HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings

HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
Nov 2, 2017 revision
Regarding percentages: 3% is a reasonable starting point for standalone use of most
FlavourArt flavorings. Exceptions are noted in the descriptions.
Shake, shake, shake! Many flavorings settle into layers as they sit, and you can’t
always tell by looking. Always shake flavorings right before you use them.
How old is your flavoring? If you buy FA flavors in factory packaging, they’ll have a
“best before” date stamped on them. If you buy rebottled, write the date on them when
you receive them. You can maximize the life of your flavorings by keeping them cool,
dark, and well-sealed. I’ve found most flavorings can sit for a couple years and taste just
as fresh as when they were new. There are exceptions! Delicate fruit flavors can fade
over time. Most fade gradually, so you may not notice. When you buy a new bottle & it
seems different, that’s often the explanation. Some flavorings lose sweetness and taste
unpleasant when they’re old. If a flavor you once loved no longer tastes great & you’ve
had it for a while, buy a new bottle. Keep the old one until the new one arrives, then
compare them to taste how it changed over time.
Are you looking for my recipes? I maintain at least 80 free, public recipes — only at
VapingUnderground: http://vapingunderground.com/forums/diy-e-liquid-recipes.50/.
My recipe names begin with “HIC’s…” Those are mostly from 2015 & earlier, though I
still update those and add new ones there occasionally. For my more recent recipes,
visit my recipes store: http://www.hicsmixes.com/.
Do you have questions about these notes or my recipes? I truly enjoy helping DIY
mixers ditch tobacco products and avoid overpriced vendor premixed liquids. Please
don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something you think I might be able to help with. You can
email me from this page: http://www.hicsmixes.com/notes-etc.html (be sure to include
your email address if you want a reply). You can meet others who use my store recipes
here: http://vapingunderground.com/threads/hics-mixes-diy-recipes-store.54921/. If
you’re a VU member, you can publicly post there - or click on my avatar and choose
“start a conversation” to send me a private message.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 1 of 33

HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA 7 Leaves
FlavourArt describes this tobacco blend as “the most interesting components” of fire
cured, bright leaf, burley, shade, perique, latakia, and oriental tobaccos. Their
description says “light undertone of dried leaves, woody nuances and a spicy touch.”
Pay little attention to the tobacco flavors they list; focus on their description instead!
Many distinctive aspects of those tobaccos are NOT part of this flavor. You will not taste
the strong, dark smoke of Latakia, for example. Expect a light, dry, bright, cigarette-like
blend with sweet “high notes” of anise and light smokiness on exhale. If you are
replacing cigarettes with vapes, this & Maxx Blend are two to try first. Mix 7 Leaves at
2-3% standalone. Let it age for the flavors to blend - it will gain some strength with age.
If you like 7 Leaves but want bolder tobacco, try adding FA Cuban Supreme. If you like
the mildness of 7 Leaves and want another mild tobacco blend, see FA Maxx Blend. 7
Leaves is useful as a non-tobacco flavor, too. It can add the sweet-on-the-tongue effect
of FA Anise without clear anise flavor when used at 1% or less in recipes, especially
with citrus flavors.
FA Almond
Sweet-almond flavor, very much like almond extract. Use it in bakery vapes just like
you’d use almond extract when baking. To reduce the sweetness, use Almond with a
little FA Nut Mix - this tastes more like raw almonds. Add some Almond when using
Coconut for a classic flavor pairing and more complexity. A little almond can change the
cherry/almond accent in FA Vanilla Tahiti to almond-vanilla. If you’re looking for sweet
bitter-almond flavor (like in amaretto), see Marzipan. This is not a roasted or toasted nut
flavor, but little accents of Oak Wood, TFA Brown Sugar, and/or Black Fire in a recipe
can give that effect.
FA Amber see FA Liquid Amber
FA Anise
Bright, sweet, pure star-anise flavor with a characteristic sweetness on your tongue as
you inhale. For a sweet and cool effect with subtle anise flavor, use 0.5% or less in your
recipe. Anise makes fruits taste bright and sweeter at a fraction of a percent - or adds
distinctive anise flavor over 1%. It brightens and sweetens dark licorice flavors; that’s
why real licorice candies often include anise oil. Anise can sweeten and lighten tobacco
mixes; it is one of the flavors in FA 7 Leaves tobacco blend. Anise is a classic with all
citrus flavors and combines well with most fruits. It’s a nice twist to add to your favorite
minty vape. Anise flavor does not change as you pass 3%; it just gets stronger. FA Anise
and TFA Absinthe are interchangeable in most recipes.
FA Apple (Stark)
Mild, mellow, realistic apple juice flavor, like the juice of Stark Yellow Delicious apples.
Mildly sweet with no tart notes. Apple never dominates a recipe. It blends smoothly with
other flavors and makes an appealing sweetener in fruit blends. Add a little FA Liquid
Amber or FA Brandy to “bake” or “ferment” Apple. FA Walnut can accentuate Apple
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 2 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
flavor in a recipe and the apple part of FA Apple Pie. For bold, crisp, fresh apple flavor,
see FA Fuji.
FA Apple Pie
Savory crust with some flavor of FA Apple and light spice that many people will not
notice. Apple Pie is not very sweet or fruity. The apple flavor is easily covered by other
fruits, especially dark fruits and berries, so adding a small touch of Apple Pie to your
other fruit can make a tasty pie. Classic American apple pie would begin here but
require additional FA Apple and/or Fuji plus extra cinnamon flavor - at the very least. For
a cobbler-type crust flavor try a 2:1 ratio of Apple Pie: FA Cookie. Adding Cookie to
replace part of Apple Pie also helps minimize the apple, so you can get a crust flavor
that works well with light fruit flavors. FA Joy brings out the cinnamon flavor. Adding
sweet flavors like Marzipan or Zeppola can surprisingly make the cinnamon and apple
quite prominent.
FA Apricot
Fresh, juicy, ripe apricot - realistic flavor with just the right level of natural sweetness. It
can seem weak used standalone, but Apricot blends great with other fruits. Coconut
accents it well. Makes excellent apricot brandy (with FA Brandy) and apricot rum (with
FA Jamaican Rum), which can be used for cocktail-type vapes. To 'bake' Apricot, use a
little Brandy or Jamaican Rum along with a touch of TFA Brown Sugar. FA Peach can
boost Apricot flavor; FA Pear is the ideal sweetener for Apricot.
FA Arctic Winter see Menthol Arctic
FA Aurora
This is mostly a citrus blend, sharper than most FA citrus flavors. It’s more like fresh
citrus zest than juice, with an emphasis on lemon. It’s not especially sweet, and it’s not
one to fade with steeping. Try spiking your FA-based citrus recipes with a little Aurora if
you feel they mellow too much as they age. Vaped standalone, you’ll taste a little
something else in the background. It’s hard to identify but reminds me of white wine or
gin - though subtle enough that it won’t interfere with use as a “citrus booster” in
recipes. This flavoring is naturally a bit cloudy and separates as it sits, so be sure to
shake it before you use it.
FA Banana
Banana can be used at higher percents than many other FA fruits: 5% standalone is not
unreasonable. This is totally realistic, natural tasting banana flavoring. Like real
bananas, it's not a bold flavor. This is yellow banana, not green, not brown, and not
strongly sweet. It’s ideal in smoothie-type vapes. FA Walnut can accentuate Banana.
Adding other sweet flavors can give you stronger than expected, “riper” banana flavor.
FA Bergamot
Totally accurate Bergamot flavor - the earthy, aromatic orange you may know from Earl
Grey tea. Add to FA Black Tea to make an Earl Grey. Bergamot is also the key to orange
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 3 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
liqueur like Grand Marnier. Add 0.5% Bergamot to FA Orange (and optionally Brandy
and/or Mandarin) for various orange liqueur flavors. Bergamot adds an exotic touch and
extends orange flavors through the exhale. It has a bit of bitterness that works well in
cocktail and beverage vapes.
FA Bilberry
Stronger than most FA fruits! This is fresh-picked bilberries, which are European
blueberries, similar to American huckleberries. Bilberries are a bolder flavor, "darker"
and "wilder" than cultivated American blueberries - and not as sweet. Bilberry is a very
popular flavor in Europe, not too common in the U.S. American blueberries taste bland
and watery when compared to bilberries. This flavor can dominate a recipe. It can
overpower weak fruit flavors at surprisingly low percentages, but it blends easily with
other dark fruits and berries like Black Cherry, Pomegranate, and Blackcurrant. Use a
light touch (start at 0.5%) to add berries to bakery vapes. Excellent paired with
raspberry (many European candies use the two together); this combination is great with
tea and chocolate recipes. Try with FA Brandy for a liqueur flavor. To make it taste more
like an American blueberry, use plenty of sweet flavors with it, and consider adding
creams. Add a little FA Forest Mix for extra complexity in recipes that feature bilberry.
FA Bitter Wizard
This is an additive to mask sweetness, especially for tobacco blends and high-VG
mixes. FA recommends using about 1% to cover sweetness, more to add a bitter edge.
FA Grapefruit has a similar effect on fruit blends.
FA Blackberry
<1% !! Warning, very strong! FlavourArt has said this is one of their strongest flavors.
It’s a deep, full, complex, blackberry flavor. It is not especially sweet. The background
flavor is musky, like wild blackberries, and earthy. If it tastes like soap or perfume to you,
you are using too much. Consider making a 10% dilution to use as your flavoring - this
makes it easier to use very small amounts or fine-tune your percentage. Fresh Cream is
excellent to lighten the flavor; include additional sweeter flavors for the best flavor. Fans
of berry tobacco might enjoy a tiny (0.1%) touch of Blackberry in the background for the
dark berry flavor. If you have an aversion to floral flavors but want dark berries, consider
using FA Forest Mix or Bilberry instead. Blackberry mellows some with a long steep.
FA Black Cherry
Perfect for cherry cola! (try 4% Cola with 2% Black Cherry). Black Cherry can overrun
mild fruit flavors at surprisingly low percentages. It’s great for sweetening other strong,
dark fruits and berries, like Bilberry, Pomegranate, and Black Currant. Black Cherry
makes tasty cherry brandy (add a touch of FA Brandy) or cherry rum (mix with FA
Jamaican Rum). For baked fruit flavor in bakery mixes, add a touch of Brandy or
Jamaican Rum. Excellent with FA Almond for a bold cherry-almond addition to any
recipe. For cherry tobacco, Black Cherry is probably the one you want (as opposed to
Cherry). For a less dominant, less sweet cherry flavor, try FA Cherry. The two flavors
work well together, usually with more Cherry than Black Cherry for a balanced flavor. If
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 4 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
your Black Cherry vape needs any vanilla flavor, the sweet cherry/almond accents of FA
Vanilla Tahiti work especially well.
FA Black Currant
No other brand does this flavor near as well. It’s a berry-like flavor with sweet and tart
notes. It sweetens dark berry flavors, like Bilberry. It adds tartness to others, like
Raspberry. Small additions of Black Currant can add tanginess and interest to other fruit
flavors without distracting too much. This is one of the main flavors in FA Forest Mix.
FA Black Fire
Smoke flavor without tobacco notes. Black Fire is most often used with tobaccos to add
authentic smokiness to the exhale. Get your tobacco recipe to your liking, then add
Black Fire in small steps, just 0.25% at a time, for a realistic smoke effect. It does not
alter the tobacco flavors but adds some sourness as you approach too much. If you add
more than that, you'll taste hickory. Also read about FA Latakia.
