Just wanted to mention some of the things that have crossed my mind many many times over the last couple years, but have always seemed to escape making it to a post (usually from sheer exhaustion by the time I’m done with an update session).
You might also want to check out the newly created “Retired” Flavors list which is under ongoing updates. So check back every once in a while!
Some things worth being aware of:
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We do not yet have a way to “Retire” flavors that are outdated. It’s something that I’ve mentioned before, but REALLY would love to catch Lars when he has time to sit down and chat in depth.
Given that fact, we try to maintain the old flavors (for both the fact that some users may still have them in their stash, as well as the historical purposes.) -
There are exceptions to every rule. The fluidity of the industry (primarily speaking of the OEM’s reformulating flavors, or updating their marketing without “notfication” [NOT that we’re due such, but it would be nice! lol]) makes it difficult at times to maintain the separation of what’s a new flavor vs a conversion (EG: from “New!” to a “standard” flavor, prime example, Cap Marshmallow made the original marshmallow [using various DAAP components], then came out with a New! Marshmallow [note: NOT a v2] which has recently been re-marketed [on their USA site] as just plain old “Marshmallow”. This should NOT be confused with their original Marshmallow. More examples to follow.)
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Some names just DO NOT have standarization (from a “global” standpoint). What needs to be understood here, and what I’d like to convey, is that, you should try not to get frustrated by the fact that one company uses Dragonfruit (one word), and another uses Dragon Fruit (two separate words). What I have tried to do when I run across this, it to reference the original OEM (manufacturer of the flavor) and see how they spelled it. I then try to make sure that I merge it into THEIR usage. From there, I merge whatever I run across (or whatever’s been submitted) to the properly listed format.
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“New!” DOES NOT always equate to a v2 flavor. It has sometimes been sold at the same time (not as a transition making it’s way through the retail chain, but actually sold by the OEM as two separate offerings). As mentioned above, they sometimes complicate matters, when they decide to convert a “New” flavor. It might end up being a v2, it might end up being converted to their “standard” seller/listing. They may continue to sell both. They may drop one altogether. There’s just two many ways/things that could happen. So we ALL get through it the best we can!!
The following are recent thoughts as a result of digging back into the database and merging (thanks to having temporary access to GOOD internet, on a PC!), and as such, are subject to updating (as new information emerges, or corrections are made, etc).
First Example: Blackberry (Cap)
This is a prime example of one that should be retired, as it’s no longer sold, and has been reformulated!
Blackberry (Cap)
It was replaced by: Blackberry, New (Cap)
(which has become the new “standard”, but should NOT be confused for the original formulation above)
Blackberry, NEW (Cap)
And then, along came a v2 variant.
v2 is still sold, alongside the above (with New being dropped)
Blackberry v2 (Cap)
Second Example: Cherry Cola (Cap)
This is the original formula, and one of the oldest flavor entries (and should be retired)
Cherry Cola (Cap)
Only the two that follow (below) are currently listed for sale on Capella’s website:
They show:
Cherry Cola Rf
which we list as:
Cherry Cola (Rdcd.Flshpnt) (Cap)
because a lot of folks have a hard time keying these in, and they end up being listed as Real Flavors, and we don’t want to reflect any disservice to either company!!
PLEASE NOTE:
(Rdcd.Flshpnt) should be used (after the flavor name, but before the brand name) for any flavorings that are being made to cater to air travel (international shipping by airplane) by companies such as TFA (The Flavor Apprentice and Capella being the two leading examples currently being seen)
Finally, we have the third entry in this flavor,
They show:
Cherry Cola Rf V2
which we list as:
Cherry Cola (Rdcd.Flshpnt) v2 (Cap)
Third Example (shows a unique exception to the rule):
Cup of Joe (Cap)
has become
Cup a Joe (Cap).
Incidentally, they also have Cup a Joe v2.
(I’m guessing that someone actually owns the rights to Cup of Joe 
, and that’s why the name changed. sigh)
Cup of Joe (Cap)
Cup of Joe (Cap)
This is another one that was quietly retired by Capella (and we need to mark as “Retired” at some point in the future when we hopefully have the ability! 
(a friendly wink and a nudge to Lars @daath lol
Whatever your creative heart decides my good man!)
It has been replaced by the following two offerings (though I’m betting many retail resellers haven’t made the change to their site yet, so watch your original bottle names people -Folks that buy such flavors rebottled are just “out of luck”, and should probably assume by default that their product is the NEWER Cup a Joe flavoring.
The following current listings should be used:
Cup a Joe (Cap)
and also
Cup a Joe v2 (Cap)
Please choose appropriately!
Cup OF Joe should soon be drained from the retail chain in most cases I’d imagine…
Thanks to those who were astute enough to see that previously! (It made my early merging much easier!)
