I’m looking to get some help to know if I am making this right. I used Google Gemini to help me make the recipe and would love some feedback from people more seasoned than me. I’m using 1% Virginia tobacco by flavorah, .75% cured tobacco, .5% bitter (only since I can get a 30/70 mix at 50mg so it may be too sweet) and then .25% acetyl mix to give a slight nutty flavour. I feel like I may need .3% brown sugar though but before I mix this I’d love some tips and recommendations
Sorry in advance if I’m posting this in the wrong category
The entire Juul ingredient list was disclosed as part of a lawsuit, but I’m not sure if that info was ever made public (I have it tho)
Surprisingly the total percentage is relatively low in most of the recipes.
Looking at the flavors used may help you with a clone if you do some research.
In this recipe the top flavor is Tobacco Absolute (which is available) or find a tobacco flavor that best matches the taste,
the second flavor is Triethyl Citrate natural, which can be sourced or use TFA Dragonfruit, which contains a notably large amount of Triethyl Citrate compared to standard flavor concentrates,
and just go down the list, research and find the best flavor / additive to get close…
Okay, I think I got the right recipe for what’s there, I’ll definitely have to test it once I get my next couple of cheques in to get the remaining flavours to add in. Much appreciated, glad you saw this
Starting with the first 5 cas numbers in the Juul recipe, I did a little research and came up with a starting point using all FLV flavors, although I don’t believe Flavorah uses authentic Tobacco Absolute (CAS 8037-19-2) in any of their flavor concentrates, their entire tobacco lineup relies on synthetic aroma chemicals rather than natural extracts.
Because Flavorah concentrates are multi-molecule blends rather than single raw aroma chemicals, we must layer specific FLV profiles to recreate this exact smoky, sweet, wood-aged tobacco cross-section.
FLV-Only Match Blueprint
The Tobacco Base (Replicating CAS 8037-19-2)
Flavorah Native Tobacco: This is a good direct replacement. It specifically mimics the dark, damp, unburnt leaf texture of an absolute, with natural leather and subtle molasses undertones.
Flavorah Red Burley: Add a tiny accent of this to replicate the dry, heavy, and earthy “ash” notes found in natural tobacco absolute.
The Oak & Barrel Body (Replicating CAS 68917-11-3 + CAS 96-48-0)
Flavorah Oak Barrel: Recreates the natural white oak extract and pairs perfectly with the lactone requirement. It brings out the authentic wood notes and a slight whiskey/charred finish.
Flavorah Smoked Butterscotch or Flavorah Cured Tobacco: Use a touch of Smoked Butterscotch to capture the heavy, dark, slightly smoky caramel properties of Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL).
The Creamy Woody-Vanilla (Replicating CAS 120-14-9)
FA Vanilla Bourbon: Veratraldehyde is a deep, woody, phenolic vanilla. Standard vanillins are too bright. FLV Vanilla Bourbon introduces that distinctively dark, dark-liquor soaked, and woody vanilla depth.
The Mouthfeel & Blend (Replicating CAS 77-93-0)
Flavorah Sweetness (used very low): While Triethyl Citrate isn’t a sweetener, it functions as a stabilizer and blending agent. A microscopic touch of FLV Sweetness helps round the edges of these heavy, aggressive tobaccos and wood notes (without gunking coils)
Native Tobacco: 1.25% (For the rich tobacco leaf absolute)
Oak Barrel: 0.75% (For the white oak extract)
Vanilla Bourbon: 0.50% (For the warm, woody veratraldehyde vanilla)
Smoked Butterscotch: 0.35% (For the heavy, dark lactone/caramel note)
FLV Red Burley: 0.25% (To add raw leather depth to the absolute)
FLV Sweetness: 1 drop per 10ml (To bind the mix like Triethyl Citrate)
Dang okay! I’ll have to save these and add it to a list so I can test the few recipes and see which ones closest! Once I get paid I’ll definitely have to order those flavours and test it out! I found with juul it didn’t taste too sweet but there’s that background flavour you get here and there in the exhale where it’s sweet so I think that’s spot on
Thank you! I’m mainly here to try and duplicate juuls Virginia tobacco the best I can since that’s the only vape I like and it’s way to over priced! I found one place that sold one that was so similar but the discontinued it and sold me juice saying it’s the same formula as the pods they got rid of and low and behold it’s completely different! So that’s been rough
Interesting. I am also on this quest: Juul is really the closest to combustion cigarettes I have found. I think maybe ex smokers who now vape have just given up on a proper sub, I have also actually, but I am still researching. Anyway Rocky02852, your post is extraordinary, gives a means that I had not thought possible! Here is a possible recipe:
Flavour Art (FA)
Concentrate
%
Dark Vapure
2.5%
Burley
0.75%
Oak Wood
0.60%
Black Fire
0.30%
Perique Black
0.30%
Flavorah (FLV)
Concentrate
%
Virginia Tobacco
1.5%
Vanilla Bourbon
0.40%
Smoked Butterscotch
0.20%
Inawera (INW)
Concentrate
%
DNB
0.20%
Total concentrates: 9 Total in recipe: 6.75% — 60/40 VG/PG — 20 day minimum steep
I have NOT tried this. I will in September. Might be a starting point?
