Here are three vanilla centric mixes of mine. I have these and other vanilla mixes always ready to vape. Vanillas have been a favorite of mine for many years. I have nearly all the vanilla flavors and use them in many different combinations in order to get a specific vanilla flavor I desire. I am a true vanillaholic!!!
Very Basic Vanilla
FA Madagascar (Vanilla Classic) 3%
FA Vienna Cream 0.5%
INW Shisha Vanilla 1%
FLV Cream 1%
Madagascar vanilla is comparable in flavor to Mexican vanilla extract. It's the vanilla flavor Americans know from vanilla ice cream, cake, and popular cookies. I call it a mid-tone vanilla.
Darker Tasting Vanilla
FA Bourbon Vanilla 2%
FA Vienna Cream 1%
INW Shisha Vanilla 0.75%
FLV Cream 1%
FA Bourbon Vanilla is a rich, dark, bold, earthy vanilla - the flavor of gourmet Madagascar vanilla extract. This is not the flavor of bourbon alcohol! It is a complex vanilla. Also, it is a very different tasting vanilla compared to TPA/TFA Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla.
Bright Vanilla
FA Vanilla Tahiti 2% - 3%
FA Vienna Cream 0.5%
INW Shisha Vanilla 0.75%
FLV Cream 1%
In real life Tahitian vanilla is a bright vanilla with almond and cherry notes. It’s the sweetest of FA's vanillas. I call Vanilla Tahiti a happy vanilla.
Flavour Art created very realistic versions of the most common real life vanillas.
Each of the above mixes are very good on their own. They are full bodied and each has a pleasant mouthfeel. Each delivers very different tasting vanilla notes. Over the years I've found that pairing vanillas with creams works best for me. I wouldn't vape a vanilla as a single flavor because it doesn't offer enough complexity.
In these mixes Vienna Cream is used as a sweetener. INW Shisha Vanilla is used as a brightener, or volume control, for the main vanilla (it is a bright vanilla). Using those I am able to vary the sweetness, brightness and intensity of my vanilla mixes. They serve as a +/- throttle for each mix (if you will). FLV Cream isn't tasted as much as it's "felt" but without it the mixes will fall flat. It also contributes to the overall mouthfeel.
I use several different vanilla flavors to 'change-up' the above base recipes. Frequently I will add a third vanilla in order to tweak the overall profile. And from time-to-time I change the percentages of the above mixes to suit my ever evolving tastes.
Any of those mixes work well as a base for fruit(s), cakes, cookies, wafers, waffles, pancakes etc. Any nut flavor works nicely. They also work well with an ice cream, a yogurt, a malt or a milkshake. I use them as bases for my caramel and butterscotch mixes (with slight changes). Adding a chocolate will give you a rich tasting chocolatey mix.
There isn't a mix that I can think of that can't be improved, and made better tasting, with the addition of a vanilla/cream combination.
Vanilla is the most versatile fruit in existence. It is used more than any other fruit. Vanilla is the only edible fruit of the orchid family, the largest family of flowering plants in the world. There are over 150 varieties of vanilla plants.
Just like grapes that make wine, no two vanilla beans are the same in flavor, aroma, or color. IMHO the same can be said for the vanillas we use in DIY. I am able to taste the differences between any of the vanillas I have.
I luvs me some vanilla!!!
@Zazie can you please add this to your blog? Thank you!
ETA: On occasion I will add a custard to my vanilla mixes specifically for the custard note.
