I'm a mix my own spice kinda girl too.
I got my 1st batch of pickled quail eggs all wrong this past year. It didn't help that I used balsamic vinegar & crammed them all in one huge jar. Between the bad peel job, the red spices & the black vinegar, the jar looked like something from an old RKO movie.
The taste & texture was weird too, almost like blue cheese (which I'm not a fan of.) DH said he would eat them if he had to, but wouldn't be snacking on them on purpose. I eventually threw them out & so far have been afeared of trying again.
We could help you come up with a recipe for next time if youd like?
Finally finished peeling All the eggs :