Rolling on to the THIRD Super Concentrates Series with these, the NEW 2025 Flavor Releases from NomNomz.
Sadly I had two bottles that got fragged out on the trip across the pond. The Lemon and the Mandarin. The Lemon completely dumped in the bag, which then worked to destroy the rest of the labels LOL !!!! Nomz was accommodating and hooked me up with two gift certs, and I'll be picking those two up on my next order, and I'll update this review thread.
All will be mixed at 1.5% which has proven to be a great testing weight for their SC's, and in a 70v/30p/3mg carrier base.
All steeped at least one week, and tested in the SteamCrave RDTA v.1 running dual 24ga. Kanthal vertical coils, with Koh Gen Do cotton. Either fresh, or dry burned coils and fresh cotton before every test, and tested at 65 watts.
**Caramel (SC) (Nomz) 1.5%/2.5% (11-8-25)** -- This one smelled next level in the bottle, but something went a little sideways when testing it. You'll notice I started this one out at my typical 1.5%, and then brought it up to 2.5% just to make sure it wasn't underpowered. It was caramel-y, but something just seemed to be holding it back from becoming a full on Caramel. Even at the higher rate it never fully bloomed, and tasted somewhat muted. There was a persistent, albeit fairly weak undertone on the finish which kept reminding me of a cinnamon. I'm sure this wasn't intentional, but that was the note I picked up. It was only present on the finish.
At 2.5% it was still not what I would call strong, and maybe a 6/10 on the strength scale. As far as "getting it done" as a stand along Caramel I'd say (like the strength rating) it got about 6/10 of the way there. The finishing mystery note kind of pulled it off target. Not terrible, but not the main driver for a Caramel. All in it was a caramel-y flavor, somewhat weaker, with a light, almost cinnamon-ish, slight bakery note on the finish. Leaving this one somewhat lower, and at a
**6.5/10**.
**Coconut (Milky Note) (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-8-25)** -- I will admit that when I saw, "Milky Note" I was curious. Hell, I was curious to see if Nomz could pull off a great coconut, and they DID. First (and final) thoughts on this one, were it was EXACTLY like the center of a Mounds candy bar, BUT, layered in a delicious creamery. Yes, an almost perfect representation of a sweetened, shredded coconut, and yes, riding on a creamy, milky carrier. No off aftertaste, no astringent or dry finish, and NO suntan lotion !!!!
At 1.5% it was almost perfect saturation wise, and I'd rate it at a 9.4/10 on the strength scale. No off-notes or complaints, with NONE of the aforementioned typical coconut "shortcomings". Even WITH the delicious creamery/dairy carrier that the fresh coconut shreds were riding on, I could still almost taste the shreds. VERY impressive. Most impressive beyond the actual realistic taste, was how the creamery/dairy was below the coconut JUST enough, to accent it, but not to pair with it, or overshadow it. The first two notes I wrote were, "Mounds", and "Dragons Blood". Many more uses for this one, but you get the idea. If you love a fresh, natural coconut, sweetened and shredded, on top of a delicious creamery/dairy carrier, you'll LOVE this one. Almost as perfect as my current go to, Delosi. Leaving it almost perfectly at a
**9.85/10**.
**Cola (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-9-25)** -- The moment I started testing this one, there was no doubt it WAS a Cola. Fairly neutral as colas went, and I couldn't directly compare it to a Coke, Pepsi, or an RC Cola, but if I had to pick one, I would choose RC as the closest match. At 1.5% it was fairly strong, and at about a 6/10 on the strength scale. There was just a little bit of fizz right on the finsh which was a nice touch. This one had a HARD road to climb to get up to my all time favorite Sobucky Cola, who's taste AND fizz were unequaled. At 1.5% it was very good, but felt like it could just use a little more.
