Duchess Reserve Final

Well here we are again. I swore I would never work on this damn recipe again but I had a breakthrough after making a totally unrelated juice. I was using Vanilla Bean Gelato and smelled that missing element of Duchess I had been looking for. Who knew? I have made over 45 batches of clones to get here and took a very long break but finally feel confident to post this. Try it out and let me know what you think. I think you will agree that this is the closest clone we have ever got to the original. Have any comments, suggestions or think something is off? Leave comments down below. Thanks and enjoy.

FW Butterscotch Natural- I tried the natural version and non- natural but cant make up my mind which is best. With that said, other brands were not the sweet buttery flavor I was looking for . It is potent stuff so no more than 2% is needed. It becomes more buttery as it steeps and it settles after a week or so.

FW Tres Leche- This is the back end of the cream and gives it just a slight sour flavor like the original. I tried milk or other similar flavors but they just don't work and I believe there is reason it is in the description.

FW Graham Cracker- A big thank you goes out to Wayne Walker for this one. Yellow cake never hit the mark right and this cannot be subbed for any from Capellas or TPA. They are just to different. It is the needed bakery aspect of the cake and seems to work in this setting. The more I play with this, the more I think 1% is too high. after a steep it really comes to the front and 0>5% is more likely to be on point.

FW Hazelnut- I tried them all and this fits the best. There is most definitely hazelnut in the original and 1.5% after a steep seems to fit well. Again, subbing it for another just wont be the same.

TPA Vanilla Bean Gelato- This is the star of the show. I cant understate how much you cant sub this out. The whole backbone of the recipe falls on it and I have tried different % but after a steep this fell right into place. Its very sweet and in my opinion removes any need for a sweetener in this recipe. The eggyness mixed with the butterscotch is perfect and seems to have a slight coconut essence about it that I can taste in the original. This was the Holy grail in the recipe that I could never put my finger on.

Cap Vanilla Custard- I think we all knew this was in there but add too much and it takes away from the Gelato. 2% seems to keep it from taking over but still has a strong presence. As always it takes a little while for it to come to the party. After a week you can expect it to play.

FA Vape Wizard- This is to thicken and funny enough it brings the color to the original. Its not a deal breaker but I feel it adds to the experience. It is roughly 1 drop per 10ml of juice.

FW French Vanilla- I have tried every Vanilla out there except for holy Vanilla as I cannot seem to get it in Canada. Its softer than the others and compliments the creams in the recipe but wont overtake the recipe. I have had success with CAP French Vanilla but found less after taste with the FW version.

TPA Marshmallow- This adds volume and fluffiness to the recipe and I'm certain its in the reserve version of duchess but not in the original.

CAP Super Sweet- if you must add sweetener I would use this but no more than 0.25%. The original isn't very sweet compared to other commercial juices. I personally leave it out but go nuts.

Well there you have it. Try it and let me know what you guys think. I always promised I would re-post my Duchess after I felt I got it right...I just didn't think it was gonna be a year later. Mix it at 70VG/30PG to get the original consistency and give it a week to steep. With that said, taste it right away and let me know your thoughts. I'm dying to hear feedback. Even after a shake and vape you will see it is on track but falls into place after the steep. I hope this helps someone who went through the same hell I did.