This had been previously part of the long running Jungle Flavors / Flavor Jungle Tasting Notes thread, but it was growing complicated to continue updating. I have moved this, the Single Flavor Tests, and the One Shots thread to their own threads for ease of updating.
Jungle Flavors / Flavor Jungle
1st round of testing, mixing now.
1st round of JF single flavor testing. ALL tested on SteamCrave RDTA v.1, @ 55 watts, single wire Kanthal, 7 wrap coils @ 0.30 ohms, on the Para 250C. Fresh cotton, and dry burned coils before every test. Percentages varied by flavor. All steeped 1.5 + weeks plus.
Biscuit (Jungle Flavors) 3.0% (10-27-18) – I felt I already knew this flavor before testing it, as I read countless reviews stating it was JUST like a perfect pairing of INW Biscuit, and FA Cookie. Well, that’s about as RIGHT as it gets. I actually can’t think of a better description than that INW Biscuit + FA Cookie = JF Biscuit !!!
It’s actually quite an interesting blend (if not exactly those two companies flavors, but profiles for sure). INW Biscuit is more of an American biscuit like Bisquick, and FA Cookie is more like a European biscuit which would lean towards more cookie-ish. Pairing these two profiles yields a very interesting result. Actually vaped the entire tester which I didn’t see coming. I can already see countless uses for this, mostly bakery obviously, crust enhancements, some graininess, etc. The slight sweetness could really shift things in mixes, and probably in a good way at that. At 3% it was very full with just a hint of sweet, not overly dry, with nothing off putting, harsh, or artificial tasting. 9.5/10.
Cocoa (Jungle Flavors) 1.5% (10-28-18) – Having only vaped ONE (I think Cocoa) so far (FA Cocoa) and being stricken with it’s utter coil destroying ways, I was a little apprehensive in trying another, but try I must. First things, this one is clear, clear, CLEAR. What ?? How is that possible ?? At the low 1.5% strength, and after 2 weeks steep, this one looks to be another GEM from JF. Smells like it, tastes like it, but doesn’t gunk coils like it ?? Can’t compare to any other than FA’s, and it is in the same ballpark, without the gunking, and dryness that I got from the FA. Accuracy was pretty spot on, sweetness was at the mid point, with a nice even, mid to mid-dark cocoa. They really got this one pretty nailed down. Not a milk chocolate, nor a dark chocolate, but right smack dab in the middle of the cocoa road. No bitters, or dryness here, tastes pretty natural with no chemical, artificial, or off putting notes. Now this is NO Medicine Flower Dark Chocolate, but it’s not trying to be. I could see using this QUITE often, and am glad I bought a mini jug of it on sale no less. Going to toss this into one of my S’mores to really see what’s what, but at this point, this will be the fifth Jungle Flavor win in a row. One thing I noticed vaping it at 65 watts, I didn’t get any burning from it, as many chocolates do not like higher wattages, even though 65 watts isn’t terribly high. Having a hard time knocking it down, maybe 0.5 for a slight lack of richness/depth, but it’s just too damned tasty for being so clear, and non-gunking. 9.5/10.
Coconut (Flavor Jungle) 4% (6-2-24) – This one smelled very good in the bottle, and tasty pretty good when testing. What I liked most about it, was that it tasted pretty natural, and almost like a dry coconut flake, with NO suntan lotion, or greasy notes. It was a tad dry, which is why I described it as coconut flakes. The dryness wasn’t off-putting, but still very present. No coconut milk here, or very much creaminess, just a fairly natural, dry(er) coconut flake. At 4% it was very present, but not ceiling smashing. My personal preferences would to have a little coconut milk and/or creaminess to it, but that’s MY preference(s). I could see this one pairing very nicely with some other coconuts, for a more full bodied coconut. As it stood, with hardly any artificial notes, and no oil, grease, or suntan lotion, this one was pretty good. The dryness throughout, and on the finish would be the only off-notes. It felt solidly placed, at a 8.6/10.
Cookie Butter (Flavor Jungle) 1.5%/4% (6-3-24) – I’d heard this one was strong, so I tested it at both 1.5% and all the way up to 4%. My two main take aways were Speculoos Cookie, and Clove. In short it was like a spiced speculoos cookie with some lighter, creamier elements, but nothing stood out as an overt butter. Creamy-ish, yes, buttery, not really. The spice was fairly present, and while I didn’t pick up on any ginger, this would work great in any mix with gingerbread in it. When comparing the lower and higher mix levels, I got a little dry-ness at the lower (1.5%), that I didn’t get at the higher (4%). I was surprised it didn’t get stupid at the higher rate. Not muted, but it wasn’t a linear increase in strengh, maybe topped out at 2%. I didn’t 100% fall in love with it, as it wasn’t a pure Speculoos Cookie, and not truly "Buttery’. Very tasty, with solidly present spice levels, that left the solid perch of JUST a Spec Cookie, and added in some creamy smoothness. Sweetness was below mid-level, and no off-notes, BUT, use with caution or the spice could run over your mix. Tasty, accurate, and no complaints other than wondering if a straight Spec Cookie might win out over this one. Leaving it still high at a 8.0/10.
