Red Label Beer Concentrate January 2012

[sosjander]

Red Label Beer Concentrate January 2012

I’ve been looking forward to trying this one and, as a CAMRA member (that’s the Campaign for Real Ale organisation) I have an interest in the small independent breweries and their products – from “Mild”, “Golden Ale” (my favourite type), right up to complex and full-flavoured “Stout”. I don’t have a lot of time for mass-produced stuff and lager in general, although I realise that it has a market – and a rather huge one as well.

I even made an attempt, well, several really, back in the 80s and 90s in brewing my own – often with “mixed” (read “shocking”) results, so I gave all that up, especially as supermarkets started to offer a good selection of, at the time, unusual beers with even stranger sounding names – and this practice continues as there is now a huge range available and it’s quite reasonably priced.

So, that’s me and my relationship with beer and upon opening the little bottle of concentrate the aroma instantly took me back to the smell of a 5 gallon tub of young brewing beer mix in my back bedroom – lovely aroma, a bit like what you experience in the cellar of a pub or, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of working at a beer festival and you’re pouring the waste stuff from drip buckets down the drains at the end of a session (I know, sniff,    what a waste indeed……..)

Anyway, enough of my waffling, how did the beer concentrate vape once it was mixed? Would it remind me of a pint of one of my favourite brews? Right !! Where’s Sally? Ah, there she is……

Equipment – Sally the Silver Screwdriver, fitted with a clean 901LR atty

Mix #1
15 drops DV PI VG
6 drops TW RL FC Beer
9 drops DV PEG400 dilutant
10 drops VG / Vodka mix (85:15)

20mg nic strength, 15% flavour, Shake the dropper bottle and leave to rest for 24 hours.

Three drops into the drip-tip, here goes….  Well, there’s certainly flavour alright but, it’s the taste of the “smell” of a certain beer, and not the “flavour” of an actual beer whilst it’s being consumed – if you get my meaning. It really does taste like the smell of the concentrate which, to me was a little disappointing initially – reminding me of home-brewed liquids in the past where I’ve been too impatient and not allowing the yeast to do its job by fully turning the sugar into alcohol – more fool me. Nope, I can’t say that I’m really – hand on heart – enjoying this. Quite sweet and bags of vapour but, then again, my mixes are always going to be predominately VG based – hence the vapour clouds. There’s definitely flavour of some sort, but not what I was expecting (or hoping for) so perhaps an increase in concentrate is needed to bring out “a missing ingredient”………


Mix #2
10 drops DV PI VG
6 drops TW RL FC Beer
7 drops DV PEG400 dilutant
7 drops VG / Vodka mix (85:15)

18mg nic strength, 20% flavour, Shake the dropper bottle and, again, leave to rest for 24 hours.

Better, much better, but I wasn’t really getting away from that “brewing process” / “waste beer” taste which, again, smelt exactly the same as the beer vape mix which I suppose in hindsight, it was always going to do. As this taste test took place over a weekend, I allowed myself to open a couple of bottles from one of my favourite breweries – from a lovely little setup in Oxfordshire – and, blow me down, the aroma from that opened bottle of beer was almost identical to the smell of the vape mix – uncanny, really.

Sure, the taste of the beer was completely different to the taste of the vape but, by now, I was realising that the beer flavour concentrate was trying to replicate the “smell of beer” nothing more, nothing less and – for that part – doing a reasonable job in the process. Left for a further 24 hours, the vape mix improved even more and seemed to taste smoother. Hmm, there’s hope for this yet…..

In conclusion: For me, mix #2 definitely was more to my liking that #1 and, with beer tasting being totally subjective, this isn’t a bad all-rounder - sweetness on the inhale but this all but disappears on the exhale and aftertaste. A golden ale in the “real world” is not going to resemble anything like a proper chocolate and fruit infused stout, for example and, that said, I’ve tried certain stout vaping liquids in the past which have tasted more like toffee or caramel but still, quite nice.

Take the beer flavour concentrate for what it is – it smells like the stuff and, as for the taste, well, as I’ve stated it’s all rather subjective, isn’t it? Do, however, leave any concoction you make to steep for a couple of days and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as the TW RL Beer Flavour Concentrate has gone in the space of a couple of days, for me, from something “I’ll probably never try again” to “I’ll definitely enjoy once in a while”….

Happy mixing and cheers !!  

