One of the factors that put a lot of people off trying CBD oil is the taste. Perhaps you tried it once, thought it tasted like a mouthful of dirt and vowed to never go back. This story is all too familiar, and the good news is that there are ways to make CBD taste better.
It’s worth noting that many people enjoy CBD's intense, earthy taste. The taste is a reminder of the origins of the product and can also indicate the quality, so developing a taste for CBD can be beneficial.
The flavour of your CBD oil will depend on the extraction method, the spectrum of the product, the carrier oil and any added flavours. Since CBD is an all-natural product, there can be differences in flavours between individual batches of CBD.
This means you could buy the same product from the same retailer and experience a different flavour. This is due to the concentration of terpene and flavonoid compounds in different hemp crops. CBD has drawn some comparisons to fine wine for this reason.
The type of CBD oil you choose will also influence the flavour. In general, unflavoured CBD has an earthy taste that comes from its terpenes. If it has a bitter flavour, this can indicate the presence of chlorophyll, which is sometimes filtered out. CBD oil can also go bad if it has been stored incorrectly or passed its sell-by date, so this is also something to be aware of.
First, let’s explore how plant compounds impact the flavour of CBD products.
Whole plant CBD, the same as unfiltered full-spectrum CBD oil, is typically cold-pressed, which helps to keep more cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids intact. This type of CBD is as close to nature as you can get and has a very earthy, often piney flavour.
Full-spectrum, filtered CBD oil contains a wide range of beneficial cannabinoids, including safe and legal levels of THC. It is typically made using supercritical CO2 extraction methods and then filtered to remove some of the less desirable plant compounds. The presence of chlorophyll, oils and waxes is what gives CBD the earthy slightly bitter taste which some find unpleasant.
Broad-spectrum CBD oil contains a wide range of cannabinoids but no THC. The strain of hemp plant used in production will have the biggest impact on the final flavour. The terpenes in the product can lead it to taste like citrus, pine or more earthy. This type of oil is usually highly filtered, so it won’t taste as strong and earthy as a whole plant oil.
CBD isolate is a crystalline form of CBD that is completely flavourless. When isolated, cannabinoids have no flavour since the flavour comes from the terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant compounds.
Alongside the extraction method, the carrier oil will also have a significant impact on the finished product. For a product that is as close to nature as you can get, hemp seed oil is an obvious choice. This allows manufacturers to utilise the plant's seeds to enhance the earthy or grassy flavours.
Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is extracted from coconut oil and offers the smoothest taste. This melts more readily under the tongue and combines well with natural flavourings. If you dislike the taste of CBD oil, then choosing a flavoured oil with MCT is the more palatable option.
Olive oil is another popular carrier oil that produces a more grassy or nutty flavour. Like MCT oil, olive oil is also very smooth and melts under the tongue.
This all depends on the type of CBD oil you are using. If your CBD oil is flavourless, this could indicate that it is made with CBD isolate. We believe that isolate products are less effective since they do not contain the broad range of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that combine to create the entourage effect.
If your CBD oil has a very bitter or sour taste, or if the texture of the oil seems thicker and less runny, this could be a sign that it has been stored incorrectly and the oil has gone rancid. Check the use-by date on the product to confirm.
Good CBD oil should have an intense and rich profile of flavours ranging from earthy and bitter to nutty and grassy. As mentioned above, flavours can vary between batches from the same brand, so if the flavour is slightly different when you buy a new bottle, this doesn’t necessarily mean the product has changed or has gone bad.
We believe that the best flavour profiles are found in whole-plant, full-spectrum CBD oils. These products allow you to enjoy the very best flavours and benefits that CBD has to offer.
This has one of the strongest flavours of all our CBD products, but it is also one of the highest quality and most popular oils. This goes to show that not all customers are looking for an artificially flavoured or flavourless oil.
Produced using whole plant extract, BioBloom CBD oil has a rich and earthy flavour that is less apparent when it’s under your tongue. However, you might experience a slightly bitter aftertaste when you swallow the excess.
This is because of its high CBDa content. CBDa has a sharp, pungent taste which mellows when blended with CBD. The natural ratio of a BioBloom extract contains a near perfect 50:50 CBD/CBDa, making its taste balance out. Having a meal, snack or a drink after taking your drops will wash away any aftertaste left in your mouth and throat.
Oils from BioBloom are certified organic and use a hemp seed carrier oil. They are the purest form of CBD oil we've found.
Although advertised as vape oil, this product is made with an MCT carrier oil from coconuts, so it can also be taken sublingually.
It comes in 6 subtle flavours provided by terpene blends available: Watermelon OG, Blue Dream, Lemon Haze, OG Kush, Pineapple Express and Gelato. They each have a different aroma and feel, from the sweet and citrusy OG Kush to the bold and tropical with a hint of savoury Pineapple Express.
These terpenes are natural and made inspired by different strains of the hemp plant so, even though they're added in a lab, you’re still enjoying a fully natural product.
The entire CannabiGold collection offers high-quality and deliciously smooth full-spectrum CBD oils. The golden amber oil has been filtered, creating a light taste that has been described as being grassy with a hint of cucumber.
This is perhaps the mildest-tasting full-spectrum CBD oil we've tried, with the higher 1500mg and 3000mg oils obviously having a denser flavour and aroma than the 500mg or 1000mg concentrates.
CannabiGold CBD oils use cold-pressed hemp seed oil as a carrier.
If you truly hate the taste of CBD oil, there are some tips to try to make it more palatable. The first is to choose a filtered product, such as a CannabiGold oil. This will ensure your product is free from the most intense flavours associated with whole-plant and other full-spectrum products.
Remember that it should be taken under your tongue. If you want to consume a whole-plant CBD oil, pipette droppers are better than sprays if you don’t like the taste, this will limit the spread of the product. Leave the oil for at least 30-60 seconds without speaking to give it time to absorb. After this time, have a drink of water to flush away the excess.
CBD oil is like fine wine, meaning that there are a lot of flavour profiles to explore based on the different plant varieties. Getting comfortable with the taste of CBD oil can help to improve your experience, as you will be able to choose good quality CBD that contains all of the beneficial plant nutrients, fats, and waxes.
Flavoured CBD products and those containing MCT oil will have the smoothest and most palatable flavour. For something closer to nature, choose a whole-plant, full-spectrum CBD oil.
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Laura Howarth
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Laura Howarth is a specialist CBD author based in Manchester, UK. She is passionate about sharing her love for CBD through educational articles and in-depth guides.