Forest Mix (Flavor Jungle) 4% (6-8-24) – When waiting for this one to steep, I did wonder if it would be similar to FA’s Forrest Fruit. Turns out it was fairly different. I mean, it was still a fruit medley, but quite a bit different than FA’s. It was very complicated trying to extract the individual fruits in this mix, but it did lean somewhat to the darker side. It seemed to revolve more around “berry” fruits, with maybe some blueberry, raspberry, and maybe some grape. Sweetness was a few ticks below mid-level, and there was some very nice tartness to the finish, which helped keep it interesting. I wouldn’t say as focused, or good as FA’s, but still pretty good. For a “berry”-ish focused medley, it was pretty good. No off-notes, and about the only minor issue would be a slight lack of focus. Tasty, just enough tart, and berry good (see what I did there). After 3 testers, finally decided to score it at a fairly high 7.9/10.
Honey Dew Melon (Jungle Flavors) 1.8% (10-29-18) – I have vaped more than a few Honey Dew Mellons and am pretty aware of the pitfalls, shortcomings, and olfactory offenses that I’ve experienced. Many times when SF testing, the moment you take a vape of a new flavor you immediately think of a similar flavor. That happened with this one, and it immediately reminded me of none other than Medicine Flower’s HDM. Now before I overcharge the flux capacitor and blow up the universe, it’s not quite that good, BUT, it’s in the same arena (that means very good). It’s a very rich, green, and fresh tasting HDM. It’s a tad sweeter than MF’s, and higher than average sweetness, but that’s not a terrible thing here, but worth noting. Lots and lots of nice green melon with the inner and outer fleshy parts, with maybe a hint of rind. This does NOT come across near as effortlessly natural as the MF does, but once again, it’s in the ballpark. @estorm cautioned some of the Jungle Flavors were strong, and this is one of the stronger ones. @ 1.8% but could probably range lower @ 1.0-1.5%. Very smooth, with an apparent mix of the green parts, with good sweetness, and very smooth. Not harsh, off putting, or overtly artificial, even at this strength. Almost getting two different notes, one on inhale, and another on exhale, both great. This is the 6th winner in a row from JF for me. 9.6/10.
Honey Peach (Jungle Flavors) 2.5% (10-26-18) – Since one of my favorite mixing peaches is currently TPA Juicy Peach, even though it’s weak, this one sounded very interesting for my profile and needs. Out of the gate it was a WINNER !!! Now as a disclaimer I’ve had some AWFUL trouble with some honeys’ in the past, so I was a little skeeered to vape it up, but FEAR NOT, this one IS a gem. At 2.5% it was perfectly hard hitting, without being overbearing or past it’s upper limits. Less sweet than I would have thought, and perhaps, similar to CAP Yellow Peach, but this one is in a different league. It might even benefit from a little sweet kick from some Stevia, so fear not about it being over sweetened. It is NOT a juicy peach like TPA’s, but really more of a fresh, yellow peach, BUT, there’s a kicker in here. Thankfully for me (my fear runs deep) it is NOT honey, at least to my taste, but I’m thinking maybe a hint of nectarine, or better yet, maybe a apricot kick. The more I think about it, I think it might BE an apricot kicker. Either way, it’s very full, delicious, and with the “kicker” that’s in there, it bends slightly away from a typical peach, into something different, and better. I can see why they named it Honey Peach, and it’s good. I am on the 2nd 3ml tanker and I’m struggling to find something I don’t like about it, … I can’t. 10/10.
Strawberry Sweet (Jungle Flavors) 5.0% (10-26-18) – Out of the gate, this one impressed. Very solid SB with depth. Mixed @ 5.0% it was very full and rich (as rich as a SB could be that is). Nothing off putting, or artificial tasting, but a great ripened strawberry. Not really a fresh per se, and had a tough of jammy-ness to it. I would rate it higher than CAP’s Sweet SB, but only a notch or two, as it seemed fuller, and perhaps more versatile. On a second tester tank if that’s any sign. Struggling to find an SB that I would compare it to, but maybe OOO Strawberry Ripe would be in the same ball park. For a jammy infused, ripe strawberry, that has just the right amount of sweetness this will work for you. 9.3/10.
