Loco Flavours Beta Testing - Valley Vapour

Right, put all my reviews so far onto the VV site. @drew, will you be getting in Loco Blueberry soon? :p

@RichJB There have been 2 reviews on the Blueberry so far and both gave a 0/5 rating so this isn't one we are looking to keep.
 
Yeah, I figured that Blueberry and Passion Fruit wouldn't make the grade. I think they're feeling as depressed and rejected as Hillary right now.
 
Lo everyone.

Herewith my initial impressions. These are by no means final, as I still have a few steps to do (for my own as well as others' sake). I'll update my post as well as post whatever relevant reviews I have on VV's site when I'm finally done.

I only received my loot yesterday, so only made a single batch of each. After this I will figure out better percentages where needed, as well as test steeping over time in the presence of nicotine, and then performance of some of the concentrates in mixes.

All of these were mixed between 4-5 % (not specific %, as IMO it is extremely difficult to get accurate mixtures at low volumes. I aimed for 4.5 %). I specifically asked for cherry, coffee and blueberry, due to the wide variety of these flavours out yonder; the rest of the flavours I just asked for whatever they had the least request for.

1. Loco Mint

Notes: Candied after-dinner type of concentrate (like Imperial mints). Menthol is quite strong (at 4.5 % way too strong). Slightly sweet, with a small note of spearmint at beginning of exhale. Quite decently full mouthfeel.

Impression: I like this mint very much. While I do not vape many menthol vapes, the other mint concentrates I have tried (eg. FA Arctic Mint) have a very bitter/earthy note which spoils some mixes. I would guess that this mint will add a bit of flavour + sweetness to a mix, so if only the cooling effect is required I might suggest something else. Very nice!

Fullness: 3/5

Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

2. Loco Guava

Notes: Sweet, almost candy-like guava nectar. Very light hint of graininess. Some earthy/pip notes, but not prevalent. Moderately full mouthfeel - again, like guava nectar.

Impression: This is quite a mild guava for me. It is very reminiscent of guava juice concentrate/nectar, with a very slight 'grain' effect. In comparison to other guava concentrates, it is quite a bit sweeter with less guava flavour and less graininess (which might be good in some cases). It is also more artificial for me than other guava flavours. Main guava note is a bit volatile - vaporizes at low temperatures, and comes of first before any other flavours. For this reason I might be worried that the guava taste will disappear after some time, or maybe it fatigues quickly (but only time will tell). That said, directly after mixing I was not impressed by this at all, but after a day steeping it was much better. For me, this is too mellow of a guava for standalone or as a main note, but I can see how this concentrate can be a good additive or top note in mixes (such as tropical mixes or yoghurts) due to the lesser 'graininess'. I think it will be a bit better at lower %.

Fullness: 2/5

Rating: 3/5
Recommend to a friend: No

3. Loco Brandy

Notes: A few slight notes of raisins, spice and sherry. Interesting flavour profile, difficult to pin down. Quite sweet. Reminds me of the boozy flavour in egg-nog, but without any creaminess. Quite light concentrate with little mouthfeel, although I picked up a very slight fizz.

Impression: Quite an interesting flavour. Doesn't really taste like brandy at all, but it might give an almost brandy taste to certain bakeries (almost like brandy in fruitcake, but not brandy in coke). I really get reminded of egg-nog, and I think this will go very well with creams and custards. This is not good stand-alone, but I think it might see some use in bakery vapes. If you can find a mix profile for this to work in, I think it can be excellent, as I haven't had anything like it before.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend to a friend: No

4. Loco Blueberry

Notes: Strong blueberry candy. Slightly sweet (but not too much), full mouthfeel, with a hint of juiciness and very small but present tartness. Some earthiness. Hint of black currents in aftertaste.

Impression: I have been looking for this exact flavour profile for a very long time. This is the candy blueberry flavour used in commercial products (think blue rascals). However, it has quite a bit of depth as well. While it is definitely predominantly blueberry candy, it has an element of the actual berry as well (in terms of juice and acidity). Very importantly, I haven't picked up any perfume notes nor liqorice (both which is prevalent in many other blueberry concentrates). I don't think this is ideal for bakeries (where FLV blueberry shines), nor berry jus/jam (where FW blueberry shines), but I think it can be great for candy, fruit and cocktail vapes, or as an additive to help shape a blueberry note somewhere else. Note that this concentrate lingers for quite a while on coils. Really love this concentrate!

