Vapouround magazine ISSUE 21 | Page 196

REVIEWS REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES POSH CHOC VG/PG ratio and % used in mix: 70/30 at 2.5% | Throat hit: Mild BLOOD ORANGE VG/PG ratio and % used in mix: 70/30 at 3% | Throat hit: Mild JUICY STRAWBERRY VG/PG ratio and % used in mix: 70/30 at 4% | Throat hit: Mild Chocolate, the white whale of the vaping world. For the longest time, it’s seemed impossible to create a realistic chocolate blend, without huge amounts of sweetener and many mixers have tried and failed to get the balance right. Posh Choc is a complex flavouring, but the most prominent note is an intense cocoa, with plenty of dark sweetness. There’s also a mild nutty texture on offer too, especially when used in higher concentrations. The final element of this flavouring that I detect is a subtle cream base, which rounds off the profile of the concentrate and stops the cocoa note from becoming overly dry. Flavour Art claim that there is also an exotic fruit note here, but I must admit that I am not personally tasting this. Posh Choc is a very intriguing flavouring, more suited to advanced mixers who are willing to put in the time to unlock its true potential. There is a wealth of orange flavourings available to mixers these days, but the vast majority of them have an inescapable candied or soda connotation. Flavour Art have a reputation for nailing natural, authentic profiles, so can the same be said for their Blood Orange? Spoiler alert, yes. This is a fantastic orange flavour, that brings a vivid bright sweetness to any mix, and doesn’t skimp on the natural sharp notes of the zest. I can honestly say that I was blown away when I first tasted this flavouring, and it has brought new life to any fruit mix that needed a slight push to make it really pop. Blood Orange is not quite as sweet as some of its contemporaries, but this is easily remedied by pairing it with a sweeter fruit, and the result is almost always brilliant. If you’re looking for a natural orange flavouring, this is the one. Strawberry continues to be among the most popular flavour profiles in vaping, and as a result there’s a huge number of different concentrates that offer their own spin on the fruit. Although Flavour Art already offer several other strawberry flavourings, Juicy Strawberry is the first from the company that’s specifically intended for use in candy profiles. This is a bright and potent candy strawberry and will bring a familiar sticky sweetness to any blend. Unlike many other candy strawberries, though, Juicy Strawberry is quite concentrated, which makes it more suitable for high VG mixes and will also save money in the long run. Along with the sweet and tart candy strawberry notes, are hints of some of the more natural flavour, found in Flavour Art’s Fragola, making for a very well-rounded strawberry candy. VANILLA ICE CREAM VG/PG ratio and % used in mix: 70/30 at 3% | Throat hit: Mild PEARL CHAMPAGNE VG/PG ratio and % used in mix: 70/30 at 3% | Throat hit: Mild Vanilla flavourings are often a good starting point for new mixers but are also hugely important for experts looking to add dessert connotations to their blend. Vanilla Ice Cream is a simple concentrate, but it fulfils a wide variety of roles. The most prominent feature here is a warm vanilla that leans more towards confectionery, but still has traces of a darker spiced note. This is joined by a moderately strong cream base, which has a luxurious mouth- feel and is sure to add substance in almost an application. There are also hints of a very mild egg note here, which should be expected from a traditional ice cream. This is a versatile flavouring that has a place in any mixer’s arsenal. Alcohol-inspired concentrates tend to be very hit or miss and are generally speaking more suited to advanced mixers, so have Flavour Art managed to capture the essence of champagne here? This is a bold and bright flavouring, that does not pull any punches when it comes to intensity. Pearl Champagne will add a very pleasant sparkling grape top note to any mix it’s used in, with just a hint of booziness. I’m glad that the alcohol element isn’t overpowering here, as this makes it easier to balance. This flavouring is also very useful as an additive, and when used in small concentrations it does a great job of brightening up any fruit mix, without adding any alcoholic or grape notes. 196 | VM21