Bacio Gelato: The Gas Giant of Exotic Cannabis

It’s the gassiest strain we’ve EVER measured, and it’s all thanks to our partnership with Mario Guzman of Sherbinskis. Learn about this legendary collab and the process that led to the Bacio Gelato breakthrough.

It’s not a stretch to say that Gelato is the father of modern exotic cannabis. Sure, gassy and fruity cultivars weren’t unheard of, but Gelato was the first to combine the two in a revolutionary way. Not only is it gassy, but it’s also sweet and berry-forward with these phenomenal notes of ice cream. The four original phenotypes blew people’s minds when they first hit the scene, and they’ve spawned hundreds of crosses and descendants. The impact of this fruity family was so profound that it inspired Leafly to create their now culturally significant Strain of the Year Award. 

Today, you can find Gelato in almost every dispensary across America, and thanks to Gelato, modern cannabis is more berry, more sweet, more savory, more everything! But in all the years since Gelato’s release, none have been gassier than Sherbinskis’ Bacio Gelato. 

After measuring tens of thousands of individual strains, Bacio is still the king. To this day, it’s STILL the gassiest strain we’ve ever measured. That’s why, for the last five years, we’ve been working with the original breeder, Mario Guzman (aka Mr. Sherbinski), to understand the chemical complexity of his Bacio Gelato phenotype. 

Not only did we learn what makes this cultivar’s aroma so unique, but it’s earned its place in the prestigious Abstrax Signature Series. Read on and discover more about Gelato’s origins, celebrate its sommelier-level cultivator, and learn how it BROKE our Gas Factor scale.

Want to try the authentic Bacio Gelato? Taste the complexity of this OG Exotic with Abstrax Tech’s new formulation inspired and approved by Mr. Sherbinski. Get a taste of the definitive Gelato phenotype and experience gassy, sweet, exotic cannabis aroma for yourself.

The Road to Gelato

Some varieties have altered the course of the cannabis industry. From Skunkman Sam’s 1980s era Skunk #1 to Josh D’s OG Kush, which defined “west coast weed” in the 1990s. The Gelato family most certainly falls into this category, but it took the Cookies group several generations of cultivation before these exotic phenotypes would be born.

If you’ve enjoyed cannabis that is unusually fruity, sweet, or savory, you might have Cookies to thank. This now-legendary cultivation group put exotic cannabis aromas on the map with infamous crosses like OG Kush x Durban Poison, which gave the world beloved cultivar Girl Scout Cookies, otherwise known as GSC. 

This is where Mario Guzman comes into the picture. Guzman has been an active breeder in the San Francisco cultivation scene since the ‘00s and has made a name for himself as a human bloodhound with his supernatural sense of smell. As a part of the Cookies crew, Mario was responsible for the delicious and distinctive crossing (Pink Panties x Girl Scout Cookies) that led to Sunset Sherbert.

Sunset Sherbert had a uniquely sweet and herbal aroma that quickly grew in demand. Oddly enough, its fame and popularity would likely have continued to grow… if it wasn’t for its progeny, Gelato. 

In 2014, Mario recognized the aromatic potential in Sunset Sherbert and crossed it with Thin Mint Cookies. This resulted in the four Gelato phenotypes that eventually laid the foundation for modern exotic cannabis.

Gelato Phenotypes: Acai Berry, Gello, Mochi, and Bacio

Phenohunting is an incredibly time-intensive and often expensive process. Breeders can grow thousands of plants to emphasize one specific trait, and their efforts may or may not pay off. However, in a single phenohunt, Guzman accomplished four times over what many breeders are lucky to achieve once in their entire career. 

He humbly attributes his success to being “in the right place at the right time with the right genetics.” Admittedly, it’s also hard to ignore his damn near supernatural sense of smell. Indeed, his decision to preserve the four distinct Gelato phenotypes was made after detecting the unique aromatic quality of each cut. 

