Xocolatl Smoke (Mayan-inspired Spiced Chocolate and Tobacco)

Inspired by a recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and visit to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

On the trip, I took several dessert-type juices with me and drank more boat drinks than I care to remember . . . I began craving something less sweet. On one excursion we learned all about the Mayans use of chocolate. Xocolatl (actually, this is the Nahuatl word for the ancient chocolate drink . . . the Mayan word is chacau haa, but I went with the more common derivation, xocolatl, as it is more recognizable) means literally "bitter water" and was the unsweetened application of the cacao beans used across the Yucatan Peninsula. Ground cacao beans were often mixed with chili peppers, corn meal, and water to create the traditional chacau haa, or xocolatl.

I went with HS Australian Chocolate (1%) because it was the most versatile chocolate I had in my selection of flavors. Wanting to stay semi-traditional, I chose to eschew the chilis for the more palatable heat of cinnamon (FLV Rich Cinnamon at 0.25%) and include FLV Vanilla Bean at 1% (as vanilla was widely available to the Mayan people). Most chocolates I've had that are branded Mexican/Mayan chocolate include brown sugar (in addition to cinnamon, vanilla, and chili powder of some type), so I included a touch of TFA Brown Sugar at 0.8% in this recipe.

I didn't want this to be a strictly chocolate vape, and the obvious choice was to mix it with tobacco, in order to really get closer to that savory vape I was craving. I went with FLV Red Burley at 2% (which also carries some cocoa notes), FLV Cured at 1.5 and FLV Native for the woodsy and slightly spiced tobacco aspect. I included FLV Cream (1%) to act as a bridge between the spiced chocolate and tobaccos.

The picture with the recipe is one I took at Chichen Itza . . . I thought it looked like a skull breathing out smoke.

Mixed at 60vg/40pg and tried it. It was decent as SNV, but the flavors have come together much better 3 days later.

Possible additions I might try after I vape this 10mL: FA Oba Oba (as it works amazingly in Kopel's Fireside) . . . maybe a little Acetyl Pyrazine to add a touch of nutty graininess.

Updated: Added a touch of Black Mile Plus, which carries a nice cocoa note with a bit of nutty tobacco, and Oba Oba, which works to further intertwine the cinnamon/chocolates and tobaccos and add a bit more fluffiness to the overall mouthfeel. Very satisfying vape at the end of a long day!