Sweet Cinnamon Bun (Flavor Jungle) 4% (6-9-24) – Thanks out to @natbone for patiently waiting for this review. ONTO the tests !!! OK, cinnamon vapes CAN be tricky to get right. This one seemed to bridge TWO different profiles for me, and YOU guys will have to decide if it works for you. It was a “half and half” pairing of a Cinnamon Bun, AND, a Honey Bun !!! Yes, that’s right, BOTH of them. Three testers in, I kept coming back to that original assessment. It wasn’t fully (IMO) a Cinnamon Bun, or a Honey Bun, but both. The “bun” portion was probably the BEST aspect of this flavor, as it really captured it. The cinnamon was present, but somewhat lighter overall, and in now way overbearing. The buttery, honey-ish portion was also quite good. Despite it not being either of the two, the pairing (again, IMO), left this one COMPLETELY ready to be push/pulled into whatever, or whichever you desired. The cinnamon was light enough that if you boosted the honey, and butter it could be pulled that direction, and vice versa by boosting the cinnamon towards the other direction. Sweetness was at about mid-level, and felt good for this type of flavor. Tasty ?? Yes. A full on Cinna Bun ?? No. I’ll have to rate it for it’s named profile, but don’t count this one out, as it’s bun, and honey buttery goodness was too good. As a pure cinna bun, I’ll have to rate it down to a 7.0/10, but this one might just be/become a great base/starter for some MORE buns.
Yellow Cake (Jungle Flavors) 5.0% (10-26-18) – I think everyone who loves or has used FW Yellow Cake would love it, if it weren’t for the sugar. Hearing rumors about JF’s YC couldn’t not get it. Mixed it @5% and this level it was a damned good Yellow Cake, no if’s and’s or but’s. Already I can tell it is AS good, if not better than FW’s version, but without any sugar. Yellow Cake fans rejoice. Had nothing off putting, or anything that got in the way of a simple YC. Didn’t feel overdone at this strength, sweetness was good, and it was balanced nicely. Not sure how to elaborate more on this, but if you need a YC flavor, without any sugar, this one WILL do it for you. Spot on @ 10/10.
Series III Mixing and Steeping Now …
Ultimate Banana Tutti Frutti (Flavor Jungle) 4% (1-23-24) – Wow, this one took some time for me to unpack. First, “new” one on deck, and it was tasty as hell, BUT, there was a “but”, AND, it might not be as big of a but, as you thought. Starting out, at 4% this one was damned good, and very full. After running FOUR testers on this one, I could pick out no off-notes, or real complaints. The banana in this one, was almost spot on perfect for my tastes. VERY fresh, with plenty of green, and green/yellow notes. ABSENT were any over ripened, mushy, or brown notes, which for MY tastes were always a turn off. Your tastes may vary, but for mine, the nana was about 99.9% perfect. Now the BUT. The but was that that bubblegum (aka Tutti Frutti) was a little low in the mix. It WAS perceivable from beginning to end, but it was just a smidge light. Now this could be because it was paired so perfectly WITH the banana that it was slightly concealed ?? Maybe so. As long as you weren’t expecting a slamming bubblegum, and you love bananas, I don’t think you could NOT like this one. There was an almost “creamy-ness” to this one, but it was NOT a banana cream. It also was not a thin, light, or weak flavor at this testing weight, and almost tasted like it had a very light bakery element very low in the mix, and just enough to thicken it up a bit, and it worked.
Tasty, VERY hard to put down, plenty of fresh, natural nana with a healthy dose of green, and green/yellow notes, with a light bubblegum finish. Sweetness was close to mid-level, and it suited the flavor well. NO runts, or overt candied nanas, as the fresh green, green/yellow notes carried most of the freight here. It wasn’t 100% natural but leaned heavily that way. If I had to rate it on taste alone I would probably have released the Kraken, BUT, I’ll have to mark down just a smidge for the lighter bubblegum, but even that, feels like a nit-pick at best. VERY good flavor, hard to put down, and leaving it still at a very high 9.4/10. Although not a banana cream, I can see a LOT of uses for this one.
Ultimate Birthday Cake (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-8-23) – Starting out with this, the FIRST “Ultimate” in this new series with the UBDC. It smelled really good in the bottle, but not entirely as a cake, and testing it revealed much of the same. I would call this “cake-ish”, or “cake-y”, but not 100% a cake. At times throughout my testers, I actually got some light AP notes (Los Fritos), and that was unexpected/out of place. There were some generous helpings of generic vanilla (almost cake) notes, with perhaps some icing. It had some pretty good mouthfeel, and was fairly rich, but not buttery. All in, I might better call this one an “Ultimate Cake Mixer” flavor. At 3% it felt very full, and the only off-note I got as the occasional AP note. A great mixer for cake recipes, BUT, not the star of the show. It felt fair to place this squarely at a 6.5/10.
Ultimate Blueberry (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-8-23) – OK, ok, ok. I may have to come up with my OWN names for these new “Ultimates”, just like I did with the UBDC. OK, what do we have with this one. I’m going to call it the “Ultimate Mashup”, and YES, you heard it here first. I grew concerned upon smelling it in the bottle, and then finger testing, not because it was horrid, but it came across as almost “jammed”, and that would NOT be my Ultimate BB. Testing it revealed much less of a “jammy” flavor, and much more of a mashup. Now, let me start off by saying it was good, REALLY good, BUT, not sure on the Ultimate Blueberry-ness of it. I got a mix of a great Blueberry with some lighter, funky notes (which really worked here), along with a light Concord Grape, AND, a White/Green Grape (maybe a Fuji Apple). There you go people, it IS a mashup, and not a solo Blueberry. Now, all cards on the table, my hands down Ultimate Blueberry is, and will probably remain Medicine Flower’s OG Blueberry for comparison.