FA Black Pepper
This is worth getting just to satisfy your curiosity. It’s a warm, woody spice flavor, not at
all sharp. It does not sting, add “throat hit”, or make you sneeze! Pepper is certainly at
home in Indian chai vapes. If you vape tomato or cucumber flavors, try adding Black
Pepper. Some people pepper melons, so that’s worth a try. There may be some tobacco
blends that work with this warm spice, too. Chefs pair black pepper with vanilla.
FA Black Tea
Plain, unsweetened black tea. Mixed with 50% or more PG, you’ll get authentic
bitterness. You’ll need to add your own lemon, mint, honey, cream, bergamot, and so
on. Note that Black Tea tastes stronger with cheap/”spicy” nic base! The better your nic
quality, the MORE of this flavoring you need. Start at 2% & work up.
FA Blood Orange
This is the authentic, bold flavor of blood oranges. If there’s room for only one orange
flavoring in your collection, I recommend either this one or FA Royal Orange. Faderesistant Blood Orange includes both sweet and zesty notes. It’s a flavor you can vape
standalone that’s also excellent for fruit blends and juicy-type recipes. Although Blood
Orange isn’t a straight-out substitute for any other FA orange flavor, if you run into
recipes that call for both FA Orange and FA Mandarin, you can often substitute an equal
quantity of Blood Orange for realistic and juicier flavor. Equal measures of Blood
Orange and Royal Orange make an excellent start for juice blends - like a shot of freshsqueezed o.j. To emphasize the zesty note in Blood Orange, add 0.5% FA Mandarin. To
sweeten Blood Orange, add Royal Orange. Note that Blood Orange separates into
layers & is an orange color (likely from natural ingredients). Always shake this one well
before measuring — and shake your finished mix before using it, too.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 5 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Brandy
Very authentic boozy flavor right after mixing, even when used under 1% percent - but
MUCH smoother and more subtle as it ages! Add to fruit flavors, just 0.25% to make
them taste juicier, 0.5% for a 'baked fruit' effect, or 1-1.5% for tasty fruit liqueur flavors.
Especially good with FA Bilberry, Black Currant, Apricot, and cherry flavors. Apricot
Brandy and Black Cherry Brandy are superb made with FA flavorings. Brandy adds a
gourmet touch to fruity bakery recipes - remember to let your mix age at least a day or
two if you use it like this. A light touch of Brandy with apple flavors can give you hard
apple cider. If you want a recipe to taste like it includes real alcohol, use Brandy, and
vape it without steeping. For a more subtle “fermented” note in your fruity recipes, also
read the notes on FA Liquid Amber.
FA Breakfast Cereal
5% is a reasonable standalone percent. It’s a pleasant standalone flavor that I think will
prove most useful in recipes - not just cold breakfast cereal mixes, but a wide variety of
bakery type recipes. This is a lightly-sweet, dry (no milk), authentic grain flavor with
"toasted" notes. There are no spices here. The grain aspect tastes most like a wholewheat cereal such as Post Grape-Nuts or Wheaties - or hot cereal of toasted wheat
berries. As little as 0.5% in a recipe can give it a cereal-like character; beware the grain
aspect gains some strength as it ages. Breakfast Cereal also includes a fruity accent
that can be easily covered by other flavors in a recipe and that mellows over time.
Breakfast Cereal doesn’t seem to be trying to mimic any specific packaged cereal, but it
is a versatile building block flavor. Try tiny additions to nut flavors to tame "raw" notes.
Watch for future updates on this description as I spend more time mixing with it…
FA Burley
Versatile, neutral, pleasant, “light brown” tobacco flavor, like air-dried burley tobacco. It’s
an excellent blender, just like in real tobacco blends. From accents under 0.5% to fullstrength at 2% or so, only the strength of the flavor changes; no hidden notes emerge or
vanish at different percentages. If you like the flavor of American cigarettes, you’ll like
adding Burley as part of almost any tobacco blend. Just 0.5% in a recipe makes it
distinctly tobacco. It has earthy, spicy, and nutty notes in roughly equal measure. As it
steeps, it’s smoother and slightly creamy. There is no caramel, licorice, or vanilla,
nothing sour, nothing “green” or grassy, no ash or smoke flavor, nothing exotic. If you
need the flavor of a plain, neutral tobacco leaf, reach for Burley. For cigarette tobacco
blends, use it with Virginia and a tiny bit of Desert Ship.
FA Butterscotch
Bolder, richer, and sweeter than FA Caramel, like butterscotch ice-cream topping. For
bold caramel flavor in a recipe, Butterscotch stands out more distinctly than FA
Caramel. Where caramel blends in; Butterscotch pops. 2% Butterscotch + 1% FA
Brandy makes a Buttershots butterscotch schnapps flavor, good in cocktail-type vapes.
When combined with nut flavors or Coconut, some very rich, buttery notes can develop
over time. The higher quality your nic and the more VG in your mix, the smoother
Butterscotch will taste. FA Jamaican Rum sweetens it well - think butter rum.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 6 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Cam Blend This has been sold under various names over the years: CamBlend, CamT, and
CamTel. Right after mixing, this is unmistakably sandalwood - the aromatic, spicy,
earthy, woody flavor of sandalwood incense or massage oil. For tobacco blends, it must
be used in small amounts and MUST steep. It will make itself known in tobacco mixes
even at 0.25%, mellowing and losing a lot of its perfume qualities as it ages. If you are
looking for spicy Turkish type that’s less aromatic, consider FA Desert Ship.
FA Cantaloupe see FA Melon Cantaloupe
FA Cappuccino
This is a mild but persistent coffee flavor with powerful cream - unsweetened. The
cream in Cappuccino can overpower others flavors, so mixing with it can be a
challenge. Mix your other flavors, then add Cappuccino in small 0.5% increments to
avoid erasing the other flavors. The powerful cream in Cappuccino can be extremely
useful. Try it as a creamy-coffee addition to sweet recipes - that can give you excellent,
mild coffee vapes that cannot be duplicated easily with other FA flavors.

FA Caramel
More like ice-cream topping than hard candy. It never tastes burnt or cracker-jacks-like.
Definitely less sweet than most other brands’ caramels. It adds rich caramel to tobaccos
without transforming the mix into candy. Add FA Butterscotch for bolder, sweeter
caramel. Adding nut flavors can produce buttery effects as a mix ages; see notes on FA
Butterscotch and Walnut.
FA Cardamom
No other company makes this spice flavor, and FA did it perfectly! If you vape coconut,
fruit flavors, chai/tea, or spiced bakery recipes, you need this flavor. It tastes just like
sweet green cardamom, a sweet, earthy spice related to ginger. If you dislike ginger,
you may not like Cardamom - otherwise, give this spice a try. It's a distinctive flavor
you’re likely to recognize from Indian chai. Cardamom adds a great touch to many fruits.
Accent citrus with Cardamom for a Scandinavian accent. Cardamom and coconut are a
perfect pair; cardamom sweetens the flavor of FA Coconut, especially on the exhale. Try
it in recipes featuring FA Almond for a traditional Indian flavor pairing. Of course you
need Cardamom for authentic chai flavor. Add 0.25-0.5% Cardamom along with your
other chai spices.
FA Catalan Cream
This is the flavor Spanish catalan cream custard made with the traditional ingredients.
It’s sharper and more complex than Vienna Cream. It’s sweet and creamy, with vanilla,
a little lemony citrus, a little dark caramel, and a small touch of cinnamon-spice (which
some can taste and some cannot). FA Joy accentuates the spice in Catalan Cream.
Vary your vaping power to taste the range of flavors. It's bold enough to stand up to
strong berry flavors. For a milder version of this flavor, use it with Vienna Cream.
Catalan Cream makes a complex vape all by itself. It can smooth bold tobacco flavors
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 7 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
while adding a hint of sharp vanilla-caramel-citrus; the bit of spice in Catalan Cream can
vanish when mixed with some other flavors. Excellent with fruity and bakery flavors.
FA Cherry
Red, slightly tart, fresh cherry flavor - not a sweet or dark cherry. 3% or more will remind
some people of cherry candy or cough drops. A little menthol makes it into a proper
cough drop. If you want it to taste more like candy, try adding tiny amounts of FA
Orange and/or FA Fuji. To overcome the cough-drop effect in any cherry flavor, add
supporting, similar fruit flavors; try an accent of Forest Mix for more complexity, Black
Cherry for sweeter/darker flavor, Blackcurrant for sweet-and-tart effects, or Brandy for a
boozy flavor.
FA Cigar Passion
This is a potent flavor; 2% standalone is quite strong after steeping. This is designed to
be a Cuban cigar flavor, robust and complex enough to enjoy as a standalone flavor. I
have no knowledge of real Cuban cigars, so I can’t offer any comparison. Those who
know cigars better than I do use this flavoring as a base for cigar mixes. It’s a spicy,
woody, dark tobacco flavor, bolder than Tuscan Reserve. Cigar Passion changes flavor
as it ages, so be sure to let it mature before passing judgment.
FA Cocoa and FA Chocolate
If you’re familiar with cocoa manufacturing, think of FA Chocolate as chocolate liquor
before the cocoa butter is added, and think of FA Cocoa as cocoa powder. The two
flavorings are often used together as the beginning of a complete chocolate flavor. FA
Chocolate can taste like Hershey’s syrup or chocolate liqueur, depending on the other
flavorings you use with it. If you have chocolate extract in your kitchen, notice FA
Chocolate smells just the same. When chocolate extract is used in cooking, it’s often
used with cocoa powder - which is the flavor of FA Cocoa.

When using Cocoa and Chocolate together, more Cocoa than Chocolate gives you
darker chocolate flavor. For milk chocolate use more Chocolate and less Cocoa. The
two together are still not a candy bar flavor - you’ll have to add milky/sweet/caramel
notes with other flavorings. Acetyl pyrazine is a secret weapon for chocolate vapes, but
it doesn’t have to be used in pure form. Bakery type flavors like FA Cookie or TFA
Cheesecake Graham can serve the same purpose while adding bakery or creamy
notes. Many tobacco flavorings and most nut flavors contain acetyl pyrazine, if you’re
interested in experimenting.

Like many other dark-colored flavorings, too much Cocoa can clog your wick/coil fairly
quickly, and too much power will give you a burnt flavor. If you’re sub-ohming, beware. If
you’re using more basic hardware, you’re in luck, because Cocoa is one amazing flavor
when vaped at higher resistance. The higher quality your nicotine base is, the better
Cocoa and Chocolate will taste. That’s true of most flavors, but the difference with these
two can be drastic. If you’re not sure of your nic quality, try vaping Cocoa (or a recipe
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 8 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
containing it) with your usual nic base versus 0 mg, using identical hardware. If the
difference is stunning, your nic is interfering with your flavors.
FA Cocoon (flavor blend)
This is a pre-mixed flavor blend that tastes like fresh (Fuji) apples, caramel, and maybe
a bit of pastry. FA’s flavor blends are intended to make mixing easy & quick, especially
for new DIYers.
FA Cinnamon Ceylon
Superb bakery cinnamon flavor, complex and true to the real spice. Although some
people use it at crazy percentages for red-hot cinnamon candy, that's not the best use
of this one (use TFA Cinnamon Red Hot for that). In recipes with bakery-type cinnamon
as a major flavor, FlavourArt is ideal. Spiced apple pie, cookie flavors with cinnamon,
spiced beverages, sweet bakery recipes - that's where Cinnamon Ceylon really shines.