Today, we know that cannabis progeny grown under the same conditions can still display aromatic variations due to differences in specific flavorant compounds. Surprisingly, we’re not talking about terpenes. Terpene profiles will often be nearly identical among progeny, but things like flavorants can significantly impact even when they’re present in parts per billion or even parts per trillion. That was the case with the four Gelato phenotypes.

Why is this important? Mainly because it’s freaking amazing that Guzman was able to use his senses to pick up on aromatic differences that might otherwise require advanced analytical testing to detect (more on that later).

Acai Berry and Gello Gelato are fruit-forward, known for their bright flavors and uplifting, creative experiences. In contrast, Mochi is celebrated for its calming effects and doughier delectability. Bacio Gelato, sometimes referred to simply as Gelato or Gelato #41, is the standout variety that has become legendary. It’s funky and fuel-forward with heavy-hitting effects. Think of it as a velvet hammer that knocks you flat but leaves no bruise.

The Bacio Gelato Signature Collaboration

The story very well could have ended there. Guzman had struck cultivation gold five times, the Gelato family was wildly popular, and his legacy was pretty much set in stone… but he had to follow his nose.

Bacio's gassiness was unlike anything he had ever experienced, but the combination of gas and that sweet, floral foundation was game-changing. He knew it was special, and he wanted a deeper understanding of what made it so unique. 

Like most elite breeders, he primarily trusted his senses in phenohunting efforts. Clearly, his olfactory senses hadn’t led him astray, but he wanted to understand what fueled this gobsmacking aroma on a molecular level. 

Unfortunately, common testing labs at the time didn’t necessarily have the capabilities to adequately describe his samples from a detailed chemical perspective. It wasn’t until Abstrax Tech developed its advanced analytical testing technologies that Guzman knew he’d found the right partner to initiate his studies. 

So, in 2019, we began a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at answering the following three questions:

1. What was the chemical origin of Bacio’s intense fuel flavor and aroma?
2. How did Bacio compare quantitatively to other varieties?
3. What other unique compounds exist in Bacio that produce its sweeter exotic undertones?

The process took five years, the development of one-of-a-kind instrumentation, a seed phenohunt that Guzman narrowed down from 2000 to just under 200 samples, and a rigorous volleying of fine-tuned blends between Guzman, the Abstrax formulation team, and the sensory panel. 

Using our gold standard analytics, we tested for over 500 compounds using our 2-dimensional gas chromatography instrument that we LITERALLY built just to answer these specific questions. So, saying we’re excited to share our findings is an understatement.

Bacio Gelato: The Gourmet Gas Giant

Saying that Bacio Gelato is gassy is like saying it’s dark at night. Huh, you think? Not only is it wildly obvious, but it leaves out all of the magnificent nuances. It’s not just gassy; it’s dank. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet; it’s delicately floral. 

We could wax poetic about the subtle aromatic variations of this cultivar for days… or we could show you the data. You know, the stuff that’s measurable and not subjective. Because when you look at the hard numbers, Bacio isn’t just gassy. It’s the gassiest cultivar we have EVER measured. And we have measured tens of thousands of different cultivars, including Gelato descendants. Let us explain.

We quickly identified a family of volatile sulfur compounds, referred to as prenylated cannasulfur compounds (PCSCs), that correlated strongly with the intense fuel notes of different cannabis varieties. After collecting the concentrations of PCSCs from several thousand varieties into a single dataset, we were able to rank them based on these values. You might assume it was as easy as seeing that Bacio ranked first, but it wasn’t that simple. 

Want to learn more about the origin of gassy, dank cannabis aroma? Learn more in The Science of Dank: The Discovery of New Cannasulfur Compounds

We left plenty of room in our formula to account for the possibility of finding something with a higher value than our current peak. It’s also worth noting that our 1-100 factor scores are logarithmic. That means the difference between a profile with a Gas Factor of 96% and one with 100% is HUGE, whereas the difference between a Gas Factor of 70% and 90% isn’t as big. 