John

[Killjoy]

Red Label Flavor Concentrate:  Beer


Well, this one was certainly interesting.  Before opening up the bottle I had absolutely no idea what to expect.  I'm a beer-lover, though I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, just a guy with very varied tastes who likes a good brew   

Concentrate is crystal clear (wish my tap water looked this clean) and the same thin consistency as the other RL concentrates I've used.  Popped the top off and WHOA this is a strong smell!  Definitely "beer", though not a variety that I am prone to indulge in nowadays.  I had immediate flashbacks to my college days and frat parties where the Busch flowed freely down the gullets of carefree young adults.  That was the beer of choice at the time for such gatherings, it was cheap at about a tenner or less for a thirty pack in those days.  It's been more than a decade since I've imbibed on that particular libation, but it is a distinct taste and smell that I will never truly forget

Okay, so it's modeled after an inexpensive mass-produced lager, not unexpected given how widely distributed and consumed such products are (particularly here in the US where only one person in a hundred at best understands what "good" beer is).  It is definitely not recommended to vape this at work, church, AA meetings, while picking up the kids at school or during a traffic stop (sorry officer, I'm really not as vaped as you drink I am ), as the aroma was emulated very accurately and is distinctly "beer" 


Well, with an appropriate soundtrack in place, on to the tasting!


Mixed a batch via my current standard recipe:  roughly 50/50 (or a hair higher on the PG side of things), 16mg, 15% flavor.  Vaped in a previously unused XL clearomizer (would have dripped, but I didn't have any new attys on hand)

The flavor is not as overpowering as the smell of the concentrate was.  Definitely tastes like it smells, though, but not like chugging a cold one, more like when you wake up the morning after the party and wet your whistle from the warm open can sitting on the bedside table.  The flavor is undoubtedly "beer", still uncannily resembling the brand mentioned above. 
The vape is very sweet.  I suspect some of that is from the VG in my mix, but after vaping some of the unflavored base for comparison I can only conclude that the flavoring itself carries just a touch of sweetness.  At first, this was a bit off-putting, but after vaping for a while I find it kinda works. 

Made a second small batch at 10% flavor for the next day.  Now it's tasting a little flat and muted, but otherwise much the same


Conclusion:

Much like the drink of choice for a destitute college student, where the second beer always went down smoother than the first, this juice is more pleasant on the tongue after your palette has had some time to think on it.  Flavor and aroma is undoubtedly beer (though not a variety I care to drink), so kudos to the flavor gurus who concocted it, but for me it is definitely relegated to the "novelty vape" category 

[StevieD]

Red Label Concentrate :- Beer, January 2012

When I found out we were getting Beer to try I thought Yippee!! The envelope dropped through the letterbox and had the standard 5ml bottle with childproof cap in the 'Punch & Judy' box.
The concentrate is a crystal clear, colourless fluid. Took the lid off to have a sniff.......hmmmm, certainly is reminiscent of some of the smells from my home brewing days, but with a more pungent note to it, similar to acetone/peardrops.
I made up a 10ml mix with Herc VG Unflavoured at 10%, gave it a good shake and had a sniff of the mix. The acetone notes have gone and what is left is a slightly yeasty, sweet, 'not quite malty' aroma, not unpleasant but not what I would call beer, more like the froth from the top of a fermenting bin, but not as yeasty. Cap back on, another good shaking and put it asside for 48hrs.
When it had stood for a bit I took the cap off again and had another sniff....much smoother, more blended aroma but still not beer, sort of like the froth from a warm bottle of cheap french lager, the kind that comes in the little dumpy bottles. Clean 901 on my Torpedo, set to 4.2V, and drip a few drops in to see how it vapes. The flavour was almost the same as the smell, again, not so much beer, but more like the aftertaste of beer, you know, when you've had a good glug and you can still taste it a few minutes later.
I decided to up the flavouring to 15% and let it stand a bit more.
After two more days it was time to try it again, so i put the same atty on onto the Torpedo, same setting and tried again. This time the flavour was a lot better, still not what I would call Beer, still that cheap french lager, but now, instead of the aftertaste, it was more like I'd taken a bit of the froth from that warm bottle of lager into my mouth and swilled it round.
Not at all unpleasant, but more 'potwash' than beer, it's a light flavoured vape that I will use, and will probably buy again when this one is empty, but not one that I would worry about keeping 'in stock'.

[Ellen]

Red Label Concentrate - Beer - January 2012

On receiving the juice, it is clear in colour. The aroma from the bottle is...well...the pleasant smell of beer. From just the smell I was looking forward to sampling this flavour.

I mixed 5 ml at 20% flavour. Using the 510 Titan with a fresh cart.
On first inhale, wow, yes, certainly a beer flavour, a very smooth rounded flavour. This has to be one of my favourite flavours so far. The list does keep growing.
The flavour is there throughout, in inhale and exhale. Throat hit is quite good, but as I've said in the past, sometimes the flavour outweighs the throat hit for the better. There is also a lot of vapour from this juice. There is an aftertaste of beer, as you would get while drinking. Which is feeling a little odd as I'm sampling this in the morning, beer (flavour) for breakfast isn't what I'd normally be thinking, but hey, first time for everything.
There is no noticeable aroma when vaping  with this juice, which is great, my house wont be smelling like a brewery.

