PART 1:

Noted Ep. 177: PEPPERMINT (ft. Hex)

ID10-T ranked them from worst to first. But a lot are very similar and it really comes down to personal preference. So maybe don't put too much stock in the rankings. What he ranked as high may be low on somebody else's list for the same reasons he likes them so much.

Bad Flavours:

TFA Slim Mint Cookie: (Also discussed on Chocolate Cookies episode) Actual concentrate is jet black and very thick. Thicker than VG. Previously tested at 4%, so tried it at 2% this time. Was just as bad. Not a Thin Mint cookie. Tastes like soggy brown bread with a little bit of molasses-y darkness and a waxy mint cream spread on it. No chocolate. Tested at 2%. Previously tested at 4%.

8.14

FW Chocolate Mint: The actual concentrate is very dark brown and thick. Although not quite as dark or thick as TFA Slim Mint Cookie. A little bit of mint, possibly peppermint, under a lot of bad chocolate. Chocolate tastes bitter, dry and dirty like soil.

9.45

JF Mint: Rare for a JF to be so bad. Tastes like peppermint mouthwash. Very sharp, astringent and thin. Lingering sweetness that is a little bitter, like an artificial sweetener. Just bad.

10.57

JF Spearmint: A really good spearmint hard candy. So not to be confused with JF Mint.

11.50

TFA Peppermint II: ID10-T found it disappointing. Not an improvement over TFA Peppermint at all. Icy, extra mentholated peppermint top note with some natural, greenish, leafy mint behind it an the finish is just a disaster. Leaves a nasty aftertaste a bit like rotten fruit underneath the mint. But maybe the 4% he tested it at was too high? Hex tried both TFA Peppermint and Peppermint II and thought they tasted the same. After researching it found the only difference is that Peppermint II uses non-flammabe ingredients. Cheeba got a very slight hint of rotten fruit, but only after ID10-T had pointed it out. He preferred version II as the mint isn't so strong and found the original had a slight mouthwash feel. ID10-T tested at 4%. Maybe too high? Cheeba and Hex tested at 2%

12.18

While TFA Vanilla Custard II is great and an improvement of TFA Vanilla Custard all the other TFA version II flavours ID10-T has tried haven't been an improvement on the originals.

Not Peppermint:

CdD (Club de Dampfer) Waldminze: Wintergreen with extra menthol. Some slightly dark, sweet body.

16.40

FW Double Mint Gum (aka FW Stick Gum 2X Mint): Not peppermint. Can buy Wrigley's Double Mint gum in peppermint or spearmint flavour. This is based on the spearmint version. Fairly soft and subdued spearmint top note. But is really, really authentic. Everything about it is very authentic to a stick of gum. Even has the powdery, chalky coating that you get on a fresh stick of gum. Has the kind of bland, thickness of chewing gum. ID10-T didn't think it was that enjoyable to vape, although creepily accurate. Emily thought it was very pleasant as a SF, has a nice mellow sweetness. Limited versatility. Only application is probably going to be a minty gum.

19.15

SSA (Sobucky Super Aroma) Garden Mint: If this was spearmint week then this would be ranked very near the top, maybe the top. A really great spearmint. Very green, herbal tasting spearmint with a little extra sweetness. Would be perfect for a mojito recipe or any beverage that involves spearmint. The most natural tasting spearmint ID10-T has tried.

22.45

Mixed Mints:

INW Natural Mint: Different to many other mints. Very natural and herbal. Mostly a spearmint but a nice little burst of peppermint up front. Green leafy mint on the finish. Maybe a little sweeter than actual mint leaves. Has a nice herbaceous quality. Tastes like a plant as opposed to a candy. Very fresh. Very potent. What % you use depends on how much coolant you want in a mix as it is pretty cool. Tested at 0.5% and 0.75%. 0.5-0.75% is a good level as a SF. Use around 0.25% in a mix.