Like real cinnamon powder, it’s not very sweet. It relies on the rest of your recipe for
sweetness. Sweeten using flavors that taste sweet on the exhale, like FA Cardamom or
Anise. In bakery recipes, FA Zeppola sweetens Cinnamon Ceylon beautifully!
FA Citrus Mix (Sicilian Mix)
FA describes this one simply and accurately: "orange, lemon, grapefruit and mandarin."
If you have those FA flavors, you can duplicate Citrus Mix. The grapefruit gives you
tartness of fresh-squeezed citrus juice and makes this fresher and livelier than most
other mixed-citrus flavorings. It's interesting enough to enjoy standalone flavor,
especially if you like grapefruit. Small amounts added to dull fruit blends or single citrus
flavors can brighten them and add interest.
FA Clove
Somewhere between the flavor of clove oil and powdered cloves used in baking. It’s a
strong flavor that does not fade much with time, with the sweetness of real cloves. As
little as 0.25% will stand out in a chai-type spice mixture. Clove is a pure spice flavor,
not a kretek clove cigarette. Try a little clove to help sweeten recipes that feature lots of
Cinnamon Ceylon.

FA Coconut
Creamy, realistic coconut flavor like raw coconut meat/milk or unsweetened coconut
cream. It's the same level of sweetness as fresh coconut - not sugar-coated or candy,
and not at all processed or artificial tasting. It’s a great tropical touch for fruit blends,
tobaccos, coffee, and bakery recipes. Mix with sweet candy flavors for candy bars.
Excellent in cocktail-type vapes, where it works just like coconut cream. When building
a recipe, keep in mind that you’ll taste Coconut as a lingering flavor at the end of an
exhale. For dry coconut flavor, FA Oakwood gives a coconut-husk effect, like the paperthin, light brown, inner shell of a coconut (a good combination for coconut tobaccos.) FA
Cardamom is superb with Coconut. It adds an exotic spicy touch and sweetens the
exhale. Bakers often include vanilla and/or almond when working with coconut - try the
same in your recipes for a familiar flavor.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 9 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Coffee Espresso
Strong, bold, true, never bitter, excellent coffee flavor! No skunky flavor that some coffee
flavorings have. No offensive vapor trail. For Starbucks-like flavor, start with your
favorite cream and flavors. Get them to your liking, then add 0.5-1% Espresso. Think of
0.5% addition as an 'espresso shot' in a venti sized Starbucks drink. For plain blonde
coffee, try 1-2% Espresso with 2% FA Fresh Cream. With high-VG, high-quality nic
base, Espresso is mildly sweet. With lower quality nic, Coffee Espresso is very strong
and can have a harsh edge. If it seems unpleasant to you, try Espresso with 0 mg base
to see if your nic is altering the flavor.
FA Cola
This is great Coke flavor. It does not require any steep. It's a totally clear liquid that
vapes clean and tastes great all by itself. It even gives you a bubbly, carbonated effect,
easiest to notice if you use some PG in your nic base. 4% FA Cola with 2% FA Black
Cherry is a perfect Cherry Coke. For ice in your Coke, add a little Polar Blast. Real cola
is a complex blend of citrus, spice, and vanilla flavors. With that in mind, innovative
DIYers can sometimes find uses for it other than soda pop flavors.
FA Concord Grape see Grape Concord
FA Condensed Milk
Beware: this is a misnamed flavoring! It would more accurately be called Evaporated
Milk or Powdered Milk. This is NOT sweetened, condensed milk; it’s certainly not like a
can of Eagle Brand. It tastes like powdered milk, including the “dustiness” you smell
opening a box of it. The “dusty” note can be very persistent in recipes. Condensed Milk
can erase existing sweetness from other flavors in a recipe. If you use it in a recipe,
start around 0.25%; it easily overwhelms other flavors. Steeping is recommended for a
little more mellow flavor.
FA Cookie
Very versatile flavoring! Has no diketones, which sets it apart from most other vendors’
cookie flavorings. It’s a very neutral cookie base with no spices, vanilla, or other flavors
to interfere with your additions. It can be used standalone (some like it that way), as a
cookie base, or to add bakery effects to recipes. It adds rich, warm, baked flavor. If
you're making a cookie recipe with bold flavors, start with about 2% Cookie. For crunchy
cookie flavor, use more. For the flavor of browned edges, include some Caramel. For
soft-baked, gooey cookies, use less and add Marshmallow. For smoother flavor and rich
cookies include Vienna Cream. Including Anise adds an authentic Italian biscotti flavor.
Also see the notes on FA Apple Pie regarding Cookie.
FA Cowboy Blend
A Virginia-based tobacco blend with honey flavor. The more VG you use and the higher
your nic quality, the sweeter this is. If you’re looking for a mild cigarette type flavoring,
also read the description of FA Max Blend. In lower quality or “peppery” nicotine base,
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 10 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
especially with high PG, you may taste more caramel than honey. If you want a honey
tobacco and Cowboy Blend is too sweet, consider using Cowboy as just the honey
accent in a plain tobacco blend.
FA Cuban Supreme
There are many conflicting reviews for this, so I've describe it in detail. It's a neutral,
mild, true tobacco flavor. It's less bold than FA Virginia or Burley, but it's more obviously
tobacco than Maxx Blend or 7 Leaves. It's dry, woody, and smooth, neutral, light brown
tobacco leaf flavor. The exhale includes some woody vanilla. It's not at all ashy or "dirty"
tasting. It's never bitter or sour. It's on the sweet side of neutral, just lightly sweet (less
so than 7 Leaves and MaxxBlend). You’ll notice sweetness on the tongue during an
inhale if you're using 2% or higher. I can barely taste Cuban Supreme at 1%;
somewhere between 2-3% will satisfy most vapers. It’s an easy flavor to mix with,
because it does not change flavor as you change the percent - just changes strength.
Changing wattage alters the balance of dry-woody and tobacco-vanilla, but not
drastically. Cuban Supreme is complex, interesting, and tasty enough to vape
standalone. It also blends perfectly with FA's other basic tobacco flavors. Virginia adds
moisture and stronger ‘yellow/green' tobacco flavor; Burley adds darker tobacco flavor;
Desert Ship adds spiciness that Cuban Supreme completely lacks. RY4 fans will like
this with added 555-ish tobacco (or nut flavors or Glory), a bit of caramel, and perhaps
more vanilla.
If you like honey flavor, add Cowboy or MaxxBlend. If standalone 7 Leaves is too mild
for you, add some Cuban Supreme for the 'next step up' in boldness - or skip a couple
steps and try Cuban Supreme standalone. Cuban Supreme is perfect for mellowing wild
or harsher tobacco flavors. If coconut tobacco sounds appealing, start with Cuban
Supreme, maybe a hint of Burley, and 0.5% FA Coconut. You'll taste dry, woody-vanillacoconut notes on the exhale. It's a nice tropical touch but still a predominantly tobacco
flavor. If you want to go a little exotic, add a tiny bit of FA Cardamom along Coconut.
Excellent! The vapor trail of plain Cuban Supreme is practically undetectable under 2%.
Beyond that, it’s mild vanilla - this gets a stealth-vape seal of approval. If you've
hesitated to DIY tobacco flavors or want to try just one FA tobacco, this is a good one to
start with. I think it's the one FA tobacco that would appeal the widest audience. It's
obviously tobacco, neutral, excellent standalone, mixes perfectly with others; I can't
imagine anyone would find it offensive at 2-3%.
FA Cucumber
This tastes like fresh cucumbers - actually a very appealing and intriguing flavor to
vape. It’s light, refreshing, and slightly sweet. The cool/green flavor works well to add
the impression of rind to melon flavors, like the white part of watermelon. Try pairing
Cucumber with Spearmint, lime flavors, or Black Pepper.
FA Custard
If you are looking for an American vanilla pudding flavor, read my notes on FA's Vienna
Cream, Catalan Cream, and all three FA Vanilla flavors. FA Custard is a true custard
flavor, the chefs’ version made by cooking egg yolks, sugar, milk/cream, and vanilla into
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 11 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
a thickened cream. FA is an Italian company, so they've included lemon zest as an
Italian chef would. This is a bright, sweet, lemony-vanilla cream. Use Custard with your
favorite fruits to make them creamy. The vanilla accents all fruit flavors, and the lemon
complements most. If you enjoy vaping fresh fruit flavors, you need FA Custard. Gelato
is Italian ice cream that begins with cooked custard. Simply adding FA Custard to your
favorite FA fresh fruit flavors can give you authentic Italian gelato flavor. The stronger
the fruit flavor is, the higher the ratio of Custard to fruit. If a (real food) recipe begins with
egg yolks, milk/cream, and sugar stirred together over heat, then the vape equivalent
needs FA Custard. You'll find it's the beginning of many cooked candies, ice cream,
cakes, pies/tarts, etc. You can use Custard along with Vienna Cream to minimize the
lemon flavor. Also read about Nonna’s Cake, which is a custard pie flavor.
FA Dark Vapure
I can’t vape enough of this very bold, harsh tobacco flavor to properly describe it, but
just an observation that 0.5% is too intense for me personally, standalone or in recipes.
FA Desert Ship
This is FA’s mainstream Turkish tobacco flavor. It does not have the depth of a naturallyextracted tobacco flavoring like Hangsen, but it does have the rich spice blend and
brown tobacco leaf flavor I expected. Desert Ship is best after steeping. FA suggests
using just 1%. For cigarette tobacco blends, use it as an accent for Virginia and Burley.
If you want a smokier flavor, consider FA Latakia instead or in addition to Desert Ship.
FA Dusk
A very mild, soft tobacco blend with notes of raw wood. Very light sweetness that
diminishes as it steeps. Not floral or spicy. If you’re using this flavor standalone, start at
3% and work up.
FA E-Motions flavors see individual flavor names: Aurora, Eclipse, Glory, etc.
FA Eclipse
One of FlavourArt’s less strong flavors; try about 5%. This is a semi-sweet, smooth,
dark chocolate-cigar tobacco blend that tastes very similar to an equal mix of FA Tuscan
Reserve and FA Cocoa (be sure to read notes here on those two flavors), with a subtle
accent of mint (not menthol). The cocoa flavor in Eclipse does not scorch when vaped
at higher power and does not clog a coil like recipes that feature FA Cocoa can. The
cocoa in Eclipse tastes very smooth, not at all dry or “powdery”. Eclipse does not
change much as it ages, so no long steep time is needed. Note that this flavor
separates into layers quickly as it sits, forming an opaque layer at the bottom, especially
if the temperature is cool.
FA Espresso see FA Coffee Espresso
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 12 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Fresh Cream
One of FlavourArt’s most useful flavors. This is just plain, fresh, light cream - no
sweetener, no vanilla - and none of the chemical, plastic, or fake flavor or diketones that
most other brands include. Use 0.5% to add creamier, smoother flavor to a recipe. Use
up to 2% in a recipe for milky flavor. It’s excellent with coffees and other beverages,
fruits, bakery flavors, mints, creamy desserts, the cream in cocktail recipes, even to
mellow a harsh tobacco. Remember your other flavors must provide the sweetness -
Marshmallow often works well for that. If using it with fruits, a touch of Lychee or Pear
can sweeten it. If FlavourArt has a single most-useful flavoring for DIY recipes, this is it.
