(Live)Rosin in Amsterdam and other places

[Kimble]

I've done some searching in the forum but haven't found a thread about Rosin, especially LiveRosin, so I'd like to start a new thread to exchange experiences. I would therefore like to start with our experiences:

We used to vape weed with the Venty and tried many strains in Amsterdam, especially Cali-Stuff. Varieties such as BlueCheese, BlueZushi, BlackRuntz, Gelato41, MimosaXOrangePunch, RS11, SherblatoZkittlez, etc were among our favorites. Then the friendly “consultant” at BarneysFarm recommended Runtz & Mimosa as Rosin and we were immediately impressed. With almost 4 times the THC content of classic weed, Rosin is not significantly more expensive than good marijuana, only the initial investment is higher, so it's better to avoid flops .

Since then, we have gradually tried our way through many coffeeshops in Amsterdam in search of the best rosin. We quickly realized that LiveRosin is almost always the top quality, which is to be expected given the elaborate production process, ideally under industrial laboratory conditions. Unfortunately, many stores try to sell HashRosin or even chemically extracted resin to unsuspecting customers as LiveRosin, partly out of ignorance and partly out of business acumen. Of course, HashRosin is not bad per se, we were recently able to try some great Piatella, but I still want to get LiveRosin when I order LiveRosin. In most cases it's not even a significant price difference, because BubbleHash/HashRosin/Ice-O-Lator/ etc. is often around 70-90€/g for which you can also get LiveRosin from freshly frosted flowers in AMS. The really good rosin is often FullMelt, so that it evaporates almost residue-free and the Q-tip is still almost white after cleaning:

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We have since switched almost completely to LiveRosin, which now accounts for 95% of our consumption - the Venty for the good weed usually stays in the box In the meantime we've tried almost 50 types of Rosin, often in blind comparisons, like at a wine tasting.

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This has shown that taste is not as subjective as we often think. When we tasted with several people at the same time, the ratings (on a 1-10 scale) were almost never more than half a point apart and the top 3 was almost always unanimously. Ultimately, cannabis is a consumer product that can be rated similarly to food/alcohol with nosing, taste, finish, etc., except that the points smoke + high are added. In the meantime, however, we no longer need such large Excel tables with notes ,

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because with increasing experience you can also assess the products in absolute terms and know relatively quickly what a 7/10 and a 9/10 is.

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I would be delighted if we could exchange a few experiences about stores and products here. I can also post a few reports from our “tastings” of the different varieties here and present our current favourites, both in terms of the stores on the subject and the products, if there is interest.

[colinzeal]

I plan on trying some rosins next time I'm over so would love some recommendations for best shops and products. That'd be very useful. Always good to read opinions from someone with experience.

[Kimble]

Let's start with one of my top 5 stores for LiveRosin in Amsterdam, the Grey Area. Not very inviting at first glance,

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but the expert advice and good selection quickly make you forget that.

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In addition, all jars are not only sealed but also heat sealed so that you can see that they are unopened.

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There are 2 types of LiveRosin here that belong in my top 10,

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Whitfire 43 aka WiFi#43 is in my top 5

Type:
White Fire 43 is an indica-dominant hybrid that is relaxing but still a little invigorating and euphoric. It is based on White Fire OG, with #43 being the standout phenotype in a batch of over 500 White Fire OG seeds originally bred by OG Raskal. As a weed it has around 25% THC and 1% CBD. As LiveRosin it has a THC content of 70-80%.

Texture:
Like a matured honey, slightly darker and firmer but still homogeneous and with a delicate consistency.

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Nosing:
At first you have a typical diesel note on the nose, but this is then quickly displaced by an earthy and citrusy aroma.

Temperature:
You can let WiFi43 melt at 220°C (430F) without changing the temperature until it is completely vaporized. The good quality is evident not only because it is a FullMelt and the Q-Tip is still white after cleaning

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but also because the flavor & smoke remain nearly constant from start to finish, with no loss of terpenes or intensity.

Smoke:
The smoke seems very strong at first, but is still very smooth. Despite the large quantity & intensity, it hardly causes any coughing. A gentle experience for the respiratory tract, especially for non-smokers among the dabbers.

