Distillate vs Live resin
Distillate is stripped to almost pure THC and reflavoured afterwards. Live resin keeps what the plant made. One is consistent, the other tastes of something.
Distillate is stripped to almost pure THC and reflavoured afterwards. Live resin keeps what the plant made. One is consistent, the other tastes of something.
The short version
| Distillate | Live resin | |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | any extract, often trim-derived | fresh-frozen flower |
| Solvent | hydrocarbon or ethanol, then distilled | hydrocarbon (butane or propane), purged afterwards |
| Tastes | whatever was added afterwards | bright and close to the living plant |
| Costs | the cheapest per gram | mid |
| You need | carts and disposables | nothing special; it comes in carts, disposables, pods and jars |
How each one is made
Distillate is refined repeatedly until almost nothing but THC is left, then reflavoured. The solvent is hydrocarbon or ethanol, then distilled.
Live resin is extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent from flower frozen at harvest, before it is ever dried. The solvent is hydrocarbon (butane or propane), purged afterwards.
What that does to the flavour
Distillate: whatever was added afterwards — usually botanical terpenes, and it will not taste of the strain.
Live resin: bright and close to the living plant — the terpenes that fade during drying are still there.
Strength
Distillate — high and extremely consistent, which is the whole reason it exists.
Live resin — high, and the effect tends to be described as fuller than distillate because more of the plant survives.
What each costs, on this site
Live resin runs 21% dearer here — a median of $25.33 against $20.90.
We stock 15 distillate products from $19.94 to $38.00, and 2138 live resin from $6.50 to $130.00.
| In stock | Typical | Range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distillate | 15 | $20.90 | $19.94 – $38.00 |
| Live resin | 2138 | $25.33 | $6.50 – $130.00 |
Which should you buy
Choose distillate if you want whatever was added afterwards without paying solventless prices. It tolerates heat that would ruin live resin, which is why cheap batteries suit it.
Choose live resin if you want high. It scorches at voltages distillate shrugs off, so keep the battery low.
Questions people ask
How much does live resin cost?
On this site the typical live resin product is $25.33, and the range runs from $6.50 to $130.00 depending on the format — a cartridge costs far less than a gram of concentrate. Distillate is cheaper again, and solventless rosin is the dearest thing on the shelf.