This flavor is hard to explain (but not impossible), and maybe hard(er) to understand reading this. I would set the ratios of 50% Blueberry, 30% White/Green Grape (possibly Fuji), and 20% Concord Grape. Using berries to accentuate or boost Blueberries is well known, but using what I perceived to be grapes, was an interesting approach. All in, it WAS damned good, and I could see a LOT of uses for this, BUT, your mixing needs may vary, as well as your tastes, especially on a flavor like this. I could see ordering a bigger bottle of this one. At 3.0% it was very full and not lacking, and sweetness was just about mid-level, with no off-notes (except for the intentional mashup flavors), and the slight BB musky-ness which worked WITH the flavor, not against, so I’m not tallying that up as a take-off. All in, a great flavor, BUT, it was indeed a mashup, and a great one at that. Scoring this will be complicated for me, as it was billed AS a Blueberry. As a Blueberry mashup I would rate it at literally a 9.9/10, but as a Blueberry, I would have to pull it down a bit, and leave it at a 7.0/10. Even with a 7/10 rating, I would still recommend getting this one.
Ultimate Biscuit (Flavor Jungle) 5% (1-26-24) – Sorry guys, I just kept refilling the tanks, and got totally lost in it, hehe. And that IS a good thing. To start, Flavor Jungle spec’d this as “Up to 5%”, so that’s what I did. Stellar, at this weight, and dare I say, it could be a finished One-Shot, right out of the bottle. We all know the differences between US biscuits, which are typically like Bisquik, vs. UK biscuits, which are more like cookies. This flavor was a combination of both, and more. I had NO issues running it at 5%, and it was damned good at that weight. It had a lot going on, and I’ll try and break it down. It presented as a combo of a shortbread cookie, American biscuit, a light cinnamon free graham cracker, a smidge of pecan sandies, with some light caramel notes. Yeah, hehe, there’s a LOT going on here, and it’s ALL good. There was a nice grainy-ness to it, and although not overly buttery, there was a nice little hint of it on the finish. YES, you could run this solo, ALL day long, and keep coming back for more. I know it can be hard to visualize (taste wise) all of those elements combined, but it/they simply just worked. There were some nice darker notes, which were similar to burnt edges, but without the burnt, if that makes sense.
At times it seemed to very loosely remind me of SSA’s Caramel Biscuit, but only in a very LOOSE way. Rich, grainy, and full at 5% had me never second guessing running it at that weight. What was nice, was it was a strong departure from FJ’s OG Biscuit, so it wasn’t simply a re-tweak and release, it was a holy new flavor. Sweetness was a few ticks below mid-level, and honestly, I tried and tried to find ANY faults, or even anything I might ADD to it, and I couldn’t. This one was complex, covered a LOT of bases, and was unlike any other Biscuit on my racks. I can see this one being used a lot, and in many ways, which will be one of it’s strengths, as it encompased many different biscuit aspects. VERY hard to put down, and it really tasted, just almost perfect. Leaving it at a 9.9/10, JUST a hair off of perfect.
Ultimate Brown Sugar (Flavor Jungle) 2.5% (10-7-22) – Four years later, the Jungle Flavor / Flavor Jungle tests continue. I’m fairly certain I’ve NEVER solo’d a Brown Sugar before, so let’s get this on !!!
Having NO real info on these new flavors, I was guessing at the starting testing weights, and chose 2.5% for this one, and it worked out PERFECTLY. Wow, COULD you solo, and enjoy JUST a Brown Sugar ?? YES, you could. This one presented as a spot on, perfect Brown Sugar, and @ 2.5%, it was damned fine, all by itself. While the actual color of the flavor was almost clear, it tasted like a super rich, mid, to dark brown sugar. There was an almost buttery undertone to this one, that added to the delish-ish-ness. A tick or two above mid level sweet (duh, sugar), and it was spot on without being fatiguing. The molasses and sugar pairing was as good as I’ve ever had, and better. I don’t know if it’s the ULTIMATE BS, but it is now going to be my top shelf BS choice. Nothing off-putting, nothing out of place, and about impossible to nit pick down. I didn’t get any artificial notes,and it presented as a very natural flavor. While finishing the third tester, I already had some ideas about pairing this with OOO’s Cornbread, and SSA’s Caramel Biscuit. If you need a Brown Sugar, or want a really GOOD one, just stop reading this, and buy this one. Unquestionably a 10/10.
