I know, I know. I know what you're thinking. How is it POSSIBLE, that I haven't officially reviewed any Inawera flavors ?? Hehe, I asked myself the same question, as I have been using many of them almost daily. Great news is, I finally got around to testing some of them. I was hesitant, because most of these have been around and used for years, but I was reminded that not everyone knows about them, especially newer mixers, and even veteran mixers, so I decided to test and share them.
A few of these I have been using for years, but the rest are new to me, so breaking NEW ground here. I finalized on testing these at three weights (0.75%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) depending on the flavor.
Testing as always on the SteamCrave RDTA v.1 running dual vertical 24 ga. Kanthal coils, and fresh Koh Gen Do cotton before every test. All mixed in a 70v/30p/3mg carrier base, and steeped for 2 weeks (because of the Custard !!!!). At tested at 65 watts. Stay tuned as these were just mixed up, and are now waiting for the testing.........
**Cappuccino (INW) 2.0% (6-23-25)** -- I'm actually surprised I haven't solo'd this one until now. The main 3 notes I got were espresso, cream/milk, and cocoa. I played with this for quite a while, and I kept coming back to those 3 main profiles. No coffee, or milk chocolate, but espresso, and a pretty good cocoa. The cream/milk was harder to directly identify, but the semi creamy mouthfeel made it evident. At 2% it was perfectly strong, and I didn't want to increase it at all. Sweetness was just at, or slightly above mid-level, so it leaned on the sweeter side.
I'm surprised there aren't more substantial reviews for this one, because you could easily use it solo as a one shot. At times I got an almost caramel sticky-ness to it, others not so I don't think I'd qualify that as a true caramel profile. About my only want, would be a smidge more espresso, but even as it stood, the main 3 notes were very evenly matched, and fairly equal. No off-notes, and pretty damned good solo. Too hard to put down, and/or mark down. Leaving this high at a **9.4/10**. If you like a great cappa you may want to get this one.
**Custard (INW) 2.0% (6-24-25)** -- I still can't believe it took me THIS long, to FINALLY solo this flavor, as I've been mixing with it forever. There are obvious similarities between it and CAP VC1, but this one not only steeps FAR faster, but isn't quite as rich, or overpowering, depending on your tastes. Beyond the rapid steep, probably the second most interesting aspect, is it smells far "egg heavy", that it presents when tasting it. TBH, I don't know it's DAAP status, but had read it was DIK free, and if true, is even more impressive.
It fell squarely in the egg-ish custard camp, with some nice brighter vanilla notes on the finish. Rich, but not thick, some light egg, but not overpowering. Another interesting aspect, is it was very solid at 2%, vs. CAP's which you would have to mix quite a bit higher to get the same saturation levels. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and I tried to, but failed to find any nit-picks. All in, a very good alternative to CAP's VC1, with a much lower usage, lighter egg component, and far faster steep times. Very hard to knock it down with all of that going for it. Easily a **9.8/10**.
**Flue Cured (INW) 1.5% (6-27-25)** -- While still not really being a bacco or NET'er, I reluctantly review, yet another tobacco. Realizing the Flue Curing uses heat to cure the tobacco, I didn't get any truly dark, smoky, or burnt notes from this one. I got far more mid-dark notes, along with a very healthy dose of "raw" notes. Now being a non-bacco'er, that's my term for a natural, unbaked taste/flavor. It presented as pretty natural tasting, with an almost honey like quality to the finish. While the mid-dark notes were very good, they weren't heavy, so it had about a mid-strength tobacco saturation overall. It leaned to the sweeter side, but not as high as your typical RY4. At 1.5% it was at a good strength, and could maybe be pushed 0.5% if needed. I struggled to try and better define the "raw" or "natural" notes, with maybe a touch of grassy-ness. After the finish the natural/raw notes lingered which was nice, and added authenticity. Again, as a non-bacco guy, I'd leave this one as a mid-strong, mid-dark tobacco with a great natural/raw overtone, sweetened, with a honey like finish. With no complaints or off-notes, leaving it fairly high at a **9.5/10**.
**Lime (INW) 0.75%/1.5%/2.0% (6-28-25)** -- Out of caution, I started this one low at 0.75%, and it clearly needed more. It presented as a fairly candied lime, or better, a lime syrup. Bumping it to 1.5% it started to better take shape, as more of a full-er lime, but still with some syrupy aspects. I pushed it higher to 2.0%, and did indeed start to get some telltale ceiling limit "Lysol" overtones, so I'm going to stick this one at a 1.5% for SFT. At this weight, it never presented fully as a 100 natural lime, as it still had some syrupy/candy nuances to it. I had thought maybe it had been borked during the reformulations, but it appeared not to be.
