SessionDrummer
Postman
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2018
- Messages
- 163
Despite using FA's flavors for years, I'm FINALLY getting around to doing some SFT on them. A huge thanks out to @drew1 from BCF for sending these new flavors my way for testing. Mixing them now, and am finalizing the steep time(s).
Mixing Now .........
**Amarula (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- FIRST one on deck from FA's NEW flavor releases. Ama what ?? Yes, Amarula. If you've never had it, it is a creamy liquor from the African Marula fruit. I've only ever tried one brand , which is aged in oak barrels, and Flavor Art PERFECTLY captured this one, and I have no clue how they did it. The most common description would be a combination of Baileys Cream and an almost Grapefruit (not exactly) like citrus note. I don't think I can improve on that widely used comparison. The fruit component is grapefruit-like, but unique enough to avoid a closer comparison. The mid and back end cream notes are very Baileys-like, and are paired perfectly with the citrus. Throughout testing this one, I did get an almost smoky lower end note on the finish, with maybe a smidge of bitterness, but, it in no way detracted from the overall flavor or experience. Wow, I hate to use "unique" so early in the run, but it IS. I can think of no other close comparison flavor, so this one would be a great choice for something new and unique. The interesting thing was the citruis and cream notes stayed perfectly balanced from beginning to end, with a sometimes smoky, slightly bitter finish. Nothing out of place, off-putting, and sweetness was below mid level, which really kept this interesting from beginning ot end. It's actually rekindling my need to dash out and grab a bottle, and that's saying something. First one from FA was a homerun. Hard to detract from this one, and it felt very good @ **9.65/10**.
**Banana Candy (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I was expecting a traditional "runt" with this one, but instead I was greeted with a nice, unobtrusive artificial banana instead. Now, runts ARE artificial, but most I've tried were fairly "in your face", and had an almost acetone like note, whereas this one, was much more of an even keeled, relaxed banana. It def. wasn't a natural and did lean artificial, and the "candy" will be subjective to the individual. I didn't get an overt candy-ness from it, and sweetness was below mid level, which was surprising for a "candy" flavor. It was very smooth from start to finish, but not creamy. Convincing, tasty, but not as punchy as a traditional "runt". No off-putting notes, and felt fairly relaxed at this testing weight. Because of it's more "relaxed" nature, you would be able to use it more often than not. No real takeoffs other than relaxed nature, and somewhat lacking candy notes. Convincingly good, and leaving it at a **7/10**.
**Cheesecake Olympus (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I'm assuming the Olympus was paying homage to the actual origination of cheesecake in Ancient Greece , a little known fact, thanks to New Yorkers. Unlike many Cheesecakes, I did not get an overwhelming sense of a graham cracker crust in this one, but it still COULD be in there. VERY creamy, smooth, and delicious cheesecake is what you get with this one. No BA, and lacking most, if not all acidity, it worked along the lines of LA's Cheesecake, more than any other. Missing were the sometimes pungent sharp cheesy notes, but in their place, was just a very velvety smooth cheesecake experience. I almost did get a crust on the bottom, just lingering in/out of sight, which really kept this one interesting. One of the more unique cheesecakes, and probably the smooth creaminess would be the biggest take-away. Great at this testing weight, nicely sweetened, no off putting notes, and will be easily usable. By adding TPA's CGC, or CAP's NYC you easily shit this one around as/if needed. Going to finish the tester on this one, to get more creamy smootness. Creamily at **9.4/10**.
**Cherry Juice (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- Testing this one at what will probably be close to the upper limit worked out nicely, with no soap, perfume, or medicinal side effects. At about mid level sweet, this cherry definitely portrayed a "juice". Not sure how they did it, but it worked/works. Not a "juicy" cherry, but a cherry "juice", and they got it right. It didn't come across as a bright red, or maraschino, but had aspects of them, and it also wasn't a black cherry. It almost presented as maybe a medley of sorts, and that'll probably increase it's usefulness, and broaden it's range. As a cherry, it was very convincing, with no off-putting notes, and rode about mid level sweet. It had some slight similarities with FW Cherry Crush, but only slightly. While having some tartness, it was not a tart cherry. Overall, a convincing cherry, and indeed a cherry juice at that. While not off putting at 2.5%, I'd recommend more of a 1.5-2.0% just to be safe. Nicely sitting at **8.5/10**.
**Costa Rica Pineapple (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I've never eaten a Costa Rican Pineapple that I'm aware of, so wasn't sure how this would compare to my regulars. At 2.5% it presented as a nice and full pineapple, with plenty of low and mid notes, but lacking some of the high end punch. While looking around for mixing info, I saw someone mention it was lacking acidic notes, which seems accurate as well. Not terrible, but with the lack of bright, and high end punchy notes in a solo, it is unclear how it would hold up in a mix. Clearly it could be boosted/bolstered with other PA's. Because it only had low and mid notes, at times it almost tasted like a papaya. No off notes, just the aforementioned missing ones would be the only take offs. Leaving this one at **6.5/10**.