Fullness: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

5. Loco Cream

Notes: Sweet, full and fresh cream. Entirely unspiced (no vanilla), but slight hint of milk and malted milk. Very much like unwhipped double cream.

Impressions: Very good, full cream. Almost as fresh as FA fresh cream, but creamier and sweeter. It does have some flavour (in terms of milkiness), but it doesn't contains any spice notes (unlike Bavarian cream or Vienna cream). The cream (like all creams) benefits from steeping, as I've already noticed a large difference in taste after only a day (although creams usually steep quicker when mixed stand alone). Definitely a great cream.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

6. Loco Shortbread

Notes: Spot-on buttery shortbread (like gourmet super-soft Eat-sum-mores). Lots of bakery notes, quite a bit baked vanilla, custard and cream notes. Very slight hint of grain/cookie, but otherwise very smooth.

Impressions: Again, an extremely good cookie/confectionary concentrate. Really gives an impression of extremely soft shortbread, similar to a smoother FA Cookie. Will see how it matures, but for now, I think this can be a very good base for specific bakery vapes.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

7. Loco Rum

Notes: Artificial rum-and-raisin flavour. Lots of raisins, with a hint of booziness. Not sweet. Semi-full mouthfeel. Almost dry.

Impressions: Like the Brandy, this does not give me an impression of rum. It also does not add any significant juiciness (unlike FA Jamaican Rum). However, this is the exact flavour which I associate with rum-and-raisin ice cream - which I have been looking for for a while. The exhale is made of some booziness followed by the rum and raisin, which then lingers for quite a while. In this regard, I am very happy with this concentrate, since I feel it can be used specifically for that flavour.

Fullness: 3/5
Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

8. Loco Cherry

Notes: Candied artificial cherry, although not sweet. Hint of tartness and a almost complex undertone, reminiscent of cherry juice. Almost watery.

Impressions: First impressions of this were horrible, but it did seem to develop quite a bit overnight. This (like practically all other cherries) is the "Halls" cherry candy. There does seem to be a bit of an undertone of cherry juice; however, it is mostly overshadowed by the candy cherry taste. The taste itself is very light and watery, which means it will not likely be suitable for cherry tobaccos. There might be some use of this cherry in bakery, confectionary or creamy vapes, but I'm not sure whether it will work.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 2/5
Recommend to a friend: No.

9. Loco Coffee

Notes: Very weak latte taste, similar to coffee-flavourings in chocolates or milkshakes. Strong overtones of solvents (rubber/plastic). Decent mouthfeel.

Impressions: Despite the solvents (which might dissappear after time, or which might be breathed out), this is a very weak coffee. However, it is not burnt coffee at all, unlike many other coffee concentrates. For this reason, it might be used as a mellow overtone of coffee in a mix, or maybe to enhance coffee notes without adding espresso/burnt coffee. Not sure if it will work though, but I'll try anyway. It might be better at lower %.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 1/5
Recommend to a friend: No

10. Loco Maple

Notes: Baked maple flavours on inhale and direct exhale. Dominant solvent aftertaste (rubber/plastic). Semi-sweet and decent mouthfeel, but not syrupy.

Impressions: Very strange flavour. The concentrate has a overdominantly solvent taste (like TFA's Mexican Coffee). If you can get rid of this solvent (through breathing, streething, open water-bath or even masking/layering), then there might be something to this concentrate. The solvent taste is very volatile (comes off first in a dripper and at very low temperatures), so it might dissappear after some time. The actual taste is the same taste you get in baked maple confectionaries, or maple tea/coffee, and not like the artificial maple syrup we get in SA. In this regard I think this concentrate can be wonderful for bakery and confectionary vapes, but only if the terrible aftertaste can be masked. As it is, that is a deal breaker for me. I will see if I can hopefully get rid of it. This will probably be better at lower % as well.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 1/5
Recommend to a friend: No.
 
Loco Raspberry

Mixed at 3% and 6% in 60:40 VG/PG base with no nic
Tested in Velocity and Recoil clone drippers, dual Ni80 coils at 0.35-0.4Ω and at 30, 40, 45, and 50W

Notes: After the passable realism of Loco's Mango and Guava, I had high hopes for the Raspberry. It doesn't attain that same level of authenticity. There is a prominent white sugar inhale, which gives way to a bright and breezy candy berry exhale, more sweet than tart. But that is not a bad thing at all, candy flavours can be very tasty. The overall experience is akin to licking a raspberry lollipop. It's not gourmet vaping but it doesn't need to be. It's just a cheerful, prettily pink vape that is quite amenable as a standalone for me.

