Live Terpenes (CDT): When the Taste of Cannabis Matters
The difference between pleasant flavor and authentic cannabis experience
When you open a jar of fresh cannabis, you’re hit by an explosion of aromas. Maybe citrusy and bright, earthy and spicy, or sweet and fruity complex. It’s the terpenes that create this experience – and the same terpenes determine how your vape tastes and feels.
But not all terpenes create the same experience. And in Europe, this difference is something most consumers have never had the chance to experience.
The European vape market – a limited palette
If you look at the European range of CBD vapes, you’ll find a common denominator: botanical terpenes dominate completely. It’s understandable – botanical terpenes are readily available, cost-effective to produce, and deliver consistent quality batch after batch.
The majority of manufacturers in the European market use botanical terpenes in their products. It has become a standard that few question, and even fewer deviate from.
The result? A market where vapes taste pleasant, clean, often fruity – but never quite like cannabis.
Two paths to flavor - two different results
In the vape industry, there are two main ways to give products flavor and aroma: botanical terpenes and cannabis-derived terpenes (CDT).
Botanical terpenes are extracted from citrus fruits, lavender, pine trees, and other plants. They contain the same chemical compounds found in cannabis – limonene from citrus is chemically identical to limonene from cannabis. The result is pleasant, often fresh flavors that many appreciate. A citrus blend can taste bright and energizing, a lavender profile calm and floral.
These are quality products that serve a clear purpose. Many prefer these clean, discreet flavors, especially those who don’t want their vape to smell like cannabis. We ourselves have a wide range with approximately 20 different profiles with botanical terpenes – from fruity and sweet to earthy and spicy.
Cannabis-Derived Terpenes are extracted directly from the cannabis plant. Here lies the crucial difference: CDT tastes like cannabis. Not similar to cannabis – it tastes like the specific strain the terpenes come from.
If you enjoy cannabis and want the real flavor, choose CDT.
Why is CDT so uncommon in Europe?
There are several reasons why cannabis-derived terpenes are rare in the European market:
Cost and availability: CDT is significantly more expensive to produce than botanical terpenes. The extraction requires high-quality fresh cannabis, rapid handling after harvest, and specialized equipment. Europe has limited large-scale cannabis cultivation, which makes sourcing complicated and costly.
Logistical challenges: The highest quality CDT is produced where large-scale, legal cannabis cultivation exists – primarily in North America. Importing these to Europe involves regulatory hurdles, costs, and complexity that many manufacturers choose to avoid.
Market standard: When most players use botanical terpenes, it becomes the norm. Consumers don’t necessarily have anything to compare with, and therefore lack the reference point for what authentic cannabis flavor means.
But for those who have tried CDT – and understand the difference – it’s hard to go back.
From California to Europe
We chose early on not to accept the market standard. When we started looking at vapes with CDT, we asked ourselves a simple question: Why settle for something that almost tastes like cannabis when you can get the real thing?
The CDT we use comes from fresh cannabis directly from California – one of the world’s leading regions for cannabis cultivation. Timing is crucial here – the extraction takes place shortly after harvest, before the volatile terpene compounds have time to evaporate.
When cannabis is dried and cured (the usual process for preparing flower for sale), many of the light monoterpenes that provide the most distinct aromas are lost. These terpenes are volatile – they evaporate easily and quickly.
By working with fresh material and immediate extraction, the terpene profiles are captured in their most complete form. That’s why our CDT products – Biscotti, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Zkittlez, and Sherbanger – deliver the authentic cannabis experience that is so uncommon in Europe.
Why CDT tastes different
Cannabis contains over 200 identified terpene compounds. When you extract terpenes from the plant, you don’t just get myrcene, limonene, and caryophyllene – you get the entire package in exactly the same balance as the plant itself has.
Take our Lemon Cherry Gelato for example. Chemically, you can identify the main components: citrus notes from limonene, sweet fruity tones from myrcene, and spicy complexity from caryophyllene. With botanical terpenes, you can mix these three compounds in approximately the right proportion and create something that smells pleasant and citrusy.
But the real Lemon Cherry Gelato strain also contains lower concentrations of linalool, humulene, bisabolol, and dozens of other terpenes and terpenoids. It’s these minor components – together with the exact balance between all compounds – that create the unique Lemon Cherry Gelato experience with its characteristic sweet, tart, and dessert-like profile.
With CDT extracted from real Lemon Cherry Gelato, you get all of this. The result is not an approximation or a “citrus-dessert-inspired” flavor – it’s Lemon Cherry Gelato.
Strain-specific authenticity
Every cannabis strain has been developed (sometimes over decades of selective breeding) to have specific characteristics. The terpene profiles are a central part of this identity.
Biscotti is known for its sweet, cocoa-like aroma with hints of nuts and spices. The complex profile comes from a unique combination of caryophyllene, limonene, and linalool that creates the dessert-like experience the strain is named after.
Zkittlez has its iconic fruity, sweet-and-sour taste reminiscent of candy. Here, the terpenes myrcene, caryophyllene, and humulene dominate in a balance that provides the characteristic blend of tropical and berry notes.
Sherbanger offers a complex mix of sweet, citrusy, and earthy tones. It’s the result of a cross between several classic strains, and the terpene profile reflects this heritage with layers of limonene, caryophyllene, and linalool.
With authentic CDT from these strains, you get these exact profiles – the same taste and aroma as the flower itself. You get the experience that breeders have worked to perfect.
With botanical terpenes, you get pleasant flavor experiences, often inspired by similar flavor profiles but without the full complexity. These are still quality products that many prefer for their clean, fresh character – but they will never taste like Biscotti tastes, or smell like Zkittlez smells.
Sweet, fruity, and lightly floral cannabis aroma
Sweet cookie aroma with vanilla, nuttiness, and a light diesel note
Sweet and fruity aroma with cherry, citrus, and light pine notes
Sweet, citrus-forward aroma with earthy notes and a light diesel undertone
Which one suits you?
- Prefer bright, clean flavors without the earthy tones of cannabis
- Want a discreet product that doesn’t smell like cannabis
- Appreciate fruity or floral profiles
- Seek a smooth, consistent flavor that doesn’t vary
- Want a wide range to choose from – we offer approximately 20 different profiles
- Want authentic cannabis taste and aroma
- Appreciate complexity and nuanced flavors
- Seek an experience reminiscent of using flower
- Want to try strain-specific profiles
- Have a favorite strain among Biscotti, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Zkittlez, or Sherbanger
