Crossroads juices
- Thread starter ogredog
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Haha tyty passerby, yeah I would really love to use their widget, and make it look all official, but it's still bugged, when you add something to the cart, it moves all the juice icons way to the bottom of the page, so unless you know that's what it did, and scroll down. I looks like they disappeared lol, thank you for the best wishes, means alot
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No prob - it's all good on this end.
Just be aware that there are lots of us people with mammary glands out there - and gray hair. And I *still* like granola!I look forward to checking out your juice.
Briar!! Welcome back
Glad ya came back, duly noted
would have hated to make a new friend, and lost them to dining on Nike come on in, we saved you the good seat, and you get dibs on the TV remote Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
Haha good one, I see briar's got jokes too lol. Yeah us men, gotta give us bonus points off the bat, to waste at the start lol
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Got some nic vape base on the way, ill send ya some new 10ml samples here soon.
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Well I could pay the shipping at least. I want to see what briar reports back on case I was having a weird couple of days
I'll let you know as soon as i get them - at least we know they are steeped, so no wait.
Tracking shows nicvapes base will arrive on the 18th, ill get ya some super strong flavor ones with the new base next week, from the reviews I've read they seem to have one of the top 3 nice bases out there, with the best th. Maybe I can improve my juice, and make it better for all.
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Doin' fine, hope everyone else is too, just checked the mailbox and the juice showed up hehe. I'm vaping it at 24mg at 6v unflavored. I is really good clean base it seems. I has a slight tint at 100mg but that's normal for most bases. It has a pretty decent throat hit, at the strength I'm testing, not sure what it will be like at 12mg or less, will test that strength next. I also thought about making the flavors by themselves available, for the DIY crowd, and get some feedback on what others think at different flavor ratios
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Give me some time, my friend. I'm getting there. I'm a flavor-nazi, remember? Just one day is absolutely not enough.
OK, here goes.
Firstly, I'll say that none of these are really bad or anything like that. But, IMHO, they need work.
I guess I'll start with a couple of points that apply to all of these liquids:
They are all terribly under-flavored. That's really the first thing that strikes you when you vape them. Two - Cookies and Cream and Mocha Capuccino - were so weak I couldn't review them because I couldn't taste them. Sorry.
All of them have kind of a "muddy" under-taste - it doesn't allow flavors to fully develop in the low range, and so not only the flavors themselves taste unnaturally "high", but also on the bottom there is, well, mud. Since this shows up even on the liquids I couldn't quite taste, I assume that's the base somehow affecting the flavor, and it plays a great big roles in undermining the quality of the liquids.
There is also some artificiality in all the flavors from some source or another.
I disagree with Ogredog on sweetness level - I don't necessarily think they ought to be sweeter, but this is with a proviso that it's hard to tell at this flavor level.
Now to particular flavors:
Vanilla Nut
Very vague flavor.
Sweetness level about right. Nut component needs to be a bit more expressive, though its good in general sort of soft, warm and fuzzy. There is a bit of artificial pre/after taste, which I think comes from vanilla. Vanilla needs to have more spectrum? Hard to tell, flavor too weak. Generally not bad at all. I kinda like it, actually, but it could use more complexity and blending polish, which I think could come from different flavor sources? Meaning that the particular flavorings used here are either not up to par, or good but inappropriate.
Might want to think about adding a bit of some other flavor, to stretch the spectrum a little, add more depth, and maybe shift towards some particular mood. Right now its just good kinda neutral, doesnt evoke any emotions. If its shaded a bit and I mean shaded, no flavored, literally nudged just an iota, where the third flavor is subliminal rather than actually tasted it could get that extra oomph to go from good/ok to special. You want special, I think, not something anyone could mix.
Just like with perfumes, the top note of the flavor burns off first, so when the atty is just about to go empty, the flavor changes a bit. In this case, interestingly enough, it gets better right before that so, perhaps, to make it more special, one of the things that could be done is pick a darker vanilla, it will blend with the nut better too, and then add something else for a slight hint at the top note, while still leaving the flavor as vanilla-nut. Something like that could make a difference.
This flavor is better than meh but with a caveat that with this low level of flavor, its a little hard to judge.
Banana Hazelnut
Slightly stronger flavor, but still not enough.