**Custard Extra 1 (FA) 2.5% (6-5-21)** -- *Disclaimer, custard steeped only 1 wk 2 days...*
Well, well, well, what do we have here. Realizing custards should be steeped a bit longer, rolling on this one at slightly over 1 week. Right out of the gate, two things were evident, no in your face heavy egg, and an almost pudding like quality. We'll talk more about the other nuances, but those two main aspects, continued from beginning to end. First, this is a lighter custard LIKE (minus the citrus note) FA Custard, than say a heavier custard like CAP's v.1. @ 2.5% it was quite good, relaxed, but full, delicious, but not overpowering in any way. I use FA's Custard often, but it is a much lighter custard, and has some citrus elements to it, but this one, takes/took a lighter custard and UPPED the game a bit. I think the pudding element(s) work perfectly here, but weren't high enough to pull it into a full pudding category, but really accented, and carried the custard portion. Quite a tasty lil' gem FA's come up with here. Your mileage WILL vary depending on what YOU want/need from a custard. One of the better things about this one, was it wasn't overbearing, and non-fatiguing. Nothing off-putting at this weight, nicely smooth, and maybe a tick above mid level sweet. It presented as a fairly unique custard, which puts it into the "you might want to pick it up" cataeory. For a nice custard, with decent pudding elements, that wasn't entirely vanilla focused, plenty rich, without a heavy handed egg profile, this one may get it done for you. For me, it's a tester tank finisher. Easily **9.5/10**.
**Decano Tobacco (FA) 2.5% (6-5-21)** -- Decano translated means literally the Dean, or Professor, so your takeaway on the name or meaning may vary. The Professor of Tobaccos ?? This one WAS a complex one, no other way to put it. The main note it centered around an RY4 main note, but the other notes, swirling around, made it hard to nail down. At times I almost got an orange nuance, but without the sharp citrus punch, and others I was picking up a slight dark choco, maybe even a coffee. More often than not, I was greeted with a dark earthy, almost slightly smoky finish. Hehe, yeah, this one's hard to nail down. There was a creamy element thrown into the main RY4 note, that wandered around a vanilla, but not consistently, but it was there none the less. If you think it's hard to perceive this one, try to explain it hehe. I'd love to hear others thoughts on this one, as it WAS a great, complex ride for sure. All in, this one was QUITE the mysterious one, and in a GOOD way. I'm going to have to leave this one as a very complex RY4-ish mix, with some slight fruity notes, a good creamery element, with an interesting slight chocolate/coffee/smoky finish. 2.5% felt really good, mid level sweet, and just a swirling deliciously mysterious one this one was. Going high for the complexity, blending, and overall effect. **9.8/10**.
**Ice Cream Italian Premium (FA) 2.5% (6-6-21)** -- ASSUMING this was is/was/is DAAP free, it is quite an interesting flavor. First off, the creaminess, and mouthfeel are quite dominant, and really carried through from beginning to end. My only experience with "Italian Creams" was with Hangen's IC, and that was a powerhouse. This one (granted an Ice Cream), didn't have the forceful impact as the aforementioned, but it surprisingly held it's own, none the less. Sweet, creamy, and mouthfeel were the big initial takeaways, followed up by a fairly neutral sweetened note. Maybe some very relaxed vanilla, maybe some vienna cream, but just maybe. That left this one as a deliciously creamy blank slate to be pushed/pulled as you needed it. I didn't get an extreme amount of "ice cream", and while not sure how that is described, you know when it's there or not. Even with that, this one may just end up on your must have list. Below mid level sweet, very smooth and creamy, and ready to do your bidding, and doing so well at 2.5%. Feels very good @ **9.2/10**.
**Jacote Plum (FA) 1.5% (6-6-21)** -- Upon first testing this one @ 2.5%, I was getting some strange boozey notes, and strong overtones, re-tested @ 1.5%, which was MUCH better. At the lower 1.5% weight, this Plum revealed itself much better, and without the strange overtones. Having never eaten a Spanish Plum I had no direct comparison, but that didn't stop this one from being good. A nice, authentic, fresh plum with plenty of main body, and a hint of skin was where this one was centered. Fairly dark, with a spattering of high notes, but the majority were mid and low notes. About mid level sweet, and with some minor tartness, it was an interesting, and different one to taste. It was a different approach than the other Plums I've tried, so that pushes it into the unique category again, which is never bad. At this lower testing weight the boozeyness was gone, but it still had an almost slight red-wine contour, which again, made it interesting. Because it opened up, and I lost some of the strange notes I think the lower weight of 1.5% is far better to use this one, and no off-putting notes could be had, at this lower rate. Def. a tester finisher for me, and despite not being one of the more forward flavors, it was very good. Leaving it at 1.5% and **9.1/10**.