At 1.5% it did present as a good juicy lime, with some very realistic rind notes on the finish, and was about as strong as I could push it before the "lysol cleaner" effect at 2.0%+. Sweetness was somewhat below mid-level, which also left it "sweetened", without being "sweet". A very good, natural tasting lime, and my only complaint would be the light, but still persistent candy/syrup nuances. I finally decided to leave it still high at a **8.9/10**.
Inawera Reformulation Reference:
**Peach (INW) 1.5% (6-29-25)** -- Right out of the gate, you could tell this one was a Yellow Peach. It was interesting, because it wasn't very bright or punchy, but seemed centered more around the mid-dark notes, with some darker ones thrown in. The FIRST thing that came to mind was a "mixer peach", or "baser peach", as it seemed like it could cover a LOT of the middle notes, but would need some brighter, punchier help. I did get some "skin" in there, so that helped add to it's authenticity. At 1.5% it was about 6.5/10 on the strength scale, but that could have been perceptional due to the lack of brighter notes. Sweetness was just below mid-level, and not overt off-notes to complain about, with the exception of a somewhat dryness on the finish. It wasn't candied, or syrup'd, and while missing the brighter notes, did lean heavily towards a natural peach. All in, this would work in any mix where you needed a good yellow peach, but, it would need some assistance, to fill in, and round out the entire peach. An ok peach solo, but an even BETTER peach base building. Leaving this one at a **7.0/10**.
**Pear (INW) 1.5% (6-29-25)** -- Man, this one smelled G-O-O-D in the bottle, and SOME of that translated when testing it. Either I'm partially (or completely) Pear Blind, or it's just hard to make a good pear flavor. I mean, this one for starters, had some pear aspects to it, and it was very juicy, and could VERY easily be used in any pear mix, I just didn't get the overwhelming sense of "Pear", such that it could be the driver in any mix. FA's Pear is my current go to, and while better than this one, it wasn't even fully "there" enough for my tastes.
At 1.5% it was full, but felt it could use some more presence overall. There WAS a nice almost grainy-ness to it, which COULD be similar to the "sugar sand" effect you got when eating a real one. At times, I almost got more of a green center, with pear skin notes from it. No off-notes or anything out of place, but again, as the main driver in a pear mix, I think it would be best paired with at least FA's Pear for better results. Please test it yourself, and let me know if I'm just "Pear Blind" or not LOL. Pear-ish, nice soft grainy (almost) texture, very juicy, and tasty. Leaving this one similarly placed to the INW Peach as a substantial mixer/baser, and at a **7.0/10**.
**Raspberry (Malina) (INW) 0.75% / 1.5% (6-29-25)** -- This has been one of my all time favorite Raspberries for years, and was only topped (on my shelves) by the fabled Medicine Flower Wild Raspberry. This flavor smells much stronger in the bottle than it is after a steep. Still strong, but not as strong as many people think. I actually cut it in half down to 0.75% just to see how it fared, then back up to 1.5%. There's a reason why it's been in 44,666 recipes on ELR !!!! For the uninitiated, there are (for the most part) 3 Inawera lines. The regular (like this flavor), WG (Wera Garden) - Pro Series, and Shisha - Blends, can be used solo (per INW). Malina just means Raspberry in Polish.
This presents as a very rich, somewhat dark, accurate and natural Raspberry. There are some very light candy notes, but overall, it's a full on, seeds included Raspberry. It can EASILY handle all of the RB freight in mixes, but pairs rather magically with TPA Sweet Raspberry. At 1.5% it was damned delicious, and about a 8.75/10 on the strength scale. Slightly tart, nicely sweetened, and full bodied. It is a very distrinctive flavor, and most times you can tell when it's been used. Unless you used it much too high, there are no florals. Deep, rich, somewhat dark, but accurate and natural, with just a hint of tart are my main take-aways on this one, and no, hehe, I had no complaints, off-notes, or issues. Because I rated MF's Wild Raspberry at a 10/10, I left this one JUST below the "Release the Kraken" at a very respectable **9.9/10**. Your tastes may vary, but this one IS a Raspberry Powerhouse.
