San Rafael '71 Mandarin Meltdown

Hey everybody pancakenap here. I’m doing a live resin product today, this is San Rafael 71’s Mandarin Meltdown.

I actually went to Canna Cabana to buy Aurora’s Moon Berry 1:1 dried flower, but they only had pre-rolls available, despite the dried flower being listed on Canna Cabana’s website. Similarly, San Rafael 71’s Pink Kush live resin product, which I’ve been considering for a while, was also listed on the website but actually not in stock. However, the budtender mentioned that they had the Mandarin Meltdown product, so I decided to take a chance on it.

The dried flower from San Rafael that I initially wanted was priced at $20, whereas this live resin product was almost $40, doubling my expenditure. I’m not sure if I would have purchased this product if I had seen it beforehand. It comes in a boxed package with a small jar inside, requiring you to take it home to open and discover its contents. I was slightly disappointed with the jar’s functionality and the product’s consistency initially. In fact, at first impression, I probably would have taken a refund if it were offered. However, now that I’ve started using this product, I must admit I can get past the first impression.

VISUALS

The visuals are quite underwhelming. When I opened the container, it had been stored on its side, resulting in material accumulating on the lid and the sides of the container. However, after letting it sit upright for 20 minutes, most of it settled back down to the bottom.

The consistency of the live resin product is also disappointing. There is no nucleation or sugaring occurring; instead, it’s a syrupy liquid. Another letdown is that there isn’t a substantial amount of product, and what is there tends to cover most of the surfaces, giving it a scant appearance. I end up with a small puddle in the middle and a lot of residue to scrape off the sides. A product with this consistency might be better to include a squeegee or some type of silicone spatula. I’m not even joking; it would be genuinely helpful.

TASTE

The taste is relatively balanced, with hints of light herbs, juicy orange, and vanilla florals. It’s not just a one-dimensional orange flavour; there’s depth to it, providing a multi-dimensional profile.

Considering the name “Mandarin Meltdown,” one might expect a heavily orange-centered profile without many secondary notes. However, what you actually get is a nice composition that tastes like a refreshing spring morning. It’s fresh and upbeat.

In my Peak find that I can heat a small dab at least twice without a significant change in taste, and it leaves very little residue to clean up afterward.

POSITIVES

Some of the positives I’ve noticed while using the product are the good flavour and the ability to use it multiple times while maintaining the same taste. Additionally, it leaves minimal residue, which can be easily cleaned up using a Q-tip. If you have fillable 510 cartridges, this product’s consistency may work well with them.

NEGATIVES

The packaging and consistency of the live resin product were disappointing. If you leave the product on its side before opening it, it leaves a poor first impression. Even when stored upright, the product still tends to climb the sides of the glass. Additionally, I find scraping the product from the sides to be cumbersome and inefficient; it’s not the way I want to use this product. I wonder if a dab applicator or a syringe would work better for this product.

Lastly, I noticed there’s very little nucleation with this product, which was disappointing. I would have preferred a consistency closer to a slurry, that might just be personal preference though.

PRICE

On average I’ve paid about $45 for a one gram live resin product since 2018. The price for this one gram package was $37.18. Almost 20% cheaper than the average. In terms of sentimental value, I have to say it’s still pretty low.

SUMMARY

Considering the price I paid and my overall experience with the packaging, consistency, and taste, I’m uncertain if I would repurchase this product. While the taste and flavour profile were nice, they weren’t compelling enough to make me want to return for more. I’d also be happy to alleviate myself from the frustrations I experienced with the packaging.