The Big Cheese (-cake) Thread

[scarf-ace]

In the tradition of "The Really Big RY4 Roundup" which I adore and am devoted to, I would like to hear ECFers' thoughts on cheesecake.

What's your favourite cheesecake e-liquid flavour?
What makes a good cheesecake?
Do you prefer your cheesecake tangy or creamy? Is that sour tanginess necessary to achieve the gestalt of cheesecake?
Crust: yea, nay or optional?
Toppings: tell us the best ones you've tried, and noble experiments that just flopped.
What are the best fruits to pair with cheesecake?

I want to know it all. No detail should be considered too arcane to contribute.

I'll begin:

In my five months of vaping I have come across some stellar cheesecake juices. Some of my repeat purchases include:

Ms T's Bakery Butterscotch Caramel Cheesecake
TastyVapor's customizable cheesecake blends. These can be combined with any two flavours. Some of the combinations I have loved are: Hazelnut+Maple+Cheesecake, Butterscotch+Pecan+Cheesecake, French Vanilla+Orange+Cheesecake, and Butter Rum+Pumpkin Spice+Cheesecake. (I also tried Almond+Peach+Cheesecake, but it turned out a bit too amaretto-ish for me. Will ask TV to go light on the almond next time.)
JuicyVapor's Butterscotch Caramel Cheesecake

I think the ideal cheesecake should be a balanced blend of sour tanginess and creamy sweetness. Crust notes are nice and always appreciated, but lack of them does not disqualify a good cheesecake.

As you can see above, I quite like sweet caramel/butterscotch blends. I've not had much luck with most fruit blends...I have tried blueberry cheesecake blends from various excellent vendors that just tasted artificial and wrong. I am open to having my horizons expanded

In trying to replicate the above blends myself, I have discovered that Perfumer's Apprentice cheesecake flavour is just too sour/dairy in any but the most infinitesimal amounts. I added a few drops to a liquid I was creating and gagged at the rotten-milkiness of it. Once I get over the trauma I will try to find the correct ratio for future experimentation. Lorann Cheesecake is much more forgiving but I'm still working on the right mixture.

I want to try DeejStuff's cheesecakes which have received much praise, and I have a 15ml bottle of Highbrow incoming. I also asked for a sample with my Copper Creek order, and I am excited about that.

Now it's your turn. Talk to me about cheesecake

 

[billherbst]

Let me put in a good word for HighbrowVapor Cheesecake Torte.

This is definitely not a replicant of one of those adobe-brick cheesecakes that are granular and intense, with a curd-like pungent sourness. No, this is the eliquid equivalent of a frothy, whipped cheesecake that is creamy, sweet with a very subtle tanginess, but almost no sourness at all (often delicious in real cheesecake, but usually downright nauseating in nicquids because of the rotten milk undertone).

Highbrow has opted not to take the risk of sourness that might spoil their juice. In a sense, they played it safe, but their decision (even if cautious) has a delicious result. The cheesiness is downplayed, while the sweet cream element is emphasized. The end result is creamy goodness with a very subtle cheese aura---my palate is aware of the cheese without being assaulted or overwhelmed by it. All that occurs on inhale, then the flavor profile is rounded out with a hint of crushed graham cracker crust on exhale at the finish.

Highbrow offers the options of all the usual fruit toppings. Highbrow's fruit flavors use only natural extracts of real fruit, which they make themselves, so their fruit flavors taste completely authentic (rather than like artificial and overly sweet kids' candies, such as Jolly Rancher fruits). I ordered my 15ml bottle of cheesecake torte plain, however---with no fruit added---since I can add my own fruit flavorings in small 3ml quantities. That way, I don't end up with only one flavor, but many. Happily, this cheesecake juice is so light and delicious that I usually prefer to vape it by itself, unadorned, without any fruit "toppings" added. It's that good.

Like the OP, I've bought six or seven different cheesecake juices in the past, along with two or three cheesecake flavoring concentrates. The juice were OK at best, and downright horrible at worst. I've read praise on ECF for DeeJStuff cheesecakes, but personally, I found them average. Best for me of that bunch is PrimeVaping, which I'd rank as quite good; worst is Dekang, which made me gag. ParkesVaping makes a Red Velvet Cheesecake that's very tasty but doesn't have much cheesecake flavor. I agree that the TPA flavoring is sadly sub-par---far too sour---and I used up my 3ml bottle of LorAnn long ago. I may order some more of that.

The bottom line is that Highbrow Cheesecake Torte beats every other attempt at a cheesecake nicquid I've tried, and does so hands down.

 

[Briar]

Let me put in a good word for HighbrowVapor Cheesecake Torte. ...

