flavors from that vendor that were super weak when I got them as well.
It was a old flavor that was sitting on the shelf too long and was expired. Normally in a mix the average percentage is 2.5- to 2.8%. As a single flavor it's 5% and it does fade quickly.
Unlikely. Flavor perception is subjective, and it is far more likely that this flavor just doesn't "work" for OP's palate.
This is a reply to a question from concentrate Mfg Real Flavors to this exact question. "This is the message we send our customers:
The shelf life of a flavor will vary widely. It is best to follow this guide. To find the exact date of manufacture, please refer to your lot number and our COA guide found on our website.
Super Concentrates have a shelf life of 12-18 months (60F° to 72F°) and up to 4 years if refrigerated. Never freeze flavors, this will cause some separation, and the flavor may “break” causing you never to get them to mix again.
Be sure to store all flavors in a cool, dark place away from sources of direct sunlight heat and flame; pigments in the flavor (from the natural extracts) tend to fade or discolor over time when exposed to sunlight. This fading is normal and is to be expected. Flavor bottles can explode in temperatures inside the container reach above 150F° from evaporation. For long-term storage, refrigerate, and then allowing the flavor to return to room temperature before opening or using the flavor
I have some flavors, unopened that I bought in 2014. I store all my flavors individually in 3x4 ziplock bags. I place the ziplock bags inside an opaque tupperware container which is kept in a closet. The temperature ranges from 65-75. I've already thrown away all the dark colored flavorings I had that were this old but had planned to keep the clear ones. Should I toss those too?
Thanks for that info, it's very helpful.