25.00

WF Double Mint: Literally double mint. Primarily peppermint, but also quite a lot of spearmint. Roughly 60/40 peppermint/spearmint. A mixed mint flavour where the mints a fairly well balanced. Nice body and a little syrupy sweetness. No off notes. Doesn't have any herbal qualities. Like the type of mint you'd get from a peppermint and spearmint gum. ID10T not sure what to do with it besides using it in a mint gum recipe. Doesn't ave the accurate, but in ID10-T's opinion, off putting qualities that FW Double Mint Gum/FW Stick Gum 2X Mint has. Doesn't have the powdery, chalky coating or the thick, but bland gum body. The body of WF is more syrupy.

26.28

TFA Peppermint: Placed in this category as also has a little spearmint with the peppermint. More complex than the average ones, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Has a fair bit of extra menthol cooling on top of the cooling you'd expect to get from peppermint. It's pretty cool. Has some herbal, kind of vegetal spearmint. ID10-T also got a hint of citrus. Very sweet. Robust. Because it has so much going on, including the extra menthol, it could potentially clash with other ingredients in a recipe. Might put other peppermint flavours in a bakery, but this would not work for that. But is a very refreshing SF. Could crank up to around 7% and vape as a SF in a pod.

28.17

INW Mixed Mint: One of Cheeba's favourites. Very potent, just as much so as INW Natural Mint. Definitely peppermint and spearmint. Very crisp. Pretty similar to INW Natural Mint. Both are not very sweet. NM is a little more herbal.

31.09

Below Average, But Not Bad Peppermints:

CdD (Club Der Dampfer) Minze-Kaugummi: Literally peppermint plus classic pink bubblegum. Like chewing on an Altoid and a big wad of pink bubblegum at the same time! Bold, icy, extra mentholated peppermint up front, followed by that very distinctive pink bubblegum flavour. Pepto-Bismal taste and texture, thick and chalky. The icy-ness runs throughout and into the aftertaste. So get an icy peppermint, then icy bubblegum. Strange. Limited versatility.

33.38

OOO Chocolate Peppermint Candy: Peppermint isn't very strong, but it is there. Chocolate is dominant note. Not a great chocolate. Doesn't have any of that band-aid, latex off note usually associated with chocolates. But does have a cardboard-y, sawdust-y note. More like Carob, rather than chocolate. It's a little woody. Has a nice sweetness.

36.34

VT Creme De Menthe: Creme De Menthe is a peppermint liqueur. More accurate to other creme de menthe flavours. But is just not as pleasant. Authenticity doesn't necessarily trump flavour. Sweet peppermint with an extra sweet, slightly creamy finish. Actually has some booziness in the top. But the combo of booziness and peppermint comes across as very mouthwash-y. Emily thought it was a bit medicinal and mouthwash-ish. There's nothing that is exactly an off note, but overall it just comes across a bit antiseptic tasting. Mild to moderately unpleasant.

37.43

FLV Mint Candy: (Pre-release. From FLV's new line of flavours that are coming out soon) ID10-T got to preview this flavour. Couldn't distinguish exactly what type of mint it is, but leans more towards peppermint. Menthol naturally occurs in mint leaves. It's extracted and concentrated for use in menthol cigarettes etc. A lot of mint flavourings exaggerate that menthol note. FLV Mint Candy does the opposite and has very little menthol cooling up front. Has a thick, sticky, sweet body- without going full hard candy or chewing gum. A bit like a mixed mint jelly candy. Tastes pretty good. But ID10-T not sure what applications it would fit into. Besides being a mint for those who hate menthol.

40.22

FW Creme De Menthe: Very little cooling. A good mint for those who don't like menthol. Not really an authentic creme de menthe. But that can be a positive thing. A very friendly creme de menthe because of the lack of menthol. It's very sweet, very mild. Touch of thick creaminess. No booze, which considering the combination of mint and booziness in VT CdM tasted like mouthwash or antiseptic it's not necessarily a bad thing. Quite subdued. Tastes like the inside of Junior Mints or York Peppermint Patty, besides lacking the intensity of minty-ness they have. Even when cranked up to 3-4%. As a SF ID10-T thought it was pretty tasty, but a bit underwhelming. But is a good ingredient for something like a mint choc chip ice cream, maybe a thin mint cookie or a peppermint hot chocolate. Tested at 3% and 4%. Usually used around 2% in a recipe. 42.43

