How they got them is a mystery to us, but the Terp Inspectors have again found something very tasty. Namely the sugary sweet strain Candy Cup; a cannabis strain developed by Funky Buds from the San Francisco Bay Area, and Heavy Loads genetics. Straight Cali weed in these Terp Inspectors.

When we talk about bag appeal, we normally mean the appearance of the weed. In this case, however, it literally refers to the packaging, because it attracts quite a bit of attention.

In fact, it is the first thing we notice about this weed. The bag is cheerfully drawn with bright colors, and the packaging is even shaped like a cup. Something like that just immediately grabs your attention. We don’t often see this type of packaging in the Netherlands; actually only with imported weed or when you receive such a package separately with your purchased weed. This form of marketing is not allowed in our country.

The packaging is not only beautiful and striking, but also dark on the inside and has a good closing edge. This is better for storing the cannabis than the transparent zip-lock bags that we are used to from coffee shops here. Light-tight packaging is much better because the cannabinoids and terpenes are better preserved.

Aroma

At the moment of opening we are greeted by a powerful, sweet and gassy scent. Sugary sweet and really like you are in a candy store, not fruity at all. Judging by the smell, this strain will probably taste very intense. Based on the terpenes we smell, we expect a more physical and relaxing high than an energetic mental high.

Appearance

The resulting top looks compact. It is green and purple in color and covered in a thick layer of trichomes. Unfortunately, these trichomes are all broken on the outside. This could of course be due to the long journey, but also due to the use of a cutting machine. We see this appearance more often with the Cali strains. The trichomes are still intact on the inside. Here you can really see that this is a potent top weed.

Purpl Pro & potency

We can use the Purpl Pro from Delta9 Analytics; a handy compact device to determine the THC percentage of a top weed. The Candy Cup sample achieves a THC percentage of 22%. We take the results of the Purpl Pro as an indication rather than as an exact science. This means that we can say with certainty that this weed has good potential.

We find the terpene profile much more important than the THC percentage. We don’t have a handy mobile testing device for this, so we’ll have to use our nose.

Tasting

To properly absorb the terpenes, we use a Dynavap at a low temperature. Just for the Dynavap nerds: our test setup is a standard model ‘M’ on half-bowl stand with the titanium half-bowl converter from Sneaky Pete. This means that the heating chamber remains at the right temperature for a little longer and only a little cannabis is needed to enjoy a good taste experience. We heat the cap in the middle so that we can vaporize at a medium to low temperature.

The taste is again very close to the smell. This is actually usually the case, but we occasionally come across an exception. The weed tastes like candy, and is sweet and gassy. The gassy notes are a bit stronger during evaporation than when smelling.

Effect & conclusion

The high is also as expected: warm, cheerful and relaxed. Perfect for use in the evening and to relax with your favorite passive activity. The effect was also quite hard, although that is not surprising with such a high THC percentage.

Overall we are very pleased with this strain. It has a strong and nice smell and taste, and clearly a powerful effect. The biggest areas for improvement are the long journey the cannabis has had to make to get to the Netherlands. Locally grown cannabis is therefore often fresher and less damaged. We see a trend of Dutch grown Cali strains in coffee shops these days, and hope to soon find the Candy Cup strain among them.

Candy Cup report

• Appearance: compact green and purple. Unfortunately the outside is somewhat damaged. Report score: 6.5
• Smell: intensely sweet & gassy. Report grade: 8
• Taste: intensely sweet & gassy. Report grade: 8
• Effect: cheerful, warm, relaxed. Report score: 7.5