No off-notes or complaints with the exception of a minor dry-ness on the finish. Taste wise, it was a good generic cola, with a hint of fizz on the finish. Tasty, but not a superstar. It felt fairly placed at a
**8/10**, as it was better than many of the other colas out there.
**Crepe (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-10-25)** -- As with everything pancake, (and crepes), I went into this one with sky high hopes. Some of them were dashed, and others not. Crepes should be a lighter version of a pancake, sometimes slightly egg-ier, denser, less cake-y, and fairly neutral overall. I spent some extra time with this one, JUST to be sure. It had some lighter pancake-y, kinda crepe-y notes, BUT, and this is/was the big one, I also had a healthy dose of AP during the entire middle and finish. I actually struggled to 100% verify it was AP, but if it wasn't, it would sure make you THINK it was. AP ?? Yes, Actetyl Pyrazine. From Bull City Flavors, for the uninitiated .......
Roasted, nutty, bready and yeasty, with popcorn and corn chip nuances ......
I'm going to classify that note as fairy obtrusive, and not constructive towards the total flavor profile. Basically, once I tasted it, I couldn't NOT taste it. IMO, it was a shame, because BENEATH it, there was a pretty good, light, sweet, almost pancake batter-ish crepe wanting to come out, but it was overshadowed by "the note".
At 1.5% it was strong overall, and I'd rate it at an 8.5/10 on the strength scale, with sweetness a tick or two above mid-level. Whenever I have a flavor that goes "side-ways", or has some peculiar notes, I spend some extra time, just to make sure it WAS, what it was. Not terrible here, but the AP, or AP-ish note will make it more of a challenge to work with. Dropping this one down a bit to a
**5/10**.
**Fig (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-12-25)** -- I spent a little extra time with this one as well, trying to really decode what was going on with it. TBH I not only have a fig tree in our yard, but have been completely spoiled by The One that broke the mold. ALL fig flavors are chasing Medicine Flower Fig for the top spot IMO. NOW, comparing actual extracts to manufactured flavors is probably unfair, so I'll try and keep this as fair as I can. This one presented as Fig-ish, BUT, not entirely a pure Fig. I def. got some Fig from it, but it was almost more of a puree than a straight Fig. This one was actually fairly hard to crack, but I finally settled on a combo of a fairly natural red fig, paired with light Pear, and lighter apple notes. Hehe, YES, that is what I finally settled on. It was good, and leaned heavily towards a red fig, which is freshly picked and just almost ripe, as compared to a darker, more brown very ripened Fig. Still good, and with some nice pizazz and punch to it. I did continue to get an almost pear-like undertone in there, and hints of green apple.
At 1.5% it was fairly present, and I would rate it at a 6.9/10 on the strength scale. I bumped it up to 2.0% with no real change in saturation. Sweetness was just at mid-level, and it did have a very natural, and fresh overall taste. I tried to come up with a different assessment, but kept coming back to the same profiles/notes listed above. It tasted fairly complex, and was a good flavor, but just not a complete fig. No off-notes, and my only want would be simply, some more fig LOL. Good flavor, interesting, and complex, with plenty of fresh nuances, and leaving it fairly high at a
**7.9/10**.
**Ginger Bread (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-14-25)** -- Muh, Muh, Muh-Lasses IS the word the day, errrr Molasses that is. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a
Black Strap or regular molasses, but it was the top note in this flavor. Followed by a very good ginger, bakery elements, and some light spice. As a whole, it just simply worked, and was shockingly close to a real Ginger Bread IMO. Because the molasses and ginger were so dominant it was very hard to nail down the spices, but I thought I got some light clove, maybe just a hint of cinnamon, but I never fully nailed them down. The ratios/proportions were about perfect, and I couldn't think of a way to improve them.
at 1.5% it was VERY good, rich, and full, rating at about a 9.8/10 on the strength scale. Sweetness was almost mid-level, and I didn't detect any off-notes to complain about. It finished with a little zip and twang, that was mostly caused by the delicious molasses and ginger, and it lingered a bit afterwards, just like you were eating one. I debated on whether or not a little more of the "bread" or cake elements would have improved it, but I settled on not, and just enjoyed the super molasses/ginger dominant notes. All in, if you love gingerbread or want to, you should pick this one up. Just almost perfect IMO, and leaving it authentically high at a
**9.8/10**.
**Grapefruit (SC) (Nomz) 1.5%.2.5% (11-16-25)** -- I started this one out at the standard 1.5%, but it was very light and wispy, and cranked it to 2.5% where it was MUCH better. Now it fully took shape, and was a very accurate white (yellow) grapefruit. It was surprising how much better it got at the higher weight. Crisp, sweet, and somewhat tart, and while tasting very natural. No seeds, no skin, but other than that, it was in there.