Banana flavor very artificial. Hazelnut has a metallic note. Its not unvapeable, but not good either. I am not sure if its the two flavors that dont play together in general, or just the quality of the flavorings, but right now its a bit lower than meh. There is very little blending, and where they do blend, the slight bitterness of the hazelnut makes banana taste even more artificial, and the banana actually adds to the unpleasant metallic note of the nut.
Butterscotch Toffee
Almost strong enough.
Ummm Not sure what to say about this one. This is one of those blends that I call muddy in my review template. Its very well blended together, but the result doesnt really say anything to me. There is a bit much of that not quite right burnt flavor accent that is sometimes found in butterscotch and no-so-good caramel.
Off-hand, without commenting on the quality of original component flavors (which I cant its too well blended together), Id say that there is a problem in principle with this flavor: the two components are too close together in flavor profile. This doesnt usually work on its own.
Im sorry, this one is not for me. Eh... considerably worse than meh.
Maple Nut Crunch
So weak, its almost imperceptible
OK, Id actually expect a granola here - from the name And it seems to be close. Its just so weak that its hard to tell. It has a bit of a muddy flavor not in the sense of literal dirt, but as if things are a bit muddled together rather than blended harmoniously but that could be the effect of the lack of flavor. I do get the hints of things I like, though. I cant say a lot more, other than I think this one has promise its not overly sweet, it seems to have some substance, if not volume, and the maple flavor does go well with nuts. If it was me, Id adjust the proportions a bit, maybe a little less maple, and maybe add something else other than nut, something not creamy, or youll end up with oatmeal or maybe a different kind of nut in addition to the first one? But more flavor first and foremost. One note about the maple flavor though: every maple I've ever tasted has an alcohol aftertaste, so you have to be careful with it - that's why I'd recommend toning it down just a tad, but not too much or you'll lose it. I think maple and nuts support each other and harmonize well, so the key here is just to find the right proportions. It's almost there.
Of course, you might want to make oatmeal, it might be a good novelty flavor. All it needs is sweet cream.
Market it as granola, increase the flavor, and see what happens. I kinda like it, provisionally. Considerably better than meh.
Butter Pecan
Just strong enough to be able to taste.
I like it. I can taste sweet cream and pecan. A nice classic combination. Needs a little more sweetness, but not a lot, just a touch. Can't say more about it without more flavor. I don't taste any butter - but that needs to subtle, and, perhaps, if it's there, it will be more "visible" with strength. I can see ordering it at some point, if the flavor is strengthened. Better than meh.
Snickerdoodle Chocolate
This one was hard for me to review. It's on the weak side, but I could taste it. I've never tried anyone's snickerdoodle before, and this flavor has become so ubiquitous, that, out of sheer contrariness, I stay away from it completely. Plus, I am not fond of vaping cookies anyway. This is a rather nondescript cookie, and I cant taste any chocolate, maybe just a hint? It's not terrible, certainly not offensive in any way, just kind of meh.
So, to summarize, as it stands now, I can't recommend these flavors with a clear conscience. But I think that some of them have promise and could be quite good with further development and strengthening. I really hope this happens.
Firstly, I'll say that none of these are really bad or anything like that. But, IMHO, they need work.
I guess I'll start with a couple of points that apply to all of these liquids:
They are all terribly under-flavored. That's really the first thing that strikes you when you vape them. Two - Cookies and Cream and Mocha Capuccino - were so weak I couldn't review them because I couldn't taste them. Sorry.
All of them have kind of a "muddy" under-taste - it doesn't allow flavors to fully develop in the low range, and so not only the flavors themselves taste unnaturally "high", but also on the bottom there is, well, mud. Since this shows up even on the liquids I couldn't quite taste, I assume that's the base somehow affecting the flavor, and it plays a great big roles in undermining the quality of the liquids.
There is also some artificiality in all the flavors from some source or another.
I disagree with Ogredog on sweetness level - I don't necessarily think they ought to be sweeter, but this is with a proviso that it's hard to tell at this flavor level.
Now to particular flavors:
Vanilla Nut
Very vague flavor.
Sweetness level about right. Nut component needs to be a bit more expressive, though its good in general sort of soft, warm and fuzzy. There is a bit of artificial pre/after taste, which I think comes from vanilla. Vanilla needs to have more spectrum? Hard to tell, flavor too weak. Generally not bad at all. I kinda like it, actually, but it could use more complexity and blending polish, which I think could come from different flavor sources? Meaning that the particular flavorings used here are either not up to par, or good but inappropriate.
