Help with FA Cherry Black

[SunRam]

I'm new to DIY, and have a problem on my hands. I bought FA Cherry Black (why Cherry Black and not Black Cherry, only FA will know ) and Arctic Menthol. I can mix the Menthol to the point where it is actually enjoyable, but for the life of me, can't get the Cherry Black to taste like anything, just tastes like straight VG/PG. I'm mixing 70/30 VG/PG (VG from HealthCabin, PG from madvapes, no Nic for testing purposes) using ejuicemeup calculator.
As far as the the Menthol goes, I mixed at 15% in a 3ml batch and it's great, straight off the bat! Even started making bigger batches.

Now for the troublesome Cherry Black, I mixed 3%, 5%, 7%, 8%, 9% and 11% in 3ml batches, having read that 4% is the general consensus - they all taste like straight VG/PG, not even a hint of Cherry Black here! They sure smell like Cherry Black, but taste, not so much! The troublesome Cherry Black have only steeped for 4 days, but surely there should be something resembling the taste of Black Cherry in there?

I have not added any sweetener or vinegar (I'm waiting for my sweetener to arrive from TPA....hopefully it can bring some flavour out)

Thought it might be my VG, and mixed a 4% Cherry Black in straight PG, 3ml batch 2 days ago - still nada - nothing!

I can taste my store bought juices just fine, and many of them are great, but I really want my DIY concoctions to work!
Using Ego C 1000mah batteries, and Smoktech dual coil 1.5 ohm cartos in a DCT.

Anyway, highly frustrated I'm off to bed now, since it's almost 22:00 in South Africa.
Am I missing something? Any help will be greatly appreciated

 

[Hoosier]

Smells great but there is no taste?

<There is a blue "3" underneath my avatar. Click that number and then open my flavoring levels blog. Read it and see if it doesn't ring some bells and tell you your answer.

Trust me, you will not believe it when you read it...

 

[SunRam]

Thanks Hoosier, I've done a lot of research before I plunged in to DIY, and actually read your blog entry before! Very informative. Therefore I mixed at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11%

"Whoo, Did I Forget to Put the Flavoring In? (Too much flavoring can actually make things impossible to taste.)" - actually doesn't make sense right? Though I'm absolutely sure you are right.

I'm at a loss here. Could it be a bad bottle of Flavoring?

 

[Hoosier]

Right, so try 1%.

Seems like you went up when you should have gone down.

I have one flavoring that I mix at 0.25% to get it to work. Even at 1% it tastes like nasty crap (level 7) and at 3% has no taste what-so-ever.

I know it seems completely backward, but I swear it is how it is.

 

[favor1]

I think steeping is the only option here. I know that some people prefer "Koolada" over menthol as it doesn't mask the flavor as much but it does as a "cooling feeling." The only mixes I made that were good with menthol were all very strong flavors. Whenever I added menthol to a weak flavor, it would completely overshadow the flavor and 95% of the taste would be menthol.

 

[SunRam]

Backwards indeed! Certainly will try that tomorrow and report back once it steeped a little.

 

[SunRam]

I think steeping is the only option here. I know that some people prefer "Koolada" over menthol as it doesn't mask the flavor as much but it does as a "cooling feeling." The only mixes I made that were good with menthol were all very strong flavors. Whenever I added menthol to a weak flavor, it would completely overshadow the flavor and 95% of the taste would be menthol.

I haven't mixed the menthol with the Cherry Black, specifically to experience the individual flavours. But believe me, they will steep and steep until I can taste some Cherry Black!

 

[SunRam]

I'm down to thinking it might be my VG from HealthCabin, as my FA RY4 at 1% 3% and 5% (steeping for 7 days now) still has a very mellow, to almost no taste. Just ordered some VG and Nic from EcigExpress, together with some more FA flavours:

Banana
Blackberry
Blackcurrent
Breadcrust
Butterscotch
Caramel
Cookie
Forest Fruit Mix
Strawberry
Tobacco Maxx Blend
Malic Acid powder

 

[Deathkneeler]

I have a mix that I like very well, I can taste the black cherry. This is for a 3ml that has steeped for less than a day.
Black Cherry- 3%
Virginia -5%
VG based 36mg cut down to 10mg with 60/40 pg/vg. Hope this helps and you find the right mix.

Have a good day.