At the higher weight, it was markedly improved, and could possibly be pushed even higher. It was just above mid-level sweet, and utterly NO off-notes or complaints. The tart-ed-ness which isn't always present in all citrus flavors just really helped sell it's authenticity. No pink GF here, as this one was squarely a white GF. All in, if you need/want/love a White Grapefruit, this one will get you there. About my only "want' would have been just a hint less sweetener, but even that, was a small want. Leaving this one sparklingly high at a
**9.9/10**.
**Jujube (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-16-25)** -- At first I thought "There's no way Nomz made a
Jujube Candy", as it was more of an American Movie Theater Candy. As I was loading up the 1st tester, and I smelled it, I knew that wasn't the case, BUT, I knew what it was. An actual
Jujube Fruit !!!! Now it's been a while since I had eaten one, but this flavor really did a good job of capturing, a fairly complex fruit. The main profile is very similar to that of a date, with some great caramel undertones, and with a hint of apple, and honey. Yes, they did a GREAT job with this one. At 1.5% it was very rich, and full, and I'd rate it at almost the top of the strength scale with a 9.5/10. The pairing and relative strengths of the main profiles was spot on, leaving each one exactly where they needed to be. There's no fruit comparison I could think of to compare it to however as it's unique.
Quite frankly, it was HARD to put down, and write this review. Sweetness was 1-2 ticks above mid-level, which worked. Complex, without being muddied or blurred. All in, a very accurate job, which presented mainly as a fig-ish main profile, with caramel and honey undertones, gently kissed with some light apple notes. VERY unexpected, but very well done. Easily a
**9.75/10**. Hats off to the Nomz Team for bringing this unique flavor to the masses.
Lemon (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% DAMAGED IN TRANSIT
**Mango (SC) (Nomz) 1.5%/2.5% (11-16-25)** -- This one was an interesting, if not surprising Mango flavor. I started it out at the same 1.5% as the rest, but it tasted a bit underpowered, so I bumped it up to 2.5%, and while better, was still a fairly light flavor. The mango I got was fairly juicy, and ripe, at maybe a 50/50 natural/artificial split. Most of that was during the initial onrush, but the middle and finish took on a different shape. It was like a mango mashed up with a Sprite Soda, but without the lemon lime. Yes, hehe, it almost finished as a light Mango soda with some effervescence. Very unexpected, but interesting. There were no lingering traces either, when it was gone, it was gone.
It leaned heavily towards a brighter yellow/orange mango, with more of the bright top notes, than much of the heavier, darker notes. There were very brief hints of the musky undertones that often times help sell authenticity. No real off-notes to speak of, but "wants" would have included more mango, saturation and depth. Could def. have a place in some Mango mixes, but not the primary driver. Bright, juicy, but fairly light, and with an almost soda effervescence on the finish. Leaving it squarely at a
**6.9/10**.
Mandarin (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% DAMAGED IN TRANSIT
**Mirabelle Plum (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-17-25)** -- While never actually eating a Mirabelle Plum, I know that the majority of the crop is used for
jams, and jellies, with the remainder being used for some Brandies. This is another unique one, and by that I mean, not like any other flavor on any of my racks. It presented interestingly enough like a light, slightly acidic yellow apricot, tempered with a even lighter pineapple, with hints of a Fuji Apple. Yeah, that's actually what I got, and once I tasted those three, I couldn't un-taste them. At 1.5% it was a lighter flavor, and at about a 5.9/10 on the strengh scale. The SFT ceiling could be closer to 2.0%.
