Strain Report: Bruce Banner Terpenes and History
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Key takeaways
Jason Holck bred Bruce Banner at Dark Horse Genetics in Denver by crossing OG Kush with Strawberry Diesel. At the 2013 High Times Denver Cannabis Cup, Bruce Banner #3 tested at 28.35 percent THC, and the magazine called it the strongest strain on Earth. Bruce Banner #3 is still the cut most people mean when they say the name.
For lab operators building a gassy, sweet profile, it is an easy sell. The nose is loud, diesel up front with strawberry underneath and OG pine in the back. Below is the lineage, the history, what goes into our blend, and how it holds up in a cart.
Strain Profile: Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner smells like a gas station with a flat of strawberries on the counter. Fuel hits first, then sweet berry, then earthy pine from the OG side. It is usually listed as a sativa-leaning hybrid around 60:40, and Bruce Banner #3 flower commonly tests in the mid to high twenties for THC.
Holck has gone by OG Iron Lung for years, and the strain name is widely reported as a play on his own surname, Holck to Hulk to the Hulk's mild-mannered alter ego. Dark Horse kept #1, #3 and #5 from the original selection, and #3 is the one that won.
Bruce Banner Genetics
OG Kush brought the pine, the earth and the fuel. Strawberry Diesel brought the rest. That parent is Strawberry Cough crossed with Sour Diesel, which puts Kyle Kushman's Strawberry Cough on one side of the family and one of the most famous gas strains on the East Coast on the other.
Go back another generation and both halves lead toward Chemdawg, with Hindu Kush on the OG Kush side, though OG's exact parentage is still argued about. Almost everything in the family tree was kept around for potency and stink, and Bruce Banner got both.
Is Bruce Banner Indica or Sativa?
Bruce Banner is generally called a sativa-leaning hybrid, around 60 percent sativa and 40 percent indica. People describe a quick, heady start that settles into body relaxation.
The indica and sativa labels come from old plant structure and market shorthand, and they do not predict how a strain will feel. #1, #3 and #5 also vary from each other in potency and experience. What a consumer actually feels comes down to the cannabinoids and terpenes in that specific batch.
Awards and Sales History
The 28.35 percent result at the 2013 Denver Cup is what made Bruce Banner famous. High Times put it at number nine on its 2014 list of the 25 greatest strains of all time, and called #3 the most potent strain ever tested at its Cannabis Cup.
The name has gotten as much attention as the number. In 2016 the Oregon Liquor Control Commission put Bruce Banner on its list of banned strain names, on the argument that it could appeal to kids. Holck pushed back that the name was never meant for children. Back in Denver, he has described lines of people forming on Bruce Banner drop days.
What Terpenes Are in Bruce Banner?
Our Bruce Banner is built on five terpenes: myrcene, limonene, bisabolol, beta-caryophyllene and linalool. Together they give the loud diesel and strawberry nose with a soft, floral finish.
Myrcene
Botanical sources: hops, mangoes, thyme, lemongrass
Myrcene is the earthy, musky base that sits under the fuel and berry. It is the most common terpene in cannabis.
Limonene
Botanical sources: lemons, limes, grapefruit and other citrus
Limonene puts the bright, lemony lift on top of the gas. It also dissolves silicone, so check your hardware.
Bisabolol
Botanical sources: German chamomile, the candeia tree
Bisabolol is soft and sweet, like chamomile, and it smooths out the sharp edges of the diesel and citrus.
Beta-Caryophyllene
Botanical sources: black pepper, cloves, rosemary, hops
Caryophyllene is the peppery, spicy warmth that anchors the blend. It is one of the few terpenes known to bind directly to CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system.
Linalool
Botanical sources: lavender, coriander, basil
Linalool is floral and lightly sweet, the lavender in the background that rounds off the finish.
How Bruce Banner Runs in a Vape
Myrcene, limonene and linalool are the lighter, more volatile terpenes in the blend, so the gas and citrus lead on the inhale. Caryophyllene and bisabolol are heavier, and the pepper and soft chamomile carry through on the exhale. Our suggested starting point for vapes is 7 percent inclusion. Ceramic coils maintain the flavor and terp profile, and cotton gets a burnt taste much quicker than ceramic.
How Does Bruce Banner Make You Feel?
Everybody reacts differently, but reports on Bruce Banner are consistent. It comes on fast, euphoric and creative, then eases into body relaxation as it goes. People use it for both daytime and evening for that reason. With THC this high, it is a strain for experienced consumers more than beginners.
Why Is Bruce Banner So Potent?
Dark Horse selected for it. The phenotypes that made the cut were kept for their THC numbers, and #3 tested among the highest results ever recorded at a major cannabis competition. Tolerance, dose and the specific phenotype or batch all change how hard it actually hits.
Strains Similar to Bruce Banner
Strains that share Bruce Banner's genetics or its gassy character:
OG Kush
Lineage: Chemdawg x Hindu Kush (disputed)
Flavor: Pine, earth, lemon and fuel
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Bruce Banner's direct parent and one of the most influential strains ever bred, the obvious pairing for any lineup built around Banner.
Sour Diesel
Lineage: Chemdawg x Super Skunk
Flavor: Gassy and sour with lemon behind it
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
A grandparent by way of Strawberry Diesel, and where Bruce Banner gets its fuel and its energetic, heady reputation.
Strawberry Cough
Lineage: Strawberry Fields x Haze
Flavor: Sweet strawberry with spice and earth
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Kyle Kushman's strain and the other grandparent through Strawberry Diesel. It is the berry side of the family without the full gas.
Chemdawg
Lineage: Unknown
Flavor: Gassy, garlic and earth
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Further back on the family tree, Chemdawg is the root of a lot of Bruce Banner's fuel and funk.
GMO (Garlic Cookies)
Lineage: Chemdawg x GSC
Flavor: Garlic and onion
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
A modern, heavy-hitting Chemdawg descendant, savory where Bruce Banner is sweet, with the same gassy backbone.
Buy Bruce Banner Terpenes from Your True-to-Flower™ Source
Bruce Banner has a Cup record, a spot on High Times' all-time list and a name people still ask for by sight on a menu, more than a decade after its debut.
Lab Effects' synthetic-free terpenes bring that profile to your whole lineup, from flower to vapes to concentrates. Everything is 100% natural and food grade, built True-to-Flower™ to match the real plant. Choose Cannabis Derived or Canna-Botanical to fit your production, or contact our team for a custom consultation.