Recommended percentage: I'm getting the sense that Loco flavours fit with Enyawreklaw's dictum that "less is more". I tried it at 3% and 6%, and the double-strength version darkened the flavour slightly without improving it. 3-4% would be the sweet spot for me. Although if you prefer a more saturated flavour, bumping it up some won't push it over the edge.

Rating: 4/5

Recommend to a friend: Yes.
 
Loco Mango

Mixed at 3% and 6% in 60:40 VG/PG base with no nic
Tested in Velocity and Recoil clone drippers, dual Ni80 coils at 0.35-0.4Ω and at 30, 40, 45, and 50W

Notes: I can't add much to previous conclusions that this is a somewhat acidic and barely-ripe mango with very passable realism that extends through to the fibrous texture of the flesh. It feels a bit bright and light to be fully authentic but that is not a negative for me. Standalone, this wasn't as pleasing as the Guava, it needs a cream or pairing with other fruits to retain interest over extended vaping. But I see this as being both prominent and versatile enough to fit into many different combinations.

Recommended percentage: At 3% this immediately felt right. Increasing to 6% introduced a sharper note that didn't ruin the taste but definitely knocked it down a notch. I would be wary of over-flavouring with Mango, 4% is as high as I would take it.

Rating: 4/5

Recommend to a friend: Yes.
 
Haha @Strontium, I missed the sarcasm in your post! :) For whatever reason I love the stuff... shame (for me) that VV will probably not stock it.

A 5/5 for Blueberry! A perfect example of how subjective taste is. With a review like that I can't not add it to the line up, if one person likes it then there will be others ;) We just need to include those 0/5 reviews so it's clear that it's not for everyone.
 
Yeah, absolutely!

A 5/5 for Blueberry! A perfect example of how subjective taste is. With a review like that I can't not add it to the line up, if one person likes it then there will be others ;) We just need to include those 0/5 reviews so it's clear that it's not for everyone.

@Ezekiel now look what you've done, some poor unsuspecting soul is going to be subjected to Blue death Berry.

:vomiton22je::yikes:
 
Lo everyone.

Herewith my initial impressions. These are by no means final, as I still have a few steps to do (for my own as well as others' sake). I'll update my post as well as post whatever relevant reviews I have on VV's site when I'm finally done.

I only received my loot yesterday, so only made a single batch of each. After this I will figure out better percentages where needed, as well as test steeping over time in the presence of nicotine, and then performance of some of the concentrates in mixes.

All of these were mixed between 4-5 % (not specific %, as IMO it is extremely difficult to get accurate mixtures at low volumes. I aimed for 4.5 %). I specifically asked for cherry, coffee and blueberry, due to the wide variety of these flavours out yonder; the rest of the flavours I just asked for whatever they had the least request for.

1. Loco Mint

Notes: Candied after-dinner type of concentrate (like Imperial mints). Menthol is quite strong (at 4.5 % way too strong). Slightly sweet, with a small note of spearmint at beginning of exhale. Quite decently full mouthfeel.

Impression: I like this mint very much. While I do not vape many menthol vapes, the other mint concentrates I have tried (eg. FA Arctic Mint) have a very bitter/earthy note which spoils some mixes. I would guess that this mint will add a bit of flavour + sweetness to a mix, so if only the cooling effect is required I might suggest something else. Very nice!

Fullness: 3/5

Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

2. Loco Guava

Notes: Sweet, almost candy-like guava nectar. Very light hint of graininess. Some earthy/pip notes, but not prevalent. Moderately full mouthfeel - again, like guava nectar.

Impression: This is quite a mild guava for me. It is very reminiscent of guava juice concentrate/nectar, with a very slight 'grain' effect. In comparison to other guava concentrates, it is quite a bit sweeter with less guava flavour and less graininess (which might be good in some cases). It is also more artificial for me than other guava flavours. Main guava note is a bit volatile - vaporizes at low temperatures, and comes of first before any other flavours. For this reason I might be worried that the guava taste will disappear after some time, or maybe it fatigues quickly (but only time will tell). That said, directly after mixing I was not impressed by this at all, but after a day steeping it was much better. For me, this is too mellow of a guava for standalone or as a main note, but I can see how this concentrate can be a good additive or top note in mixes (such as tropical mixes or yoghurts) due to the lesser 'graininess'. I think it will be a bit better at lower %.