PART 3:

Noted Ep. 177: PEPPERMINT (ft. Hex)

Top Peppermints:

FLV Creme De Menthe: Not an authentic creme de menthe, but really, really tasty. A rich, smooth, creamy, full flavoured peppermint. More like an Andy's Mint as it has a fair bit of sweet chocolate. Which is out of place for a creme de menthe, but delicious. Pretty close to being a thin mint, just needs a bit of cookie, maybe JF Cookie, and a bit more chocolate. Could use it if you wanted to make a Grasshopper cocktail vape, which uses creme de menthe and chocolate. Or would be good in a mint choc chip ice cream mix. A lot of recipes using it lean into the chocolate note by mixing it with other chocolate flavours. Would be great with VT Devon Cream.

1.06.16

PUR Butter Mint: Really tasty. Really mellow on the mentholated mintiness. Creamy, mellow. A little rich. Like the chewy after dinner mints. Has some sweetness, but not to the level of the peppermint candy discs. Tested at 3%.

1.10.10

FM Tobacco Bastards No. 21 Mint: Really good. Mostly peppermint, but it's a really good peppermint. A little on the sweet side. But at the same time more of a herbal peppermint. The menthol is just slightly exaggerated, so it's refreshing but not too assertive. The tobacco that is there is slight. Comes in behind the mint. But it's a perfectly authentic, mellow, rich-ish, blonde, hay-like tobacco. There's just not very much of it. May want to add more tobacco, maybe MB USA Mix or HS Virginia. Or maybe add some INW Vanilla for Pipe for a peppermint, vanilla tobacco? Vanilla For Pipe and HS Virginia have similar tobacco notes, so would be enhancing what is already there. Or some FLV Turkish and some chocolate? Maybe some FLV Creme De Menthe? Might have enough of a chocolate note? Or add a darker tobacco like FLV Red Burley, which has a chocolate note and add another chocolate like HS Australian Chocolate? But even as a SF it's delightful.

1.12.11

SSA Natural Mint: Really accurate to the name. Tastes like a natural, leafy green peppermint. Like eating a peppermint leaf- which it captures better than any other flavour. Has a herbal flavour as opposed to a candy mint flavour. The mentholation is just right for a natural mint, not exaggerated but not toned down either. Would be perfect for a peppermint tea. Maybe mixed with some FLV Lemon Tea? None of the other peppermints give that naturally infused peppermint leaf flavour. Or would work in a peppermint tobacco. Chefs describe it as 'a natural peppermint with a powdery texture.' Didn't really get a powdery texture. Not dry. Has nice depth. Slightly sweet.

1.16.11

SSA Mints Summary: SSA Garden Mint- Spearmint SSA Sweet Mint- Extra icy, candy peppermint SSA Natural Mint- Natural peppermint

PART 2:

Noted Ep. 177: PEPPERMINT (ft. Hex)

Very Average:

*Bickford Peppermint: Mostly tastes like a no frills, candy cane type peppermint. But fairly soft in flavour, while also being a little harsh. About the same level of harshness as an averagely harsh citrus. Not bad. There's just a lot of other peppermints that vape better.

45.46

FW Candy Cane: About as average as a peppermint flavour can possibly be. A basic peppermint flavour, no off notes. A little sweet. Very simple and one dimensional flavour. Although it does read vaguely as candy as so one dimensional. But there's nothing to actually make it taste like a candy or more specifically hard candy. Not too cool to be a natural peppermint, but lacks the nuance for that.

46.31

LB Peppermint: LB released the white chocolate and peppermint as separate flavours from LB White Chocolate Peppermint. Underwhelming. Pretty basic. Like candy cane type of peppermint. It's sweet, but should be even sweeter if it is supposed to be a candy. Not that icy, but does have some of the necessary peppermint bite. A little sharper than FW, which is probably no bad ting if wanting a candy peppermint. Very lightly creamy-ish body. Not thin, just medium. Overall very average. Tested at 4%

47.29

FA Peppermint (Mild Winter): Nothing wrong with it. Very similar to LB Peppermint. Could probably use them interchangeably. A little more concentrated than LB. 1.5% FA is probably about equal to 2% LB. Tested at 3%