I absolutely agree with everything you said. This is my favorite kind of flavor: it works great specifically in vape medium. To me, it doesn't replicate any specific aspect of cheesecake flavor, but, rather, gives the overall gestalt of a great cheesecake. Fabulous liquid.

I'm going through it with frightening speed, and am going to order more, with, perhaps, some fruit added for an experiment, next month.

Granted, the only other cheesecake flavor I've had was the Vapor Bomb Blueberry Cheesecake. That was... OK-ish. I still had three quarters of a small bottle of it a year later, and finally just threw it out because it started to lose flavor.

Highbrow's cheesecake isn't going to last a week. LOL

 

[scarf-ace]

Yay! Two good reviews for Highbrow. I should be receiving mine any day now.

What a pleasure to hear from you Billherbst...so in your opinion would Highbrow's be closer to an Italian (ricotta) cheesecake rather than a New York-style dense cream-cheese cake? I love them both mind you

Another cheesecake I forgot to mention is Juicy Vapor's Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake. An unusual but delectable combination of coffee and cheesecake. I believe this juice uses the dreaded TPA concentrate but they have used it at near-homeopathic levels so it is tangy and rich rather than sour.

Let me talk about some cheesecake failures: I once prepared a fresh carto of TV Hazelnut Maple Cheesecake and placed it on a battery that had just held a sour lemonade flavour. I hadn't cleaned the battery head well enough and the results were just stomach-turning. A little citrus is great (witness my Vanilla Orange, a very successful combo) but too much makes it curdle. I had to throw that carto away Also, hot-cinnamon type flavours are a no-no-with cheesecake.

 

[billherbst]

scarf-ace,

Actually, Highbrow Cheesecake Torte delivers a flavor profile that brings to my mind the boxed Jello-brand cheesecake mix---at least in composition density (rather than in quality of ingredients, where it bears no resemblance at all to the ersatz Jello stuff)---more so than to either Italian Ricotta or New York style. Highbrow CT is reminiscent of something airy and whipped, with a light and smooth consistency, down the road toward custard. But yes, in terms of the choices you offered, Highbrow CT would certainly be much closer Italian Ricotta medium-weight cheesecake than to the New York uber-dense heavyweight bricks.

The flavor isn't "weak," just subtle and delicate (full without being filling). No chemical synthetic off-flavors at all. By contrast, the new bottle of Highbrow Eve's Delight (apple) that I bought in the same order has a slight floral afterton---almost rose-like---which I'm not in love with. I figure that a week or two of steeping will diminish or remove that. The Cheesecake Torte, however, is wonderfully clean.

 

[scarf-ace]

Well now. As it happens, the postal gods were kind to me today bringing not one, not two, but THREE parcels of E-liquid from Highbrow, Copper Creek and Vapebar. Luckily I had planned for such serendipity and brought a heap of blank cartomizers along. Naturally my first taste was of the lauded Highbrow Cheesecake Torte in a DCC on my Ego-Twist.

3.4v: Very milky and delicate, sort of like rice pudding.
3.8v: A bit more assertive. I get graham cracker crust notes and lots of creaminess.
4.2v: Here we go: cheesecake! As Bill says, it's definitely a lighter and creamier cheesecake than the standard NY cheesecake (Aside: In my adopted homeland of Australia, this variety is often called "Baked American Cheesecake", to which I always quip, "Made with real baked Americans!" ) I cannot recall the taste of Jell-O cheesecake but to me this tastes like the filling of a really, really good cheese Danish.

I also had a chance to try Copper Creek's Cheesecake. It was, to be honest, fairly standard, but it is entirely possible that I was too entranced by House Blend and Voo Broo to pay it much mind.

Another juice in my postal bonanza was Cauldron's Wizard's Brew, which is ostensibly a coffee blend with vanilla and butterscotch. Maybe I've just got cheesecake on the brain, but I swear I taste a bit of it in this juice, which is mouthwatering and has earned a place of honour on my Provari Mini.

 

[Briar]

The more I vape the Torte, the more I like it. It's interesting that the combination of the creaminess with just that light touch of sour that says "fluffy cheesecake", combined with that particular Graham Cracker flavor actually keeps resonating almost as a chocolate of sorts... I think I'll write a painfully long review on this one in a couple of days... LOL

I also got MOV's Devilish Delight in today. It really needs steeping, but even now I can tell it has promise. It has more of a sour note than the Torte, but in a good way. The other flavors haven't really come out or blended yet, so the hints are there, but not the full flavor yet. Should be able to tell in a few days though. Can't wait. Steeping is a bear.