Third Example:
Licorice (Cap)
Licorice, Liqorice, Liquorice is a troublesome thing, as it’s very geographical (even the “English” spellings change by region which is again, one of the reasons why I tend to try to defer to the manufacturer’s listing and spelling in most cases).
There were a variety of listings (prior to merge), but given that what Cap lists on both their USA and Euro site currently is spelled using the American spelling…that’s what I went with (subject to change in the future I’m betting).
The current two choices are:
Licorice (Cap)
and
Licorice (Euro Series) (Cap)
Please try not to enter additional (though geographically correct) listings!
Since it’s recently come to light that there may be differences between the two lines, I’m leaving both entries for the time being.
However it’s worth noting that there is inconsistency on Cap’s sites (both Euro and USA) at least with respect to images used (as seen below).
Capellaflavors.com (the USA site) clearly shows the Euro labeling on the flavor assumed to be geared towards USA tastes.
(the flavor on the far right)
Capellaflavours.com (the Euro site) clearly shows the Euro labeling, as expected (note the circular logo in the upper right, which is also seen on the “USA bottle”.)
Fourth Example:
Marshmallow (Cap)
This is an example of original, meets New!, meets “changed to the ‘standard offering’…”
The original is long since retired by Capella (thanks to the still unproven DAAP scare) and it’s listed as:
Marshmallow (Cap)
at least until it’s marked as “Retired”.
You are highly unlikely to have this flavor in your arsenal unless you’ve been mixing since 2016 or before.
It’s far more likely you’ll have the following:
Marshmallow, New (Cap)
which is already being sold as:
Marshmallow (Cap)
(at least on their website).
Now you see the problem (I hope)!
What’s being currently sold as Cap Marshmallow, ISN’T the same as the original, yet it would still fall under our standard naming convention, which throws yet another wrench into the works (doesn’t it @Woftam? lmao )
So at the moment, I’m considering a few options for such occasions.
The first (and foremost) that’s come to mind has been to add the year (or possibly season? though geography probably shoots that all to hell eh Aussies? -Christmas in Summer and all… lol ) to the name.
EG: Marshmallow (Cap) 2019
Actually…fuck it. I’m doing just that, right now until a better idea/suggestion/mandate comes down the pipe on how to handle it!!
I’ll probably merge the current “New” listing into the 2019 listing in the future…but will wait for awhile before that, just to see/just in case. Something better may crop up after all. 
While Cap’s examples above cover MANY OTHER flavor naming issues across many other brands…It’s time to move on.
The last thing I want to dive into before I wrap this up, is another “Lesson in Flavor History”
One On One Flavors was a brand unto itself (a smaller flavor house that was bought out), before Get Suckered bought it (or they merged. Whatever. I’m not as privy as some of the industry insiders we have lurking here! lol)
At any rate. As above, there are examples of flavors that are either no longer sold, or have been replaced by newer offerings, or renames of the same old flavors. In any case, Let’s dive in!
I have a variety of the original flavors (from the original OoO website) saved somewhere, but this is a great shining example of things that need to be preserved, and things that are being actively sold/used.
Overview of OoO Marshmallow:
Note: I’m fairly sure that I’ve previiously merged the very first one (at the top) into Vanilla previously…and that what you see is a flavor that was readded *before Lars implemented a change to try and eliminate such things happening, but I’ve left it for the time being until I can verify that.
Flavors that I know predate GS ownership/consolidation…
Marshmallow (white fluffy v1) (ooo)
Marshmallow (white fluffy v2) (ooo)
Toasted Marshmallow (ooo)
Marshmallow Cereal (ooo)
Marshmallow Cereal (VG) (ooo)
I believe the recent addition to their Marshmallow list is:
Marshmallow (White Puffy v1) (ooo)
Again, I’m fairly certain that Marshmallow (vanilla) (ooo) predates the acquisition by GS, but the flavor number is a high one most likely because I had to create a newer flavor entry because I didn’t have the access I needed to manually change a single entry. (I have been using work-arounds in the interim to fix flavor naming conventions, but as a result, some of the older flavors have “newer numbers” [speaking strictly from a database POV] that what they otherwise would have.
At any rate, I’m mentally exhausted now. As this took several hours longer than I intended. But it needed to be done, and I have wanted for a long time to write something up to help folks better understand how to choose what. As well as a smidgen of a glimpse of what all goes into the attempts at keeping things both manageable as well as functional.
To those that made it this far, I genuinely, and most sincerely appreciate your time in reading this. And I hope that it has helped provide a better understanding into the history of some things, and how and why we are where we’re at (in some respects).
I only volunteer this out of appreciation to those that have helped pave the way for me, and hope that this helps any/all who follow.
Yours truly,
Rob
