Vapouround magazine ISSUE 20 | Page 182

REVIEWS REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES Tart Cherry Percentage used + VG/PG ratio: 4% at 70/30 VG/PG Tangy Orange Percentage used + VG/PG ratio: 3.5% at 70/30 VG/PG Banana Split Percentage used + VG/PG ratio: 4% at 70/30 Cherry flavours have been an elusive flavour in vaping for the longest time. All too many of them carry a potent medicinal note, which is fine for some profiles, but not always desirable. There are a few good choices when it comes to natural cherry, but solid candy variants are few and far between. In comes Tart Cherry from Capella. This is a simple but well executed sour candy cherry that should find a place in any mixer’s arsenal. It’s certainly not aiming to be a natural representation, but this is not a complaint. The citric acid component does do a good job of delivering some sour tang, but this does fade a few weeks after mixing. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic flavouring that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Mix with other bright fruits for a solid fruit punch or try some gummy bases for a well-rounded sour cherry candy profile. Another new sour fruit ingredient from Capella. Tangy Orange seems to borrow elements from two of Capella’s previous flavours and in doing so creates an interesting and useful orange. The natural juiciness found in Capella’s Juicy Orange is definitely still here, but where Juicy Orange fell slightly short in potency, Tangy Orange delivers. The best elements of Capella’s Sweet Tangerine also seem to be present here. The bright top notes and moderate tartness are vital to making a great orange mix and Capella have done very well to properly capture them. The result is a full bodied, authentic orange that I highly recommend to lovers of all things fruit. Tangy orange works well in both candy and natural fruit applications, so creativity is welcome. Golden Pineapple Percentage used + VG/PG ratio: 5% at 70/30 VG/PG Powerful Sour Concentration: 1-3 drops per 30ml Banana has always been a tough case to crack in the e-liquid world. Many concentrates come across as either artificial (think foam banana candies) or under-ripe. For this reason, it has pretty much always been necessary to mix around the banana concentrate in order to achieve an enjoyable recipe. Capella’s Banana Split seems to be much more forgiving than most. Mixed at four percent, the top notes of this concentrate fall somewhere between candied banana and a more natural, ripened banana. This is backed up by a fairly mellow cream base that brings some body and sweetness to the mix. There aren’t any real off-notes to speak of, but the banana is still quite in your face even at this fairly low concentration. In a single flavour mix, Capella’s Banana Split is quite accurate but if you’re a more advanced mixer consider playing around with some additional cream or bakery flavours to get the most out of it. Veteran vapers will immediately recognise the aroma of Capella’s Golden Pineapple. It’s been used in countless commercial e-liquids and for good reason. This pineapple flavouring does have some natural elements but leans more heavily towards the candied end of the spectrum. This is not an overly potent flavour, and its strength seems to scale quite linearly, making it a forgiving ingredient for new mixers. This also means that it can be used either as an accent or main note, so it’s versatile too. Simple fruit mixes benefit greatly from a touch of pineapple, as it will bring some tropical brightness to the mix. If you want to use it as a main note, it may be more suited to beverage or candy profiles, but with the right ingredients, it can also be used in bakery recipes. Golden Pineapple is a true jack of all trades. True sourness has always been something of a white whale in the vaping world. It’s very difficult to properly capture, leading many mixers to use bright citrus flavourings to fill the gap with their natural sharpness. Powerful sour is slightly different to other sour additives I have used. This one contains lactic acid as well as the more traditional citric acid, so I was immediately intrigued to see if Capella had cracked the code. I used 1-3 drops per 30ml of e-liquid, in a variety of fruit and candy mixes. The results varied with profiles, but overall I’m quite impressed. This definitely adds a mild sour tang to your mix of choice, but don’t expect it to be a lip- smacking experience, as this simply does not seem to be possible in the context of vapour products. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this additive and found it brightened up flatter fruit mixes well. Powerful Sour is likely best used by advanced mixers due to its somewhat tricky potency but is an interesting tool. 182 | VM20