Might want to think about adding a bit of some other flavor, to stretch the spectrum a little, add more depth, and maybe shift towards some particular mood. Right now its just good kinda neutral, doesnt evoke any emotions. If its shaded a bit and I mean shaded, no flavored, literally nudged just an iota, where the third flavor is subliminal rather than actually tasted it could get that extra oomph to go from good/ok to special. You want special, I think, not something anyone could mix.
Just like with perfumes, the top note of the flavor burns off first, so when the atty is just about to go empty, the flavor changes a bit. In this case, interestingly enough, it gets better right before that so, perhaps, to make it more special, one of the things that could be done is pick a darker vanilla, it will blend with the nut better too, and then add something else for a slight hint at the top note, while still leaving the flavor as vanilla-nut. Something like that could make a difference.
This flavor is better than meh but with a caveat that with this low level of flavor, its a little hard to judge.
Banana Hazelnut
Slightly stronger flavor, but still not enough.
Banana flavor very artificial. Hazelnut has a metallic note. Its not unvapeable, but not good either. I am not sure if its the two flavors that dont play together in general, or just the quality of the flavorings, but right now its a bit lower than meh. There is very little blending, and where they do blend, the slight bitterness of the hazelnut makes banana taste even more artificial, and the banana actually adds to the unpleasant metallic note of the nut.
Butterscotch Toffee
Almost strong enough.
Ummm Not sure what to say about this one. This is one of those blends that I call muddy in my review template. Its very well blended together, but the result doesnt really say anything to me. There is a bit much of that not quite right burnt flavor accent that is sometimes found in butterscotch and no-so-good caramel.
Off-hand, without commenting on the quality of original component flavors (which I cant its too well blended together), Id say that there is a problem in principle with this flavor: the two components are too close together in flavor profile. This doesnt usually work on its own.
Im sorry, this one is not for me. Eh... considerably worse than meh.
Maple Nut Crunch
So weak, its almost imperceptible
OK, Id actually expect a granola here - from the name And it seems to be close. Its just so weak that its hard to tell. It has a bit of a muddy flavor not in the sense of literal dirt, but as if things are a bit muddled together rather than blended harmoniously but that could be the effect of the lack of flavor. I do get the hints of things I like, though. I cant say a lot more, other than I think this one has promise its not overly sweet, it seems to have some substance, if not volume, and the maple flavor does go well with nuts. If it was me, Id adjust the proportions a bit, maybe a little less maple, and maybe add something else other than nut, something not creamy, or youll end up with oatmeal or maybe a different kind of nut in addition to the first one? But more flavor first and foremost. One note about the maple flavor though: every maple I've ever tasted has an alcohol aftertaste, so you have to be careful with it - that's why I'd recommend toning it down just a tad, but not too much or you'll lose it. I think maple and nuts support each other and harmonize well, so the key here is just to find the right proportions. It's almost there.
Of course, you might want to make oatmeal, it might be a good novelty flavor. All it needs is sweet cream.
Market it as granola, increase the flavor, and see what happens. I kinda like it, provisionally. Considerably better than meh.
Butter Pecan
Just strong enough to be able to taste.
I like it. I can taste sweet cream and pecan. A nice classic combination. Needs a little more sweetness, but not a lot, just a touch. Can't say more about it without more flavor. I don't taste any butter - but that needs to subtle, and, perhaps, if it's there, it will be more "visible" with strength. I can see ordering it at some point, if the flavor is strengthened. Better than meh.
Snickerdoodle Chocolate
This one was hard for me to review. It's on the weak side, but I could taste it. I've never tried anyone's snickerdoodle before, and this flavor has become so ubiquitous, that, out of sheer contrariness, I stay away from it completely. Plus, I am not fond of vaping cookies anyway. This is a rather nondescript cookie, and I cant taste any chocolate, maybe just a hint? It's not terrible, certainly not offensive in any way, just kind of meh.
So, to summarize, as it stands now, I can't recommend these flavors with a clear conscience. But I think that some of them have promise and could be quite good with further development and strengthening. I really hope this happens.
