Initial Thoughts
I was lucky enough to travel to Italy with my family when I was a child. When I got back and you asked me my favourite part, I would have said it was all of the gelato. Even now when I think back, I mostly remember standing in various lineups for gelato around Rome. Is that what my parents wanted me to take away from the trip? I’d assume no. Nevertheless, the impact was made. I was a lifelong gelato fan.
When I first heard of the Gelato strain a couple of years back, I was obviously excited to try it. When I found some, I was slightly disappointed. Sure it looked and smelled nice, but did it deserve the name Gelato? I’ve noticed that sometimes genetics from California make their way to BC quicker than they used to, however it takes a while for people to figure out how to get the most from the strain. I avoided Gelato for years after, despite my love for the frozen treat. A friend grew some last year and convinced me to try it. I was blown away. Growers have really mastered the Gelato genetics over the last few years in Canada and the bud is finally living up to its hype.
By crossing Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies with the delicious indica Sunset Sherbert, Cookie Fam has done it again with another stellar strain. Working off their GSC genetics; they’ve gone on to create some amazing flowers. Gelato stands out as one of the best and for good reason.
Taste
If you go in expecting sweet fruity terps, you actually won’t be disappointed! Almost like a raspberry gelato with a slight hint of spice. I always like to take a few drags of the joint before I light it to get a sense of the taste. When I did it tasted like a cold glass of cream soda.
The smell translates very well into the taste. Almost like a rhubarb pie or something similar. This is one of those dessert strains that you can really treat yourself after a big meal with.
Buds
Depending on the batch, Gelato can have glimmers of purple in its dark leaves. A fair amount of orange pistils contrast gorgeously with the varying shades of green. The buds are not too big or small. It can be quite sticky. One of those strains that stays on your fingers long after busting it up.
The buds can be remarkably dense. Like a rock almost. However, when you get past the tough exterior you’re met with moist and sticky flower on the inside.
A lot of members of the growing community are starting to pay attention to the size of trichome stalks. For the longest time, conventional wisdom said that more frost meant a higher amount of cannabinoids and terpenes. That said, people have learned that while longer stalks look more visually appealing, they actually carry fewer cannabinoids and terpenes. Short stalks, on the other hand, are rich in these compounds and oils. Farm House Genetic’s often share pictures of newly bred strains that look insanely frosty, yet they don’t consider the genetics worth keeping. You can learn a lot about trichome’s from them as they are one of the most informed on the topic.
Even just a year ago, this strain would have been highly valued, but Farmhouse Genetics realized that the longer stocks meant it had barely any taste or smell. As a result, they are getting rid of the genetics altogether.
As growers continue to breed new strains, this focus on shorter and therefore more terpene-rich strains will likely take the front seat as the visually appealing yet flavorless frosty strains fall behind. Obviously a lot of frost does not mean a bad strain. It’s a great indicator. It just should not be the sole basis of whether a strain is worth smoking. Some of my favourite strains have been ones that are less visually appealing but are full of terpenes and cannabinoids.
Experience
This one hits hard and fast. I smoked part of a joint to sample the strain as I always do. When I returned to start writing, I felt more stoned than usual. The high was strong and euphoric, but if you’re caught off guard it may be a bit much. When researching the genetics of this strain, I kept reading about other people who found the exact same thing. Some strains are creepers. This one is not. It makes its presence known immediately and sticks around for a while.
The smoke is very smooth, which is somewhat deceptive as it allows you to take a lot of smoke in without coughing. More smoke means a stronger high, which as I said can be quite strong, so be warned.
I definitely recommend this strain to anybody who values fruity terpenes and nice smooth smoke. Go slow though as Gelato can get even more seasoned users sweating and wondering if they maybe should have gone a bit slower.
The post Strain Spotlight – Gelato (Hybrid) appeared first on Just Cannabis.
Source: JCS
