Capella Single Flavor Tests by SessionDrummer

[SessionDrummer]

**Nectariine (CAP) 4.0%/6.0% (2-4-23)** -- I had to spend some EXTRA time on this one, as it was a curiosity to me. Now as strange as it sounds, I got an initial impression, that 3 testers later I was unable to shake. This one although good, did not present as a full on Nectarine, but more like a nectarine mixed with RFSC Yumberry, or something close to that. Crazy right ? Smelling it, the Nectarine was far more present than when tasting it. Now with that said, it was a great flavor, but not as pure or clear of a nectarine. The yumberry-ish blend/ing was unshakeable, and stayed present throughout the entire test. The ironic thing here is, this flavor is GREAT, but not as a pure Nectarine. The nectarine that was present was somewhat sweet, and juicy. The room note on this one, had a very recognizable smell that reminded me of commercial fruit mixes. Just to make sure I hadn't underpowered this one I upp'd and re-tested it @ 6%, and it was a little stronger, but the same. After 3 testers, I still hadn't grown tired of this one, and as stated, it was actually a really good flavor, and despite not super nailing the nectarine, if you like fruity flavors, I would actually highly recommend it, as it was that good. No ceiling smashing at either percentages, and it was just below mid-level sweet. I struggled to better describe this one, but could not, so I'll leave this one as a good Nectarine, BUT, paired up with an almost candy-ish Yumberry. As a pure/specific Nectarine, I would have to drop it somewhat to a **6.5/10**, BUT, as a Nectarine paired with a delicious Yumberry I would have to rate it MUCH higher @ **9.5/10.** You may want to pick this one up, and enjoy it anyway, .... I am.

 

[SessionDrummer]

**Peach (W/O Stevia) (CAP) 4% (2-5-23)** -- Because I'm finishing up this series, I didn't want to slow the roll, and break into side tests, but after this series is completed, I WILL directly compare CAP's Peach WITH and WITHOUT Stevia to see how much of a difference the Stevia makes. Right out of the gate, without Stevia, this one did not disappoint. It presented as a nice juicy, yellow peach without hesitation. No pits or skin, but the juicy yellow fleshy body. @ 4% it was nicely full, and did not taste underpowered. Sweetness was just below mid level, and at that level it felt/tasted natural without any "candy"-ness. To better define the sweetness, it was also not soo sweet that it fell into canned peaches in sytrup. Natural tasting, with no off-notes, and it had plenty of lower/mid notes as well as some sparkling high notes, which kept it interesting, and non one dimensional. As far as peaches went, it was right in the middle of the road, and that would allow for even more uses, from candied, fruit pairings, and bakeries and pies. Overall it did have an interesting tartness, which not only gave it a little kick, but added authenticity, and ripe-ness to it. All in, an impressive NON-Stevia'd version of a yellow peach, that was JUST sweet enough, and just tart enough to really keep it interesting. Hard to knock something down, when it does what it claims to do, and does it well. Easily a **9.5/10**.

 

[SessionDrummer]

**Smooth Custard (CAP) 4% (2-5-23)** -- Ohhh Yeahhh !!!!! I just had to get THAT out of the way. YES, this is one of the ones I wanted to hit FIRST, but, I had to let the process run. OK, what DO we have here with the NEW Cap Smooth Custard. EXACTLY that. Vanilla Custard paired perfectly with creams/creameries. Review over, right ?? Hehe, ok, a little more details on this one. I did get a good dose of what I call "Capella Classic Vanilla Custard" in here, BUT it was tempered by a super smooth (and creamy) creamery. Now, I've already been asked more than once if this was CAP VC1 with the NEW Creamy Vanilla. I can neither confirm nor deny that, BUT, it could be. I honestly think it's more than that simple pairing. The eggy CAP VC is back, BUT, because of how it is/was tempered by the creamery elements, it was not quite as IN your face. It was still plenty thick, and rich at 4% with utterly NO NEED to crank it up, as it was full flavored at this weight. Now I continue to mention VC v.1 but, in this new dik/daap free-ish world we live in, I'm sure this one is free of those as well, and although there were no overt buttery notes, it was still QUITE the tasty one. I felt that it was thicker than just a simple VC and Cream mix, and at times I almost got a bakery-ish element in there, that also worked to thicken it up, and make it even more enjoyable. Because the VC elements were still fairly present, it made completely identifying the cream/creameries in here, pretty damned hard, BUT they ARE in there, and worked to really increase the richness of this one, without a thinning effect. Beautifully blended, and ratio-d. What's neat about this one is it will probably appeal to both diehard CAP VC fans, AND people not necessarily looking for a heavy eggy-ness. It's there, but tempered by the creamy elements. Creamy Custard perfectly names this one, as I did not get any Pudding in here at all. No off notes, and rather HARD to put down. If you like Cap's VC, and Creameries, you should sign up for this one !!!!! For a rich, creamy mashup of Cap's VC and and delicious creams/creameries, this one won't let you down. Creamy and rich RIGHT up until the end of the testers. I cannot go below **9.9/10** on this one guys.