 

[scarf-ace]

I also got MOV's Devilish Delight in today. It really needs steeping, but even now I can tell it has promise. It has more of a sour note than the Torte, but in a good way. The other flavors haven't really come out or blended yet, so the hints are there, but not the full flavor yet. Should be able to tell in a few days though. Can't wait. Steeping is a bear.

Wow, Briar, sounds fabulous. Can you kindly tell me what MOV stands for? I can't resist the lure of new delicious E-liquids. Yes, it's a sickness

By the way Copper Creek's Cheesecake is getting much better. I used it in a brand-new Vision clearomizer and in hindsight I should have blamed that, rather than the liquid, for my initial lacklustre reaction. Now that the clearo has broken in, this is one fiiiiine cheesecake, with velvety cream-cheese notes on the inhale and a bit of crust on the exhale. So far every Copper Creek juice I have tried has been brilliant.

....and I look forward to your painfully long review

 

[Briar]

MOV stands for Mountain Oak Vapors, and they have some fabulous juices - I've just about finished trying their tobacco line, and starting on every thing else.

I have to try Copper Creek - I've been meaning to forever. Will definitely move it to the top of my juice-in-waiting list. Especially is their cheesecake is good - I love cheesecake. I happen to think it translates into vape really well.

And, btw - great move in starting this thread. Much promise. Much cheesecake. (happy sigh)

Wow, Briar, sounds fabulous. Can you kindly tell me what MOV stands for? I can't resist the lure of new delicious E-liquids. Yes, it's a sickness

By the way Copper Creek's Cheesecake is getting much better. I used it in a brand-new Vision clearomizer and in hindsight I should have blamed that, rather than the liquid, for my initial lacklustre reaction. Now that the clearo has broken in, this is one fiiiiine cheesecake, with velvety cream-cheese notes on the inhale and a bit of crust on the exhale. So far every Copper Creek juice I have tried has been brilliant.

....and I look forward to your painfully long review

 

[scarf-ace]

And, btw - great move in starting this thread. Much promise. Much cheesecake. (happy sigh)

Aww, thanks Definitely put Copper Creek high on your priority list. I am normally suspicious of overhyped juices but their House Blend is the bees' knees and the cats' pyjamas rolled into one. Also digging Twisted Tobacco and Voo Brew

MOV looks great, and they don't gouge you for international shipping--score!! Sampler pack ahoy. What do you think of their RY4 and 555 if you've tried them?

 

[Briar]

Aww, thanks Definitely put Copper Creek high on your priority list. I am normally suspicious of overhyped juices but their House Blend is the bees' knees and the cats' pyjamas rolled into one. Also digging Twisted Tobacco and Voo Brew

Yeah, I was looking at Voo Brew - that sounds right up my alley. I don't go for straight tobaccos anymore - burned out on those some time ago - but I still love well done flavored one. Tobacco taste, if it's good, sometimes adds a special something to the flavor...

MOV looks great, and they don't gouge you for international shipping--score!! Sampler pack ahoy. What do you think of their RY4 and 555 if you've tried them?

I haven't tried 555, because I have this complicated love/hate relationship with nuts, but their RY4, to my palate, is fantastic. It's very complex, and it's not your typical RY4 - but it's great, imho. Really "artistic". For that matter, I tried most of their tobaccos, and loved them all. Except for the licorice one - I honestly can't stand licorice in any way, shape, or form. So I skipped that one.

Their customer service is great, too. The owners are really nice guys - pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend them.

 

[scarf-ace]

So I am on my third day of vaping Highbrow Cheesecake Torte and I can honestly say this is unlike any other cheesecake juice I have ever tried. In a clear DCC at 4 volts it is just stunning: a gorgous gourmet cheesecake like you'd get at a very fancy restaurant with a name like "gateau de fromage". I am considering mixing a drop with some of HV's English Malt Toffee for a Heath Bar sort of effect (without the chocolate, natch).

And Cauldron Wizard's Brew is just getting more mocha-cheesecake by the day. Lovelovelove.

Briar, I saw on another thread you were interested in some of JuiceLadyOfIllRepute dot com's savory liquids. I order from Del on a very regular basis if you wanted to try any. I'd be happy to order for you and you can either pay me or be a "mule" for me for some USA-only vendors

 

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Got a sample of Copper Creek's cheesecake. Can't put it down, it's really good.

 

[scarf-ace]

Got a sample of Copper Creek's cheesecake. Can't put it down, it's really good.

My sample is not enough to try it in my carto of choice (xxxl clear DCC) so I will buy more next time I order from CC. I have come to the sad conclusion that Stardust clearomizers distort many flavours beyond recognition. Shame because they are easy to use, leakproof and slick-looking.

 

[Briar]

My sample is not enough to try it in my carto of choice (xxxl clear DCC) so I will buy more next time I order from CC. I have come to the sad conclusion that Stardust clearomizers distort many flavours beyond recognition. Shame because they are easy to use, leakproof and slick-looking.