Ultimate Cake Batter (Flavor Jungle) 4% (10-7-22) – This one immediately jumped out to me when I was mixing these testers up, as it smelled VERY good. After the steeping, and now, during the test, it is, and was still VERY good. if you’ve been let down by other Cake Batters, and, don’t like the chemical-ness of CAP’s, you should read on. Just like the Ultimate Brown Sugar before it, this one was stellar, and could EASILY be vaped AS IS, nothing else needed. It presented as a somewhat lighter white cake, with swirling elements of batter, icing, and almost sprinkles on top. NOW, I went through 3 testers trying to decide if it was batter-y enough. On just taste alone, it was simply a 10/10 right out of the gate @ 4%, and despite some swirling around, shifting, and lack of clarity on the “batter” part, I’ve decided it IS, batter-y enough. At 4% it was VERY nicely full, and perfectly captured a sweet, white cake, BUT, not cooked at all. No browned edges, or baked notes to be had here.
To be honest, it was a surprisingly GREAT vape, all on it’s own, and stayed pretty interesting, due to the “swirling” that I got on the mid, and finish. A few ticks above mid level sweet, no off notes, or anything remotely resembling much of the “chemical-ness” I got from CAP’s. Clean, vanilla, white cake that finished with an almost “sprinkle” finish. You could possibly single this lower at maybe 3%, but even at my testing weight of 4% there were no signs of hitting the ceiling, or flavor folding. The vanilla cake notes stayed true without becoming creamy, or ice-cream-like, and stayed solidly in the white vanilla cake arena. Most (if not all) cakes I have currently have a more finished, or baked aspect, and this one did not, which helped keep it in the “batter”. If you like white, vanilla cake batter, with an almost sprinkle-like finish, you SHOULD get this one. After these tests are complete, I’m going to mix this one up with some OSDIY Lucky Shot, with a pinch of INW Biscuit. As I stated earlier on, I would have 10/10’d this right out of the gate JUST on taste/experience alone, and will mark it down (sniff, sniff), JUST a smidge for needing a smidge more batter. Easily, and deliciously a 9.5/10.
Ultimate Coconut Milk (Flavor Jungle) 2%/4% (6-9-24) – On to the second Coconut in this series, with the Ultimate Coconut Milk. In the bottle this one smelled quite a bit creamier than the FJ Coconut, and SOME of that was revealed in testing it. My (still) current go to Coconut has to be hands down, Delosi’s Coconut, and I compare every other one, TO it. This one didn’t quite reach the epitome that the Delosi’s did, but it was still good. Fairly natural dry coconut, with some creamy elements thrown in. I tested at both 2%, and 4% with no real change between the two, except an increased dryness on the finish with the higher rate. Even at the lower 2%, it still had a somewhat overal dryness to it, which lingered past the finish. Not off-putting per se, but still very present. No oily-ness, or sun tan lotion notes, and it, like the OG Coconut, was fairly accurate, and natural tasting. Typically, I like my coconuts to be a little creamier, maybe a tad sweeter, and with little to no dryness. This one tasted very similar to FJ’s Coconut, but with some more creamy elements. Def. usable, and the dryness might be easily masked in mixes. No off-notes except for the dryness throughout. It felt pretty close to the OG Coconut, and scoring it close, at a 8.5/10.
Ultimate French Vanilla (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-8-23) – Ok, NOW we’re onto something, and it might JUST be, and Ultimate. Now many people don’t really know what a French Vanilla is, but I think Jungle Flavors does. French Vanilla isn’t really a specific Vanilla Bean, but more of an inclusion of Egg Yolks. Yes, that’s right, IN the Vanilla, and it was IN HERE !!! Yes, it presented as a somewhat darker, almost spicy Vanilla, with GREAT Custard elements. I’m writing this during the FIRST tester, so YES, it was THAT good. I think I might buy a bigger bottle before I finish this. The slightly darker Vanilla just simply worked here, and the custard elements while eggy, were not egg-heavy, which is going to appeal to a LOT of people, many of whom want some egg, but not slammed with egg. It was damned good at 3%, and I had NO desires to increase it. Sweetness was about a tick above mid-level, and I just couldn’t find any off-notes or take-offs to complain about. Great mouthfeel, fairly rich, and creamy, but without any overt cream notes if that makes sense. At times, I almost got a light bakery element in there, that just worked to thicken up the entire experience. All in, a slightly darker vanilla with just a hint of spicy-ness, with great custard notes, that weren’t overly eggy. I waited until the second tester before deciding to release the Kraken, and rock this one at a 10/10.
Ultimate Grape (Flavor Jungle) 3.0%. (10-10-23) – Just in case you missed it, as SOON as I tested this flavor, I KNEW it was also in the Ultimate Blueberry. Simply put, this was a fairly candied (but not entirely) Concord Grape, and a Green Grape. Story over. Sweetness levels were a few ticks above mid-level, and overall, it did present as candied-ish, SO, if you are/were looking for a completely natural Grape, this isn’t it. The good news is/was that it wasn’t entirely candied, SO, you could use it in more mixes, depending on your needs or wants. The green grape notes seemed to be more natural while the concord seemed more candied. As far as if it was the Ultimate or not, that’s going to have to be up to YOU guys, and/or your wants/needs. I didn’t detect any off-notes, and it did stay solidly on the grape train, with no deviations. Despite the fairly candied nature I felt it was smart to pair both types of grapes, as that could allow for even more uses. I struggled somewhat on the scoring here, as it wasn’t a full on natural grape, but more candied, so I don’t know if I would have renamed it the Ultimate Candied Grape or not, but I think I’ll have to leave it at a high 9.0/10 for the great grape pairings with some take-offs for the candied. If you like grapes, you will probably love this one.