 

[Paul33]

**Smooth Custard (CAP) 4% (2-5-23)** -- Ohhh Yeahhh !!!!! I just had to get THAT out of the way. YES, this is one of the ones I wanted to hit FIRST, but, I had to let the process run. OK, what DO we have here with the NEW Cap Smooth Custard. EXACTLY that. Vanilla Custard paired perfectly with creams/creameries. Review over, right ?? Hehe, ok, a little more details on this one. I did get a good dose of what I call "Capella Classic Vanilla Custard" in here, BUT it was tempered by a super smooth (and creamy) creamery. Now, I've already been asked more than once if this was CAP VC1 with the NEW Creamy Vanilla. I can neither confirm nor deny that, BUT, it could be. I honestly think it's more than that simple pairing. The eggy CAP VC is back, BUT, because of how it is/was tempered by the creamery elements, it was not quite as IN your face. It was still plenty thick, and rich at 4% with utterly NO NEED to crank it up, as it was full flavored at this weight. Now I continue to mention VC v.1 but, in this new dik/daap free-ish world we live in, I'm sure this one is free of those as well, and although there were no overt buttery notes, it was still QUITE the tasty one. I felt that it was thicker than just a simple VC and Cream mix, and at times I almost got a bakery-ish element in there, that also worked to thicken it up, and make it even more enjoyable. Because the VC elements were still fairly present, it made completely identifying the cream/creameries in here, pretty damned hard, BUT they ARE in there, and worked to really increase the richness of this one, without a thinning effect. Beautifully blended, and ratio-d. What's neat about this one is it will probably appeal to both diehard CAP VC fans, AND people not necessarily looking for a heavy eggy-ness. It's there, but tempered by the creamy elements. Creamy Custard perfectly names this one, as I did not get any Pudding in here at all. No off notes, and rather HARD to put down. If you like Cap's VC, and Creameries, you should sign up for this one !!!!! For a rich, creamy mashup of Cap's VC and and delicious creams/creameries, this one won't let you down. Creamy and rich RIGHT up until the end of the testers. I cannot go below **9.9/10** on this one guys.

cool review as always dude BUT the question is does it need to steep for 15 years like CAP VC does?

 

[SessionDrummer]

**Sour Blue Raspberry (CAP) 4% (2-7-23)** -- Wow, the room note on this one, was full on BLUE !!!! Nearing the end of this big ass series, I finally got to spend some time with this one, and I was glad I did. It presented as a fairly artificial Blue Raspberry, which in and of itself is hard to explain, as they don't occur in nature. Some people think the BRB is a pairing of Raspberries and Blueberries, which MIGHT be true, but it's hard to 100% nail that down. Regardless, it WAS true to the traditional profile, with a nice sour tartness, with JUST enough sweetener to round it out. @ 4% it felt like it might be able to go a little higher, maybe even 5.0-5.5% as a solo flavor, but even at my testing weight, there were no off-notes. Like a previous flavor above, this one had a recognizable "commercial" taste/ room note that is used widely, and you'll know what I mean when you taste it. No cooling, which was a bonus for me, as I can't use them, BUT, you could chill it down if needed. Regardless of how ICEE came up WITH the blue raspberry, this flavor did really capture it well. Non fatiguing, and still mysterious as to what exactly WAS in it, this one stayed interesting, and fresh throughout. If you DO like the Blue (hehe, it's actually a clear flavor), you'll love this one. While I still may not be able to 100% fully identify the "berry" compounds in this one, it had no real faults, and did what it was supposed to do. Solidly placing this one @ **9.0/10**.