FA Fig
Fresh figs. Fig tastes “riper” when accented with FA Apple (not Fuji) or FA Amber. As an
addition around 0.5%, Fig makes a syrupy, bright sweetener for bold fruit flavors. To
accent figs, chefs often pair it with orange or lemon.
FA Flash
This is an additive intended as an alternative to nicotine, especially for tobacco smokers
transitioning directly to zero-nic vaping. FA recommends 2% or less added to any mix; I
recommend trying 0.5% first, then working up. If you taste chili peppers you’ve used too
much; it’s designed to give “throat hit” - not flavor. If you’re looking for a vaping
experience similar to smoking, also read about FA Black Fire.
FA Florida Key Lime
This tastes just like an actual Key lime run through the blender - excellent, authentic
flavor - including strong zesty notes. It is FA’s zestiest, boldest, most fade-resistant lime
flavoring. The zesty notes can be a little overwhelming if you vape with high-PG base;
VG will take some of the edge off. FA Lime Tahiti Cold-Pressed makes an excellent
partner for a tasty lime-juice-blend flavor in recipes. If you need to sweeten Key Lime,
consider using a little bit of FA Royal Orange to keep it tasting juicy.
FA Forest Fruit (Forest Mix)
A tasty mix of fresh bilberry (wild blueberry flavor), raspberry, strawberry, black currant,
and a touch of blackberry, as far as I can tell. These are all realistic, fresh berry flavors.
If you can have only one FA berry flavor, choose Forest Fruit. Don’t be afraid to add
more of your favorite berry flavor to emphasize it in the mix. In a recipe that features a
single berry flavor, try adding 0.5% Forest Mix for some complex background notes.
FA Fuji
Fresh, crisp apple flavor - exceptional fresh fruit flavor - one of FA’s very best fruit
flavors. Fuji is a prominent flavor that stands out in mixes more than FA Apple. If you
want apple juice, mild baked apples, or apple sauce sweetness, you want Apple
(instead of or in addition to Fuji). Fuji is between red and green apple flavor; it can be
edged in either direction by other flavors in your recipe. For sour accents, experiment
with small additions of Kiwi, Black Currant, and/or lime flavors. Don’t be afraid to use
Fuji and Apple together for more complex apple flavor.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 13 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Gin
Very realistic aroma and flavor of actual gin (with the same distinct juniper flavor),
especially right after mixing. It is a little bit sweet. This is an excellent addition to fruity
vapes, even if you don't drink alcohol. Adding 1% FA Gin makes light fruit flavors bright
and summery; it adds sparkle to darker fruits and berries; it enhances all the citrus
flavors. Use 2% or more Gin with fruits for vape-replicas of cocktails. Just look online at
bartender recipes for inspiration (google 'gin cocktails' for a good start). Combined with
some fruits, even 2% Gin can give you a nonalcoholic beverage flavor. 2% Gin, 1%
Lime Tahiti, 1% Cherry reminds me more of soda or tonic water than a mixed drink.
FA Ginger
WARNING: This is listed here just to make it clear it is NOT for vaping. It’s flavored
vegetable oil, so do not buy it unless you’re making stir-fry!
FA Glory
FA is after the NET crowd with this one. Hangsen fans are likely to enjoy Glory (also see
my notes on SOHO). Hangsen fans will compare Glory to Hangsen Highway, and might
recognize some tobacco notes like in Indian or Arabic (just the sweet tobacco part;
Glory is not spicy). Old Dekang fans would call this a 555: nutty, fairly sweet, brown
tobacco. Glory lingers in your sinuses a while after you exhale, like many NET tobaccos.
It sure gives me the impression of containing natural tobacco extracts. Exhaled vapor
did not offend non-vapers. I didn’t get any startling flavor changes as it steeped. The
nutty flavor became richer and the overall vape smoother. I get a rich, creamy
undertone with max-VG - savory, like the crust flavor in FA Apple Pie, and smooth - it
required steeping for that to fully develop. At 2.5% it’s nutty, rich, bold, “brown” tobacco
with dark caramel - sweet, but not dessert-like. Around 2% more nuances emerge. A
hint of dark fruit? There is a sour note similar to FA Tuscan Reserve. Is that deep vanilla
or butterscotch? The complexity will keep you guessing, especially as you vary your
power from low (creamiest) to higher (all kinds of interest). I was happiest at 1.75%,
about the same strength I’d use FA Tuscan Reserve or Cuban Supreme standalone. If
you taste only nutty tobacco, try using LESS to taste the full complexity, or let it steep
longer. Standalone Glory will be an all-day-vape for many tobacco vapers. I think of
most FA tobaccos as ingredients for blends, but Glory needs nothing added to taste
complete or realistic. Some might like adding 0.25% Black Fire for extra “smoke” effect
on the exhale. Some might like adding vanilla-caramel-butterscotch for milder, dessertlike tobacco. Some might add FA Desert Ship for spice. Inawera fans will reach for their
plum flavor or ashy base. But you’re looking for a 555-type vape, just mix Glory at 2%
and you’ll have an easily-mixed bottle of excellence. If you dislike sour notes in a
tobacco blend, see FA SOHO for another NET-type tobacco.
FA Grape Concord
Fresh-picked Concord dark grapes from the vine, bitter skin and all. Fresh Concord
grapes are strongly flavored and aromatic, and so is this flavoring. This is not Welch’s
juice, pop, or candy flavor - and it’s quite strong. 2% as the main flavor in recipe gives
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 14 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
very bold grape flavor, and <1% still stands out. Mix with plenty of sweet flavors and/or
keep below 1% Grape Concord for milder grape juice flavor. This can be a tricky one to
mix with, but it really is the flavor of this particular grape variety right from the vine.
FA Grape White
Tastes like a handful of white wine grapes plucked from the vine and eaten fresh, skin
and all. This is very useful for making the flavors of real fruit-juice blends. Look at the
ingredients on a 100% juice blend, and you’re likely to see white grape juice in the
listing. It is aromatic with a perfume-like exhale around 2%, but use 1% or less to
sweeten other fruits without adding much grape flavor. For a more neutral fruity
sweetener, see FA Pear.
FA Grapefruit
Yellow or perhaps pink grapefruit flavor - the whole fruit, not just the juice. This is not a
sweet flavor, not a ruby-red grapefruit. It includes a realistic bitter edge, like the
membrane between grapefruit sections. If you like fruity cocktail vapes, try Grapefruit
with Gin. FA Orange and Lemon Sicily are both sweeter and combine well with
Grapefruit. If you need a sweet grapefruit flavor, consider TFA Hpno. Using it with FA
Grapefruit can give you the best of both.
FA Green Tea
This is a very earthy flavor that doesn't appeal to me at all, like vaping garden soil with a
bit of vegetation. FA makes such a perfect Black Tea that this Green Tea is a major
disappointment in comparison. If you want good green tea flavor, I recommend TFA
Green Tea instead.
FA Guava
This seems especially strong to me, with a sharp aromatic/floral bit that permeates other
flavors. When you drink the original “red” Hawaiian Punch, there is a distinctive aromatic
flavor as you finish a sip - that’s guava. I think it’s best used as the only aromatic touch
(and strong sweetener) in a blend of tropical fruits - and then at <1%.
FA Hazelnut
In my opinion, this is the single most accurate nut flavor that any manufacturer
produces. It's the strong flavor of hazelnuts without the papery brown skin, like plain
hazelnut butter (not sweetened). This is an excellent flavor to add to your chocolate
candy bar recipes. Hazelnut carefully mixed with acetyl pyrazine (plus Caramel and
other accents) can give the impression of peanut butter. In dessert and coffee recipes,
even 0.25% can add sufficient hazelnut flavor. It's excellent in coffee vapes, especially
used with caramel and/or vanilla.
FA Honey
Extra-strong flavoring! This is sweet, realistic, excellent amber honey flavor - deeper
than clover honey, lighter than buckwheat honey. It is not floral or fruity, and it smells
just like a bottle of honey when you sniff the bottle. It's very strong and very sweet! Even
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 15 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
0.25% FA Honey can overwhelm a recipe. I suggest making a small bottle of 10% FA
Honey to use as your flavoring bottle. Using 1% from that bottle gives you 0.1%
flavoring - which is a light 'spoonful' of honey flavor in a recipe. To reduce the
sweetness, add a very tiny bit of FA Brandy along with it - a good trick when working
with tobaccos. For a floral orange-blossom honey flavor, try a tiny addition of FA Neroli
or Bergamot flavoring. For honey-sweetened almond flavor, see FA Torrone. Using large
amounts of FA Honey in a recipe produces a long-lasting vape trail that bystanders may
find offensive.
FA Hypnotic Myst
A light, sweet flavoring with elements of marshmallow and fruit. This is a nebulous blend
of soft flavors, hard to identify. It’s not the flavor of Hpnotiq liqueur, despite the name.
FA Irish Cream
The flavor of Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur - not the mint or other flavored
versions - and without added cream. This smells and tastes like a bottle of the real
liqueur, so much tastier than other brands' versions. It's a delicious standalone vape, but
as with the real liqueur, it's also a great mixer. It's excellent with coffee vapes, of course.
If you like the flavored Baileys liqueurs, you can make superb vape versions of all of
them with FA flavors. A little Irish Cream sweetens and makes bakery recipes more
interesting. Using it with vanilla flavors tends to erase the chocolate flavor; add some
chocolate/cocoa if you want that flavor to be more noticeable. If Irish Cream is a major
ingredient in your recipe, let it steep for smoothest flavor.
FA Jamaican Rum
An excellent general sweetener and tasty rum flavor. This is more sweet than boozy
(think “butter rum” not “yo-ho-ho”). Many vapers enjoy it standalone. It mixes with other
flavors just like real rum for cocktails. Add other FA flavors to make your own flavored
rums (apricot and coconut are excellent) and more complex cocktail vapes. Rum is a
tasty sweetener for coffee vapes. Jamaican Rum can taste very dark, amber or golden -
depending on the flavors you mix it with. A little rum in dark fruits and berries makes
them taste warm and oven-baked. Try a little rum in your eggnog (Vienna Cream), pies,
banana bread, and other bakery flavors. Rum and Cola is easy and good.
FA Jasmine
The floral sweetness of Jasmine is right at home with tea flavors. Just add 1% or less
FA Jasmine to your standalone percentage of FA Black Tea or TFA Green Tea, perhaps
a little Lemon Sicily, and you’ll have a very impressive jasmine tea vape.
FA Joy
If you're familiar with funnel cakes, imagine glazed funnel cakes. That's my best
description of Joy - sweet, oil-fried, doughy flavor with vanilla. I find it a very appealing
standalone vape from 2% to 3%; over 3% is cloying to me. Vape Joy standalone before
using it in your recipes. Some of us find it delicious; some find it quite unpleasant and
yeasty like beer; I have not yet found an explanation or solution, but some who do not
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 16 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
like it standalone still enjoy it in certain recipes. Joy boosts spice flavors, especially
when the spices are hidden, as in Catalan Cream, Apple Pie, and some tobaccos. Joy
can add glaze-like flavor to bakery recipes, especially when used with FA Vanilla
Classic. My best results with Joy have mostly included Cookie and creamy vanilla
flavors. If you don’t like Joy, read about Breakfast Cereal & Zeppola for possible
alternatives (not substitutes - but alternatives).