48.30

DEL Peppermint: More complex than FA or LB. Mostly basic, candy cane type peppermint. But also a touch of spearmint behind it. More of a candy peppermint. It's not so candied that it couldn't potentially pass as a natural peppermint in a mix if peppermint was an accent, and not the main focus. It's not overly icy, just candy cane level of icy-ness. A little sweet, but not candy sweet. Cheeba thought it was more like the little discs of peppermint, as opposed to candy cane. Not so sweet and a little more peppermint-y than candy cane. It is lacking a bit of the candy body of the peppermint discs, but it sells the flavour pretty well.

50.09

Different in a Good Way, Or At Least Good to ID10-T:

CAP Cool Mint: Cheeba, Emily and Hex really like this flavour. liquified Tic-Tacs. If Emily needs a generic mint she'll use Cool Mint. Very sweet, very candied. With a good amount of vanilla behind it. The vanilla is also sweet. So sugary sweet all the way through. Lightly creamy, very smooth. A little extra menthol bite, like a Tic-Tac.

52.41

CAP Peppermint: Very authentic candy cane. Has that simple, bright, plain peppermint flavour, with no off notes. Very sugary sweet. Has a kind of creamy-ish, kind of syrupy candy base. Appropriate level of minty bite. A far better candy cane than FW Candy Cane. Pretty much a perfect candy cane. Pretty weak in potency. Hex initially tried it at 4% and was pretty underwhelmed. So increased it to 9% and enjoyed it a lot.

53.38

LB White Chocolate Peppermint: A really great flavour. The peppermint is just average. The white chocolate is also not that great, it's below average. But so good because white chocolate and peppermint are just such a great combo. A good example of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. Could easily make your own better version pretty easily. Not really like a white chocolate peppermint bark as the ratio of chocolate to mint is off. More like a candy cane that has been dipped in a bit of white chocolate. If you wanted to make it into a chocolate peppermint bark could add some FW White Chocolate and/or FLV White Chocolate. Maybe a little vanilla. Or some VT Love could be really great. Use at around 9-10% as a SF. Use around 5-6% in a recipe where it's a fairly prominent component.

56.22

Extra Icy:

INW Shisha Peppermint: Extra icy. Super mentholated. Almost painfully cold. Candy type peppermint. A sweet, syrupy base, that you'd expect from a Shisha flavour. It's more menthol than peppermint. Those who like menthol and WS23, plus peppermint will probably really enjoy it. Very potent. Tested at 0.5%.

59.15

SSA Sweet Mint: Extra mentholated, icy peppermint. With a sweet, candy base. The icy-ness is about the level of Altoids. But the candy base isn't chalky like Altoids. Just thick and sweet. Lingering coldness. Would probably work better than TFA Peppermint in most mixes because it doesn't have as much going on, not as busy. A little bit could go a really long way in something like a peppermint ice cream that is supposed to be cold. Highly concentrated. Tested at 1.25%, which was plenty

1.00.38

FLV Peppermint: Does a really good job at selling peppermint. Similar to SSA Sweet Mint, just a little less sweet. Not that different to INW Shisha Peppermint, just less icy and less sweet. FLV is pretty intensely icy. Very clearly peppermint. Tastes like a candy peppermint, but not very sweet. Has some sweetness, but not a lot. Not like a natural, peppermint leaf. More like an Altoid. Doesn't have a whole lot of body, but not thin. ID10-T likes to mix it with vanilla, like INW Shisha Vanilla and FLV Smooth Vanilla. He makes a pod mix consisting of FLV Peppermint, TFA French Vanilla Deluxe, a little FLV Smooth Vanilla and a touch of WS23 to make it extra cold. Emily makes a mix consisting of FA Strawberry, FA Kiwi, FLV Peppermint and menthol for someone who loves menthol. Cheeba thought it might also go really well with CAP Cool Mint because it has that creamy, candy body?

1.02.26

a lot of mint flavors contain peppermint oil.

Pur Butter Mint has been discontinued. Does anyone have a good sub? It is the main ingredient in one of my favorite e-liquids.

Thanks!