Thanks for the input briar. Interesting to hear your take. I think I may be able to pick up slightly more flavor than you but not quite the distinctive notes you can.
I think the banana hazelnut is a good mix even though artificial. I could taste the cookies and cream flavor although I only got cream. The butterscotch toffee was mostly butterscotch. Snickerdoodle I got but didn't taste chocolate but I felt with more flavoring and sweetener it would become more "cookie"
As far as flavors being stronger that's a preference that we agree on, though not everybody would
Perhaps a sweetener option for varying tastes but that can always be added ourselves.
I think the banana hazelnut is a good mix even though artificial. I could taste the cookies and cream flavor although I only got cream. The butterscotch toffee was mostly butterscotch. Snickerdoodle I got but didn't taste chocolate but I felt with more flavoring and sweetener it would become more "cookie"
As far as flavors being stronger that's a preference that we agree on, though not everybody would
Perhaps a sweetener option for varying tastes but that can always be added ourselves.
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Not too different between us, I think, other than banana hazelnut - reading your reviews, I sort of figured we have similar, if not identical, preferences.
Good point on the sugar - I actually like it a lot when an option is given for the amount of sweetness for the juice.
As far as the cookies and cream - it's possible that my taste buds were a tad tired at this point. I might try it again tomorrow morning, before I vaped anything else.
I know that different people prefer different flavor strengths and all - but I suspect there are relatively few that prefer it weaker. I just think that from the perspective of sheer economics, Mjones needs to offer enough strength to satisfy the average consumer - and from that perspective they are considerably weaker than average... But, again, it's great when a vendor offers choices as to the flavor strength, so that would be my first preference.
As for banana hazelnut... In my "defense", I have to reiterate that I really have become a flavor nazi lately, and I'm particularly hard on banana for some reason. LOL I think combining banana with nuts is an interesting idea, and it might work very well with a different nut, like, maybe, an almond, or a pecan - any nut that doesn't quite have as pronounced a bitter note as hazelnut - and a better, deeper banana flavor. Come to think of it, it could be a great flavor, especially with a tiny addition of vanilla, or custard, or cream to even out and "gentle" the flavor. It's just that hazelnut, in particular, has a rather strong bitter note (that's why it's so great with coffee, imho), and, again, imho, it doesn't compliment the banana.
Good point on the sugar - I actually like it a lot when an option is given for the amount of sweetness for the juice.
As far as the cookies and cream - it's possible that my taste buds were a tad tired at this point. I might try it again tomorrow morning, before I vaped anything else.
I know that different people prefer different flavor strengths and all - but I suspect there are relatively few that prefer it weaker. I just think that from the perspective of sheer economics, Mjones needs to offer enough strength to satisfy the average consumer - and from that perspective they are considerably weaker than average... But, again, it's great when a vendor offers choices as to the flavor strength, so that would be my first preference.
As for banana hazelnut... In my "defense", I have to reiterate that I really have become a flavor nazi lately
, and I'm particularly hard on banana for some reason. LOL I think combining banana with nuts is an interesting idea, and it might work very well with a different nut, like, maybe, an almond, or a pecan - any nut that doesn't quite have as pronounced a bitter note as hazelnut - and a better, deeper banana flavor. Come to think of it, it could be a great flavor, especially with a tiny addition of vanilla, or custard, or cream to even out and "gentle" the flavor. It's just that hazelnut, in particular, has a rather strong bitter note (that's why it's so great with coffee, imho), and, again, imho, it doesn't compliment the banana.
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Whoo been a busy last few days. Thank-you so much briar for the great review. I know you both have tons of stuff to do over sitting down and writing a huge detailed review, thank-you so much for taking the time. I'm in the process of getting some standard fruit flavors in, that several other companies are using in juice flavors. These are very standard, and are a different makeup, to the flavors we currently use. These flavors have the strong throat hit, and familiar taste that everyone is use to. I should have some samples for you guys to review soon
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That's cool! Are you putting your own twist on it or sticking with the "standard" flavors. How do you like them so far?
I haven't ordered them yet, they are mostly fruit type flavors. I sent you a regular size bottle of vanilla nut, with over double the flavor and the new nic vape base. Lets us know how it is for you. I should have some flavors up on the site soon. I'm going to take down some of the old flavors that don't sell all that well and replace them with new ones.
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