FA Juicy Strawberry
Very authentic flavor of an actual fresh, ripe berry. Lacks the “green,” unripe note of
Strawberry, but you can use the two strawberries together to keep that note and get the
sweeter, bolder flavor of Juicy Strawberry. This flavoring is less prone than Strawberry
to fading over time, and it stands out more distinctly when mixed with other fruit flavors.
FA Kiwi
Authentic kiwi fruit flavor, with the sweet-and-tart flavor of fresh fruit. I'm most impressed
that they got the sweetness level just right. I don't recall ever reading negative
comments about this flavor - it's really good if you like real kiwi! If you're mixing this with
FA Strawberry or Watermelon, use a very light hand with the Kiwi - it's strong compared
to the other FA fruit flavors that are commonly used with it. FA Marshmallow tames kiwi
flavor while adding sweetness.
FA Labyrinth (flavor blend)
This is one of FA’s blended flavors, designed to be complete in itself and make DIY
easier for new mixers. It’s a Nonna’s Cake-like flavor with vanilla, and a soft blend of
multiple fruit flavors. Labyrinth is milder and smoother than Nonna’s Cake as it ages.
FA Latakia
FlavourArt recommends 1% standalone. At 1% I’m reminded of a strong, unfiltered
cigarette. At 1.5% I tasted some accents that I missed with just 1%, including anise that
sweetens the smoke exhale a little bit. I find this harsh before a long steep. It’s a strong,
fairly dark, smokey tobacco, among FA’s boldest tobacco flavors. Latakia has a dry,
smokey exhale with sour and bitter accents. If Latakia is much too intense for you, but
you like realistic tobacco vapes, keep it around. You can add Latakia to mild blends to
darken the tobacco flavor and add good smokiness in one step (0.25% is good for that
purpose). If you want Latakia a little sweeter, use extra VG in your base; extra PG
makes a drier flavor. If you want a little bolder flavor with the same basic profile of
Latakia, mix in some Perique Black. If Latakia is just too intense for you, try Tuscan
Reserve instead.
FA Lavender
The aromatic, sweet, slightly camphor flavor of lavender plants. If you enjoy lavender
tea, candies, or lemonade, this flavoring will make you happy.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 17 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Layton Blend
This flavor tastes different at different percentages! You will find wildly-conflicting
descriptions of this flavor online, but hopefully these notes will help clarify why, and help
you use Layton's chameleon flavor to your advantage. Fine-tuning your percentage and
vaping power is key. Layton is a complex tobacco flavor and an agreeable mixer. The
tobacco flavor is mild, smooth, not very 'dark', but definitely tobacco. The tobacco bit
stays unchanged from under 1% to at least 5%. However, all the other flavor notes vary
by percentage, with major flavor changes around 1%, 3%, and 5%. Mixing less than 1%
of Layton with other flavors adds a gentle, subtle coolness that's very useful to brighten
and smooth dark, spicy, or pipe-like flavors. Under 1% standalone, you'll taste fairly
neutral, mild, smooth tobacco flavor, and little else. Over 1% standalone gives you some
distinct coolness. This isn't 'menthol' - just something cool and minty. Vaping at low
power brings out a mystery-sweetness you'll find difficult to identify under 2%. It isn't
honey or caramel, and there's no spiciness to it. Over 1% standalone and using higher
power, the mystery-sweetness becomes a subtle, general fruitiness. At 3% standalone,
the sweet-coolness is accentuated and begins to taste like clove, sweet on the tongue
during inhale. The vague fruity notes become mixed citrus. At 5% standalone, some
anise joins the clove. I suspect Layton may be among the most useful and versatile of
FA's tobaccos for blending. It’s certainly a complex blend of flavors with lots of interest.
If a tobacco blend is too dark, heavy, spicy, or bold for you - try it with a little Layton.
FA Lemon Sicily
Limoncello lemon liqueur or Italian ice flavor. This lemon flavoring can be enjoyed all by
itself - fresh, crisp, bright, a little sweet. It’s not candy-sweet, not sour or bitter, not
harsh, floral, or artificial tasting. Add your favorite fruit flavor to 3-4% Lemon Sicily for
flavored lemonade, maybe with a little Polar Blast for the cool effect. Add 1% Lemon
Sicily to fruity mixes to help separate the flavors and brighten the overall vape. Mixes
perfectly with FA Custard for creamier, sweeter lemon flavor. Lemon Sicily becomes a
sharp flavor around 4%; some people will taste lemon rind at that point. FA Torrone can
boost that zesty note, as can FA Aurora.
FA Licorice (Black Touch; Licorice Flavor Plus)
Tastes like black licorice candy you get in Australia or southern Europe, the kind made
with some molasses. This is not the salty or sour salmiak kind of Scandinavian licorice,
yet it’s not sweet black jelly beans. For a brighter, sweeter licorice, add more FA Anise -
but be aware the molasses flavor will still be there. Blackcurrant and other bold fruits
can make this into fruity licorice candy flavors popular in Europe.
FA Lime, Florida Key see FA Florida Key Lime
FA Lime Tahiti Cold-Pressed
The flavor of fresh-squeezed conventional lime juice - refreshing, tart, and realistic. If
you're making a limeade vape, start here (and also read about FA Florida Key Lime). To
add fresh lime juice flavor to a recipe, start with 0.5%. Lime Tahiti Cold-Pressed is a
very prominent flavor when fresh; small amounts mellow substantially within a day or
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 18 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
two. For longer-lasting flavor, add a bit of Lime Tahiti Distilled or consider whether the
bolder flavor of Florida Key Lime appeals to you.
FA Lime Tahiti Distilled
Sharper than Cold-Pressed, both of which mellow with age. If you’re making soda pop
or cocktail flavors, this is a must-have flavor that no other brand duplicates. Creamysweet additions can make it taste like lime popsicles. When fresh-mixed (especially with
plenty of PG), it’s zesty, sparkling lime with a bit of bitterness. In recipes, start with 0.5%
or less - Lime Tahiti Distilled can dominate other flavors even at 1%. Use it with ColdPressed for a more complete lime flavor. If you just want realistic juice flavor, get Lime
Cold-Pressed and/or Florida Key Lime instead.
FA Liquid Amber (Amber)
Very useful for baked fruit and cider flavors. Think of it as a way to slightly ferment fruits.
One FA vendor describes the standalone flavor well: "Warm and smooth flavor with a
hint of fresh fruit and a delicate sourness in the aftertaste." At 3% standalone, it gives a
hint of apple flavor, a bit of sweetness you taste in the far back of your throat, and
undertones of sour, like the background warmth and sourness of slightly-hard cider. Add
up to 1% Liquid Amber to apple flavors for basic apple cider. If you use mostly Liquid
Amber with accents of Pear, Apple, Cherry, Apricot, the fruit flavors come through well.
It’s similar to adding FA Brandy to fruit, but a much smoother effect. If you don't have FA
Brandy, or if Brandy is too strong for you, Liquid Amber can make a fine substitute in
recipes. Liquid Amber can also boost mild anise and licorice notes in tobacco blends.
FA Lychee
Very sweet, aromatic, tropical fruit flavor. Smooth, almost creamy as it steeps. Lychee is
similar in flavor to dragonfruit and can make an interesting substitute or partner for it.
Try Lychee at 0.5% as a sweetener for fruits. Lychee sweetens late in an exhale, which
makes it an especially useful touch in recipes; few sweet flavors linger like FA Lychee.
FA Magic Mask
This is a unique additive. FA recommends using 1% or less. It’s a clear liquid with little
flavor on its own, but it generally reduces sharp or acidic notes in other flavors. Its effect
is most notable on tobacco and spice flavors. Try adding some to strong cinnamon
flavoring for mellower, dessert-like flavor.
FA Mad Fruit (Mad Mix)
Mad Fruit was previously named Red Bull, and it’s the flavor of original Red Bull. While
there is debate regarding what fruit flavors Red Bull is supposed to contain, FA has
made a pretty accurate copy of it. It’s sweet, with tart notes, primarily cherry, and other
“red” fruits, in my opinion. Mad Fruit can be used as a mild “sweet and tart” additive for
fruity recipes to make soda pop or candy type vapes.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 19 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Mandarin
Like a fresh mandarin tangerine, not the canned ones floating in bland syrup. If you
prefer a 'Cutie' to a navel orange, you'll like this flavor. Try it in place of Orange or as an
accent for Orange in any recipe to add interest and stronger orange flavor. It will
sometimes taste like orange zest if used as an accent with milder citrus flavors. It lacks
a little sweetness, so if it’s a main flavor, you might add some FA Orange for that.
FA Mango
Realistic flavor of mangos, stronger than most FA fruits. This is not especially sweet or
ripe flavor; it has the acidic edge of a barely-ripe mango. Sweeter fruits like Orange or
Peach help ripen it. Mango combines well with all the other tropical fruits, but use 0.5%
or less Mango if you want the other flavors to be noticeable. 2% standalone is strong.
FA Mangosteen
An excellent match for the flavor of fresh mangosteen, which is very hard to find in the
U.S. If you ever have the chance to try fresh mangosteen - do it! It's called 'Queen of
the Fruits' for good reason. Fresh mangosteen is incredibly sweet. Though this flavoring
is one of FlavourArt's sweetest, it doesn’t quite match the sweetness of the fresh fruit.
To maximize the sweetness use high VG and very clean nicotine. A clean coil is
essential for this delicate flavor. I think hardware that produces a cooler vapor makes it
taste best. FA Mangosteen is delicate, juicy, mild, and exotic. It has notes of a ripe
Seckel pear (with similar sweetness), fresh white peach, some hints of mild orange, and
something similar to sweetened pineapple. It has nothing in common with mangos,
despite the name. I think fans of dragonfruit would especially like this flavor. Around 2%
a floral note will develop. Excellent as a mystery flavor accent in tropical fruit blends. Try
it as a sweetener for orange. Watch your “best by” date on this flavoring; it’s really
unpleasant when it’s past its prime!
FA Maple Syrup
Excellent flavor of sweet maple syrup, ideal for touch of syrup in bakery, candy, and
beverage vapes. If mixing with bold flavors, just 0.25% Maple Syrup or less can act as a
sweetener. If you have a major sweet tooth, try Maple Syrup with some Caramel and
Fresh Cream. Adding a very tiny bit of FA Honey makes the most flavorful, sweetest
honey-maple vape ever, with no weird artificial-sweetener aftertaste. It's so sweet, you
might want to brush your teeth after vaping that. If you're looking to make a maple
tobacco or mix with boozy flavors, be aware Maple Syrup will sweeten the recipe, and
start with just 0.5%. As it steeps, Maple Syrup will lose some sweetness.
FA Marshmallow
Plain marshmallow candy flavor with a little vanilla. This isn’t toasted or fruity, just plain
sweet ‘mallow. Use it to smooth and sweeten edgy flavors, to sweeten Fresh Cream, to
lighten the caramel bit of Meringue, or as a general sweetener. Around 2% you’ll detect
some sharp flavor that you probably don’t want from a marshmallow flavor, so I
generally use no more than that in recipes.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 20 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Marzipan
Don’t pass this one by, even if you don’t like marzipan candy. It’s the flavor of sugarglazed bitter almonds, reminiscent of the distinctive almond flavor in amaretto liqueur
(but it’s not a boozy flavoring). Additions of 0.5% or less complement and sharpen stone
fruit flavors like apricot, peach, and cherry. Marzipan is a powerful sweetener that adds
superb, clear almond flavor to bakery vapes - try it with FA Apple Pie for a sweet treat. If
you’re looking for mild almond extract background flavor, see FA Almond instead.