Mixing Now .........
**Amarula (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- FIRST one on deck from FA's NEW flavor releases. Ama what ?? Yes, Amarula. If you've never had it, it is a creamy liquor from the African Marula fruit. I've only ever tried one brand , which is aged in oak barrels, and Flavor Art PERFECTLY captured this one, and I have no clue how they did it. The most common description would be a combination of Baileys Cream and an almost Grapefruit (not exactly) like citrus note. I don't think I can improve on that widely used comparison. The fruit component is grapefruit-like, but unique enough to avoid a closer comparison. The mid and back end cream notes are very Baileys-like, and are paired perfectly with the citrus. Throughout testing this one, I did get an almost smoky lower end note on the finish, with maybe a smidge of bitterness, but, it in no way detracted from the overall flavor or experience. Wow, I hate to use "unique" so early in the run, but it IS. I can think of no other close comparison flavor, so this one would be a great choice for something new and unique. The interesting thing was the citruis and cream notes stayed perfectly balanced from beginning to end, with a sometimes smoky, slightly bitter finish. Nothing out of place, off-putting, and sweetness was below mid level, which really kept this interesting from beginning ot end. It's actually rekindling my need to dash out and grab a bottle, and that's saying something. First one from FA was a homerun. Hard to detract from this one, and it felt very good @ **9.65/10**.
**Banana Candy (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I was expecting a traditional "runt" with this one, but instead I was greeted with a nice, unobtrusive artificial banana instead. Now, runts ARE artificial, but most I've tried were fairly "in your face", and had an almost acetone like note, whereas this one, was much more of an even keeled, relaxed banana. It def. wasn't a natural and did lean artificial, and the "candy" will be subjective to the individual. I didn't get an overt candy-ness from it, and sweetness was below mid level, which was surprising for a "candy" flavor. It was very smooth from start to finish, but not creamy. Convincing, tasty, but not as punchy as a traditional "runt". No off-putting notes, and felt fairly relaxed at this testing weight. Because of it's more "relaxed" nature, you would be able to use it more often than not. No real takeoffs other than relaxed nature, and somewhat lacking candy notes. Convincingly good, and leaving it at a **7/10**.
**Cheesecake Olympus (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I'm assuming the Olympus was paying homage to the actual origination of cheesecake in Ancient Greece , a little known fact, thanks to New Yorkers. Unlike many Cheesecakes, I did not get an overwhelming sense of a graham cracker crust in this one, but it still COULD be in there. VERY creamy, smooth, and delicious cheesecake is what you get with this one. No BA, and lacking most, if not all acidity, it worked along the lines of LA's Cheesecake, more than any other. Missing were the sometimes pungent sharp cheesy notes, but in their place, was just a very velvety smooth cheesecake experience. I almost did get a crust on the bottom, just lingering in/out of sight, which really kept this one interesting. One of the more unique cheesecakes, and probably the smooth creaminess would be the biggest take-away. Great at this testing weight, nicely sweetened, no off putting notes, and will be easily usable. By adding TPA's CGC, or CAP's NYC you easily shit this one around as/if needed. Going to finish the tester on this one, to get more creamy smootness. Creamily at **9.4/10**.
**Cherry Juice (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- Testing this one at what will probably be close to the upper limit worked out nicely, with no soap, perfume, or medicinal side effects. At about mid level sweet, this cherry definitely portrayed a "juice". Not sure how they did it, but it worked/works. Not a "juicy" cherry, but a cherry "juice", and they got it right. It didn't come across as a bright red, or maraschino, but had aspects of them, and it also wasn't a black cherry. It almost presented as maybe a medley of sorts, and that'll probably increase it's usefulness, and broaden it's range. As a cherry, it was very convincing, with no off-putting notes, and rode about mid level sweet. It had some slight similarities with FW Cherry Crush, but only slightly. While having some tartness, it was not a tart cherry. Overall, a convincing cherry, and indeed a cherry juice at that. While not off putting at 2.5%, I'd recommend more of a 1.5-2.0% just to be safe. Nicely sitting at **8.5/10**.
**Costa Rica Pineapple (FA) 2.5% (6-4-21)** -- I've never eaten a Costa Rican Pineapple that I'm aware of, so wasn't sure how this would compare to my regulars. At 2.5% it presented as a nice and full pineapple, with plenty of low and mid notes, but lacking some of the high end punch. While looking around for mixing info, I saw someone mention it was lacking acidic notes, which seems accurate as well. Not terrible, but with the lack of bright, and high end punchy notes in a solo, it is unclear how it would hold up in a mix. Clearly it could be boosted/bolstered with other PA's. Because it only had low and mid notes, at times it almost tasted like a papaya. No off notes, just the aforementioned missing ones would be the only take offs. Leaving this one at **6.5/10**.
