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Tis’ the season to be jolly, or at least the most festive of all times of year is rapidly approaching. As the landscapes all around Canada become blanketed in white, fluffy snow, many of us are turning to cafes and bakeries for some warm, wholesome holiday treats to keep us motivated during the colder months. Cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, chocolate, fruits and pine are just a few of the usual flavors & aromas you will find in peoples’ to-go-mugs or on their plates.
Of all the flavors that dominate this winter wonderland season, nothing is as familiar and flavorful as the taste of freshly fallen snow: vanilla. There’s something soothing about vanilla – sure, some people find it boring or overdone, but for most of us this is the smoothest of flavors which is why it’s so popular.
When you think of flavored weed, what comes to your mind first? We’re willing to bet that vanilla is one of them. Creamy, smooth, sweet but not too sweet, light and soothing, that’s what vanilla brings with every sip, bite, sniff or puff or rub. Vanilla strains of weed must be doing something right, because every kind of cannabis product imaginable has a vanilla version on shelves all over the nation.
Are you a vanilla lover? What’s your reasons for being loyal to the most consistent of all flavors? Have you ever tried a vanilla ice cream-like strain?! We’ll keep it safe with this top 5 vanilla flavored weed strains guide to all things smooth, sweet & classic in the cannabis world.
Vanilla Terpenes & Flavored Weed
Before we turn our attention to the best of the best in Vanilla weed strains, we thought it’d be helpful to review why certain strains taste like vanilla in the first place. If you’re unfamiliar with terpenes, we’ve got a lot of guides to deliver you the basics, so go and read these before continuing on.
Now for the rest of you terpenoid professionals, there is a magical formula of three particular terpenes that make weed taste like vanilla. Not only are these three in combination a lot like the taste of the real thing, they’re actually IN vanilla beans themselves! The terpenes that offer sweet, creamy and smooth flavors/aromas of vanilla in weed are: Limonene, Beta Caryophyllene and Beta Myrcene.
At first glance, these terpenes might not shout out “Vanilla” at you – and you’d be right to think so. Limonene is usually associated with intense citrus flavors like lemons or limes – hence the terpenoid namesake. Beta Caryophyllene is responsible for the ‘pep’ in black pepper, overwhelming your senses with sharp spice aromas. Beta Myrcene offers muskyness and clove-like flavors that linger in the air and on your tongue. So, what about these three together makes for a smooth, vanilla ice cream strain flavor?!
Vanilla terpenes – as in, the terpene compounds found in vanilla beans – can be similar to those found in cannabis, but they’re not an exact match to these big three found in higher concentrations of “vanilla strains”. By investigating complimentary flavors and aromas to vanilla – such as lavender, orange, citrus, chocolate and coffee tastes & smells – we can begin to sniff out the answers.
For many stoners, no two cannabis strains are completely alike in terms of their flavors or aromas. For newbie potheads, many of the world’s finest weeds taste very similar. Whether these greenhorns can’t appreciate the complexities of the terpenoid world or not is up for debate, but seasoned stoner veterans are very familiar with all of the hundreds of terpene combinations that cannabis has to offer. When an experienced cannaseur wants to taste some vanilla nugs, they know to seek the sweeter strains, those that have hints of chocolate or lavender, or to invest in edibles with the tangy-sweetness of oranges.
These examples paint a picture of pairing your cannabis strains, edibles or concentrates with complimentary flavors, to bring out the most of what they’re after. So, to bring out the best in your vanilla-flavored weed, combining sweeter strains with ones that are known for flavors like citrus, lavender, chocolate or coffee can accentuate the notes of vanilla terpenes.
Also, try to maximize your taste buds by maxing out your spending money on weed strains that are known to have higher concentrations of limonene, beta caryophyllene and beta myrcene.