 

[Quintusson]

**Sour Blue Raspberry (CAP) 4% (2-7-23)** -- Wow, the room note on this one, was full on BLUE !!!! Nearing the end of this big ass series, I finally got to spend some time with this one, and I was glad I did. It presented as a fairly artificial Blue Raspberry, which in and of itself is hard to explain, as they don't occur in nature. Some people think the BRB is a pairing of Raspberries and Blueberries, which MIGHT be true, but it's hard to 100% nail that down. Regardless, it WAS true to the traditional profile, with a nice sour tartness, with JUST enough sweetener to round it out. @ 4% it felt like it might be able to go a little higher, maybe even 5.0-5.5% as a solo flavor, but even at my testing weight, there were no off-notes. Like a previous flavor above, this one had a recognizable "commercial" taste/ room note that is used widely, and you'll know what I mean when you taste it. No cooling, which was a bonus for me, as I can't use them, BUT, you could chill it down if needed. Regardless of how ICEE came up WITH the blue raspberry, this flavor did really capture it well. Non fatiguing, and still mysterious as to what exactly WAS in it, this one stayed interesting, and fresh throughout. If you DO like the Blue (hehe, it's actually a clear flavor), you'll love this one. While I still may not be able to 100% fully identify the "berry" compounds in this one, it had no real faults, and did what it was supposed to do. Solidly placing this one @ **9.0/10**.

How would you compare this to the likes of WF Sour Blue Raspberry?

 

[SessionDrummer]

@ivc_mixer I would say comparable. To be fair, I do, and have tested soo many flavors, it can be almost impossible to be able to directly compare them all from memory, hehe, but I think this one had more of a "hue of blue", and somewhat more of a "candy" effect than the WF did. It's BEEN a little while since I tested the WF ....

**Sour Blue Raspberry (WF) 3.5% (9-01-19)** -- The first of the FINAL three for series two is on deck. This one HIT me as SOON as I tried it, and I loved it. You could def. solo this one, it was that good, but you might kick it up .5-1.0 percent. Seems there are more than a few Sour Blue Razz's out there, and this one is near the top. Not overly sour, but it's in there, sweeteness was good but not overboard, and the blue rasp was front and center, as you would expect. Not overly complex, but as a sweet/sour blue rasp it didn't need to be. All three elements played in nice harmony, and I found it a nice break from my typical custard/bakeries. No need to blather on, as this WILL be re-ordered in a biggie. **9.5/10**.

 

[Quintusson]

@ivc_mixer I would say comparable. To be fair, I do, and have tested soo many flavors, it can be almost impossible to be able to directly compare them all from memory, hehe, but I think this one had more of a "hue of blue", and somewhat more of a "candy" effect than the WF did. It's BEEN a little while since I tested the WF ....

Thank you

 

[SessionDrummer]

**Strawberry Kiwi Fusion (CAP) 4% (2-9-23)** -- I had a LOT of fun with this, the second to last flavor in this big series of the NEW Capella flavors. Cards on the table, this was a great flavor. I was only somewhat hesitant, as I have tasted some Kiwis that were very (sorry) "cat pissy", hehe. This one had NONE of that. The SB presented as a really juice, ripe, red Strawberry, and with the Kiwi, it had a sparkly, bright finish. The pairing of the two was very smartly done, as it let the red juicy-ness of the SB shine in the beginning and middle, and the Kiwi sparked it up on the finish. Depending on your tastes/needs, you could be WELL on your way to making a Kanzi with minimal tweaking. At 4% it was fairly strong, but felt like you might be able to push it a little higher, possibly 1%. At the testing weight, there were no off notes, and it was about mid-level sweet. No jams, candies, or overripes here, just a great (repeating) juicy red SB, paired (or Fuzed) with a nice, bright Kiwi. Smartly done, and the sparkling of bright notes on the finish really did (trust me, 3 testers so far), kept you coming back for more. Nothing to mark down on this one, and the only thing of note would be a possible increase in percentage. Freshly placing this one at a nice high of **9.5/10**.