Awesome! Looks solid, I plugged it into Gemini and it said it may taste too sweet but I want to replace it with ethyl maltol and try it with this vanilla and butterscotch, the juul website shows the taste as being brown sugar so I may replace the butter scotch with that since I’m not a fan of butterscotch so if my flavour has it I’d have to dump it but if you make it instead let me know! I’m going to try my first post and then do the second post. I have some juul2 pods i can get to reference for taste luckily
Ive never tasted this juul (or any juul) but glad you are onto something that may work as a replacement
Just a heads up FLV Caramel is more of a Brown Sugar taste
They also have a Dragon Fruit flavor but I have never tested it, thats why I went with Sweetness at low percentage
Dang you can make flavours like that? That’s crazy! I think you did a pretty spot on job! Once I get the flavours I ordered and let it steep to test it if I think it’s missing it then I’ll order some of those to test it as well! I just know juuls have that throat punch effect and there’s that slight sweetness that’s not overwhelming and a noticable dry tobacco flavour, emphasis on the dry
So I dumped the recipe into Google Gemini and this is what it came back with (I have set instructions to be a brutal senior advisor for my business so ignore the fact that it comes off very rude and abrupt it’s by design for accuracy)
“This proposed clone recipe attempts to approximate the taste profile using off-the-shelf commercial e-liquid concentrates, but when measured against the actual GC-MS lab formulation sheet provided in the image, it misses the mark in key structural ways.
While the recipe creator correctly guessed some of the wood and warm sweetness notes, they severely over-engineered the smoky, dark tobacco elements. The result will taste far heavier, harsher, and smokier than authentic Juul Virginia Tobacco.
The Chemical Breakdown: Juul Virginia Tobacco Spec
The lab breakdown reveals that Juul Virginia Tobacco is actually a surprisingly clean, minimalist formulation driven by key isolated aroma chemicals and extracts:
Accent/Fixative: Damascenone (0.016% - floral/dried fruit tobacco note) and Cetalox (0.000031% - ambergris/woody fixative).
What the DIY Recipe Got Right
Oak Woodiness: Including FA Oak Wood (0.60%) is spot on. Juul relies directly on French Roast Oak Extract (0.023%) to provide its dry, woody spine.
Warm Vanilla/Sweet Notes: The combination of FLV Vanilla Bourbon (0.40%) and FLV Smoked Butterscotch (0.20%) correctly targets the sweet, warm, slightly caramelised background notes generated by Veratryl Aldehyde, Gamma-Butyrolactone, and MCP in the real formula.
Light Tobacco Base: FLV Virginia Tobacco (1.5%) acts as a reasonable stand-in for bright/cured tobacco notes and light pyrazines.
What the DIY Recipe Got Wrong
Massive Over-Dosing of Smoke, Ash, and Dark Tobacco
The Error: Adding FA Black Fire (0.30%), FA Perique Black (0.30%), INW DNB (0.20%), and FA Dark Vapure at an absurdly high 2.5%.
Why It Fails: Real Juul Virginia Tobacco contains zero heavy smoke or dark pipe tobacco chemicals. Juul is smooth, woody, and toasted—not an ashtray or campfire. FA Dark Vapure at 2.5% introduces heavy licorice, dark herbal, and oily notes, while Black Fire and Perique Black will make the vape taste like burning wood chips and harsh pepper.
