Make Your Distillates Sing With These 5 Classic Terpene Flavors

Want to infuse distillate with in-demand aromas, flavors, and effects? Learn how to select the right terpenes and get our top 5 terpene profile recommendations.

Distillates are potent extracts that are popular for dabs, carts, and as ingredients for various edibles, topicals, and more. Their potency is acquired through a rigorous distillation process that separates the desired compound (THC, CBD, CBG, etc.) from the rest of the plant matter. 

The distillation process also removes the natural terpenes from the original plant matter. That means almost all of the flavor and aroma are stripped from the final distillate. Think of this high-potency distillate as a blank canvas for creative product ideas!

What exactly does that mean? While having a flavorless, odorless extract has its benefits (for HIGHER purity, you’ll want CannaClear), adding the right terpenes to your distillate will infuse it with aroma, flavor, and unforgettable sensorial effects. 

Ready to take your distillates to the next level? Read on for five terpene profiles that will make your distillates positively sing.

Why You Should Add Terpenes to Your Distillate

Terpenes are hydrocarbons that provide natural flavor, aroma, and effects. While they’re obviously prevalent in cannabis, they exist in essentially every plant. Even fruits like lemons are packed with terpenes that influence their scent, flavor, and how they affect us. The terpene isolate d-Limonene, for example, is found in citrus fruits and contributes to those bright citrus flavors and aromas.

The terpenes in cannabis cultivars do the same thing. Each cultivar has an aroma profile with unique ratios of aromatic compounds like terpenes, esters, and cannabis flavorants. That’s why every strain has a slightly different aroma, flavor, and sometimes VERY different effects. 

The critical thing to remember is that those aromatic compounds are easily altered or damaged. That’s why two phenotypes (related cultivars) that are grown under the same conditions can still have aromatic variations. While their terpene profiles are usually identical, subtle differences in flavorants can have a BIG influence since their aromatic impact is so profound.

Curious about the differences between related cultivars? Dive into our research on Chemohunting and learn about the evolution of phenohunting.

What does all this have to do with your distillate products? 

While it may seem silly to ADD terpenes back into distillate after the extraction process removes them, this helps you fine-tune the flavor, aroma, and effectiveness (or entourage effect) of your distillate products. Plus, with all of our research, we’re able to give you access to terpene profiles with a level of authenticity the industry has never experienced before.

Which Terpenes Should You Add To Your Distillate?

Don’t worry, we’ve still got five recommendations below to get you started. However, if you want to take a look around and assess ALL your options, we’ve got plenty for you to consider. 

If you want genuine cannabis flavor, our Native Series profiles preserve the integrity of cannabis’ natural aromatic compounds. These profiles benefit from our research into prenylated cannasulfur compounds (PCSCs) and flavorants, so your customers are going to get the vibrant, in-your-face dank they’re expecting. Bonus? Our Native Series profiles come with Terplytics data (our proprietary next generation cannabis analytics) so you AND your customers can assess things like their Gas, Haze, Loud, and Exotic Factors.

For the ULTIMATE in cannabis authenticity, you should use terpene profiles that have been created in collaboration with the cultivators/breeders themselves. That’s what you’ll get in our Signature Series. This series redefines what is possible both in chemical analysis and flavor experience, and when you use these profiles, it’s a guarantee that you’re getting the authentic aroma and flavor of that cultivar. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll even give you all the juicy Terplytics data on these profiles.

Don’t want ANY skunky aromatic notes? Our Premium Strain Profiles let you do just that so you can develop product offerings for every customer and every palate. 

Want the entourage effect without ANY cannabis aromas? Do your customers prefer to get those effects in exciting, exotic flavors? Our Entourage Series blends contain as many terpenes as our Premium Strain Profiles for the same powerful effects in fruity, fun flavors. Want bigger, BOLDER flavors and aromas? For high-intensity fruit, candy, and dessert flavors, reach for our Cloudburst Series. These are terpene blends with an explosion of flavor that hits hard and lasts. 

This is just the start! You can get deep, earthy hemp aromas from our Terplandia Hemp-Derived Terpene Profiles, you can fine-tune the effects of your distillate with our AI Terp Effects blends, and then you can MIX terpene profiles and blends to create something entirely new that your customers won’t find anywhere else. We really weren’t joking when we said there was a LOT to consider.

Use the Abstrax Tech HDT+BDT Mixing Guide to combine botanically-derived and hemp-derived terpenes for novel flavor and aroma combinations!