FA Maxx Blend
This is one of FA’s mildest tobaccos; 3% is not overwhelming. It’s a mild caramel/honey
cigarette tobacco leaf flavor. This and 7 Leaves are two FA tobacco blends popular with
vapers transitioning from cigarettes. If mixed using very clean/pure nic base, the
caramel/honey flavor is mostly honey; with more “peppery” or lower-quality nic, it’s more
caramel than honey. It must steep for the tobacco flavors to mature. The tobacco seems
to feature mostly Virginia with Burley, but they are mild here. For bolder tobacco without
major changes in the flavor profile, add a little FA Shade. Maxx Blend makes a gourmet
substitute for caramel-honey flavor in some non-tobacco recipes, especially bakery
types.
FA Melon Cantaloupe
This is the bold flavor and sweetness level of ripe cantaloupe - just the orange part. It’s
one of FA’s most “ripe” fruit flavors, with no “green” or rind flavor. It's an excellent match
for the fresh fruit and a bold flavor that can overrun more delicate flavors (like
watermelon) unless used with a light hand. If you like cantaloupe less ripe, add a little
FA Cucumber for the green notes.
FA Menthol Arctic (Arctic Winter)
Plain menthol flavor. 0.5% sweetens with a little cool menthol-minty flavor. 1% or more
adds definite menthol flavor. It seems the same as other brands’ menthols to me. If you
want a cooling effect without distinct menthol flavor, see my notes on Polar Blast.
FA Meringue
The flavor of well-baked, caramelized meringue from the top of a meringue pie. Beware
mixing Meringue with subtle fruit flavors, which it can overwhelm. In recipes with nut
flavors, strong spices, and some coffee recipes, Meringue can be the ideal sweetener.
Of course it is the perfect flavor for meringue pie vapes.
FA Metaphor
This tastes like creamy, sweet, very-vanilla cake with accents of sharp, sparkly, citrus.
You can emphasize the creamy cake flavor by vaping with lower power. Higher power
brings out sharper citrus notes. Metaphor leaves a sweet, delicious-smelling vapor trail.
FA Monsoon
This is a bit stronger than most FA flavors, so try 2 - 2.5% first. Around 3% produces a
strongly fragrant vapor trail, like fruity incense, so start low. Right after mixing you’ll
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 21 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
taste mostly sugary-sweet, bright fruits, a tutti-frutty mix of cherries, candied orange
peel, perhaps papaya, and others that come and go. By a day or two after mixing, a
background flavor of vanilla cake (similar to Metaphor) emerges. Monsoon is among
FA’s sweetest flavors, excellent standalone - complex, sweet, and unique. It really
needs nothing added to taste complete. Monsoon is prominent in recipes - even under
1% it can dominate; be sure to try it standalone a while before mixing with it.
FA Morning Sun
FlavourArt describes this as a milky flavor with fresh fruit, but I taste a generous amount
of Joy (see flavor notes) and apples - plus some cinnamon.
FA Nonna’s Cake
Nonna’s Cake is a traditional Italian custard pie made with sweet ricotta or mascarpone
cheese. Think of this flavoring as a cross between baked vanilla custard and rich, sweet
cheesecake - it can be coaxed in either direction - and it can contribute a vanilla cake
flavor. Nonna’s Cake changes as it ages, especially as a recipe ingredient. The
mascarpone-like flavor (and a bit of lemon) is most prominent right after mixing and/or
when used over 2% or so in recipes. Add Vienna Cream and vanillas to emphasize the
custard bit. Use more Nonna’s Cake and accent with Catalan Cream to emphasize the
denser cheesecake-like flavor. For “fluffier,” cake-like flavor, include caramel or
butterscotch, and add Cookie - and be sure to allow some steep time for the cake flavor
to fully develop. If you like sweet cake flavors, also read flavor notes on FA Metaphor.
FA Nut Mix
This is not quite as potent as Hazelnut, but it's still quite strong. I taste hazelnut, walnut,
and almond. This is good for nutty tobaccos. Try it in candy bar recipes with
butterscotch, caramel, cocoa, chocolate, nougat, a little fresh cream. It's awesome in
Torrone, very authentic Italian candy flavor. A little Maple Syrup or Honey make great
sweeteners for it.
FA Oba Oba
When it’s fresh, Oba Oba is a vanilla-marshmallow flavor. It’s a deeper flavor than FA
Marshmallow, almost as sweet, and the vanilla is reminiscent of a tobacco flavoring.
Most people notice a slightly sharp note in it and may describe as citrus. As it ages -
especially if used in larger quantities - that sharp note tastes more like a hint of tobacco.
Oba Oba makes an interesting substitute for smaller quantities of marshmallow
flavorings in recipes, where it can create the impression of maltiness when combined
with chocolate flavors.
FA Oak Wood
This is not a tobacco flavor, though vendors often classify it as one. Oak Wood is one of
FA's darker-colored flavorings, but the flavor is mild. This is fresh, raw oak wood - not
charred or ashy, not smoke-like. It’s surprisingly good as a standalone at 3%, gives the
impression of standing in a lumberyard or starting a woodworking project. Try it for a
pleasant break from other flavors. FA obviously intends this as an additive to tobacco
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 22 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
blends, but it also adds an "Oak Barrel aged" effect to other recipes and alcohol-flavors
like Whiskey and Brandy. Use about half as much Oak Wood as the boozy flavor, but
don't be afraid to go as high as equal amounts. Remember fruit ciders are often barrelaged, too. With tobacco blends, a little Oakwood adds overall dryness; more produces
the woody flavor. Add it to recipes containing coconut to get the flavor of the papery,
light brown 'skin' inside a coconut shell. Try it with your favorite vanilla, too. Raw wood
flavor adds an agreeable, rustic effect. For smoke flavor, look at FA Black Fire.
FA Orange
Plain, basic orange flavor. It's not as snappy as fresh-squeezed juice, not a knockout
flavor on its own, but Orange is a good, basic orange for blending. Orange is often the
ideal flavor to mimic packaged, artificially-flavored orange snacks. It combines very well
with Mandarin for bolder, longer-lasting flavor. If you also add Bergamot, you get a flavor
like Grand Marnier orange liqueur. If you need vanilla with FA Orange, FA Vanilla
Classic is the easy choice. FA Vanilla Tahiti with it adds a hint of sweet cherry/almond
for extra interest. FA Vanilla Bourbon tends to overrun Orange. If you’re looking for
realistic, juicy orange flavor, read about Blood Orange and Royal Orange. If a recipe
includes FA Orange as the only orange-y flavor, Royal Orange can generally substitute
at the same percentage - the result will taste juicier and sweeter. If a recipe uses FA
Orange with an accent of FA Mandarin, you can often replace them both with the same
total quantity of Royal Orange.
FA Orange, Blood see FA Blood Orange
FA Orange, Royal see FA Royal Orange
FA ORYental 4
Less strong than most FA tobaccos, with no major flavor changes from 2-4%. This is
NOT similar to other flavors with "RY" in the name. It would have been better named
"Asian Bitter Herbs". If you've used Maxx Blend, you will taste similar but drier light cig
tobacco on the inhale. THEN comes the distinctive exhale of ORYental 4. It’s a blast of
Asian flavors and aromas. If you vape it with a plugged nose, you will not detect any
flavors described in below. The overall effect is bitter-sour-herbal. It reminds me of Asian
bitter melon. If you've been in a traditional Chinese medicine shop, ORYental 4's exhale
will remind you of a deep breath in that shop. For those unfamiliar with those scents,
imagine sniffing rice wine vinegar with dried dill and perhaps cilantro. This is not an
unpleasant bitter-sour-herbal effect, if you’re looking for exotic tobacco. There is a light
background flavor of mild cigarette tobacco and a bit of smokiness reminiscent of Dark
Fire, but they're faint behind the bitter-sour-herbal flavors. If this were named "Smokin’
Dill Pickles" I would have believed it. Anyone searching for a way to create marijuanaflavored vapes ought to have this in their collection. I think the herbal part of could prove
very useful in that pursuit. If you like ORYental 4, also read about FA Storm.
FA Ozone
The distinct aroma and flavor of dried celery seeds(!)
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 23 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Papaya
Another accurate representation of fresh fruit, this is the flavor of the smaller, sweeter,
more common variety of papaya. This is only the ripe fruit flavor, NOT including the
peppery seeds in real papaya (thank you, FA). Chefs sometimes pair papaya with Black
Pepper; try that if you like papaya seeds. Lime is a great contrast for papaya, and
adding coconut makes a fine tropical trio. Papaya with equal amounts with FA Pineapple
is the start of many excellent, sweet, tropical fruit juice blends.
FA Passion Fruit
If you like tropical fruit flavors, you need this one. It’s sweet and exotic, and it combines
well with all of FA’s tropical fruits. If you already have tropical fruit blends without this
flavor, use 0.5-1% Passion Fruit in place of part of your other tropical fruits for an almost
guaranteed improvement. Passion Fruit is excellent with Papaya. If you use Passion
Fruit as a main flavor, consider an accent of Black Currant. If you have a citrus recipe in
need of something special, try adding 1% or less Passion Fruit. It’s good with most
citrus, especially tasty with orange and peach flavors.
FA Peach
Sweet, ripe, juicy, yellow peaches. Using very high percentages of Peach can oddly
reduce the flavor intensity. If you are one of the people who find FA Peach just not
strong enough, try adding a little FA White Peach. The flavor combination is excellent -
very authentic fresh peaches. Small additions of FA Pear can sweeten. Almond flavors
pair well with Peach. Peach tastes “baked” if you accent it with TFA Brown Sugar, FA
Liquid Amber, or small amounts of boozy flavors.
FA Peanut
This is a very raw nut flavor and includes sour notes. It may be useful at a fraction of a
percent in tobacco recipes for general nut flavor, but it will take very creative mixing to
make the peanut-buttery flavor Americans expect.
FA Pear
Fresh pears, sweet and a little creamy. Pear can be used as an alternative to
Sucralose-type sweeteners - especially nice with less-sweet fruit flavors and in fruity
bakery recipes. FA Pear adds creamy sweetness that’s perfect with peach, apricot, and
plum flavors, whether FA versions or not. Pear gains creaminess as it steeps.
FA Peppermint
This is the true flavor of peppermint, mildly sweet (not as sweet as a candy cane), mildly
cool, and a little bit creamy. There is no hint of spearmint, menthol, or vanilla. It’s a clean
peppermint flavor, easy to work with and excellent standalone. If you want a cold blast,
add Polar Blast, any menthol, or 0.5% FA Anise for a different twist on the cool effect.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 24 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Perique Black
FA describes this as their strongest, darkest, most harsh tobacco, recommending 1%
standalone. This is definitely intense, very dark tobacco, smokey, and harsh. I
personally find it very unpleasant. Those who do like it generally give it a long steep.
Even as a minor ingredient in a tobacco blend, well-steeped, I taste something like burnt
metal in the charcoal-smoke exhale. If you’re looking for harsh or ashy flavor, this is the
FA flavor to try. If you find Perique Black too harsh, but you like smokiness and strong
tobacco, try FA Latakia.