Fullness: 2/5

Rating: 3/5
Recommend to a friend: No

3. Loco Brandy

Notes: A few slight notes of raisins, spice and sherry. Interesting flavour profile, difficult to pin down. Quite sweet. Reminds me of the boozy flavour in egg-nog, but without any creaminess. Quite light concentrate with little mouthfeel, although I picked up a very slight fizz.

Impression: Quite an interesting flavour. Doesn't really taste like brandy at all, but it might give an almost brandy taste to certain bakeries (almost like brandy in fruitcake, but not brandy in coke). I really get reminded of egg-nog, and I think this will go very well with creams and custards. This is not good stand-alone, but I think it might see some use in bakery vapes. If you can find a mix profile for this to work in, I think it can be excellent, as I haven't had anything like it before.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend to a friend: No

4. Loco Blueberry

Notes: Strong blueberry candy. Slightly sweet (but not too much), full mouthfeel, with a hint of juiciness and very small but present tartness. Some earthiness. Hint of black currents in aftertaste.

Impression: I have been looking for this exact flavour profile for a very long time. This is the candy blueberry flavour used in commercial products (think blue rascals). However, it has quite a bit of depth as well. While it is definitely predominantly blueberry candy, it has an element of the actual berry as well (in terms of juice and acidity). Very importantly, I haven't picked up any perfume notes nor liqorice (both which is prevalent in many other blueberry concentrates). I don't think this is ideal for bakeries (where FLV blueberry shines), nor berry jus/jam (where FW blueberry shines), but I think it can be great for candy, fruit and cocktail vapes, or as an additive to help shape a blueberry note somewhere else. Note that this concentrate lingers for quite a while on coils. Really love this concentrate!

Fullness: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

5. Loco Cream

Notes: Sweet, full and fresh cream. Entirely unspiced (no vanilla), but slight hint of milk and malted milk. Very much like unwhipped double cream.

Impressions: Very good, full cream. Almost as fresh as FA fresh cream, but creamier and sweeter. It does have some flavour (in terms of milkiness), but it doesn't contains any spice notes (unlike Bavarian cream or Vienna cream). The cream (like all creams) benefits from steeping, as I've already noticed a large difference in taste after only a day (although creams usually steep quicker when mixed stand alone). Definitely a great cream.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

6. Loco Shortbread

Notes: Spot-on buttery shortbread (like gourmet super-soft Eat-sum-mores). Lots of bakery notes, quite a bit baked vanilla, custard and cream notes. Very slight hint of grain/cookie, but otherwise very smooth.

Impressions: Again, an extremely good cookie/confectionary concentrate. Really gives an impression of extremely soft shortbread, similar to a smoother FA Cookie. Will see how it matures, but for now, I think this can be a very good base for specific bakery vapes.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

7. Loco Rum

Notes: Artificial rum-and-raisin flavour. Lots of raisins, with a hint of booziness. Not sweet. Semi-full mouthfeel. Almost dry.

Impressions: Like the Brandy, this does not give me an impression of rum. It also does not add any significant juiciness (unlike FA Jamaican Rum). However, this is the exact flavour which I associate with rum-and-raisin ice cream - which I have been looking for for a while. The exhale is made of some booziness followed by the rum and raisin, which then lingers for quite a while. In this regard, I am very happy with this concentrate, since I feel it can be used specifically for that flavour.

Fullness: 3/5
Rating: 4/5
Recommend to a friend: Yes

8. Loco Cherry

Notes: Candied artificial cherry, although not sweet. Hint of tartness and a almost complex undertone, reminiscent of cherry juice. Almost watery.

Impressions: First impressions of this were horrible, but it did seem to develop quite a bit overnight. This (like practically all other cherries) is the "Halls" cherry candy. There does seem to be a bit of an undertone of cherry juice; however, it is mostly overshadowed by the candy cherry taste. The taste itself is very light and watery, which means it will not likely be suitable for cherry tobaccos. There might be some use of this cherry in bakery, confectionary or creamy vapes, but I'm not sure whether it will work.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 2/5
Recommend to a friend: No.

9. Loco Coffee

Notes: Very weak latte taste, similar to coffee-flavourings in chocolates or milkshakes. Strong overtones of solvents (rubber/plastic). Decent mouthfeel.

Impressions: Despite the solvents (which might dissappear after time, or which might be breathed out), this is a very weak coffee. However, it is not burnt coffee at all, unlike many other coffee concentrates. For this reason, it might be used as a mellow overtone of coffee in a mix, or maybe to enhance coffee notes without adding espresso/burnt coffee. Not sure if it will work though, but I'll try anyway. It might be better at lower %.

