The Black Pope

Note/disclaimer : I know this is my fourth published recipe in recent weeks, but my time to play with flavors and mixes is limited. I teach elementary school and leading up to and being on break this past week have afforded me a little more wiggle room. These mashups/remixes are thoughts I've had while not having time to mix new recipes (usually on the car ride to and from work). Also, my second remix of Cardinal . . . the perfect RY4. I'm still tinkering with some original mixes: a pear/custard cornbread tart and a blueberry-basil/almond pie. I just have more tweaking to do.

Inspiration: https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/56855#tweaked_obsidian_cookie_dough_ry4_by_enyawreklaw https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/24962#cardinal_by_fear

Another mash up with some remixing . . . Twisted Obsidian by ENYAWREKLAW (obsidian is black) and Cardinal by Fear (cardinals become Popes).

The name can be seen as commonplace, as it's another name for the head of the Jesuits (or Praepositus Generalis). Conversely, it can be read more ominously referring to St. Malachy's 12th century prophesy that said there would be 112 more Popes, with the last one being the “black Pope,” ushering us toward the end times. Regardless of how you read it, I just enjoyed the play on the original recipe names . . . and the picture is actually Saint Ignatius of Loyola (the first Black Pope of the Jesuits).

Twisted Obsidian: FLV Cookie at 3%; changed up the graham cracker, dropping GC Clear (1.5%) in favor of FLV Graham Cracker (0.75%) and CAP Graham Cracker (1%) . . I like the hint of cinnamon I get from CAP and the additional texture from the FLV; dropped FA Butterscotch for FLV Butterscotch (1%), which I think goes well with the cream, custard, and caramel of the RY4; omitted the RY4 Double (3%) for the superior Holy Grail Ry4 at 4%; dropped CAP VC (0.5%) to amp up the creamy custard aspect with INW Custard at 1.5% and Devon Cream at 1% (automatic custard mixed with the marriage of cream and vanilla).

Cardinal: I used the Holy Grail RY4 as a replacement for RY4 Double in Twisted Obsidian, dropping the original percentage from 8 to 4. It also plays real well with the Custard, Devon Cream, and Butterscotch. I dropped the FLV Red Burley from 0.75% to 0.5%, and omitted FLV Kentucky Blend in favor of FLV Native Tobacco and brought the percentage up to 0.5. Red Burley is great with just about anything you throw it at, and I really dig the slightly spicier note of the Native.

I'm calling it a shake and vape even though I mixed it up yesterday while watching football and waited until today to try it. I mixed it 60vg/40pg. Another dessert vape . . . creamy, caramel custard with some spicy notes of tobacco and cookie.