Having never tasted one, I couldn't directly compare, but I didn't get any squirrel-y, or floral notes, and my only want would have been (I know ....), more saturation. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and it was somewhat offset by a hint of tart on the finish. All in, a very interesting flavor. For our uses, I could see this one working out great in fruit mixes, and yes, jellies, and jams as well, with maybe teas and candies also. A unique sweet yellow apricot-ish main profile, with light pineapple, and hints of fuji, finishing with just a hint of tart. With my only want being for more saturation, leaving it higher, at a
**9.1/10**.
**Strawberry Pie (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-22-25)** -- After a little delay back into these last two from Nomz. This one was NOT a SB Pie, BUT, it was a pretty good, very artificial SB pie FILLING. I tried and tried to find the "pie" but could not LOL. There was a creamy undertone, but the artificial SB filling WAS the main profile here. Now artificial doesn't always mean bad, and in this case, it did work, but there wasn't much "natural" in this one.
At 1.5% it was fairly strong, and rating it at a 7/10 on the strength scale. Sweetness was at mid-level, and no off-notes to complain about. My "wants" however were "where's the pie" ?? Maybe adding in some good crust elements would help it start to approach more of a pie. I was hesitant to directly call it a "filling" as there was a smooth creamy undertone, but you get the idea. All in, a good artificial SB filling, with creamy undertones. As a "pie" I'll have to knock it down a few ticks and leave it at a
**6.5/10**. As an artificial (creamed) SB pie filling I would have rated it higher.
**Tarte Tatin (SC) (Nomz) 1.5%/2.5% (11-22-25)** -- Finishing out this series from NomNomz with this one. The Tarte Tatin has a very interesting origin, and claims that the
Tatin sisters discovered it accidentally. Luckily the crust that had been missing in the Strawberry Pie flavor, was here. Very nicely done, and flaky, which perfectly layered with apple profile. Somewhat caramelized fresh apples, with just a bit of tart on the finish. I didn't get much butter from the apples, but I think that would have benefited it. I started this one out at 1.5% but it tasted a little lacking, and after bumping it to 2.5% it was much fuller. At this higher weight, it was tastier, and I'd rate it at about a 9/10 on the strength scale.
No off-notes, or complaints, and sweetness was just below mid level. The apple profile was very good, and the hint of tart kept it fresh and punchy, wants would have been just a bit more caramel-ization, and some added butter. Nomz kept the apple flavors firmly in the tarte lane, and never crossed into the apple pie filling lane, as I couldn't detect any of the typical apple filling spices, which was appreciated. Accurate, tasty, and with a great crust. While having to push it to 2.5% it wasn't as strong as some of the other flavors in this series, but it came together much better AT the higher weight. Lightly caramelized apples, in a tart profile, layered on top of a delicious flaky crust. Closing out this series pretty high, and leaving this little Tarte high at a
**9.1/10**.
**Tiramisu (SC) (Nomz) 1.5% (11-7-25)** -- FIRST ONE on deck, and hooking it up for @McDuckie. Just in case not everyone knows what's really in
Tiramisu, there are a lot of players in there all fighting each other, so getting it RIGHT right can be almost impossible. Nomz however, figured it out. 100% done, finished, solo this all day, and shut the front door !!!! What a GREAT way to start off this series. EVERY element was in there, and the only one I wasn't 100% sure of and that was the exact booze element, but I'm leaning towards Brandy. The rich and dark espresso led the way, with the cream/mascarponne just behind it, followed by the lady fingers, then cocoa, and a hint of boozy-ness on the finish. You can literally (I did), solo this all day long and just keep coming back.
At 1.5% it was as strong as you could want, and ZERO off-notes/complaints or wants with this one. The ratios, or relative strengths between the individual notes was utterly perfect. Sweetness was just about mid-level, which worked. Wow, because normally, early on, I would be thinking about how I'd tweak/fix/enhance a Tira, but not this one. The bold/dark/robust espresso paired with the cream were probably the center stage players with the other elements perfectly enhancing/pairing with them for some relative-ness. All in, this one was 100% done, and ready to go. It's going to be HARD to put this one down and test the rest of the series. Handily a
**10/10**. Release the Kraken, and don't be afraid to get a BIG bottle.
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