From vanilla strains to fruity strains, you can find cannabis in just about any flavor. For this guide, we’re honing in on our favorite mint-flavored cannabis strains. We’ll share what gives cannabis that minty zing, and best of all, we’ll give you five minty fresh cannabis strains to look for when you make your next trip to the dispensary.

How Does Cannabis Get a Mint Flavor?

Cannabis gets its flavor from compounds called terpenes. In some cases, a single terpene can create a familiar flavor. For example, pinene is responsible for the pine scent we know and love, and limonene is the reason the lemon scent is in the majority of cleaning products. In other cases, however, it’s a combination of terpenes that create a particular flavor and that’s the case for mint.

The mint flavor comes from a group of minor terpenes, including carvacrol, beta-phellandrene, methyl chavicol, nepetalactone, and thymol. While they might be minor terpenes, they can truly pack that menthol punch you crave from anything mint-flavored.

There are a lot of minty strains on the market, but some just rise to the top as favorites among cannabis enthusiasts across the country. If you’re looking to get your mint fix, these are the strains we recommend looking for:

Hybrid

What do you get when you combine Bubba Kush with Animal Mints (another top mint strain)? Kush Mints, a balanced sativa-to-indica hybrid that carries on Animal Mints flavor and aroma legacy. With Kush Mints, you get a blast of that menthol flavor you might expect with subtle notes of coffee and even cookies.The scent itself is similar, with a wooded forest vibe, making you feel like you’re out in nature when you’re enjoying this bud. You’ll definitely want to be inside, though, because the Kush Mint strain can hit hard with its 22-24% THC.

Hybrid

If you love the vanilla flavors of Animal Crackers and the minty sweetness of Thin Mints, this is definitely the strain for you. Created by crossing Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies and Fire OG, Animal Mints is a beautifully balanced, flavorful, and wildly aromatic strain that’s earned its spot on this list. While you get the sweet, vanilla mint flavor, there's a tang in the exhale. The aroma is pungent and nutty with sour, diesel fuel accents that keep this strain interesting. If you’re new to cannabis, the Animal Mints strain isn’t the one to start with, though. With 25-32% THC in every bud, you’re going to want to enjoy Animal Mints in moderation.

Hybrid

As a phenotype of Girl Scout Cookies, with a splash of Durban Poison and OG Kush too, you can get an idea of what to expect with Thin Mint—presence and potency. There’s no hiding this 2014 Seattle Cannabis Cup winner; its aroma is pure kushy mint, and its flavors are the sweet, candy menthol you’d expect from a balanced hybrid like the Thin Mint strain. Like Animal Mints, the THC levels (20-28%) in this strain make it one we’d encourage beginner cannabis enthusiasts to be careful around.

Sativa-Dominant Hybrid

Another child strain from Animal Mints (and Triangle Kush), the Triangle Mints strain pulls no punches. It has a whopping 28%-31% THC in it, making it incredibly potent. That said, it’s also delicious. The sativa-dominant hybrid Triangle Mints tastes like sweet mint candy and smells like mint-meets-fuel. This unique, dank aroma is a reminder of its Kush parentage.

Hybrid

New cannabis enthusiasts, this is the minty strain for you. The Mint Chocolate Chip strain’s moderately high potency (18% THC) separates it from its stratospheric counterparts on this list, but you’ll still get that mint flavor you crave. Then, you get a taste of the other half of this strain’s name—chocolate chip cookies. As for its scent, earthy and rich, a sweet, spicy mocha that tingles the nose with every exhale. We owe this balanced strain to a cross of SinMint Cookies and Green Ribbon BX, and we look forward to experiencing it every time it’s in stock.

We get questions about all different flavors of strains, and mint is no exception. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about mint strains:

What terpenes give cannabis the mint flavor?
While some flavors come from a particular terpene, mint is one of those flavors that comes from a family of terpenes. Those terpenes include beta-phellandrene, carvacrol, menthol, methyl chavicol, nepetalactone, and thymol.

Are mint strains indica or sativa?
Both. Mint strains are all hybrids, meaning that they contain indica and sativa genetics.

What strain is Kush Mints?
Kush Mint is a balanced hybrid strain, which means it’s 50% indica and 50% sativa, with 22-24% THC. It’s famous for its minty, cookie flavor.
 

Find More Mint Strains

There are plenty of mint strains on the market to tingle your senses, whether you’re looking for strains to match up with seasonal winter flavors or just wanting to try something new. If you don’t find any of these strains in your dispensary, talk to your budtender. They can point you to strains with minty goodness or edibles that will fit the flavor bill.