Previously, the top spot was taken by one of Bacio’s children, Area 41, with an impressive value of 98%. When we tested the Bacio sample? It shattered the gas ceiling.

Its Gas Factor was literally off-the-charts, which forced us to recalibrate our machinery to account for previously unimaginable levels of PCSCs. After some tinkering and formula adjustments, Bacio’s final Gas Factor value of 103% was nearly double the level of volatile sulfur compounds previously identified in our highest readings.

So, yeah. It’s gassy.

Bacio Gelato’s Sweet Exotic Aroma: Esters and Indole

With Bacio’s historic Gas Factor now understood and documented, we were anxious to discover what other hidden gems were woven into the complex fabric of this exotic profile. Specifically, what was behind those sweet, floral aromas? Turns out, it’s a complex combination of flavorants — esters and indole.

Esters are organic compounds often possessing fruity or sweet aromas. Sound familiar? This is a niche group of flavorants that has only recently been described in cannabis, and this particular class of esters is called senecioates (suh-neck-yo-its). 

The specific senecioates, ethyl senecioate and isopropyl senecioate, are often found in sweet-exotic varieties and contribute to their pleasant fragrances. The former exhibits a generic fruity and fusel aroma while isopropyl senecioate emits a similar but more berry-forward sweetness. 

So, in addition to the unique PCSCs and Tropicannasulfur Compounds (TCSCs), there’s also a class of esters that lend themselves to the definitive sweetness of the Gelato family and likely other ambrosial exotic varieties.

Another flavorant, indole, was also recently identified in cannabis and was detected in Bacio as well. In high concentrations, such as those found in GMO, indole can emit a mothball-like aroma. When found in lower concentrations, like in Bacio, it has a subtly floral aroma.

We suspect this unique combination of esters, indole, and the limonene-rich nature of Gelato phenotypes are responsible for Bacio’s light floral, fruity sweetness.

Abstrax Tech Signature Series Promise

You might wonder why the Bacio Gelato Signature Series took five years to create. The most straightforward answer is that we wanted to get it right. With Bacio’s popularity, we knew it would likely sell well, but that’s not the point. The Signature Series is the most authentic recreation of a cultivar, so “good” isn’t good enough.

Even after discovering and incorporating gas compounds, we weren’t happy with it and Mario didn’t approve it. It wasn’t until late 2023, when we uncovered cannabis flavorants, that we had access to all of the necessary components to do this cultivar justice. This led to more research, and then we finally arrived at a formulation that genuinely matches the flavor and aroma of Gelato.

This collaboration and experimentation have led to a blend that’s not just good, not just great, but absolutely perfect. The unmatched skill and technical precision offered by the Abstrax team, our cutting-edge instrumentation, and Mario Guzman’s years of expertise have culminated in a chemically unique profile that’s never been so accurately quantified. 

Abstrax Tech’s Signature Series hit the ground running with Jack Herer, and with Bacio Gelato, we’ve redefined what is possible both in chemical analysis and flavor experience. No other cultivar expresses this level of gas, and no other blend can adequately match the complexity captured within.

Signature Series Bacio Gelato is a guarantee that you’re buying the authentic profile of this iconic cultivar and that it’s been signed off by Mr. Sherbinski himself. 

Want more details about the study, research methods, findings, and industry impact? Read all of the details in our White Paper!

1. Oswald, I., Paryani, T., Sosa, M., Ojeda, M., Altenbernd, M., Grandy, J., Shafer, N., Ngo, K., Peat, J., Melshenker, B. G., Skelly, I., Koby, K., Page, M., & Martin, T. (2023, October 12). Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabis. ACS Publications.
   
   
2. Paryani, T., Sosa, M., Page, M., Martin, T., Hearvy, M., Ojeda, M., Koby, K., Grandy, J., Melshenker, B., Skelly, I., & Oswald, I. (2024, June 19). Nonterpenoid Chemical Diversity of Cannabis Phenotypes Predicts Differentiated Aroma Characteristics. ACS Publications.