**Custard Extra 1 (FA) 2.5% (6-5-21)** -- *Disclaimer, custard steeped only 1 wk 2 days...*
Well, well, well, what do we have here. Realizing custards should be steeped a bit longer, rolling on this one at slightly over 1 week. Right out of the gate, two things were evident, no in your face heavy egg, and an almost pudding like quality. We'll talk more about the other nuances, but those two main aspects, continued from beginning to end. First, this is a lighter custard LIKE (minus the citrus note) FA Custard, than say a heavier custard like CAP's v.1. @ 2.5% it was quite good, relaxed, but full, delicious, but not overpowering in any way. I use FA's Custard often, but it is a much lighter custard, and has some citrus elements to it, but this one, takes/took a lighter custard and UPPED the game a bit. I think the pudding element(s) work perfectly here, but weren't high enough to pull it into a full pudding category, but really accented, and carried the custard portion. Quite a tasty lil' gem FA's come up with here. Your mileage WILL vary depending on what YOU want/need from a custard. One of the better things about this one, was it wasn't overbearing, and non-fatiguing. Nothing off-putting at this weight, nicely smooth, and maybe a tick above mid level sweet. It presented as a fairly unique custard, which puts it into the "you might want to pick it up" cataeory. For a nice custard, with decent pudding elements, that wasn't entirely vanilla focused, plenty rich, without a heavy handed egg profile, this one may get it done for you. For me, it's a tester tank finisher. Easily **9.5/10**.
**Decano Tobacco (FA) 2.5% (6-5-21)** -- Decano translated means literally the Dean, or Professor, so your takeaway on the name or meaning may vary. The Professor of Tobaccos ?? This one WAS a complex one, no other way to put it. The main note it centered around an RY4 main note, but the other notes, swirling around, made it hard to nail down. At times I almost got an orange nuance, but without the sharp citrus punch, and others I was picking up a slight dark choco, maybe even a coffee. More often than not, I was greeted with a dark earthy, almost slightly smoky finish. Hehe, yeah, this one's hard to nail down. There was a creamy element thrown into the main RY4 note, that wandered around a vanilla, but not consistently, but it was there none the less. If you think it's hard to perceive this one, try to explain it hehe. I'd love to hear others thoughts on this one, as it WAS a great, complex ride for sure. All in, this one was QUITE the mysterious one, and in a GOOD way. I'm going to have to leave this one as a very complex RY4-ish mix, with some slight fruity notes, a good creamery element, with an interesting slight chocolate/coffee/smoky finish. 2.5% felt really good, mid level sweet, and just a swirling deliciously mysterious one this one was. Going high for the complexity, blending, and overall effect. **9.8/10**.
**Ice Cream Italian Premium (FA) 2.5% (6-6-21)** -- ASSUMING this was is/was/is DAAP free, it is quite an interesting flavor. First off, the creaminess, and mouthfeel are quite dominant, and really carried through from beginning to end. My only experience with "Italian Creams" was with Hangen's IC, and that was a powerhouse. This one (granted an Ice Cream), didn't have the forceful impact as the aforementioned, but it surprisingly held it's own, none the less. Sweet, creamy, and mouthfeel were the big initial takeaways, followed up by a fairly neutral sweetened note. Maybe some very relaxed vanilla, maybe some vienna cream, but just maybe. That left this one as a deliciously creamy blank slate to be pushed/pulled as you needed it. I didn't get an extreme amount of "ice cream", and while not sure how that is described, you know when it's there or not. Even with that, this one may just end up on your must have list. Below mid level sweet, very smooth and creamy, and ready to do your bidding, and doing so well at 2.5%. Feels very good @ **9.2/10**.
**Jacote Plum (FA) 1.5% (6-6-21)** -- Upon first testing this one @ 2.5%, I was getting some strange boozey notes, and strong overtones, re-tested @ 1.5%, which was MUCH better. At the lower 1.5% weight, this Plum revealed itself much better, and without the strange overtones. Having never eaten a Spanish Plum I had no direct comparison, but that didn't stop this one from being good. A nice, authentic, fresh plum with plenty of main body, and a hint of skin was where this one was centered. Fairly dark, with a spattering of high notes, but the majority were mid and low notes. About mid level sweet, and with some minor tartness, it was an interesting, and different one to taste. It was a different approach than the other Plums I've tried, so that pushes it into the unique category again, which is never bad. At this lower testing weight the boozeyness was gone, but it still had an almost slight red-wine contour, which again, made it interesting. Because it opened up, and I lost some of the strange notes I think the lower weight of 1.5% is far better to use this one, and no off-putting notes could be had, at this lower rate. Def. a tester finisher for me, and despite not being one of the more forward flavors, it was very good. Leaving it at 1.5% and **9.1/10**.
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