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.
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