Ok, you’ve waited long enough! Here are the five terpene profiles we KNOW will make your distillate products flavorful, aromatic, and create one-of-a-kind experiences. 

Blue Dream

Almost everyone has heard of Blue Dream, and most claim they’ve tried it a time or two. We just wanted you to experience the sexiest, most iconic aroma of Blue Dream. So we searched for years, found the best version, and modeled our profile off of a particularly juicy sauce. 

Descended from iconic cultivars Blueberry and Haze, our Blue Dream profile captures the delicate sweetness, citrus, grounding earth, and blueberry notes (duh) that makes this cultivar so loved. 

Jack Herer

Jack Herer is the haziest cultivar we’ve measured (so far), and the only way to do it justice was to collaborate w

ith the original breeders. That’s why the Jack Herer we analyzed for the Signature Series is based on the original genetics first cultivated in the Netherlands by Sensi Seeds.

Experience the one true Jack Herer aroma with its iconic woodiness, citrus, distinct terpenic notes, and just the right dose of sweetness. Plus, once you try the real thing, imitations just won’t cut it.

GMO

GMO is funky in the best way possible. On the Exotic Cannabis Aroma Spectrum, it falls securely under the Savory or Chemical category, with sensory panelists from our research using terms like mothballs, chemical, and savory to describe its aroma.

It also includes flavorants Indole and Skatole, which have a significant impact on aroma despite being found in very small amounts (like parts per million or even parts per billion). After just one dank sniff of its notoriously gassy aroma, you’ll understand why it’s included in both our Top 10 Loudest and Top 10 Gassiest lists.

Orange Apricot

Did all that research about flavorants and Tropicannasulfurs peak your interest? Then you’ve GOT to get your hands on our Orange Apricot terpene profile! It includes TCSCs which are a subset of cannasulfur compounds. When the two are combined with terpenes, they impart an aroma that’s citrus-forward with underlying notes of funk, petroleum, and/or sulfur.

With its exhilarating medley of Tangie-forward citrus and sweet gas, Orange Apricot is deafeningly loud and it can’t be ignored.

Sherbinskis Bacio Gelato

If the Terplytics on this profile are blowing your mind, you’re not alone. Measuring Bacio Gelato forced us to recalibrate our equipment because the readings were literally off the charts. We’ve got to hand it to Mario Guzman of Sherbinskis for breeding a cultivar that’s three times gassier than ANYTHING we’ve previously measured.

The unbelievable levels of gas are beautifully complemented by sweet dark berries, herb-forward earth, and subtle citrus for an exotic musk that’s unlike anything you’ve experienced. For distillate with aromas and flavors that are exquisitely dank, gassy, and delicious, Bacio Gelato is precisely what you’re looking for.

Create the BEST Distillate Products with Terpenes from Abstrax Tech

At Abstrax, we’re committed to cannabis excellence. Whether through our peer-reviewed research or the development of the world’s biggest cannabis hydrocarbon extractor, we’re always searching for the next breakthrough in cannabis science and technology.

Not only can we give you access to the most in-demand aromas and flavors, we can tell you HOW to add terpenes to your distillate and we can even collaborate on product formulations so you can give your customers the exact product they’re looking for.  

Ready to infuse your extracts with the highest-quality terpenes? Contact us today, and let’s get started.

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. 

5 Classic Terpene Profiles Perfect for Distillate

SHOP Blue Dream

After years of searching, we’ve discovered the best version of this cultivar and modeled it from a particularly juicy sauce. This invigorating blend of sweet blueberries captures the sexiest, most iconic version of Blue Dream.

 

SHOP Jack Herer

Born from thousands of hours of research and development, the Signature Series represents a brand new age of authenticity in cannabis. Made in full collaboration with the cultivator themselves - this is the definitive Jack Herer.

SHOP GMO

As the first to benefit from our breakthrough discovery, GMO is kicking off the next era of botanical aromatics. Flavorants Skatole and Indole multiply its notoriously savory and funky notes for a loud, gassy, and undeniably pungent finish.

SHOP Orange Apricot

Revel in the next evolution of botanical aromatics with bright petroleum-fueled Orange Apricot. Tropicannasulfurs create an exhilarating medley of Tangie-forward citrus with deafeningly loud notes of sweet gas. Welcome to the future.

SHOP Bacio Gelato

Out of the tens of thousands of cultivars we’ve analyzed, Bacio Gelato reigns supreme as the gassiest strain ever measured. Created in partnership with Mario Guzman of Sherbinskis, this is the world’s only authentic and official Gelato terpene profile.