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Taste:
An aroma reminiscent of lime and pine needles. The smell of earth and forest remains present in the nose through the vapor, but the lime dominates the taste. Overall very intense without any unpleasant peaks. Even with prolonged enjoyment, new nuances in the complex aromas can be discovered again and again - it never gets boring.

High:
You feel physically relaxed & in a positive mood and leave stress & negative things behind. With the right dosage, you remain very active and focused so that you can get things done productively. Of course, you shouldn't be solving 2nd order differential equations any more, but you will have more creativity to find solutions that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise - so you can definitely use it in your home office too .

Conclusion:
A LiveRosin that stands out among most of the other concentrates, not only for its quality, but above all for its smooth yet intense smoke. In addition, a high at the highest level that causes positive productivity. The taste could be a little more complex at this level, hence “only” an 8.5/10 but a recommendation - Whitfire #43 belongs in every good cannabis house bar

Supplement to Gusher:
Gusher LiveRosin from AstoriaClub is not dissimilar to WiFi43 in many ways. However, a gradual increase in temperature from 200-240°C (390F-470F) makes perfect sense. The terpenes are gradually released, which makes the taste experience more like a menu. Gusher tends to be dominated by citrus fruits, such as bergamot and orange, but much more subtly than in Whitfire. The taste is not quite as thrilling, but still at a high level.

The special thing about Gusher, however, is its strong indica effect, which is very relaxing and calming. After a short time, you'll be wishing for a singing bowl and a steam bath For me, one of the top 3 indica-dominated LiveRosins in Amsterdam, a clear 8/10

I hope this helps a bit, if there is interest, I can give you a few more tips

[colinzeal]

Wow, great post, so detailed, thanks.
I'd love to know what your top 5 coffeeshops are too!
Cheers bud.

[Kimble]

Even though there are certainly many old hats here with 30 years+ cannabis experience, I would like to say a few words about LiveRosin again, because this relatively new trend (not only in Amsterdam) always leads to confusion about the terms. Precisely because you are often sold products in AMS that have something to do with rosin but are not LiveRosin, I would like to briefly explain the production process here. LiveRosin means:

1. fresh flowers are shock-frozen immediately after harvest (Live) at -30°C (-20°F) or colder, preferably in a freezing chamber or shock freezer, to avoid crystal formation and thus the destruction of the cell walls, similar to the freezing of high-quality foods.

2. the trichomes are then separated from the rest of the flower material in several passes in ice water around freezing point, either manually or better mechanically with a special washing machine, and extracted through sieves, whereby the mesh size of the sieve (often 90 μm) depends on the respective variety of flower.

3. the extracted trichomes are then immediately refrozen so as not to break the cold chain and then freeze-dried in a vacuum to create a powder and extract all the water, guaranteeing the pure cannabis flavor.

4. this freeze-dried powder is then placed in the rosin press and pressed at the lowest possible temperature, approx. 80-100°C (180-210F) at 600-1000 PSI, without activating the THC, to produce the famous “honey”. Some producers use only one strain (single source), like a single malt whisky, others create a cuvée of different strains, which creates completely new flavors.

5. Ideally, the LiveRosin is then matured for a few weeks at refrigerator temperature in glass jars (cold-cured), which makes it even more intense and stronger in flavor, similar to a dry-aged steak.

Everything else is not LiveRosin!
Rosin from dried marijuana -> FlowerRosin / Bud Rosin
Rosin where fresh flowers are pressed directly -> FreshPress-Rosin
Rosin from pressed hash -> (Bubble)HashRosin /DrySift Rosin
Rosin that has been chemically extracted -> Resin
Rosin made from dried leaves and small flowers - > TrimRosin /PopcornRosin
Etc.

