The most brilliant brain you've never heard of.
Meet an e-liquid chemist. In November 2020, we launched four brand new Symphonic nic-salt flavours into the existing range, and they proved an instant hit with vapers.
So, we sat down with in-house chemist, one of our e-liquid experts; James Hull. We asked ‘the brains behind the range’ some of the questions we as vapers all want answered, including his favourite flavour.
How were the ideas for the new Symphonic flavours generated?
The ideas are generated from a brainstorming session between myself and others in the technical team. We try to be as creative as possible, conducting vigorous market research prior to the creation of a new product. We balance the needs for great tasting flavour formulations with the exceptional ingredient standards. The challenge we set ourselves every time we start a project is for it to become a trendsetter for the e-liquid market.
How long does it take to create a new flavour once you have decided on it?
This can vary significantly. There are times it can take weeks to perfect a flavour, and others can be accomplished in a matter of days. It really does depend on how complex the flavour is that we are trying to achieve. For example, the new Chilled Red Grape flavour for Symphonic e-liquid was months, if not years in the making!
How important is it to get vapers to test new flavours?
It is very important. It can be quite difficult to perfect a flavour when perception of taste is so subjective. We try to engage as many vapers as possible in the product testing phase, then collate all of their feedback and adjust our initial formulations where necessary. We are fortunate at Totally Wicked HQ, in that many of our employees are very knowledgeable vapers, so we use their experience to really refine our formulations. We also engage with our wider retail teams from across the UK and use their expertise to help develop the flavours.
What makes Symphonic e-liquid different?
Symphonic e-liquid delivers a great tasting flavour experience, with just the right balance of VG and PG for vapour production and crisp flavour notes. We’ve found a limitation within very high VG e-liquid formulations, where many great fruit flavours can be over-sweetened due to the intrinsic sweetness of the VG carrier. This property can conceal the subtle flavour notes of the fruit(s), therefore balancing with just the right amount of PG is crucial if you really want to taste the ‘detail’ of the flavour. This is what we did with the Symphonic nic-salt range.
With many different versions of each new flavour tested by our experienced panel of reviewers at Totally Wicked HQ, and from around the retail network, we were able to work with their extensive feedback and finalise the formulation into something we are all, collectively truly proud of.
As a chemist, which is your favourite from the new Symphonic flavours, and why?
That’s a tough one! I think it would be a toss-up between the Chilled Red Grape and the Frozen Fruit Squash. I think it has to be Chilled Red Grape. Our new grape formulation is the best I’ve ever tasted, with a nice cool exhale. I’ve been vaping it for months and it’s my new all day vape. Try it and you’ll know what I mean.
This was an interview with James Hull, an in-house Chemist and one of our technical team. Do you have a question for the technical team? Drop us a comment below.