**Shisha Apple (INW) 1.5% / 2.5% (7-3-25)** -- First Shisha for this nearing July 4th weekend !!!! I started this one out at 1.5%, but it tasted somewhat weak, so I moved it up to 2.5% which although higher for some INW's, seemed to work better. If Shisha's truly were "blends", then this one fit the bill. It was clearly a mashup, of a Red Delicious Apple, but with Granny Smith undertones. These two main notes were easier to smell in the bottle, than testing, but were always there. The Red Apple notes were very authentic, and juicy, and there was some nice "skin" in there too boot. The "green", or Granny Smith notes were a little lower in the mix, and seemed to add just more of a tart, slightly sour punch to the overall flavor. It stayed fairly in the Red Apple camp throughout the test, so I'm calling that the dominant note. At 1.5% it was weaker, which surprised me for an INW flavor, and at 2.5% it took on much better shape, fuller, with more nuances/notes present, that were not, at the lower weight. Sweetness was below mid-level, and I think that added to the fresh(er) taste of it.
Fairly natural, very good lower sweetness levels, that was primarily a Red Delicious Apple, with some green Granny Smith notes tossed in. Depending on which one of the two (or both) that you need/ed, this might or might not work out in your mixes. Not baked, cooked, or caramelized. It was an interesting pairing with the juicy, smooth, sweetness of a Red, tempered with the tarty, slightly sour Green. I don't apple much, but this one is/was a keeper, and leaving it high at a **9.0/10**, with no off-notes, and my only "complaint" would be the somewhat "relaxed" saturation. Although, increasing the weight did help out somewhat in that regard.
**Shisha Mango (INW) 1.5% (7-4-25)** -- Happy J4th, and let's hit this Shisha Mango in celebration. For reference, my current "go-to" Mango, is hands down, FE/SC's Mango. This flavor had TWO real components. The initial on-rush and middle, and the finish. The initial on-rush was a bright, punchy, orange-ish Mango-ish flavor. Pretty impressive, but somewhat vague. Mango-ish, but not truly Mango. The finish however shifted into more of a green-ish, mango skin which had a peculiar dry-ness, sometimes slightly "plastic-y" overtone. I mean, we're not talking "shower curtains" here, and it was light, but always present, on the finish. At 1.5% it was rich, and full, and sweetness was just below mid-level.
It wasn't a terrible Mango, and the more I tested, the more I felt it would be much better as a mixer, than the top/driving note. The finish is was pulled it sideways, not the initial, or middle notes. Orange, juicy, punchy, and mango-ish was really the closest I could come to describing it. TBH, even WITH the slightly dry, skewed finish note, I did actually like the "green-ness" it added to the mix, and some skin. It was pretty unique in so far as your typical Mango flavor, but I always came back to thinking it would need to be paired with another Mango or two to work best. Off-notes as noted above, the green, slightly dry, sometimes plastic-y finish. Overall, I did like it, and the green hint on the finish kept it very unique. I struggled a bit to lock in the knock down in the ratings for just the finish, and I finally decided on a **8.0/10**.
**Shisha Raspberry (INW) 1.5%/2.5% (7-5-25)** -- Because I finally solo'd the INW RB Malina recently, I'll be able to directly compare/contrast the two. I started this one @ 1.5%, but clearly it was weaker than the Malina, so I pushed it up to 2.5%, and it was quite a bit better. This one had SOME of the Malina in it, but I'm going to say only about 25%, the remaining 75% seemed centered around an almost smooth Raspberry Candy. Personally, I love the Malina, and find it bright, punchy, and full, so for my tastes, this one's softer candied main note had less impact and saturation comparatively. For some who find the Malina too aggressive, this one might be a better choice. Not near as aggressive, and with fewer brighter, punchy notes. It really did seem more centered around a smoother, candied RB, along with some lighter jammed notes. It still had some punch to it, but the candied center, kept them in check.
At 1.5% (my final testing weight for the Malina), it was present, but tasted light and lacking, and bumping to 2.5% worked much better. Sweetness was about a tick above mid-level, and with the candy, and slight jammy notes, it worked. Because I personally never got any florals from the Malina, it was no surprise, I got none here either. A good flavor, and will work in a lot of places, just without the punch, and impact of the Malina. As always, YOUR tastes will decide which is better for you. I did rate this one below the Malina, but again, that's personal taste. No off-notes, or complaints, and finally decided to leave it at a **8.85/10**.