FA Pineapple
Strong, realistic flavor of fresh pineapple juice, not as sweet as canned juice or the core
in the center of the fruit, and definitely not a sweet candy flavor. This is a love/hate
flavor! Some unfortunate vapers taste and smell it as onions or rubber; if you do, try
sweeter TFA Pineapple instead. Try FA Pineapple with equal amounts of FA Papaya for
extra tropical sweetness - the pair make a great base for all kinds of tropical fruit blends.
2% standalone is strong.
FA Pistachio
This is a strong, woody, raw nut flavor. If you’ve ever had fresh, raw pistachios, you’ll
recognize it. It does make an intriguing wood-and-nut accent in tobacco vapes (at 0.5%
or less). If you’re aiming for pistachio ice cream, it’s important to know that American
“pistachio” ice creams tend to use primarily almond flavoring.
FA Polar Blast
This is an additive (start with just 0.5%) for a cool sensation without distinct menthol or
mint flavor - similar to TFA Koolada. I find Polar Blast a little more powerful. Beware of
tasting a drop of right out of the bottle; it’s intensely cold on lips and tongue. Although
it’s not a menthol, using 1% or more can subtly alter some other flavors (I notice this
with Koolada, too). Try plain Peppermint or Spearmint, then add 1% Polar Blast to taste
the difference. I think it makes those flavors taste like breath-freshening chewing gum -
and of course it adds a fun cool effect. At less than 1%, you’re not likely to notice any
flavor, just mild coolness. If inhaling Koolada makes you cough, give Polar Blast a try.
FA Pomegranate
Like fresh pomegranate, this is both sweet and tart, with a hint of the bitterness of the
actual fruit. This is a very authentic flavor that will stand out in most recipes. It blends
well with all the dark fruit and berry flavors. Orange makes a good sweetener. Lime and
Coconut contrast well. FA’s version has a realistic bitter note that’s missing in TFA’s
sweeter pomegranate flavor. The two are interchangeable in most recipes.
FA Raspberry (Berryl)
This is a little stronger than most FA flavors, and it tends to make itself noticed in
recipes, so go light with it at first. Even 0.5% can stand out in a recipe with mild flavors,
and 2% can overwhelm many recipes. This is a natural berry flavor with mostly sweet
and a little fresh-tart flavor. It is not candy-sweet, but it’s easily made into candy flavors
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 25 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
when used with sweeter flavors. A really excellent pairing for fresh berry flavor is FA
Black Currant. Equal amounts of the two make the beginning of popular European
candies. Raspberry is an ideal fruit accent in chocolate vapes. You can use tiny
additions (0.25%) of Raspberry to enhance the strength of strawberry mixes.
FA Red Bean
Caution: extremely concentrated, with a distinctive aroma in the bottle and in the vapor
trail. 1% is a reasonable standalone percentage, though in my opinion it’s more useful
as a very minor accent in recipes. A fairly sweet, yet earthy, aromatic flavor with cedarlike and sandalwood notes. I’d guess this is intended to taste like sweet red bean paste
you’d find in Asian sweets. The earthy flavor of a cooked bean is definitely here, but
there's much more going on. Allow a long steep before evaluating it. Like tobacco
flavors, Red Bean takes time to mature and changes character some over time; the
aromatic and wood-like aspect both mellow as it ages. This is a reasonable addition to
creative tobacco blends, which is where it might be most useful. If you don't like
aromatic flavors, proceed with caution.
FA Reggae Night
A leafy herbal flavor that lacks the “skunky” quality you might be looking for. The juniper/
pine notes would be interesting with Oak Wood for a “walk in the forest” flavor, or try it
with Zen Garden for an unusual herbal blend. :-)
FA Rose
If you like rose candies, you’ll be pleased with this floral, fairly sweet flavoring.
FA Royal (tobacco)
A smooth, mildly-sweet tobacco. This is not one of FA’s strongest tobaccos, so start
around 2% & don’t be surprised if you want more. Royal includes a light, clean, mintymenthol flavor that leads me to believe this flavoring is based on a mild menthol
cigarette (though American menthols I smoked used much stronger menthol than this
flavoring does). I haven’t mixed much with this flavoring, so I don’t have many
comments on it.
FA Royal Orange
This is the flavor of navel orange juice. It’s FA’s sweetest, smoothest orange flavor, with
no zest notes at all. It includes an almost-creamy background it that makes it pleasant
for standalone use. Using plenty of VG in your base will emphasize that background.
While 3-4% gives you full flavor, you can use at least 5% Royal Orange with no change
in the flavor other than strength. Royal Orange can serve as a sweetener for fruit blends
- especially when strong tropical flavors are included. For bolder, deeper orange juice
flavor, add Blood Orange. For the flavor of orange zest, add 0.5% or more of Mandarin.
If you are trying to match the flavor of a packaged snack food, consider FA Orange,
which can often capture that flavor better than FA’s juicier Royal Orange and Blood
Orange flavors.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 26 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA RY4
This is not a substitute for TFA’s RY4 Double - they’re very different. FA RY4 is not near
as sweet or “bakery like”. This is a more tobacco-y flavor and far more concentrated
than TFA’s version. A recipe for similar flavor using FA would include perhaps 2% FA
RY4, along with plenty of sweet caramel, vanilla, and nut flavors. I distinctly taste FA
Virginia in FA RY4, so read those notes, too. This isn’t a complete description, but that
much is important to know.
FA Saffron
This is an accurate flavor; it’s quite subtle compared to other FA flavors. Tobacco fans
might use it to complement woody blends.
FA Shade
2% standalone. Fairly neutral, smooth, light-medium brown tobacco flavor with
background of caramel; mildly sweet. Shade tobacco is often used to wrap cigars, so a
little FA Shade is an authentic addition to cigar recipes. If your tobacco blend is too
harsh, Shade can lightly sweeten and will add nice smoothness as it ages. Shade is a
step up in tobacco intensity from Maxx Blend; the two share a similar caramel-honey
background flavor, so they combine well. Small amounts of Shade make an intriguing
replacement for caramel in non-tobacco recipes, especially bakery vapes.
FA SOHO
A complex tobacco blend that many tobacco fans will find fully satisfying as a single
flavor. It’s described as a “tobacco-based flavor,” supporting my conclusion that it
includes NETs (naturally extracted tobacco). Unlike some NET-based flavorings, this is
a light-colored flavoring that doesn’t clog coils. SOHO is the least-strong of FlavourArt’s
tobaccos. I recommend starting at 4-5% for your first taste, but note it will gain strength
during a long steep. FA’s suggestion of up to 20% would be seriously over-flavored for
most vapers. SOHO is FA’s sweetest tobacco flavor - a semi-sweet, very smooth, rich
Burley-Virginia type tobacco blend with prominent supporting notes of burnt sugar (an
element reminiscent of FA Joy), some deep caramel-vanilla, and a rich backdrop of
toasted nuts. There is no grassiness (FA Virginia can add that), little spice (FA Desert
Ship can add that), very little sourness (FA Tuscan Reserve or Glory can add that), no
dry smoke (FA Black Fire can add that), no fruity notes, and nothing minty or menthol.
For dryer flavor, consider adding FA Nut Mix, Walnut, or Pistachio. To play up the burnt
sugar element and create a sweeter dessert tobacco flavor, consider Joy, Butterscotch,
or Catalan Cream. SOHO is such a well-balanced blend that small additions will easily
alter its character, so it can be the basis of a very wide variety of recipes - yet it’s easily
a satisfying all-day-vape as a standalone flavor.
FA Spearmint
True spearmint flavor, mildly sweet, mildly cool, and a little creamy. There's no menthol,
peppermint, or vanilla - just spearmint, the same flavor as Wrigley's Spearmint Gum. Try
2% Spearmint with 2% FA Peppermint to match Wrigley's Doublemint Gum. If you want
mint in your tea vape, Spearmint is the one. If you want a cold effect, see Polar Blast.
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 27 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Stark, see FA Apple
FA Storm
Wildly different results at 2-3%! I mixed this at 3% and let it steep (capped, room temp)
a few days, taking notes along the way. THEN I read FA's description, "warm, dark,
spicy Tobacco flavour with a hint of sweetness" (FA's UK site) and "dark spicy
Tobacco" (Italian site). Not remotely like what I tasted! I found a German description
("herbal tobacco") that matched my opinion. It turns out we're ALL correct - depending
on how much you use. Like FA Layton Blend, this is a chameleon flavor. At 3% I tasted
a 50/50 mix of grassy Virginia tobacco and a camphor-like herbal blend. The grassy
Virginia flavor tastes and ages just like FA Virginia, mellowing with age. The herbal
blend changed little during steeping. Flavors I noted include balsam, eucalyptus, clove,
a little menthol, with perhaps accents of cedar, juniper, cardamom, ylang-ylang. The drywood and lack of sweetness (just very mildly sweet) is odd to experience with flavors
like cardamom, which we expect to taste sweet. It’s sharp, medicinal, camphor-like. Try
it with citrus flavors, or add Storm to Kretek-like recipes for the clove high notes and
herbal flavor, or pep up dull menthol blends with Storm for something unique. At 2% it's
very different - a dark and spicy tobacco with few of the flavors you taste at 3%. Rather
than grassy, it’s a darker, smoother tobacco blend. The herbal blend is a milder version
of the spices in many Camel-like "Desert Ship" flavors. It's distinctly bright-sweet-spicy
on the inhale, with a warm spice blend and brown tobaccos. One element I clearly
tasted at both 3% and 2% is clove.
FA Strawberry (Red Touch) also see FA Juicy Strawberry
4% or more standalone. You must shake this flavoring well before using it, or you’ll get
very faint flavor. This is another example of the realism of FA’s fruit flavors. This flavor
includes all aspects of a real berry, including the not-quite-ripe part. That “green” note
makes this one of the most authentic strawberry flavors around (if you want the flavor of
just the ripe bit, start with Juicy Strawberry). Strawberry has none of the fermented or
musty flavor that some other brands’ use in their “ripe” berry flavors (FA Amber can add
that if you want). You can boost the intensity of FA Strawberry by using it with other mild
but sweeter fruit flavors.
FA Summer Clouds
A lightly sweet, floral, soft peach (and rose?) flavor.
FA Tiramisu (Booster)
Tiramisu (rightfully) has a reputation as one of FA’s best flavorings. It’s the bold flavor of
strong coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, creamy mascarpone, and a little vanilla cake.
It's strong and just lightly sweet. Many people enjoy it standalone at 2% or less. For
milder, sweeter tiramisu, use 1% Tiramisu with Vienna Cream, Fresh Cream, perhaps
some fruits (raspberry! strawberry! apricot!), maybe Caramel, etc. Or make a sweeter,
boozy version with Irish Cream or Rum. Tiramisu makes great coffee and mocha vapes!
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 28 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
Get all your cream, caramel, nut, vanilla, and other flavors to your liking, then add
0.5-1% Tiramisu to make a Starbucks-like coffee/mocha. If you like milder coffee or
mocha flavors, try Tiramisu in place of FA Espresso in any recipe, generally at the same
percent. Of course add a little Chocolate and/or Cocoa if you want mostly chocolate with
just a hint of coffee flavor. Tiramisu can taste quite different with various brands of nic
base! The "spicier" your nic base and the more PG you use, the stronger and rougher
Tiramisu tastes.
