Heightened Senses: A Guide to Quality Cannabis
Being able to inspect and identify quality bud means you will be able to tell the difference between top-shelf cannabis and low-grade flower. Use this guide to evaluate essential aspects and qualities of your flower to help make the most of your cannabis experience. Through sight, smell, touch, taste and feel, get more in-tune with your senses to better understand the details that high-quality cannabis brings. Follow this 4 part series, Heightened Senses, exploring how you can identify quality bud. In Heightened Senses Part 2 we looked at discovering cannabis through Touch, we’re now ready to explore the third part of our series, Aroma!
Part 3: Aroma
The aromatic profile of cannabis is a key indication of quality and can sometimes be overlooked by new consumers as cannabis tends to have a very strong odor that is pungent, earthy and distinctive. Upon the first whiff, the untrained nose may be overwhelmed with the intense smell, however, once you start identifying the aroma of certain terpenes, you will be able to break down the scent profile, much like a sommelier. Generally speaking, terpenes are what give cannabis its aromas and flavours.
Each cannabis strain can have its own unique scent and depending on the strength and terpene ratio, will reveal their fragrance immediately upon opening.
Some aromas that can be expected from high quality flower include:
Watch Outs
Scent also plays an important role as it helps to detect impurities in cannabis. Scents that might reveal mold or contamination include mustiness and dampness. If the smell seems slightly off or triggers a negative emotional response that could also be a sign that something isn’t right.
Some aromas that can be expected from poor quality flowers include:
Mold
Hay
Wet or Damp
Old Socks
No Smell