In this video you can see an example of the process for producing LiveRosin (except for the missing industrial washing machine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmbV-sfMR7I

This is roughly the equipment needed for professional production (+ blast freezer & refrigeration chamber), whereby the much-cited rosin press only accounts for a small part of the costs:

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Not only is the initial investment of > 25k€ a problem, but above all the amount of cannabis required. You need about 1kg of fresh flowers to produce 50g of LiveRosin. Because the process hardly works with much less strains, you need a minimum quantity, it doesn't work with 50g of fresh flowers. This means that in Europe, at least during the production process, you have one foot in prison. In the medical sector, almost only flowers and hardly any concentrates are sold, so there is no legal business model for production in Europe. This is also the reason why 95% of good LiveRosin comes from the USA, which will probably remain the case as long as the legal situation in Europe does not change.

Of course, you can also extract LiveRosin from your own flowers in a hobby cellar, as you can see in numerous YouTube videos. However, with a household freezer and a plastic barrel, you will never get anywhere near the quality of the good products that are produced under laboratory conditions. I have been able to try home-pressed LiveRosin in my private circle and the best so far has been a 7/10 despite considerable effort on the part of the grower.

This is the reason why we prefer good US goods from Amsterdam and why we are so deeply involved with the subject, because the result is incomparable. A pure bio-product that contains the best 5% of the original product in concentration. A intense &pure taste, without any off-flavors, an intense smoke with a pleasant high and a concentrate that is so clean that it vaporizes completely - that's what makes a good LiveRosin.

In the next posting there will be a few more specific recommendations, both products and stores.

[Ghost]

Nice 1 buddy some really good information that you have posted and I liked the way that you explained Live Rosin. Your couple of pics showing all your jars is very impressive and I see some names that I have sampled myself in the past but I haven't had any Live Rosin in at least a year now, I have had some Wedding Cake Flower Rosin recently though which was a very nice smoke, I just seem to go through it way to quickly whatever it is I may get some Live Rosin when I am over for 420 this year you have wetted my appetite, so am looking forward to a few more of your recommendations/reviews of your fav shops/products I see you are using a StundenGlass with ice in the chamber what is the device like I have never used one myself thanks man

[Kimble]

First of all, thank you very much for the kind words, that motivates me, especially as a newcomer, to continue contributing to the community with my experiences

I see you are using a StundenGlass with ice in the chamber what is the device like I have never used one myself thanks man

For me, the Stündenglass with Modül+Dok is the ultimate bong for concentrates, because it is both a portable solution like the Puffco 3D XL and a stationary solution that can be regulated very precisely

Here's our rosin setup when we are testing, a precision scale

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and two Stündenglass + Modül

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As with a wine tasting, we compare two different rosins with the exact same quantity / temperature / heating time

I'll write new recommendations for stores and rosin at the weekend when I have a bit more time.

[Ghost]

Welcome to the forum man and nice set up you got going there especially with the Modül+Dok and a nice couple of full up tupperware tubs with pots of gold

I like your approach the same as wine tasting which I totally agree with and makes perfect sense to me

[Tokeing tom]

Great to have someone here covering this topic keep up the good work man I know nothing about this so it's very informative for me

[Kimble]

First of all, an addition to my report on the great LiveRosin from GreyPlace:
This is from the Astor Club in LA/NYC, which is now an institution in the city. Here's some additional background info:
https://cannabisnow.com/this-discreet-m ... -it-right/
https://www.instagram.com/astorclubla/

The next report, this time about the Bagheera, is almost finished, but I'm currently distracted by a new variety of strawberry rosin atm

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Great to have someone here covering this topic keep up the good work man I know nothing about this so it's very informative for me

Welcome to the forum man I like your approach the same as wine tasting which I totally agree with and makes perfect sense to me

Thanks, I am pleased to be here and to give something back, because I have benefited a lot from the coffee shop reports in the past.

and nice set up you got going there especially with the Modül+Dok

Yes, we're really happy with the Stündenglass-Setup, and not just because you can take it to friends or to a coffee shop. We also have a few other settings for dabbing around here, which I can explain if you're interested.

