So I am working on this:
I have been using 3% cap French vanilla with great success. Reading all the hype on the FV Deluxe I got some when I was in Charlotte. Mixed up a batch and it is…lacking that vanilla creaminess. Got some steeping to see if it improves. Initial taste was disappointing. Thoughts?
LB vanilla ice cream.
Still trying to dial LB vanilla ice in…so far not quite seeing the hype yet. Hopefully soon.
I find vanillas can be tricky, and it’s heartbreaking since I’m a huge VANILLA fan. I love vanilla. My favorite ice cream is VANILLA. A lot of the vanilla flavorings lack, the, uh… Vanilla-ness. I do however, love LB VIC. 
I hear ya. Apparently I can’t taste fruits. Any fruits go blah after about 5 puffs. Custards same thing. Vanilla seem to be working for me.
What percentages are you using (with what flavors)??
Usually when this happens (at least the way you’ve described it), it’s because one has used too much flavoring. The taste buds go into shutdown from sensory overload.
If you can taste it to start with, that’s usually a good sign that you can taste the particular flavor.
@Molly_Mcghee is absolutely right imo , vanillas are always missing a bit of something and always need help . LB VIC imo is the best VIC out ther , but it needs help so i always add acream and another vanilla ( MF vanilla ) usually . The two you asked about are obviusly different so using them to replace one another in a mix probably isnt going to work so well , the TPA is definetly lacking in a creaminess … Have youu tried using them together ? using them together may help fill in the gaps that each flavor is missing …
Note : I ahve not used the two FV flavors together
Imo cap vanilla in general is this weirdo artificial thing they call vanilla, but not vanilla. Reminds me of the cheap vanilla imitation extracts you can buy in your local supermarket.
Cap always has this weird butter taste to it not just in weight, greasy-ness on top of turning most of it into heavy cream aftertaste, which is not even needed.
French deluxe imo is much stronger than caps fv, as well as much “cleaner” without the extreme weight and addition dairy. Vbic would do that. It’s a great versatile vanilla, but it needs a longer steep.
But if cap says 3 I would half the deluxe. It’s stronger in vanilla but the vanilla note is very different. Could always get the thickness/richness from cap with a additional cream if you feel it’s lacking.
However ime ppl that like cap vanilla won’t ever be satisfied with tpas lol.
I must be the oddball (again) because to me FV (Cap) works very good in my mixes. Vanilla is definitely there, a bit of creamy heaviness which I like too.
I can’t speak to FV DLX because the vendors I shop from don’t fucking carry it. It seems to be somewhat elusive because I never can find it.
This one is always in my rotation…
I second this. If you need a VIC LB’s does it in spades.
Not sure I am looking for ice cream heaviness in this recipe. Just some french vanilla creaminess.
This could probably be a whole new thread but it happens to me with juice I make with fruits as well as store bought ones. I quit smoking March 1 so maybe my taste buds haven’t recovered yet. Really wanted to taste blueberry and found this:
Got some flavor then everything muted.
Mixed up some ejuice for my son to take back to college this weekend. Made this: Check cookies
I can taste the strawberry in this but it needs to steep of course. Then made this Check cookies and it is really good…vaped 3/4 of a tank last night and it was wonderful. Tried to again this morning and it’s just bland. I can really smell the strawberry. This one again definitely needs steeping.
I’ve got some single flavors steeping at the recommended % but have at this point I’ve about given up on fruits.
Well, your percentages don’t look out of whack.
Not really sure what to make of it.
Sorry I can’t help any further. Perhaps it’s as you say, and your taste buds are still settling in. Whatever the case, I hope things improve for you!
IDK… For me it was all the flavor finger tasting was a big reason my taste buds where being overloaded and not recovering. Once I stopped doing that it got better.
It’s hard not do it at first but, after a while I started questioning why the heck am I putting super concentrated flavors on my tongue and learned not to do it. 
Fruits can be a miracle sometimes. I know lots of ppl say it’s the easiest category to work with, and that might be true if it’s a fruit only recipe.
Most fruits need a secondary fruit or even a third fruit of the same. Others need some fruits similar but from the same family, and then there’s some that are great alone but fade quickly or are just thin, and will need a booster. Some are extremely strong that overpower everything if not careful enough.
As just any other flavor category, there’s high notes, mid notes and background notes. And then there’s blenders or balancing notes.
Looking at your sb recipe you posted, imo the creams will just kill the fruits. Strawberry is actually a delicate fruit and some also fade, in my opinion fruits especially sb and lemon always need to outweigh the heavy creams.
I also wouldn’t pair ripe with shisha, both are more of a mid note, rather than high or back. Sure inw has that syrup going in the background but the lb ice cream is just going to cancel that out.
Ripe due to its own EM content is also a quick fader and blender, it will move in the background soon but looses its strawberry nuances. It tastes to me like pink cotton candy later, than actually the real fresh fruit lol.
Dragon fruit (tpa) is not actually a fruit either, at high percentage it tastes like bubblegum. But it’s mostly used as blender in recipes, since that’s it’s job. and it can boost/pop specific fruits.
Overall I am sure it works as intended, but not as you hoped. This recipe will turn into a light pink milk/cream. important is the pink aspect here, because what that means is, it will have fruit nuances but not a distinctive fruit. But this will not turn into cream/custard with distinctive fruit or fruit swirl/ripple, as you probably wanted.
Switching the fruits as well as decreasing the creams a bit, or even picking different could fix that. Or increasing fruits if these creams are used might be a other possibility, depending what you want out of this recipe.
If you still can’t taste it, maybe you’re sb blind, or if you can’t taste any fruits but it’s not a recipe issue, take a look at your equipment. Depending on atomizer you’re using, wattage/temp, mtl/dl and even nic strength, you might have to adjust the recipes even further etc. It’s not always just as simple as thinking that your taste buds are at fault.
You could try sneaking in .75-1% of a Caramel or a Butterscotch to lift up the richness and creaminess a little. I’ve found it helpful to me. Not enough to really add a full flavor note, just enough to make you go hmmmmm…
Well shoot. I adapted Check cookies with what I had and it sounded good from the reviews. Seems like I always spend a lot of time researching but never do it quite right. I thought Dragonfruit would help pop the strawberry so thought I’d try that. I’ll see how this turns out after some steepage. Meanwhile, I appreciate your input. I always learn something!
Don’t sweat it … If I had these flavors Id make it also. You have some good flavors.
This recipe is from CheebaSteeba. He’s a professional mixer on the DIYorDIE noted series. Ive seen most of their stuff and gain a lot of value.
If you followed this gentleman recipe exactly it should be good… if not… maybe get rid of the Dragonfruit since it has Maltol in it also, on top of the Maltol that SB Ripe has.
Strawberry (Ripe) Flavor
Maltol >= 1% and < 10%
https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/componentlist.aspx?sku_search=222R95
Dragonfruit Flavor
Maltol <5%
https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/componentlist.aspx?sku_search=345270
Guess that’s all that matters nowadays. Next time we just ask the professionals, at least most of us won’t have to write a whole novel anymore