With so much flower available during harvest season, how do we define what’s truly quality? Our approach to evaluating cannabis flower is holistic and comprehensive. We use a well-rounded methodology and consider each strain’s unique characteristics, including its visual and physical appearance, aroma, effects, genetics and the manner in which it was cultivated.
The Look & Feel of a High Quality Flower
While many nugs can be beautiful, we look for a specific set of characteristics. First and foremost, we look for a high density of mature trichome heads signifying high terpene and cannabinoid content. A proper moisture level, no visible contaminants like bud rot or powdery mildew, and a full uniform trim are all musts. Although bud and color structure is different for every plant, we recognize that certain characteristics can be more attractive than others.
The Aroma of a High Quality Flower
Most folks prefer flower with an intense fragrance, but similar to a sommelier’s approach to wine, we seek buds with an intricate nose. By squeezing and even splitting a nug in half, you can experience its full aroma profile. Quality flower should have a complexity of scents from these key categories: sweet, earthy, fruity, fuelly and floral. A flower’s nose can also be indicative of serious issues such as smoke taint and oxidation.
The Taste and Smoke of High Quality Flower
Similar to quality flower’s aroma, the smoke should have a complexity and richness in flavor. The smoke should have a pleasant lingering taste and be smooth in the mouth and throat without harshness. This is largely influenced by a proper cure post harvest.
The Effect of Quality Flower
All highs are not created equal, so when evaluating strains to bring to our shelves we consider how they affect our body and mind and what the onset and offset of the experience will be. We think about how these experiences and effects could pair with activities such as hiking or gardening or how they can help manage everyday pain or sleep issues. We provide strains with varied levels and types of effect that can be useful to anyone’s needs or lifestyle and we’d never share a strain we didn’t already try and enjoy ourselves.
The Genetics of Quality Flower
Similar to a person’s innate athletic ability, a cannabis plant is only as good as its genetics will allow it to be. Genetics are a key component in a farmer’s ability to cultivate the healthy and hearty buds that will eventually make it to the jars on our shelves. We partner with farmers who take their genetics seriously, whether they’re meticulously breeding generations of rare and unique strains or perfecting the details of cultivating tried and true varieties.
The Cultivation of Quality Flower
Bringing out the most in a cannabis plant’s genetic potential is a craft and requires our farmers to be diligent all year round. Our farmers are in the field inspecting their plants every day for pest infestations or fungi and mold issues, along with observing peak trichome ripeness for the perfect time to harvest. Our farmers know their environment and their plants. They minimize any environmental impact of their work by carefully managing their use of water and other resources and striving to build fertility in living soils utilizing what’s available to them on their farms. These methods are only possible when working with small-scale craft batches of cannabis, as mass grows aren’t able to achieve the careful attention to detail these small farmers are able to provide their plants.