All in all, I'm really enjoying the Beer flavour. A big thumbs up from me...Cheers.

[prof beard]

Red Label Concentrate - Beer - January 2012

The flavouring liquid is clear and smells of beer - but not beer I would drink as it also smells a bit like it has pipe cleaning fluid in it.   But hey, it IS a concentrate...

I used 15 or so drops of the flavouring in 5 ml of 24mg PG. The mixed juice smelled nicer - a weak beer...  I vaped it using a low resistance 510 atomiser (dripping).

When vaped there is indeed a taste of beer - not unpleasant, but not the sort of beer I drink.  The flavour is of a slightly fruity "Belgian" style beer but one which is much weaker than the head banging strength such beers come in . The aftertaste is similar - definitely beery but not my type of beer.

At the strength I used (and allowing for the fierce atomiser I was using) the hit is about what I'd expect and is well balanced between inhale and exhale.   Vapour was very good for a pure PG mix.   The vapour smells a bit beery but the smell passes very quickly, which is just as well if you are using it in public

So, for me, it's an "ok" flavour but not nice enough to make me want to start using it as a regular choice.  If you are not a bitter drinker this might suit though...

[dereck72]

January 2012 Red Label Beer Concentrate

My sample of Red Label Beer concentrate arrived just in time for me to mix some up to enjoy during the big game!

Equipment:
Mega Tornado, dripping on a 510 LR atomizer.

Appearance/Aroma:

Clear and colorless, thin in viscosity, appears water-like.  The scent is a kick to the sinuses, a slightly overpowering aroma that is not very pleasant.  It’s the smell of stale beer, with a sourness to it.  Reminds me of waking up in a room full of half empty solo cups the morning after a keg party back in college, fond, somewhat blurry memories.  I tell myself, “this is a concentrate, let’s hold off on judgment until after mixing this down some”

Mix 1:
After sampling the scent of the concentrate I decided to go against better judgment and go “all-in” with a higher concentration of 20% flavor concentration for my first mix, 12mg in nicotine strength, in a ratio of 60% PG 40% VG. 

Flavor:
It’s sort of beer-like, but it has pronounced tartness similar to hard cider to it.  The best way to describe the flavor would be a pint glass half filled with cider, half filled with a light pilsner.  It was vapable, but I wasn’t enjoying it much.

Throat Hit:
I experience a strong throat hit to this flavor at this concentration, over time it becomes almost annoying.

Mix 2:
Okay, so a bad call on my part mixing it high for my first sample.  For the second batch I’ll be using 10% flavor concentrate, 12mg in nicotine strength, in a ratio of 60% PG 40% VG. 

Flavor:
There’s a very light pilsner flavor on the inhale, the flavor is detected more as I exhale and the scent lingers in my sinuses for a few seconds afterwards.  There is a bit of an aftertaste of beer as well. The tartness I experienced at 20% is reduced significantly making the flavor more enjoyable for me.

Throat hit:
A mild amount of throat hit is experienced at this level of flavoring, it is felt more throughout the exhale.

Mix 3:

Flavor:
I did settle into a mix of 15% flavoring which I found was a good balance between the two mixes I had described above for my taste buds.  This level brings out the flavor of beer much better than at 10%, it does bring back some of the tartness that was overstated at 20%. 

Throat hit:
Good amount, detectable, but doesn’t get too harsh over time.

If you plan on giving this flavor a try I recommend experimenting with a few different levels of concentration to see what appeals to your tastes. This flavor has a similar taste to beer, it also shares the similarity that in moderation it can be quite enjoyable, but if you overindulge it can become somewhat unpleasant.  I did quite enjoy playing mixologist with this one, cheers TW!

[8Ball]

February, 2011  Red Label Flavor Concentrate - Beer

Arrived in the standard Red label packaging.  Clear concentrate.  Smells of stale beer with chemical undertones.

The Mix:
6mg PI/VG
10% Beer flavor concentrate
AG diluent

The Equipment:
A new CE3 (old version) on a VV mod set at 3.6 volts.

The Vape:
Vapes about like it smells..... which is to say stale beer.  The chemical note that was present in the aroma of the concentrate is gone, but it does taste of stale beer..... a lager to be specific.  I don't drink that much, but when I do, I prefer an ale (Bass or Newcastle thankyouverymuch).  So even if this didn't have the stale taste to it, it would not be something I'd be likely to vape.


2nd Mix:
same as above, but with 15% flavor concentrate this time.

The 2nd Vape:
Better.  Less of the stale taste.  This one tastes more like beer on the inhale with a hint of ale on the exhale (ahem, no pun intended).  Still not a beer I'd drink, but beer non the less.  There's now a sharper note to it on the exhale as well.

Conclusion:
If you like lager and aren't too particular about the flavor of the beer you drink, you might like this one at 15% flavor concentrate.   Throat hit average.   Vapor average.