^ I think I missed something, was someone claiming steeping doesn't do anything, because that's just silly.
Certain flavorings are guaranteed to change with steeping, regardless of the method, and other flavorings, not at all. It's more to do with their composition than the method used in my experience. Obviously though temperature threshholds or shelf life can be a factor at the extremes.
I might be one to argue that there is no change with steeping. But not in the way many may assume when I say that.
There has been no proof, other than color change, and taste (empirical evidence) that there is any actual change happening with 'steeping' (which is a silly term as is). I don't doubt that a flavor difference occurs, but I'm skeptical that a flavoring will completely change into another flavoring just by the act of sitting.
One example might be, I was discussing this with someone else via this site. They mentioned a vendor's blend that tasted like one flavor, but after a few weeks of 'steeping', the flavor completely changed into a another flavor. I find the idea that the original blend of flavorings completely changing into something different to be relatively false. Show me conclusive otherwise, and I'll gladly accept it as fact.
However, and I'm not the originator of said theory, but, I believe that the flavorings in a blend do not actually change, rather, with time, the flavor molecules are given a chance to effectively 'spread', so to speak, through out the base of the blend.
Meaning: If you mixed two flavorings together, let's say apple and banana for example, and upon tasting the blend fresh you only taste the apple. Well, after a few weeks of sitting, you start tasting the banana more than the apple, I don't believe that there was an actual change in the flavorings, rather, a change in the potency of said ingredients to make your taste cells, and your mind believe that change has occurred.
I believe this holds true with single, and multi-flavor blends. One could mix a plethora of flavorings together, and make it taste like it's something completely different than the original ingredients would taste like otherwise if made individually. If I were to mix a blueberry blend, it would taste different, albeit slightly, from day one, and on day 21. Again, I believe this is due to the notion that the flavoring is effectively spreading through out the base, and will taste differently on day 1 due to how potent the flavoring is when freshly mixed. With time, there is spreading of the flavoring, and if you're utilizing the flavoring while sitting (vaping a huge bottle of mixed juice, for example), there is evaporation to account for as well.
Anyhow, what does this have to do with Boba's? I believe that each bottle is freshly made. What does give that, 4-5 days of 'steeping' before it hits the door? I vape my Boba's fresh, and I can't really tell a difference in flavor, (aside of the natural diversity of flavor change Boba's offers, due the complexity of the blend), from the day I get it, and a month later (which is how long a 100ml bottle generally lasts me). It tastes the same from day 1 (4-5) from my door, until the last drop.
I'm sure many will disagree with my theory, and assessment. But no one has been able to show actual proof, aside of, again, empirical evidence. So, it's all just speculation at this point.