[Ghost]

I like the look of that Astor Club looks like an old relaxed front room vibe going on there, looks amazing I would love to go there some day

A nice evening you got going on tonight by the look of it, Pizza, Beer and Good quality Hits sounds like a good night to me. Yes pls tell me more about other settings for dabbing etc. I use a mini nail attached to a Slugworth Top Hat when I am sitting at home at my station. If I am on the move and out and about I use the Puffco Peak, if I am visiting a friends house for a session I will take a mini piece in a peli case - my go to piece is a Custom Jack Skelton made by Glass Pav

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she's a proper hitter Amsterdam 420 2022

Distracted by a new variety of Strawberry Rosin - makes the lips water and looking forward to your Bagheera report

[BatRadia]

Really interesting review, thanks Kimble. I've recently gotten into rosin and really appreciate the detailed info. Also quite jealous of your awesome dab rig

Glad to hear you liked the White Fire, I tried it when I was over in January and thought it was probably the best bit of rosin I'd had in Amsterdam. It's nice to know i wasn't completely off-base.

I'm going to be back in Amsterdam this weekend, so any rosin recommendations, particularly if they have a "sativa-y" high, would be gratefully received!
Cheers!

[Kimble]

A nice evening you got going on tonight by the look of it, Pizza, Beer and Good quality Hits sounds like a good night to me. .. Distracted by a new variety of Strawberry Rosin - makes the lips water

Yes, that was the perfect evening when you're alone at home I also quite like a sip of Belgian triple beer when vaping, it helps perfectly against any coughing and intensifies the high, you just have to be careful with the dosage at 9% alcohol

Although it has to be said that the products from BlackCatsDeadRat have funny flavors and packaging, but they can't keep up with the absolute top products in terms of quality. Depending on the variety they are between 6.5-7.5/10, i.e. upper middle class. However, as they ultimately cost almost the same as the top products, we rarely buy them, mostly because of a particular flavor, such as strawberry or sour berries.

I use a mini nail attached to a Slugworth Top Hat when I am sitting at home at my station. If I am on the move and out and about I use the Puffco Peak, if I am visiting a friends house for a session I will take a mini piece in a peli case - my go to piece is a Custom Jack Skelton made by Glass Pav

This looks great, a friend of mine has the Puffco as a mobile companion and is very happy with it, imho the only real alternative to the Modül for concentrates.

Yes pls tell me more about other settings for dabbing etc.

I will, but you'll have to be patient for the “family photo” of the complete dabbing set, a US delivery with our new ballvapes is currently stuck in customs. . At least the new upstems (Save the Bees) for our compact Stündenglass have arrived.

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Glad to hear you liked the White Fire, I tried it when I was over in January and thought it was probably the best bit of rosin I'd had in Amsterdam. It's nice to know i wasn't completely off-base.

I wrote at the beginning that taste is not as subjective as many people think. Your impression of Whitefire confirms this, because we had it yesterday. Similar to the virtual wine tastings during Corona, we taste the same LiveRosin with friends, each at home, from time to time on an evening and then discuss it online. Yesterday it was Whitfire, which everyone gave a unanimous 8.5/10 in the blind test.

I'm going to be back in Amsterdam this weekend, so any rosin recommendations, particularly if they have a "sativa-y" high, would be gratefully received!

The reports on the Bagheera and other Coffeshops will be posted those days, but I'll give you a short spoiler of my Top Live Rosins in the AMS in advance, so that you have a few recommendations for this weekend. However, this list is not exhaustive, we still have some US strains here that we have not yet tried and which could also be at this level. These are my Top5 LiveRosins in Amsterdam atm:

1. TenCo BlackZushi, 250€/g, 9,5/10, GreenPlace
2. ODV III, 170€/g, 9+/10, Bushdoctor
3. BluePapaya, 170€/g, 9/10, Bushdoctor
4. ArchiveAstorClub Whitefire43, 110€/g, 8,5/10, GreyArea
5. LovelyHash Honey Banana, 90€/g, 8,5/10, Bagheera

It should be noted that TenCo is unfortunately only available as 2g, which makes the investment even higher (we already had a discussion about this in the GreenPlace thread). On the other hand, you can get ODV III as a 0.2g dose, which should be enough for 2 rounds of dabbing. If I were you, I would perhaps invest the €35 to give it a try. But be careful with the "Stairway to hell" at the Bushdoctor