**Tiramisu (INW) 1%/2% (7-5-25)** -- I started this one at 1%, but clearly it was a weaker flavor, and I doubled it to 2%, and then it started to take shape much better. I probably could have went even higher. While def. one of the weaker INW flavors, it was good right out of the gate. I picked up on 4 major notes including: Coffee w./ light espresso, Cocoa, Cream, and a good vanilla cake element. That's it in a nutshell. On the front end, the coffee leaned fairly heavily to coffee, with light hints of espresso, and it was not as strong as most other Tiras I've tested, and honestly, I would have liked more, and more of the epsresso than coffee. The cream and cake were fairly well balanced, and worked good together to smooth and richen the overall profile. I struggled for a bit trying to decide if the chocolate was a choco, or a cocoa, but I finally determined it was a cocoa. As stated, at 1% it was not very full, and doubling to 2% fixed that up, and I suspect I could have easily gone to 3% or higher, as this was just not as strong as many of my other INW flavors. Not bad, just something to keep in mind.
No off-notes or complaints, other than the weaker than expected coffee/espresso notes, which were quite good and convincing. The cocoa was just present enough to reveal itself, but in no way overpowering. The cream(s) were fairly present, and did give it a smooth overall taste/feel. The vanilla cake element was a surprise, and I don't remember trying another Tira with as good of a cake element. It was a few ticks below mid-level sweet, which is always welcomed. About my only fix would be to boost up the coffee/epresso notes, and I would lean more towards the espresso, and with a little acidity, to help it punch through just a bit more. All in, it was tasty, just needed a little caffinated punch. I finalized it at a **9.0/10** with the only markdowns for the softer coffee/espresso elements.
**Two Apples (INW) 1.5%/2.5% (7-6-25)** -- What an INTERESTING flavor to test. I had assumed it would be a simple Red Delicious, Green Apple pairing, but it was actually quite a bit different than that. I stated this one lower at 1.5% and it tasted like a muted Red Apple, BUT, when I doubled it, it came alive !!! NOW, I had all kinds of nuances and notes that were totally missing at the lower weight. The main two notes were a Red Delicious, and a Golden Delicious. Sprinkled in, were hints of Green Apple, some light Apple Cider, AND (as if those weren't enough), at times I got a light Candied Apple note. Wow, wow, wow. Smelling it on the bottle wasn't very close, as it smelled more like a Granny Smith.
I'm not sure if I've had a flavor change as much as this one did by doubling. You might be able to take it up to 3%, but 2.5% seemed very good. Plenty of skin, juiciness, and tart. Sweetness was a few ticks below mid-level, and the complexity of this one could not be ovestated. A very natural, and perky flavor with just enough bite. It some Fuji-like overtones, but it stayed squarely in the Red, and Golden camp throughout. Not baked, jammed, or candied. I could see tons of uses for this one, where a natural, juicy apple was required. 3 testers later, I couldn't not find anything to complain about, despite looking. All in, a very complex, layered apple combo, that centered around Red, and Golden apples, with nice cider, skin, and slight candied apple undertones that kept you guessing. Hard to nit-pick this one. Not the strongest, so don't be afraid to boost it up a bit, because THEN, it opens up !!!! Handily a **9.9/10**. Just almost perfect. Maybe it should have been called "Two Apples, and THEN some .....".
**White Grapefruit (INW) 0.75%/1.5% (7-7-25)** -- This is the flavor that I set out to buy for a client project, which expanded into picking up all of these flavors in this review series. I started this one out at 0.75%, which presented as fair, with mostly zest, so I doubled it to 1.5%, and it improved. This one smelled hyper accurate in the bottle, and a LOT of that transferred while testing, but not all. In a nutshell, it was very clean, accurate, and tasty, but I was getting mostly low(er) end notes, and zest, even at the higher percentage. A lot of the fruit "body" notes seemed to be missing. Even with that, it was still, a very realistic grapefruit. It was "sweetened", but I def. would not call it a "sweet" flavor. It was a fair amount below mid-level sweet.
No off-notes per se, but it did have an odd, almost "cotton-ball" like finish, which I know sounds odd, but that was the first thought that popped into mind. I would have preferred some more (or any LOL) of the juicy, fleshy body notes, which would be about my only complaint. Clearly making a GF flavor isn't easy, or there'd be a lot more of them, and with that in mind, I'd still rec this one, as there aren't many "even close" ones out there. Very natural, not as tart as I would have liked to help sell it better, and great zest notes. It felt good at an **8.75/10**, and I still recommend buying it, if you need a good grapefruit.
https://tinyurl.com/2434pafk