FA Torrone
Here’s one of FA's best flavors! This is chewy, sweet, white, Italian 'nougat' candy, not
American candy-bar nougat. It's sweet but not cloying, the flavor of almonds, lemons,
and a touch of honey. Tasty standalone or with a little Marshmallow for milder almond.
Even if you do not like actual torrone, this might appeal to you for fruit+nut recipes. Use
2-3% Torrone and add 1-2 fruit or nut flavors. Mandarin-walnut torrone is an excellent
combination - mild, sweet, juicy, complex, tasty enough to vape for hours on end. Other
combos I recommend, all with FA flavorings: Black Cherry-Pistachio, Honey Almond
(very light on the honey), Cherry-Almond, Nut Mix, Hazelnut-Orange. Torrone can be
used as a tasty sweetener. Try it as sweetener for your tea vapes. Its almond-honeycitrus flavor complements fruits especially well.
FA Truffle (White and Black)
These are NOT CANDY flavors; they’re the flavor of “gourmet” fungus. Nope, I’ve never
vaped either one and probably never will.
FA Tuscan Reserve
2% standalone is usually plenty. This is FA’s Toscano cigar flavor. It’s a complex, bold
tobacco blend. FA says it has a hint of “charcoal smokiness in the background”. That
smokey note tastes slightly sour to me, with notes of Oak Wood and Black Fire. Age it
well for smoothest flavor. With high VG you’ll taste smooth, dark caramel within the
tobacco. If you drink liquor, Tuscan Blend would make a great vape to accompany it. If
you mix with Tuscan Reserve, consider including an accent of TFA Kentucky Bourbon,
which will also add some sweetness. If Tuscan is too mild for you, try adding Latakia.
FA Tutti Frutti (Blenderize)
Mixed at 3% all by itself, this is the flavor of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Gum. Beware of old
batches of this one; when it’s past its prime, it’s not just faded - it’s horrible.
FA Up (flavor blend)
This is a unique, dessert-like coffee flavor. I think of it as sweeter, creamier, smoother,
but boozy Tiramisu (see flavor notes on that flavoring). The major flavors are sweet,
strong coffee, vanilla cream, dark chocolate, and fruity brandy. As a mix (standalone or
in a recipe) ages, cake-like bakery flavor develops. Up is not as concentrated as
Tiramisu, so 2-3% standalone is not too much. FA’s flavor blends are meant to be tasty
as standalone flavors; this one sure is!
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 29 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
FA Vienna Cream
Extremely versatile, rich, nicely-sweet, creamy flavor. There is a hint of vanilla when
used below 3%. Over 3% may give you a sharp flavor that some describe as an alcohollike note; that can mellow over time, but it’s best to consider 3% an upper limit to avoid
the problem. Vienna Cream tastes similar to the filling in Boston cream pie. It’s closer to
what most Americans consider custard than FA's Custard flavor is. If you add a little
nutmeg flavor (rum and/or vanilla optional) it’s excellent eggnog. Vienna Cream is a
good start for ice cream flavors. Vienna Cream plus Vanilla Classic tastes like vanilla ice
cream. Vienna smooths out bakery recipes well. It tames the strong flavors of FA
Tiramisu, for example, and makes FA Cookie richer and sweeter.
FA Vanilla Classic, Vanilla Tahiti, and Vanilla Bourbon
FA’s vanillas are best discussed as a group. All are roughly the same strength, useful as
standalone flavors and in recipes. All are vanilla extract type flavors, not sweetened or
custardy - though they have the natural sweetness and slight creaminess you expect
from vanilla. They are quite different flavors; it's like having 3 distinctly different gourmet
vanilla extracts in your kitchen. If you're adding vanilla to light fruits, try Vanilla Tahiti
first. If you're duplicating vanilla-flavored snack foods, you probably need Vanilla
Classic. For bold vanilla flavor, try Vanilla Bourbon first. Often a mix of two or all three
will be ideal. You'll make better vapes if you have all three to work with. Try each
standalone to get a good idea of each flavor before using them in recipes.
FA Vanilla Bourbon
Rich, dark, bold vanilla - the flavor of gourmet Madagascar vanilla extract. This is NOT
the flavor of bourbon alcohol! Although it can be too prominent for light fruit flavors,
Vanilla Bourbon adds bold, gourmet vanilla flavor to just about anything else. It's more
complex than Vanilla Classic and more versatile than Vanilla Tahiti. Vanilla Bourbon is
often the best choice for coffees, dark tobaccos, dark fruits, rich bakery flavors, and as a
noticeable hint of vanilla in complex recipes.
FA Vanilla Classic
Like vanilla extract flavor sold in the U.S., comparable in flavor to Mexican vanilla
extract. This is the vanilla flavor Americans know from vanilla ice cream, cake, and
popular cookies. Although it's an excellent and versatile vanilla, many people get only
this one -- and really miss out by never trying the other two.
FA Vanilla Tahiti
Tahitian vanilla is a bright vanilla with a note of almond/cherry. It’s the sweetest of FA's
vanillas. Vanilla Tahiti is usually the best choice with fresh fruit flavors, especially mild
fruits. Bold or 'dark' flavors can overwhelm it, so it's best with either with mild flavors or
in recipes that feature vanilla as a main ingredient. It's just as strongly-flavored as FA’s
other vanillas when vaped standalone, but it's more easily lost as an accent.
FA Violet
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 30 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
This will remind you of the scent of spring time “lawn violets”. It’s an aromatic, sweet
floral flavor. If you like Choward’s violet candies, buy this flavoring! If you don’t like
florals, skip it.
FA Virginia
2% standalone. The yellow/golden flavor of straight Virginia type tobacco leaves. Before
it steeps it has a lot of half-ripe (green/yellow) grassy/hay flavor. With aging it “ripens” to
a drier yellow tobacco leaf flavor, like the tobacco used heavily in Canadian cigarettes. It
does not have the smoky notes of fire-cured tobacco. Virginia, Burley, and Desert Ship
are the main flavors for mixing basic cigarette tobacco blends.
FA Walnut
This tastes like raw English walnuts, not the sharper flavor of black walnuts. There is no
bitterness; it's very slightly sweet. This is a mild nut flavor that blends easily and adds a
rich, nutty flavor to recipes. It can contribute to buttery notes when used with creams
and caramel/butterscotch. Walnut is good in bakery and candy mixes that need some
general 'nuttiness' without identifiable nut flavor. It doesn't 'clash' with other flavors or
dominate a recipe like more distinctive nut flavors can. It’s also excellent for nutty
tobacco blends.
FA Watermelon (Red Summer)
As with most FA fruits, this is very realistic, fresh fruit flavor - including some seeds and
rind. It’s not very sweet, not like candy watermelon flavors at all. Standalone 4-5% is not
unreasonable; it’s one of FA’s least strong flavorings. Adding sweeter fruit flavors to FA
Watermelon can make it taste stronger; try that instead of adding Sucralose or other
plain sweeteners. To really emphasize the “green/rind” bit of Watermelon, add a little FA
Cucumber.
FA Whisky
Tastes like Irish whisky, not sweet like American bourbon. This has quite a boozy kick,
especially immediately after mixing. It does mellow substantially as it steeps. Add a little
FA Oak Wood for more barrel-aged flavor. Whisky is really tasty accent for many fruit
mixes, whether you add just enough for interest (it will also reduce the sweetness of fruit
flavor), or more for a boozy cocktail flavor.
FA White Grape see FA Grape White
FA White Peach
This is one of FA's most accurate and distinctive fruit flavors - like a fresh, lightly-ripe,
white peach. White Peach can taste a little sharp or “astringent” starting around 3%. For
a more “ripe” flavor, combine with FA Peach. To keep the astringent edge and add
sweetness, use White Peach with some FA Pear. White Peach is a more delicate,
complex flavor than plain Peach - but White Peach is the more concentrated flavoring.
For cocktail recipes, White Peach is ideal with FA Gin, Brandy, and Whiskey, or spiced
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 31 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
with FA Cardamom. If you use peach only occasionally or want just one, I recommend
FA White Peach, but fans of peachy vapes need both.
FA Wine Red and FA Wine White
As of this revision, FA has warnings that these flavorings contain diacetyl or related
diketones, though not long ago, they’d announced White Wine was clear of those
ingredients. Having tasted both versions, I sure can’t tell them apart. At any rate, both
flavorings are accurate to their names. White Wine is useful in cocktail-type recipes, and
small additions (1% or less) of Red Wine add a sophisticated flavor to baked fruit vapes.
Both are more dry than sweet, and both truly taste boozy.
FA wOw (flavor blend)
The strange capitalization on FA’s website and labels hints this is a donut flavor. If you
intend to mix a donut-type recipe, read the flavor notes on Zeppola. wOw tastes like a
sweet, fried pastry with “red fruit” (tastes like strawberry, raspberry, and apple to me)
filling. The sweet pastry flavor is dominant, so you can add more/other fruit flavors and
still have an overall donut flavor. Each FA flavor blend is intended to be a complete and
complex standalone flavor, and wOw definitely is that. If you’re a new DIYer (or
shopping for someone who is) FA’s flavor blends make it easy.
FA Ylang Ylang
Use this ONLY if you enjoy extreme aromatic vapes. This is just like the essential oil or
incense of the same name. It’s a bit sweet. If you enjoy Ylang Ylang and want to mix
with it, consider adding a bitter contrast with Bergamot or Grapefruit. If you’re an
incense fan, try 2% Ylang Ylang with 0.5% FA Cam Blend for its sandalwood flavor; it’s
like vaping an incense shop (Use within a few days before sandalwood mellows).
FA Yogurt
Very strong, persistent flavor of sour (rancid?) yogurt. I find it unpleasant, but some
enjoy tiny quantities for adding yogurt-like tartness to their recipes. The milk base flavor
(which you’ll also taste in FA Condensed Milk) easily overruns other flavors, and it
erases sweetness, so begin with very tiny additions if you want to mix with it.
FA Zen Garden
This herbal blend is primarily basil-oregano, but varying power and percentage can
bring out different accents. At 2-3% you’ll taste mostly basil and oregano, a little
rosemary, perhaps sage and thyme. As you increase your power a sweet background
note emerges. By 5% rosemary is more noticeable, and spearmint emerges, especially
with higher power. As you increase your percentage and power, spearmint gets even
stronger. Non-vapers say the vapor trail smells like pizza.
FA Zeppola
Zeppola is FA’s donut base flavor. It’s not as strong as most FA flavorings; 4-5%
standalone is not unreasonable. It tastes like the sweet pastry bit of FA wOw. Zeppole
Nov 2, 2017 revision page 32 of 33
HIC’s Notes on FlavourArt Flavorings
are Italian pastries like donut holes - fried sweet dough topped with powdered sugar,
much like beignets from New Orleans. A note for those who find FA Joy unpleasant:
there are *none* of those yeasty notes in Zeppola. If you have a recipe that includes FA
Cinnamon Ceylon, but the spice tastes powdery & not sweet enough, add some FA
Zeppola. The combination gives you the flavor of real bakery cinnamon with white
sugar. In fact, try FA Zeppola as an addition to just about any bakery recipe that needs
extra sweetness. If Zeppola is the main flavor in your recipe, adding 0.5% Nonna’s
Cake will give you denser, richer cake flavor. When using Zeppola as a standalone
flavor or a main flavor in a recipe, be aware the “doughy” aspect will become more
pronounced as it ages.