Live resin is amazing; it’s truly the new frontier for cannabis extracts. When this extract is available it’s not on the shelves long and it costs $80 a gram! It’s often compared to as a “fine wine” with cannabis aficionados, and I can see why.

Live resin is impossible to make without a commercial grade closed-loop extraction system, so don’t try it at home. Rather than drying out the flower and trim, live resin is made from freshly cut and frozen flowers and trim. It is processed just hours after being harvested. The result is a much higher terpene count, meaning you don’t lose the taste and smells through the drying process. I decided for the first THC University product review, we try some live resin.

Here in Colorado we are spoiled; I’ve had several different live resin strains to choose from, which is rare. I chose my favorite strain, Golden Goat. This one was made by Botanico. I have never tried their products, but you can find their dispensary in Denver as well as their products can be found in other dispensaries in Colorado.

Golden Goat originated in Kansas when a male Hawaiian-Romulan pollinated a Island Sweet Skunk. It is typically light green, with a sweet, citrusy, sour smell and taste. The high is an uplifting happy high, best used for depression and stress. I would recommend more effective strains for pain, headaches and nausea symptoms.

When inspecting the texture of Botanico’s live resin, I experienced a light, fluffy texture. It is much more moist than wax’s and shatters, which is why it’s also known as Holy Water. This was amazing, exactly what I expected from properly made live resin.

When I took the first big whiff after opening the small jar, I was smacked in the face with an overpowering sweet, citrus smell. The smell alone almost made my cheeks pucker like eating really sour candy. Immediately after smelling it, I could not wait to try it, so I loaded it into my dab pen. I will admit it should have been cleaned before doing such an important dab, but who has time when you have live resin to burn!

After taking the hit, the first thing I noticed was the taste. It tasted way better than flower, wax, or shatter. It was my favorite hit of Golden Goat I had ever had. Live resin packs so much terpenes in every hit, which solves the #1 complaint about tasteless concentrates. Many people say “I smoke flower because of the smell and taste,” but I wonder what their thoughts are after a hit of live resin.

I was feeling the typical uplifting happy high that Golden Goat is known for, but with the sweet, fruity taste lingering in my mouth that is credited to the extra terpenes in the live resin. This strain is not a bad choice for those trying dabs for the first time, but too much of it for a beginner can cause paranoia or increased anxiety.

With so much flavor I thought it would be interesting to pair with a wine. I tried pairing it with a Shannon pinot noir. First I took the dab, enjoyed the sweet, citrusy taste for a minute, then took a sip of pinot noir. The mixture of the sweet and sour of the Golden Goat and the smooth, oaky taste from the wine created a sensation I have not experienced since having juicy fruit gum when I was a kid. I like paring cannabis and wine, but the extra terpenes in the live resin make this much more enjoyable. With this pair tasting like juicy fruit gum, I definitely recommend it.

I have had live resin only a handful of times, and Botanico’s Golden Goat live resin is definitely in my top 2, if not my favorite. Great work from the Botanico team!