Fullness: 2/5
Rating: 1/5
Recommend to a friend: No

10. Loco Maple

Notes: Baked maple flavours on inhale and direct exhale. Dominant solvent aftertaste (rubber/plastic). Semi-sweet and decent mouthfeel, but not syrupy.

Impressions: Very strange flavour. The concentrate has a overdominantly solvent taste (like TFA's Mexican Coffee). If you can get rid of this solvent (through breathing, streething, open water-bath or even masking/layering), then there might be something to this concentrate. The solvent taste is very volatile (comes off first in a dripper and at very low temperatures), so it might dissappear after some time. The actual taste is the same taste you get in baked maple confectionaries, or maple tea/coffee, and not like the artificial maple syrup we get in SA. In this regard I think this concentrate can be wonderful for bakery and confectionary vapes, but only if the terrible aftertaste can be masked. As it is, that is a deal breaker for me. I will see if I can hopefully get rid of it. This will probably be better at lower % as well.

Fullness: 4/5
Rating: 1/5
Recommend to a friend: No.

Great writeups @Ezekiel!
 
Blueberry

Mixed at 5%, 60/40, 1.5mg nic. steeped 5 days
Tested on a goblin mini v3, dual 26g stainless with cotton bacon. The cotton and coil have subsequently been tossed and the tank is undergoing a thorough clean

This stuff has the most authentic taste of sunlight soap, it is chemically and vile. Every flavour house has hits and misses, this is most definitely a miss.

Score 0/5
Recommend to a friend: Definitely not, unless they have Tourette's and need their mouths washed out.
 
Blueberry

Mixed at 5%, 60/40, 1.5mg nic. steeped 5 days
Tested on a goblin mini v3, dual 26g stainless with cotton bacon. The cotton and coil have subsequently been tossed and the tank is undergoing a thorough clean

This stuff has the most authentic taste of sunlight soap, it is chemically and vile. Every flavour house has hits and misses, this is most definitely a miss.

Score 0/5
Recommend to a friend: Definitely not, unless they have Tourette's and need their mouths washed out.

It took two tanks of Chilled Pineapple before that taste went away.
 
MilkTart

Mixed at 5%, 60/40, 1.5mg nic. steeped 5 days
Tested on avocado22, single 26g kanthal 6 spaced wraps and on a goblin mini v3, dual 26g stainless both with cotton bacon.

I was pleasantly surprised with this, Milktart seems to be quite a hard profile to get and this is about the best I have tried. It is a very delicate flavour of Milktart filling with a sprinkling of cinnamon. This isn't perfect and can do with a bit of help, perhaps with a dash of graham gracker, cookie or biscuit as a base and maybe a small amount of vanilla custard and vanilla swirl to fill it out slightly you will have a real winner. there is true potential here.

Score 3.5/5

Recommend to a friend: Absolutely, I can see this being very nice with a bit of support, definitely something I will be playing with myself quite a bit
 
It took two tanks of Chilled Pineapple before that taste went away.

I'm struggling to get it out myself. Days like this I realise I need to invest in an untrasonic cleaner. Maybe a 15% menthol 5% koolada mix might help cover it for a while. ;(
 
A 5/5 for Blueberry! A perfect example of how subjective taste is. With a review like that I can't not add it to the line up, if one person likes it then there will be others ;) We just need to include those 0/5 reviews so it's clear that it's not for everyone.
Yip exactly.

Plus im sure youve also found a flavour you didn't think much of. Then mix it with flavour X, and all of sudden it shines.

Reviews are important though - to get a sense of what you may be in for.

I personally just wanted to see if these were quality or not. And sounds like they are.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
My reviews for my Loco Beta Tests are as follow:
I mixed up all my Testers at 4% 60/40 0mg nic.

1.Raspberry

At 4% its not too strong but very Candy-like, very likeable for me as im a raspberry fan. It would be very nice at 5-6%. Will do another tester.
Not really a good standalone flavour needs some cream base to bring out a full bodied raspberry.

Recommended percentage range:

5-6%

Rating out of 5:

4/5
Whether or not you’d recommend the flavour to a friend
Yes if you like raspberry

2.Rum
Very strong rum flavour at 4% for a standalone i would recommend 2-3%, in a recipe 4% would be perfect. Very authentic for me as i get notes that remind me of a dark rum.

Recommended percentage range:

2-3% Standalone
4% in Recipe

Rating out of 5:
5/5

Whether or not you’d recommend the flavour to a friend
Yes highly

TBC
 
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