Do you choose flavors or do flavors choose you?
Having a very unsophisticated palette that hasn’t been exposed to many good vape juices has been a challenge since I decided to mix DIY.
Started building my stash ( quickly becoming a horde, drawing looks & snickers from wife ) I searched out recipes that sounded good but never tasted.
I’m finding I like flavors I never imagined & less impressed with some I thought I’d love.
I’m pretty sure all this is Uber common, so let’s hear about it 
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Utilizing the Flavornotes on the Recipe side of this Forum is quite informative. When you are trying to decide which Manufacturers Flavoring of say Vanilla you want to use. One that will best fit what you have envisioned for your end product.
If you are going to be the kind of Mixer that subscribes to the Trial & Error method. Well then Single Flavor testing is recommended. And once again it is prudent to look over the SFM % & in Mix %s for starting points. Also found on the Recipe side of this Forum. Quite helpful when looking to get insight on Concentrates that are new to you.
The other thing, and you mentioned this above. Is try to expand your appreciation of Flavorings that are unusual or you may not have considered before. For instance take Strawberry, Strawberry profiles are one of the most frequently used Concentrates in recipes.
But considering Yumberry. Which happens to be delicious and is an awesome substitute for Strawberry with a similar spectrum of taste. Thinking like this will help to widen your horizon and offer you an excellent way to find palate pleasing Concentrates that you may not have considered before. You might find you are a Guava fan. Highly unlikely But Maybe, just maybe.
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In my years of using commercial juice I bought about every form of RY4 I could find. Tobacco, vanilla, and caramel. When starting DIY I made several recipes with caramel before I discovered I don’t like it.
I avoided fruits and spices at first because I never liked those samples in vape shop tasting bars. Then, noticing the dominance of strawberry here, I tried some and liked it. My biggest surprise was cinnamon. I like it and never thought I would.
This from smoking Marlboros for 40+ years.
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@GSAutoTech @Mark_Turner is dead on, on this one. Notes can really help you out. I’ve done a lot of SF tests, but my laziness takes over, and I don’t always add them to the recipe side, but I’m working on it. If our palates are similar, maybe I can help you out …
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At the beginning I chose from the list, but quickly found that most flavors recommended I don’t like. Most popular flavors I also don’t like lol. I tried recipes posted and while they are popular or maybe awesome for the majority of people, I don’t like them.
In my case I have to build from scratch, at least that way I get what I want, but most flavors just doesn’t taste like anything it’s named. Making finding the correct flavor extremely difficult and frustrating at times.
My method nowadays, I pick a category example fruits, then a subcategory like exotic & tropical. I then go look at flavor notes, manufacturers description, how ppl are using it. If I’m interested I pick it up, if not I move to something else.
I still have to single flavor test all of them, because whatever someone wrote in their notes, I might not taste at all or it tastes fully different too me.
Sometimes I have orders that just contain let’s say 15 different apples because I wanted to play with that. 5 different crusts/pies/bread/cookies/Graham and whatever else could be a good bakery for apples. 2-4 herbs/spice that might go well with it, couple creams.
So that yields to around 25-45 flavors total for a specific profile I am or wanting to work on. After I get what I want I move to the next profile or need to go and buy different apples etc.
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Your contribution is just awesome @SessionDrummer
Ive read almost all of your flavor notes and modeled my own testing after yours. It’s a lot of work but the knowledge gained first hand can’t be beat. It’s really the only way to know for yourself whats going on and how to use the flavors you own.
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Reading notes, testing, learning, etc. All are invaluable and all will help you eventually. It is like a synergy to me… I see a recipe that may sound good, so I try it. Maybe one or two of the notes agrees really well with me, so I build off those notes, than another one comes along. Eventually you’ll learn what you like. It’s a convoluted, fun, maddening, wonderful journey. Sorry that’s Pie in the Sky, but there’s never going to be one or easy answer to any DIY question pretty much.
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I really dig ready all the replies & input.
I got a bit of Jeckle & Hyde thing I struggle with. If I’m making someone’s recipe from the DB, I follow it with high & unyielding precision. Without a recipe, things get wild & anything could end up on the mix.