Ultimate Lemon (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-10-23) – Normally I test most lemons at lower percentages, but I decided to let this one roll with the rest, and there were no issues at 3%. It immediately struck me as a rather different take on Lemons, and in an interesting way. This was a combination of a Fresh Yellow Lemon, and a Lemon Drop candy. The fresh lemon was convincingly natural with some sweetness and a nice tart edge. The Lemon Runt notes were artificial, and had a nice candied edge. NOW, what is important here, is the RATIO of one to the other, which will dictate how or when you could/would use it. It was fairly hard to determine the EXACT ratio with all of the yellow lemony notes swirling around, but I’ll settle on 60% Natural Lemon, and 40% Lemon Drop. Despite it being labeled as “Ultimate” this type of mashup may work better in some mixes more than others, mostly because of the inclusion of the candy lemon drop elements. If you were in need of a purely natural tasting Lemon, this won’t be for you, but for everyone else, it might.
Despite being a mashup, I didn’t get any off-notes, and NO PLEDGE !!! The ratios between the two Lemon types was smartly done by leaning towards the natural. Sweetness was jsut below mid-level, and there was just enough tart/sour to keep it crisp. All in, not a bad Lemon, BUT, as always, it will depend on what you need in a mix. I think leaving it high, and equal to the previously tested Ultimate Grape felt fair, as the inclusion of the candy elements may or may not be for everyone. Leaving this squarely at a 9.0/10.
Ultimate Mango (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-11-23) – As a big fan, and occasional purchaser of their Mango Mafia, I was curious to see how this one tasted, and to see if there were any similarities. They were very similar, and so much so, that I would have to spend some time later, and do a direct A:B comparison to see. This one smelled “punchy” in the bottle, and tasted the same when testing. This one was very good, and catered to my Mango palate. Bright, punchy, and juicy were my main take-aways on this one. Sweetness was a few ticks above mid-level, but it wasn’t fatiguing-ly so. It had very little of the darker, mellower Mango notes, but quite honestly, I didn’t miss them, as I do prefer the brighter, high end notes. Juicy, without any dry-ness, and fairly sweet, without being candied, and had a crisp, natural taste. At 3% it was very full, but didn’t taste overflavored, and I didn’t detect any florals, soaps, perfumes, or any other off-notes. Because it WAS so bright and punchy, it is possible it might not suit every mix, but for most of my preferred uses, it would work great, and probably not be overshadowed in a mix. If bright and punchy Mango is what you crave, this one will get it done. Leaving this one fairly high at a 9.5/10.
Ultimate Passionfruit (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-13-23) – This one wowed right out of the gate, and never quit. Granted I don’t mix with PF much, I’ve started using it more in some Custard mixes, as well as the more expected fruit mixes. This one had a great authentic, and natural taste, with just the right amount of what I call a light “fermented” note. At 3% it was nicely full, and it didn’t feel underpowered, with a sweetness that was actually a few ticks below mid-level. No off-notes could be found, and I looked long and hard to find any nit-picks, and about my only issue would be it lacked just a few of the brighter, top end notes. It wasn’t completely devoid of them, but it seemed to be focused on the mid notes with a few low, and a few high, and I would have loved just a SMIDGE more of the high notes. Even as it was, it was hard to fault this one, as it was very accurate, and with a nice little fermented kicker on the finish. Tasty, and that’s coming from the NOT fruit guy at that. With minor take-offs for the slightly recessed brighter high end notes, this one felt good at a 9.0/10.
Ultimate Peach (Flavor Jungle) 2% / 3% (1-27-24) – I started out with FJ’s rec of 1-2%, and decided to push it to 3% which provided minimal gains if at all, so it would appear 2% is probably the top end for this one. This one presented as a mostly yellow peach, sweetened, with some juicy-ness, and light white peach accents. Even at it’s 2% top end it wasn’t an overwhelming, in your face peach, but it held it’s own. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and there were no off-notes to complain about. At times I got an almost Apricot on the finish which seemed to help sell it. It tasted mostly natural with some slight articial/candied notes, and I’d place it about 80% natural 20% artificial. While having juicy-ness, it did have a somewhat dryer, slightly astringent finish, that I wouldn’t call an off-note per se, but be advised it was there. Smelling it in the bottle it seemed more yellow than when testing, which is where I picked up on the lighter white peach elements. A solid, mostly yellow, mostly natural peach was what you got with this one, with just a PINCH of skin on the finish as well. Although I didn’t have any real take-offs, it felt like it could have been just a bit MORE Ultimate, so leaving it still fairly high at a 8.95/10.