And not to forget:
You can eat excellently in Amsterdam and at fair prices if you get hungry in between. On Haarlemmerstraat opposite BarneysFarm / GreenHouse / GreenPlace, for example, you can get great Jamon Iberico Bellota sandwiches as a takeaway and the Café Nieuw Amsterdam next door is also a clear recommendation as a restaurant. The corn-fed chicken for 2 with hash brown, lettuce, applesauce, for example, was really great

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[BatRadia]

Thanks for the preview, Its really appreciated

Bushdoctors is defintiately on the list, I've been meaning to check them out for a while but was a bit put off by the price. Knowing that you can just get a few dabs worth changes that, I think might get a nice little tasting selection to try
Personnally, that's why I like it when coffee shops have their rosin "loose", I'm usually visiting for a few days and can't take things back with me, so like to be able to try more strains.
And I'll try not to get there too high and fall victim to the stairs!

Bagheera is already a firm favourite of mine for rosin, i think it was the first place I tried it. But i've not had their Honey Bannana yet so might have to give it a look!

As for the TenCo, personally i can't really justify the price, it only coming as 2g also doesn't really work for me. But that's fine, their's plenty of other nice rosin to try

Personally I'm quite interested in some of the bubblehash at Reefer, their latest menu has some interesting sounding stuff on it.

I also really like the iberico place, I feel you always get really good quality for the price there. Thanks for the tip about the place next door, that chicken looked fantastic. I've just has a look at their menu and looks tasty.

Anyway, lots of nice things to try, I'm starting to get properly excited for the weekend!

Thanks for your help Kimble, I'll let you know how I get on.

[Kimble]

Right next to the bridge to one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam, the Kloveniersburgwal, there are two coffee shops that couldn't be more different. On the left is BasJoe, which looks like one of the many cozy corner cafés in Amsterdam.

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If the term “coffeeshop” wasn't preconceived, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you could get a good Italian espresso with a slice of cake here. Indeed they have actually various muffins and space cakes, although they're not recommended for grandma's birthday

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However, the selection for cannabis lovers is rather modest there, lots of low-cost products for the typical tourists and unfortunately equally touristy advice - in my opinion, not a recommendation, especially as there is no LiveRosin there.

It's a completely different story in the store to the right, Bagheera, whose entrance looks like a long tube and is much less inviting. The Puffco PeakPro and the large Stündenglass stand at the entrance show that the focus here is on quality.

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The rear section is a little more cozy, although it is sometimes so smoky, as at TerpsArmy, that a few minutes there are enough to feel an effect even without a joint of your own .

The most important thing about Bagheera, however, is the really good advice and selection. If you have specific questions, the boss is happy to come in as an experienced dabber with whom you can exchange experiences at any time. Many Rosins are also available in 0.5g versions, making it easier to try different varieties.

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Our two favorites there are the ColdCured LiveRosins from LovelyHash, which are among the best you can get in Amsterdam. They are only available in 1g doses, but with this quality you are not taking any risks.

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The texture alone makes your mouth water

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Papaya is pleasantly fruity without giving you the feeling that it's just fruit flavoring, as is the case with BCDR products. Overall a clear 8/10

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HoneyBanana is even more complex in taste and has a very intense vapor, but unlike some other Rosin, it is never unpleasant.

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A really great product that is balanced in every respect. We use it from start to finish at 220°C (430F) and it is one of those products that hardly diminishes in flavor from the first to the last puff and is completely vaporized at the end. For me, HoneyBanana is a clear 8.5/10 and therefore currently in our top 5 in Amsterdam.

The Bagheera is another example (like in GreyArea) of how you can almost blindly trust the recommendations of the owners/sellers in very good coffee shops if you have found a common interest. If you ask what the best stuff is, you get an honest recommendation in such stores. We were immediately recommended HoneyBanana and after trying all the other varieties, it was clear that we could have saved ourselves the trouble. You can trust the advice of the store. So both the shop and the LiveRosin are a recommendation .