The Best Vanilla Weed Strains
#5: POWDERED DONUTS
Let’s just start off by saying that Powdered Donuts is way better than number 5 on a top 5 vanilla weed strains, but somebody has to be #5, but we’re saying it’s very very tough to rank these because they’re all delicious. Powdered Donuts is an indica-dominant hybrid of two bizarre parents: Jet Fuel and Orange Cookies. While this combination doesn’t exactly scream “sweet and smooth!”, Powdered Donuts do their name justice.
Covered in bud sugars, PD is a new age vanilla weed strain that offers sweet, fruity aromas with strong vanilla and tangy citrus with every puff. Anyone with lower THC tolerance will appreciate this strain – it’s known to be a mellow, relaxing high without too much headiness. Crack open a container of Powdered Donuts, like when we were kids, and cover yourself in the vanilla frosting goodness of these sweet nugs.
#4: PEYOTE COOKIES
If you’ve ever tried real peyote, you know that it’s definitely NOT vanilla flavored. However, Peyote Cookies the weed strain is sure to scratch your vanilla-itch, and then some. Full of comingling notes of vanilla, coffee, guava and muskiness, PC is a favorite among sweet cannabis lovers. Not only does it have a very complex terpene profile for your smelling & tasting pleasure, Peyote Cookies also offer a very long-lasting euphoric high.
This vanilla flavored weed strain does its name proud – sending you on an inner journey to discover the truth of cannabis flavors & aromas. Crossed from Peyote Purple and Cookie Kush, Peyote Cookies is a must-try for stoners who have a sweet tooth – or, if you just want to be high for an extended period of time.
#3: WEDDING CAKE
Wedding Cake is almost always vanilla-flavored – it’s white, shiny and meant to be as smooth as the groom in his matching white tux to his angelic-looking bride. So, it’s no wonder that one of the most flavorful vanilla ice cream strains on the planet is Wedding Cake. The marriage of Triangle Kush and Animal Mints strains, WC is sometimes referred to as ‘Pink Cookies’ or ‘Triangle Mints’.
Unlike the blushing bride on her ‘big day’, Wedding Cake is very relaxed and makes for a euphoric smoke session. Full of vanilla creaminess and rich, earthy undertones, Wedding Cake has high Limonene, Myrcene and Caryophyllene readings, alluding to the vanilla terpenes we discussed earlier. Life can be a real slice when you smoke these rich, vanilla nugs – bonus points to anyone who brings this strain to a wedding for some truly immersive & memorable highs.
#2: ORANGE CREAMSICLE
What do you get when you cross Orange Crush with Juicy Fruit? Beyond a 90’s blast-from-the-past reference, these two classic strains make a beautiful, citrus and vanilla explosion of flavors in the sativa-dominant hybrid of Orange Creamsicle. Known for its happy, joyful and fun-inducing highs, OC is a positively powerful vanilla weed strain. Whenever you need a boost, to clear your head or to turn a bad day around, light up some Orange Creamsicle and let the sweet, citrus, creaminess wash over you in waves of uplifting abundance.
Orange Creamsicle is very popular among bong rippers and dab riggers, because it lingers in the air and in your lungs with a tangy, sweet aroma. OC is sure to brighten your day and awaken your tastebuds, so light some up next Friday and start the weekend with one of the best combos to ever grace the Earth: orange and vanilla cream.
#1: ICE CREAM DREAM
Also known as ‘Ice Cream Cake’, this is the literal ice cream cake strain, father-of-all Ice Cream Cake? Yes please! Just the name brings to mind thoughts of velvety smooth, sweet and refreshing sensory experiences. How does one make an ice cream cake strain, you wonder? Crossed between Wedding Cake – obviously – and Gelato, Ice Cream Dream is a highly sedative experience that induces an almost sweetness-coma.
Creamy with every taste, overwhelmingly vanilla in its aromas, and undertones of sugar cookies or donuts, Ice Cream Dream has it all for vanilla weed lovers. Smoking this strain late at night and relaxing on some Netflix is very close to eating a pint of ice cream and passing out after a hard day’s work. All hail to the vanilla-king-or-queen of all vanilla flavored weed strains: Ice Cream Dream can become your reality with the click of a button at Haute Health.