Ultimate RY4 Double (Flavor Jungle) 4% (1-28-24) – Pushing onto the 2nd to the last in this series, with the U RY4 Double. At 4% this one was great, and I didn’t feel the need to increase it at all. It presented like many other RY4’s and with the typical nuances. A somewhat lighter tobacco, some very good caramel, and a good dose of “dirty”. Now dirty wasn’t bad in this flavor, and it did work. I couldn’t tell if it the “dirt” was coming from the Caramel or the Bacco, but in the end, it didn’t matter. It was there, and it added some nice dark earthy-ness to the flavor, and helped to offset the somewhat sweet profile of it. It registered maybe a tick or two above mid-level, and at times I wondered if it was TOO sweet, but then I settled on “not too sweet” as it seemed to work opposing the dark earthy-ness very well. It really seemed like there was another profile, probably a bakery-ish element hiding lower in the mix, .as it had more weight or bulk than a simple caramel/bacco. Maybe a graham crust, but hard to say. The caramel was very good tasting, and with the “dirt” it as well, favored a darker tone. All in, an impressive showing from FJ. No off-notes to complain about, and abou thte only “maybe, kinda, sorta” complaint would be the sweetness level(s), but again, that was just a “maybe”. Sweet, bacco, caramel, light bakery, and some nice dark, dirty/earthy thrown in for good measure. Kicking down just slightly for the slight candy-ness, and leaving it still high at a 9.1/10.
Ultimate Strawberry (Flavor Jungle) 3.5% (10-8-22) – Moving onto this, the third of the NEW Ultimate Series, which has been out for some time but I’m just getting around to reviewing. Thankfully I’m not SB Mute, and won’t be able to attest to it’s ability to break through for those who are. I have however, read some notes stating some people who WERE mutes, could taste this one. At 3.5% it felt very good, full, and had no signs of overflavoring. To my descriptive palate it presented as almost a medley of Strawberries. Juicy Red, White, and Green. Wait, whut ?? Green ?? Hehe, yes, it’s what I call the “FLV Alpine Effect”. I went three testers into this one to try and really nail down what I felt the actual breakdown OF the medley was. I finally settled on 60% Juicy Red, 25% White, and 15% Green. Now it might be hard to wrap your head around that, but suffice it to say, a Medley is where this one landed for me. A very GOOD medley, but I did not pull a pure, red only strawberry from this one. Now, because it DID present as a medley that should, and would really open up it’s uses across multiple profiles. It tasted very natural with no artificial notes, and it had no jammed, or candied notes. I did get some slight tartness from what I am calling the White, and Green side, and the sweetness was JUST below mid-level at my testing weight of 3.5%. All in, it tasted VERY good, AND, because it did span across multiple types of SB’s, it stayed interesting throughout my tests. I don’t know if it’s the Ultimate or not, but it’s a damned good juicy strawberry with aspects of Red, White, and Green SB’s. It felt good @ 9.3/10.
Ultimate Strawberry Tutti Frutti (Flavor Jungle) 5% (2-4-24) – Sorry guys, got distracted loading up the new NomNomz SC’s. This, the last NEW Ultimate in this series turned out to be somewhat of a mystery. Surprisingly, it wasn’t overflowing with Strawberries, or Tutti Frutti. Yes, you read that right. There was SOME SB in there, but it was fairly overpowered by more of a generic “pink chewy candy” than anything else, and if there WAS some Tutti Frutti, it was buried. Sweetness was just below mid level, and I didn’t pickup on any off-notes. Even though this one didn’t really push alot of SB, or TF, it would still be useful in bolstering SB mixes. The light SB I did get was slightly tart, candied, and shrouded in a pink chewy. All in, maybe not my favorite of the new Ultimates, and not terrible, but relegating this one to “mixer” status, and leaving it about half way there, with a 5.0/10.
Ultimate Sweet Strawberry (Flavor Jungle) 4% (6-11-24) – Yes, another Strawberry to compete in the already crowded field of Strawberries. Do you need it ?? Should you pick it up ?? Read on. It took 3 testers before I could finally figure out exactly what was going on with this flavor. in a word, it was good, AND, dare I say, somewhat unique. I could have given you guys the “One Tank” review, but wanted to drive a little deeper on this one. It seemed to straddle almost THREE different SB’s. I got a fresh, natural, tart SB, some candied SB, and some delicious SB jam on the finish. Yeah, hehe, it was actually all that. The natural, and candied were more present during the initial onrush, and from the middle on, it landed into the SB jam. A pretty interesting flavor, and how it shifted from beginning to end. The exact ratios of the three profiles I got were somewhat unclear, but roughly I’d say about 30% natural, 20% candied, and 50% jammed.
