Product Name: Hash Temple Ball, Glue (strain)
Brand: Sand Castle
Category: Smokable
Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summary: An aromatic introduction to temple hash balls that elevated every smoking experience
I saw Tommy Chong smoking a hash temple ball, so I smoked a hash temple ball.
Well that’s not exactly how it went down – I interviewed Tommy Chong in early 2024 for a piece in Fat Nugs Magazine (page 10.) During our conversation, he mentioned that temple ball hash was the purest form of THC he has ever enjoyed – so you know I was intrigued.
I unexpectedly came across this temple hash ball from Sand Castle while shopping at Herbal Remedies in Bandon Oregon – the first time I had ever seen temple ball hash in a dispensary. As if Tommy’s recommendation wasn’t enough, this glorious 1-gram ball of trichomes was priced at just $20 – a literal steal for one of the oldest and best ways to enjoy cannabis. (And also, a sad commentary on the state of Oregon’s cannabis market.) I couldn’t wait to dive in and write a temple ball hash review.
Important note: I picked these up while I was in the van and my stoner stash was limited – but even when I have everything, I don’t have a glass for smoking hash. I plan to remedy that in the future, but for this delicious little ball, I incorporated it into my flower.
Sand Castle Glue Hash Temple Ball Review
I got the strain Glue. According to the package, this temple ball had 56.7% THC and a mere 0.20% CBD in a total of 20 servings. I don’t think I got 20 smoke sessions out of it, but it was serving two people most of the time, so who knows? This temple ball was made at the end of March 2024, tested in early April, and I purchased it in mid-August. Here’s my temple hash ball review.
Aroma
The ball itself was small and dark brown, a perfect sphere. Overall it smelled like weed. I can usually pick up undertones or layers of aromas, but the main aroma of the ball was dank – which is consistent for the strain Glue (not to be confused with Gorilla Glue or Original Glue.)
Texture
When I bought this temple ball, it was rock hard. Not sticky to the touch and not easy to cut. There’s an important drying and curing process, but I expected this ball to stick to the glass walls of the container, not clink around inside. However, after it sat in the heat of the van for a day or so, it began to warm up and it was much easier to shave off small slices to place in my bowls. It had a smooth texture that crumbled when cut.
Effects
Subtle, but potent. Adding this hash to a bowl or joint enhanced the high, no matter what strain I was smoking. It was heady at first but relaxed my body physically. It didn’t add much in the way of the flavor of the smoke, just a subtle hashy flavor that was mostly dank, but it did make my bong hits rip longer and stronger and it added a layer to the experience. I never got to smoke this alone, but I would love to try that.
About Temple Hash Balls
Temple Hash Balls are one of the oldest ways of consuming cannabis. These balls are made entirely from the resin, or the trichomes of the plant. They are solventless cannabis concentrates, made by heating and pressing dried hash into a sphere, by hand and then aged, traditionally by monks in Nepal. Frenchy Cannoli, a legendary cannabis advocate, spent many years championing the purity and potency of temple hash balls.
Temple hash balls are not quite as potent as other concentrates, typically hovering between 50 and 70% THC, although they can get into the 80% range, which is where many concentrates sit. This particular batch was not as strong as they come, which I was grateful for.
Tommy told me of temple balls in his youth, made from collecting the kief that came off the plant during trimming. The trimmers were made to work shirtless (or naked!) and the kief was collected off their bodies and the ceiling. Sanitary? No. But it certainly makes for a good story!
How do you smoke hash without a hash pipe?
The easiest way to smoke hash without a hash pipe is by mixing it into your flower. You can warm up the hash and manipulate it into the best shape: oblong for rolling into a joint or flat for placing in the center of your bowl pack.
The most important thing to keep in mind when smoking hash in flower is to cover it completely. Hash is more dense than flower, has a higher boiling point, and takes longer to burn off. If you have it covered in your joint or bowl, it will help it burn longer and smoother. But if your hash is exposed, your joint or bowl will burn poorly and unevenly.
About Sand Castle Hash Co
Sand Castle Hash Co. is an Oregon-based concentrates company that specializes in “solventless small batch concentrates that will knock your sandals off.” Their website boasts that their Temple Balls won best traditional hash in Oregon’s Leaf Bowl, but doesn’t say what year. They don’t get into how these temple hash balls are made, but the most common way today is with ice water hash (AKA bubble hash.) Sand Castle also offers live rosin, live rosin vape pens, and certain strains of flower.
