Biscotti strain creators set cannabis history straight
Hype weed growers flocked to dessert strains soon after rapper Berner and the Cookies crew released Girl Scout Cookies and her resulting varieties. The Biscotti strain came up in that world but has since severed from the brand to become the flagship chemovar for Connected Cannabis Co.
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When it launched, many believed Biscotti was a Cookies strain, and that is what the actual creators wanted people to see. The true story goes deeper. Connected Cannabis Co. and Biscotti co-creator Caleb Counts recently dropped the details to GreenState.
As the first strain in their brand house, Counts and his partner decided they needed a big name behind the bud. They witnessed the Cookies branding power growing for them over the years and made a marketing plan to hop on that hype train. They asked Berner if they could pay him to say that Biscotti was a Cookies variety, and he agreed.
Now, one hazy Biscotti creation story and mini-drama later, Counts still would not change how things shook out.
“I don’t have regrets,” Counts said. “We made them sign a contract that they can’t grow Biscotti. While the history notes online might credit them, it’s what Connected was built on, an internationally recognized company and a breeding program.”
What eventually soured was the marketing partnership, not the genetics. Despite separating from Berner and the Cookies Fam, Biscotti remains on many dispensary shelves years after its creation. And Connected has gone on to grow other prized varieties like Gelonade.
This is a testament to the genetics, a few big-name rappers, and the collaborative nature of the breeders.
All about that Biscotti
The Biscotti weed strain is a heavier hybrid of Gelato 25 and South Florida OG. These parents built a highly creative variety coveted by painters and writers alike. The guys who created this flower took to the classic red cup method when pheno hunting, hoping to balance the intensity and in-your-face experience of South Florida OG Kush with the subtle power of Gelato.
They settled on bringing up four red cup varieties with unique characteristics aptly named RC14, 25, 27, and 28. Gelato 25 seemed to complement South Florida OG the best out of all the Gelato weed strains. Berner helped as the crew smoked through each red cup, looking for the winner.
“Gelato 25 was a little more subtle and a little sweeter because when we were crossing something with an OG, OG is so strong and dominant, like burning gas fuel, but Gelato 25’s fruiter, more subtle terpene profile, we thought it would blend well together,” said Counts.
Counts and the team were onto something because the resulting flower is beloved for its airy nature. It gets people classically stoned without feeling overly heavy.
The buds keep that OG Kush dense structure but with purple hues. If the plants are thriving and the flower is handled correctly, trichomes are abundant. Bright orange pistils group together in small tufts between each frosted purple calyx.
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The Biscotti name has become a cultural mainstay both on its own and in crosses like Biscotti Pancakes, Bruntz, and Orange Biscotti. This delectable strain helped build the Connected Cannabis empire, which has persisted despite and thanks to the mentions in rap songs.
Recognition is what you make out of it
Counts and his partner eventually realized that after the initial hype was over, their run with Cookies was no longer serving their work. They decided to separate from Berner and the crew to create Connected.
Many believe Berner expressed his feelings about the partnership dissolution in “Top Down” when the lyrics state:
“We don’t smoke Biscotti, or the Gushers /
Anything from the gang, goofy motherf*ckers.”
The rapper got on Instagram Live around 2018, explaining his side of the story and alluding that Top Down is about the end of the Biscotti deal. After telling viewers that he can no longer grow the genetics or use the names, Berner asks why he would smoke it or promote it.
“I’m not putting in work for sh*t I’m not benefitting off. I’ve been grinding for too long. And the weed game is the weed game, and business is business. Like I said, no disrespect to them boys, do your thing mate, flex on them as much as you can, but I ain’t f*ckin’ with it.”
When asked about the lyric recently, Berner said that it referred to people ripping off Biscotti strains. All that aside, the culture has moved on, and there is no bad blood between the crews.
“We made a lot of bread in the early days from our partnership with Connected,” Berner shared with GreenState. “I am thankful we gave them the genetics we did when we did, as they created some amazing strains and menus that remain staples today.”
Counts agrees that it was a great partnership that simply ran its course.
“We loved the relationship, but towards the end, Berner was contributing nothing but the name and collaborating with our competitors while we paid him, counterproductive to what once was a fruitful relationship– he kind of forced our hand, and I think there is a world where we could have built something together,” Counts said.
Biscotti became the rapper’s delight
Berner gave Biscotti legs in the music world, where a few key artists helped catapult it to fame. Maybe it is the creative nature of its effects or that tons of words rhyme with the strain name, but many rappers have featured the flower in their hits.
Counts recalls North Atlanta hip-hop group the Migos being the first to all for the flower. He said they ordered pounds at a time or as much as the Southern California delivery had, whichever weighed more. Naturally, the flower made it into their lyrics.
Eventually, Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records crew hit some Biscotti. They started featuring the strain name in their songs, like “Ski” by YSL, Young Thug, and Gunna. Once it hit the YSL crew, the variety hit it big. Travis Scott’s people tried to reach out to him through the delivery service that carried their flower.
Counts was burnt out after a failed attempt to commercialize the Migos connection, but a friend convinced him to take a call with Scott. That resulted in Travis Scott using a Connected Biscotti hybrid in his Cactus Farms cannabis line.
The hip-hop community, Berner included, is responsible for much of the hype built behind Biscotti that eventually gave Connected its wings. Despite past drama, Counts pays credit to Berner as he tells the story of Biscotti. The name, which may have been attractive to the rappers who spoke on it, was given by the Cookies founder.
“I’m not a rapper and wasn’t thinking about it. Biscotti came from Sunset Sherbet and Gelato, sweet desserts that reminded people of when they smoke it. I said, ‘a flavorless dry cookie?'” Counts recalled. “If you don’t have a cup of coffee with it, your mouth is toast! But then I realized it sounds good and raps really well.”
Berner knew it would roll off the tongue, and he was right. A scan conducted by the Connected marketing team found over 400 Biscotti mentions in popular songs, something Counts attributes to the success of the strain.
Collaboration over competition
True collaboration sits at the root of Biscotti’s popularity. This may be why the brand centers on cooperation over competition. The business owner speaks highly of Doja, who built a name on Biscotti, crediting Connected as he grew. But they do keep the circle closed.
Connected has a trademark against unapproved brands marketing Biscotti. At one point, an employee secretly kept live clones of their house strains at his place. When he was fired, he started selling the genetics. So, original Biscotti is floating around out there despite efforts to keep the intellectual property in-house. Consumers can spot off-Biscotti by small changes to the name spelling.
“We went after a few people (legally), but genetics get out, and that’s the nature of the game,” Counts said.
As Berner said on Live, the weed game is the weed game. Genetics get out, and plants get grown by new brands. Counts is not worried about the past or losing sole access to chemovars. He looks to the future.
The IP breach of their employee led to one of the best strains of the last few years, Permanent Marker. Two years after it dropped, Connected started growing the variety. Now it is a top-selling strain for the brand in California. It all came full circle.
Now, Biscotti is a foundational lineage for other breeders, and that does not bother Counts. He understands his contributions also stand on the work of another breeder, as do theirs, and so on.
Flower by the name of Biscotti can be found in various markets, and slowly people will learn their true origins. And those who like to vape and meditate or puff a joint before painting should buy it when they can. This plant rose above the drama to birth some of the greatest modern strains of American weed, and now her history is cleared up.
