CleverRoot

s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 | 9 3 Tasting cannabis and tasting wine have more in common than one might think. (right) Tasting sheets for the blind panel include a slider allowing judges to evaluate flavors and effects, as well as a section for guessing the variety tasted. This past spring, the Emerald Exchange began to explore the concept of tasting can- nabis by bringing together a panel of cannabis experts—breeders, farmers, extract makers, media, policymakers and even a chef—to taste ten cannabis varieties grown all over the state. "The overall mission of the tasting panel is to build out the standard language of cannabis," explains Nick Smilgys, an industry veteran who headed the panel on behalf of the Emerald Ex- change. "We wanted to help define some stan- dards so there's a canvas for people to work off of, a standard language for what an OG tastes like, or what a Sour Diesel tastes like. We're also trying to get people to think more critically about the cannabis they're smoking in terms of subtleties of flavor and terroir. If you taste enough, you might begin to notice dif- ferences between coastal versus inland-grown cannabis. It's an essential conversation to begin in this industry." With a lofty goal set, the Emerald Exchange turned to establishing a method for the tasting. "We modeled it on a blind tasting of wine," explains Smilgys. "Each judge was issued ten pre-rolled samples to go through, and they were asked to go through and taste, looking to identify the strain and offer some tasting notes on it. We were not necessarily looking for good or bad, but looking for nose, for taste and for smokability. We are examining the mouthfeel of the smoke, how white it is, how pure it is, whether or not it makes you cough." But what is harder to define (and was not explored specifically at the Emerald Exchange tasting, but is a component of other industry tastings and competitions) is how cannabis makes you feel. "When you're tasting wine, you're talking about tasting like lime or grape- fruit. With cannabis, it's much more diverse, because you have this immediate effect to take into consideration, so your tasting notes may run the gamut from food comparisons to spiritual feelings," continues Smilgys. While we don't see the effects of wine included in tasting notes, wine and weed are closer than you'd think. "If you start to dig, there are so many similarities between wine and cannabis, from harvest scenarios to dif- ferent varieties to location and terroir," says Smilgys. "Just like in wine, you can taste those things in cannabis if you begin to think analyti- cally about it." As a forerunner in exploring this concept, the Emerald Exchange hopes that looking at these factors will help establish a benchmark of typicity for various varieties and growing regions. "We're trying to establish a system, so that if you're looking for a pure OG, you'll know it follows these five leading characteristics," he continues. "We're looking to put together enough information to really define a strain." Exploration of terroir is slightly trickier, ex- plains Smilgys. "In a perfect world, I would've been able to take the same cut of an OG and grow it in eight locations across the state," he explains. While no such program currently exists statewide, efforts by the Mendocino Appellation Project, established by Emerald Exchange co-founder Justin Calvino, have begun to map out cannabis terroir, beginning by dividing Mendocino and Lake Counties into nine distinct growing zones. So, while there may still be some way to go in establishing specific tasting and scoring markers for cannabis, Smilgys encourages the at-home consumer to begin learning how to taste the cannabis they're consuming. "When you're trying cannabis, write down a few notes," he suggests. "Date it and actually write it down, so that the next time you're in a dis- pensary, you can say, 'Hey, I really liked that,' and you can ask about who grew it, where it comes from. Write all of that down." The Emerald Exchange's quarterly event, hosted in Los Angeles and designed to bring the best of Mendocino cannabis to Southern California, is an ideal place to embark on a tast- ing journey of your own. Like a wine tasting, farmers from the Emerald Triangle offer flower samples and tastings, helping consumers develop their own personal language for tasting cannabis. "Find what you like, and just keep tasting," encourages Smilgys. Up for the challenge? Grab a notebook, a pen and a lighter and head to www.EmeraldExchange.com to buy your tickets today! The next Emerald Exchange Southern California event will be August 12–13, 2017. ■cr PHOTO: EMERALD EXCHANGE

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