Heh... To me, Stardusts are just about the only carto that gives true flavor - more muted than dripping, but the same flavor profile. Amazing how people "read" different equipment.

It seems to me that Stardusts give a "flat" performance: they don't boost any "notes". ViVis boost high notes. Fluxos boost low notes. Different fillered cartos, just like different clearos, boost different ranges. Dripping is the benchmark, of course...

 

[billherbst]

Yesterday I got out two bottles of Cheesecake that had been languishing in my Juice Dungeon for quite awhile. One is a nine-month-old 30ml bottle of Good Prophets all-VG Cheesecake (presumably Dekang). The other is an even older 30ml bottle of Madvapes Top Vapor Cheesecake from way back in January, 2011. I had initially judged both of these juices to be unfit for human consumption, but there they were in my Juices/Flavorings database, retrieved in a search along with 16 other entries for "Cheesecake."

In spite of my feeling "what's the point?," I gave both juices a re-try by atty-dripping into one of my trusty i06s. Well, dog my cats! You could have knocked me over with a feather! Amazingly enough, both of them weren't half-bad. In fact, they were surprisingly good. I guess the insanely long steeping times must have worked some magic.

The GP Dekang all-VG was thick, of course, and a pretty fair representation of a New York cheesecake. I was impressed. But the real shocker was the Madvapes Top Vapor. I fully expected the same swill I remembered, but--to my amazement--the juice produced a light, airy cheesecake flavor, along similar lines as Highbrow Cheesecake Torte. Not as good, but respectable (and vapeable).

Now I'm glad I didn't pour them down the drain long ago. They'll come in very handy for making DIY fruit cheesecakes. Add a little strawberry, and voilà! Probably won't be quite as yummy as PrimeVaping Strawberry Cheesecake (which I just re-ordered in a 30ml bottle), but they won't cost me a dime.

 

[scarf-ace]

Heh... To me, Stardusts are just about the only carto that gives true flavor - more muted than dripping, but the same flavor profile. Amazing how people "read" different equipment.

It seems to me that Stardusts give a "flat" performance: they don't boost any "notes". ViVis boost high notes. Fluxos boost low notes. Different fillered cartos, just like different clearos, boost different ranges. Dripping is the benchmark, of course...

Briar, the reason I say this is because of a) my experience with Copper Creek cheesecake; in clearomizer it is just ok; and b) my benchmark flavour, Tasty Vapor Hazelnut Maple Cheesecake, turns to pure honey when vaped out of a Stardust. I will have to start noticing what methods boost what notes, as per your tips.True enough that everyone tastes stuff differently; unfortunately my lifestyle does not lend itself to dripping.

But WAIT! STOP PRESS! I have just acquired a Boge Revolution mod and HOLY CANNOLI does that thing ever produce some serious vapor. I have never used a "bottom feeder" and wanted to see what the hullaballoo was about without the expense of, say, a Reo. 24 hours later, I've not quite abandoned my Provari but this inexpensive little critter produces the best flavour I have had in a long time, possibly ever. (And as per PBusardo's review, you can use it to communicate with aliens too! )

 

[scarf-ace]

Now I'm glad I didn't pour them down the drain long ago.

Bill, my dud juices go into three big bottles, which are labeled "RANDOM TOBACCO", "RANDOM DESSERT" and "RANDOM FRUIT". Only the vilest and most evil juices go down the drain, the rest go into these bottles to produce an irreproducible alchemical...something. The tobacco and dessert aren't bad...I haven't tried the fruit yet.

Good that you found alternate uses for your juice. I have many juices "steeping" in my dad's closet in New York. I come visit him once a year, so by next February they should be either perfectly steeped or utterly tasteless. LOL.

 

[scarf-ace]

I've placed an order for two MOV 15ml sample sets: Smooth & Mild, MOV Gold, CountRY4, Just Peachy, Heavenly 7, and of course the Devilish Delight. Grand total including overseas shipping: $50. I can't wait. Now I am regretting not ordering a third so I could have Tennessee Original, 555 and something else. Oh well.

This forum is full of enablers!

 

[scarf-ace]

OK, got my MOV order... and the Devilish Delight is awesome, if only I could get rid of this persistent anise/licorice note Briar, did steeping help this juice for you? I am dying to taste it in "pure" form (non-licoricey).

Oh and the other flavours are simply magnificent. I just blogged a review of them.

Expecting a full bottle of Copper Creek CC in the mail today. Will fill a carto and report back. (But possibly not for a while, because my Vulcan Vape order is also at work with bottles of the infamous Boba's Bounty! **excited**