 

[baksteen8168]

**Strawberry Kiwi Fusion (CAP) 4% (2-9-23)** -- I had a LOT of fun with this, the second to last flavor in this big series of the NEW Capella flavors. Cards on the table, this was a great flavor. I was only somewhat hesitant, as I have tasted some Kiwis that were very (sorry) "cat pissy", hehe. This one had NONE of that. The SB presented as a really juice, ripe, red Strawberry, and with the Kiwi, it had a sparkly, bright finish. The pairing of the two was very smartly done, as it let the red juicy-ness of the SB shine in the beginning and middle, and the Kiwi sparked it up on the finish. Depending on your tastes/needs, you could be WELL on your way to making a Kanzi with minimal tweaking. At 4% it was fairly strong, but felt like you might be able to push it a little higher, possibly 1%. At the testing weight, there were no off notes, and it was about mid-level sweet. No jams, candies, or overripes here, just a great (repeating) juicy red SB, paired (or Fuzed) with a nice, bright Kiwi. Smartly done, and the sparkling of bright notes on the finish really did (trust me, 3 testers so far), kept you coming back for more. Nothing to mark down on this one, and the only thing of note would be a possible increase in percentage. Freshly placing this one at a nice high of **9.5/10**.

I'm scared to ask how you know what catpee tastes like

 

[SessionDrummer]

**Strawberry Lemonade (CAP) 4% (2-11-23)** -- "Big Badda Boom" !! The LAST one of these NEW Capella flavors is on deck, and in the tank. As I've previously stated, sometimes on the FIRST taste, you get an impression, and it sticks with you (or me) from beginning to end, and that WAS the case here. The words of the day here are "Perfect Pairing". Capella did an incredible job of perfectly pairing both the SB and the Lemonade here. I don't know the actual compound ratios, but when tasting it, they both were DEAD EVEN. Not 49% / 51%, but 50% / 50%, meaning that both of the main profiles were completely, evenly matched. Now we can all probably agree, there's NO perfect ratio for everyone, and some will prefer more Lemonade, while others, more Strawberry. But if you're one of the ones, RIGHT in the middle, you can "gas and go" with this one. Need to pull it either way, towards the SB, or Lemonade, it won't take much. The SB was hard to completely nail down BECAUSE of the PP (perfect pairing), and I did get some great hints of a juicy red strawberry that leaned natural, and was tempered by the Lemonade which gave it somewhat of a brighter, white (green) strawberry-ish taste, but there were plenty of juicy red undertones still in there. The Lemonade was nice and bright, almost sharp, and punchy, and it as well, leaned natural. This one WAS a couple of ticks above mid-level sweet, and while higher on the scale, it wasn't fatiguing to my tastes, BUT, it did lean on the sweeter side. I can't suppose to say what the perfect SB/LA ratio is for you guys, but this one was as an EVEN pairing as you could hope to get, and what YOUR tastes will require, will determine whether or not it needed to be pushed or pulled. As I sometimes do with lemons/lemonades is I taste it RIGHT on the heels of one of my rich custard/creamery ADV's JUST to see if it can punch through. Meaning, I run two tanks side by side, test, test, test, the heavy creamery, then RIGHT over to the lemons/lemonades, and this one PUNCHED through, so it's got some punch to it. At 4% it was very full on my SteamCrave RDTA, and it MIGHT be able to be run a smidge higher, but I didn't feel the need to. Nothing off-putting, or squirrel-ly, and rather hard to mark down. In closing for this flavor, it was a perfectly evenly paired red, juicy SB, and a fresh, bright, and punchy Lemonade that leaned heavily natural. Not to distract FROM the flavor, but the smack dab, 50/50 pairing could not be understated. Easily a **9.3/10**.

Thanks for hanging in there, for the duration of this series, as some of these new Capella flavors were VERY interesting, and required some additional time to really flush out. Because I hand picked the flavors I wanted to test, either I got lucky, or most of these were just plain great flavors, as I didn't really get any "stinkers", with only the Cookie Crumble low scoring. It was an INSANELY good flavor, but just not true to it's name.

Thanks again out to Allen from Capella for not only letting me pick all of these, but sending them out for this review.

 

[Quintusson]

pairing both the BS and the Lemonade here

Pairing what??

 

[Quintusson]

Great thanks for all the reviews @SessionDrummer ! There are a few profiles here that I would love to try once they reach our shores. Truly appreciated.

 

[SessionDrummer]

Pairing what??

LOL, typos are killing me @ivc_mixer.

 

[SessionDrummer]

Great thanks for all the reviews @SessionDrummer ! There are a few profiles here that I would love to try once they reach our shores. Truly appreciated.

Thank you very much @ivc_mixer.