Why i felt this one is/was unique was that it DID straddle all three profiles, which would open up it’s uses quite a bit, as opposed to having to run for THIS SB, or THAT SB. The only thing I couldn’t tell while SFT’ing it, was how present the Jam notes would be in mixes, which COULD be an issue, IF you didn’t want any jammie jam notes… The jammy-ness was very good, and with just enough tart punch to really sell it. I tested at FJ’s upper recommended limit, and it was damned fine at 4%. Sweetness was about mid-level, and after three testers, I couldn’t find any nit-picks or complaints. All it, it was an interesting approach to a SB medley, with natural, candied, and jammed SB’s all in one. Our tastes are NOT all the same, but personally, I LOVE SB Jams, so no flavor could be TOO jammie for me, so please keep that in mind regarding my scoring. I decided to place it very high for originality, the three different profiles, and of course, the lovely jam elements. Leaving it very high at a 9.8/10.
Ultimate Tutti Frutti (Flavor Jungle) 3.0% (10-13-23) – Many people don’t know this, but Tutti Frutti was the FIRST gum sold in a vending machine. YES, that’s right, back in 1888… At FIRST, I had thought this one was purely a Pink Bubblegum, BUT, as I worked my through the testers, I DID keep getting some light, to very light fruity undertones. Wow, talk about a delicious bubblegum, this one was it. No dry notes, except for maybe the powdered sugar coating that is. YES, it was in there too. The BBG was done very nicely, and it almost had you wanting to blow a bubble !!! Pink, just below mid-level sweet, and with no off-notes. It wasn’t the strongest BBG flavor, and I almost wished I’d tested it higher, at maybe 4.0%. Even still it was a great authentic pink BBG, with light fruity undertones. About my only two nit-picks would be the slightly lighter presentation, and the fact that I couldn’t BLOW any bubbles with it. Pink, authentic, and tasty. Leaving this, the LAST Ultimate in this series at a 9.0/10. Just almost as perfect as it could have been.
Ultimate Vanilla Custard (Flavor Jungle) 4% (10-9-22) – Trying to design a Vanilla Custard that’s perfect for everyone, IS, impossible. I was curious to see what Flavor Jungle considered the “Ultimate”. As soon as I tasted this, I had three flavor profiles, that continued through multiple testers, until the end. It was like a pairing of CAP’s VC 1, with Vanillin, or Vanilla, and some EM thrown in on top. It had a lot of the same eggy-ness that CAP’s has, but missing were some of the buttery richness, but not completely. The vanilla felt enhanced or boosted somewhat, and there was a light, almost pudding-like note in there, that could have been from the vanilla boost. Sweetness was about a tick above mid-level, but wasn’t fatiguing, and I would swear there was some EM in there somewhere. @4% it was very full, and somewhat rich, just missing some of the rich buttery notes. As a whole it worked, and seemed to try and straddle a somewhat eggy custard, tempered with vanilla, with pudding aspects. Would it be the Ultimate for you ?? Depends on what YOU define as a VC. It felt good @ 4% without being over-flavored, or cloying, and could indeed be solo’d. My personal tastes lean more towards a pudding-like VC than a strict, heavy eggy VC, so my tastes may vary from yours. Pretty good as it was, and could clearly be tweaked if needed. With only one “Ultimate” flavor left to test, I can ASSURE you, that I WILL be mixing this up, maybe 50/50 with Flavor Jungle’s Ultimate Strawberry, just to see what’s what. As this one stood, with only minor take-offs for somewhat reduced buttery-ness, it felt good at 9/10.
Ultimate Watermelon (Flavor Jungle) 3% (10-12-22) – After a short delay, finally finishing out this run on the NEW Ultimate Flavors from Flavor Jungle with this, the Ultimate Watermelon. I wasn’t sure, but I had a sneaking suspicion that this one MIGHT get squirrely or floral if pushed too high. After letting it steep, it did neither, and 3% proved to NOT be too high to test it at. When smelling it in the bottle I got far more watermelon rind than I got the red juicy main body. Now there may be health benefits to eating the rind, but does, or did it work while vaping it ? Sort of. Vaping it continued the heavier rind than red juicy body trend, and I think I was getting some green, or honeydew-ish undertones in the mix as well. This was def. not a juicy red watermelon. NOW, that didn’t make it bad, BUT, depending on what you wanted, or expected from an “Ultimate” watermelon, your mileage may vary. I had a fairly hard time trying to break it down into percentages for you guys, but maybe 50% Watermelon Rind, 30% Juicy Red Watermelon, and 20% Green, or Honeydew-ish Melon(s) would be the best I could do. It was nicely full @ 3%, not overpowering, about mid-level sweet, and presented more of a medley of sorts as opposed to a straight, full on watermelon. It tasted very natural, clean, and had no real artificial or off-putting notes. I could see MANY uses for this, especially in fruit salads, melon medleys, etc., but not carrying or driving the full WM freight in a mix. If you are looking for a main watermelon flavor, this probably won’t be it. If you are looking for a WM additive, or melon/medley, this MIGHT work for you. Your call. I think I lost count of how many tanks I went through while testing this one, so it WAS good, just NOT the Ultimate WM, at least for me. Rating it directly to it’s name, I would have to go down a bit, to 6.75/10. Not bad, just not the Ultimate Juicy Red Watermelon I was looking for.
Flavor Jungle One Shots:
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