Not long ago, Nov 2022, Flavour Art released several new flavors. One of those was Sea Buckthorn.
I immediately knew it would require a SFT. The scent and knuckle taste test were unlike any flavor I've previously experienced. It has a very strong scent. When I did the knuckle taste test I was met with an explosion of flavor...... from a very tiny drop!!!
What is Sea Buckthorn? It's a berry fruit that grows on a small tree.
The fruit is shaped, and looks, more like a grape than a berry.
How is the taste of sea buckthorn described? Three different folks who are very familiar with sea buckthorn describe the taste as follows......
1) The berries are quite tart, sort of like sour orange with hints of mango. Some people also liken them to pineapple.
2) By nature, they have an intense tangy and citrusy taste – something hard to describe unless you try it. They have, however, a delicate sweet side taste once you develop a taste for them.
3) They are incredibly tart and taste like a sour orange mixed with hints of mango and the sweetness of pineapple.
I SFT'ed FA Sea Buckthorn at 2% on 22 December. I've been vaping it for three days so as to get a good handle on the flavor.
I've never had sea buckthorn before so I don't know how they're supposed to taste IRL. Using the three folks descriptions as a guide... FA's Sea Buckthorn has a tart tangy note, a citrus note and fruity sweet notes. The fruity sweet notes taste like a mashup of fruits (see below).
The tart note does have some sour but IMO not a "yuck" kind of sour. That hits you right up front. As far as a tart to sweet ratio flavor-wise, I would rate it like so.
Perhaps if I SFT'ed this at 1%, like I was gonna, it might be less tart. But, oh well. LOL
There is a citrus note but it isn't a heavy kind of citrus. It's more of a mild tasting citrus. On the backside a nice sweetness shows itself. The sweetness helps to balance the tartness nicely. It's not a sickly sweet. It is more of a midpoint pleasing type of sweetness. Without this FA SB would be very tart.
When I take a decent hit and let it roll around I do taste something similar to orange, mango and something almost like pineapple. As I said previously, it's like a mashup of fruits. Truly this is unlike any other flavor I've experienced before.
Do I like it as a single flavor? Yes. It quickly grew on me. There is much happening with this flavor.
Would I vape it as a single flavor? No. I think its best use will be as either an additive in a support role to other flavors or as a main note within a mix.
I tried FA Sea Buckthorn with a creamy sponge cake mix. The cake mix helped to balance out some of the tangy aspects of sea buckthorn. It worked nicely with my cake mix.
FA Sea Buckthorn is a very strong and bold flavor. I would use it in a mix as an accent 0.25% - 0.5% and as a main note 0.75% - 1%. Beyond 1% you will run the risk of FA SB overtaking other flavors (depending).
It could be used to add tartness to sweeter fruit juices or fruit mixes. I think it would pair nicely with any of the cranberry flavors or other berries (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry etc.). Off the top of my head, it would make a nice accent to an orange, a pineapple or a mango mix (or a combo). I'm sure there are more.
I think it would be best served in bakery, beverage, jam, yogurt or ice cream mixes.
If you are not a fan of flavors that have tart and sour notes then this is not a flavor for you.
Overall I think it's a good flavor.