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I think I made a mistake with approaching it as you seem to be. I came in thinking how unsophisticated my palate was, and assumed that I needed to simply follow recipes and seek The Legends (folks who seem to have a large following and high respect) here. I really cost myself a lot of time because it isn’t about sophistication of palate; which implies that you and I were simply not able to create good juices. It robbed me of the confidence that would have been really helpful back when I started. After finally realizing it takes time and practice, I began to also realize that the words of The Legends were really what I wanted to follow, rather than the recipes. After all, regardless of the popularity or provenance of a recipe, it is still subject to your personal scrutiny and judgement.
So definitely do the reading and research, and begin testing various combinations and you will clear your own path to Legendville. (Could I be any more Mr. Rogers??, sheesh)
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That could be a amazingly good thing.
Who knows maybe you discover flavors you thought would be horrible and start enjoying them more.
Unless you’re on a extreme tight budget that’s nothing that should stop you from trying it out.
I rather vape a tomato avocado tobacco than a boring strawberry milk we’ve thousands of recipes off already.
If you feel comfortable enough one day, I highly suggest putting your own spin on things and discover the more unpopular flavors and your own creativity with making these kind of recipes 
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Got that right. “Mistakes” can often lead us to great ends.
I just had a moment of synergy, actually, and not from a mistake. I’m vaping a french toast derivative, and the cinnamon notes (I rarely use cinnamon anything) struck me. I realized that Cinnamon will go exceptionally well (I think anyway) with my MF Acacia Honey. Floral honey notes with Cinnamon seems to be good, and I will soon start working on a new recipe. That’s sorta how it works for me.
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I agree, love these kind of results that you might have never thought off.
Sometimes it can result in the oposite, but as you mentioned, still learn from it.
I was working on a apricot mascarpone cheesecake but wasn’t paying attention. Instead of grabbing my apricot I grabbed carrot and added that at the same percentage of course lol
Let me tell you mascarpone with carrot is a great combo, that I want to play more with, but carrot and white chocolate is definitely something I wouldn’t recommend. So at least learned that
I also remember ppl telling you not to get the honey, but you did and this works in your favor now. Looking forward to see how that turns out in your upcoming recipes.
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After I got it, I immediately understood why folks were cautioning against it. I cannot describe how potent it is. The mailbox actually smelled of acacia honey. The bottle was not opened or leaking. I have to keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge or it will make its’ presence known.
And, it is equally intense in a recipe. At 0.2% it is still almost too strong for many applications. But if you are looking to pair sweet/floral with spice? Bam. Done.
Oops, drifted off too far. Sorry.
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Thanks for sharing… I know little things like this we just keep in the back of our minds and rarely put it into notes.
I guess this will be my go to caramel for the time being. It held up for a month in a recipe at 6% very well, while all other flavors dropped off the cliff.
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I see what you did there. But to me, notes like:
… that to me is too vague and opaque to be useful. I’d need to get a lot more creative than a few hip adjectives for it to be valuable.
FW Salted Caramel is my favorite caramel, definitely my go-to. Paired with MF Caramel, it is hard to beat.
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No it’s perfect, I mean I wouldn’t like my honey to be like that. So I can cross it off for a honey.
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I know EVERYONE likes mixing a recipe and having it steep for a “set-time” then using it, and being satisfied with it is a nice thing.
I’m too new to know what recipes, brands, flavors, bases, work and which ones don’t over a longer time period. (but it’s something Ive been trying capture to add to my notes)
Im finding 1 month can break a good recipe and flavor, that why Im stuck to 2-3 ml testers.
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Have to clarify… I do have discerning tastes, on a more cave man level. If it tastes good I can grunt “hmmm good” & lack the sophistication to describe the taste well or have any clue what makes it so.
Generally I like bold flavors. A well seasoned steak, prefer heavy cream in coffee & spicy Mexican, enough to make me sweat, kinda bold.
I’m also terrible at notes. I’m jealous & grateful when I see such great recipe notes. Dr. Jeckle is super appreciative of those notes. Mr. Hyde just goes wild.
Either way I’m having fun & meeting great new peeps.
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