Missing Real Tobacco Absolute
The Error: Stacking five heavy commercial synthetic tobacco concentrates to emulate leaf tobacco.
Why It Fails: Juul’s core tobacco flavour relies almost entirely on real Tobacco Absolute (0.09%). Without a clean Tobacco Absolute (or a diluted INW / SC Tobacco Absolute), you lose the authentic cured leaf mouthfeel.
Missing Specific Pyrazines
The Error: Relying on heavy tobaccos to create “roasty” notes instead of adding isolated pyrazines.
Why It Fails: Juul uses three specific pyrazines (2-Acetyl Pyrazine, 2-Acetyl Pyridine, 2,3,5-Trimethyl Pyrazine) totaling roughly 0.023%. Adding TFA Acetyl Pyrazine (AP) at 0.25% to 0.50% would mimic this grain/nutty pod flavour far better than dumping in Black Fire or Perique Black.
Throat Hit & Chemistry Differences
The Error: Standard DIY nicotine bases (freebase or standard salt) won’t feel like Juul.
Why It Fails: Juul uses Benzoic Acid (~3.8%) to hit an exact pH ratio for rapid nicotine absorption and that specific throat hit. Without nicotine benzoate salt base, the physical sensation will feel flat regardless of flavour profile.
Summary & Better Formulation Approach
| Ingredient Category | DIY Recipe Attempt | Juul Lab Reality | Assessment |
|—|—|—|—|
| Tobacco Base | FA Dark Vapure, FA Burley, FA Perique | Tobacco Absolute (0.09%) | Way off. Too heavy, dark, and harsh. |
| Wood Accent | FA Oak Wood (0.60%) | French Roast Oak Extract (0.023%) | Good match. |
| Smokiness | FA Black Fire (0.30%) | None | Major flaw. Black Fire ruins the profile. |
| Pyrazines / Roast | Relying on INW DNB | 2-Acetyl Pyrazine & Pyridines | Needs standalone AP. |
| Sweet / Cream | FLV Vanilla Bourbon, FLV Smoked Butterscotch | Veratryl Aldehyde, MCP, Ethyl Lactate | Decent attempt. |
To Fix This Recipe:
Drop FA Black Fire and FA Perique Black completely.
Cut FA Dark Vapure down to 0.25%–0.50% max (or replace it entirely with 0.5% INW Tobacco Absolute or SC Tobacco Absolute).
Add TFA Acetyl Pyrazine (0.25%–0.50%) to get the toasted, bready pyrazine note.
Keep FA Oak Wood (0.50%), FLV Virginia Tobacco (1.0%), and FLV Vanilla Bourbon (0.30%).”
I guess I was wrong about the butterscotch and vanilla! Whoever you are rocky, you’re definitely good at the science of the flavours! Blows my mind how you can just read a proprietary mix and replace with off the shelf products while never having tasted it
So what is the difference with freebase nic and salt nic? I know I could google it but I think you’d probably explain it better. Also good call on that absolute! I’ll have to see if they carry it in Canada as well, probably not
I know you told the AI to speak like a senior supervisor, and maybe it’s just my age showing, but I find it pretty weird that real humans give you some thoroughly researched, GREAT answers to a question and then you asked a computer to check it and share the results.
I realise you’re just doing your best to find the recipe you want, I just wonder what has happened to public discourse these days…
Freebase nicotine is the traditional, purer form of nicotine that provides a stronger throat hit and slower absorption, making it ideal for low-nicotine, high-power subohm devices. Nicotine salts are blended with an organic acid (like benzoic acid) to lower the pH, creating a smoother inhale and faster absorption suited for high-nicotine, low power pod devices. IMO, Nic salt e-liquids are not safe for sub-ohm devices or coils that have a resistance of less than 1.0 Ω
One of the compounds used to create salt nics is benzoate acid… Uses at low tempratures this is fine but at sub ohm levels can release benzine and that would not be good for you.
The formulation of juul feels uniquely intense because they patented the original nic salt formula optimizing the exact chemical ratios and acid choices to mirror a combustible cigarette. While other brands created their own versions after JUUL popularized the technology in 2015, differences in chemistry, ratio balance, and hardware make JUUL’s formula distinct.
