Flavor of the week - FA Oak Wood!
Wow, this stuff is great! I was expecting a charred flavor, or bbq, or tobacco tasting, so of course I got just a little bottle. I was thinking 'bbq' when I opened it for a sniff, and it reminded me vaguely of the hickory bit in some bbq sauces. It's also a dark liquid, so I tried it reluctantly.
The combination of Oak Wood with Whiskey or Brandy or Rum is fabulous! It has a flavor that enhances them very well, turns them into more complex, tasty flavors. It does not overwhelm other flavors and is not so distinctive that it dominates a mix. I'm usually using about half as much Oak Wood as the Whiskey/Brandy/Rum, but I like equal parts in some recipes.
I thought oak-barrel-whiskey would go well with a coconut-almond-vanilla macaroon. I'm vaping that one now after an overnight rest. It's excellent! The whiskey is less wild with oak wood added, and it gets smoother overnight, so I'd say it's a 'steeper'. I added a bit of Brandy to it, just because I like the flavor, and the combo of whiskey-brandy-oak is great. I also made oak-barrel brandy with caramel-apple-pie that's tasting good. .. Looking around, I discovered very similar flavor profiles already exist in a couple well-known commercial versions. I see why those pricey liquids are so popular, if they taste anything like the bottles I made.
On the tobacco front, virginia, burley, oakwood, and a bit of Marzipan is tasting good to me. I'm a total novice with tobaccos, but I'd call this toasted-almond tobacco. I do not like Virginia or Burley standalone, almost liked them blended, but this is more my style. I'm using a lot of Oak Wood and Marzipan, just a touch of the tobaccos. I'm pleased to find that, even at 2%, the dark Oak Wood flavoring does not gum up my coils.
So - FA Oak Wood - definitely worth the $1.50 it took to get a sample bottle!
ive got maxx blend 7leaves and ry4--any ideas on some good mixtures?? i made a ry4, carmel, walnut, and cat cream mix that turned out pretty good.. does vanilla go well with tobaccos?