If you’ve ever enjoyed a cannabis edible in the early part of the cannabis explosion which happened about ten years ago, it was probably a Cheeba Chew. They were one of the first to offer a taffy-like experience, using the best available ingredients, stuffed with a bunch of THC. I have had some memorable experiences with this venerable brand. They do everything beautifully in my book. Their range of flavors and textures remind me of fine French confiture, with a twist of solventless Rosin/THC of course. It’s about time that cannabis companies work in fine pastry and candy making with just the right balance of sweet to tangy, to memorable. Cheeba Chews have mastered this art of cannabis-infused confections and they have made them available to the discerning consumer. It’s a pleasure to enjoy their ebullient products after visiting their production facility, which is in itself, a joy to see, both ultra-modern and also clean as a whistle. Being a trained chef allows me the ability to taste at a somewhat higher level. What I perceive in Cheeba Chews- and in all their unique varieties that I savored, was quality in each of the small tastes. You don’t need much to have a really enjoyable experience. Their food scientist’s passion for European-inspired flavors oozes through every bite. There was one variety in particular that caught my attention. It was not unlike a confection known as pate de fruits from France and the addition of their proprietary solventless cannabis rosin recipe. Whatever their methods and the techniques that they utilize, these are not the edibles that I whipped up on my stove and crossed my fingers that they’d get me buzzed.
Cheeba Chews exceeds my expectations in every way because they use the best ingredients they can find. And I know some of their ingredients intimately, from my bartending years. Good call!
PÂTE DE FRUIT CHEWS – Inspired by the elegant flow and organic beauty of freshly pressed premium rosin, Apricot MELTS are jam-packed with all-natural fruit purée, Colorado-grown cannabis extract, pectin, and little else.
INGREDIENTS:
Apricot Purée, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Pectin, Solventless Extracted Cannabis Oil (Rosin).
BENEFITS:
All-Natural, Fruit Purée & Vegan-Friendly
WB Notes: The pate de fruits are really pure in their flavors and quite delicious. Each 10mg. piece offers a really subtle, introspective, and lovely long-lasting buzz.
WB: Please tell me about yourself? Where are you from? Where now? What do you do?
Ryan Kilpatrick: I’m Ryan Kilpatrick, a New Jersey native that’s been a Colorado resident for 22 years. Currently, I hold the position of Colorado General Manager at Cheeba Chews. For the last three years, my role has allowed me to focus on running the day-to-day operations in Colorado, while our founders focus on expanding the business. But I must say, the R&D is my favorite part of the job. I love coming up with new product ideas and putting them to the test.
WB: What are your six and twelve-month goals? What obstacles do you face?
Ryan Kilpatrick: Currently, we are laser-focused on our wellness line of minor cannabinoid-driven chews and our rosin-infused edible products. Our new dairy- and gluten-free line, MELTS, just launched and is growing rapidly. Additionally, the Live Rosin, Strain-Specific edibles that launched in 2021 continue to grow as new flavor-strain combos are released quarterly. We are very interested in seeing these products succeed, and the next six months will be crucial to that success. Beyond that, we have at least two other potential new product lines we are developing and hope to launch them in the near future. There is no shortage of excitement for what is coming down the pipeline from Cheeba Chews.
WB: When did you first discover the plant? How old were you? Do you remember with whom? Listening to what music?
Ryan Kilpatrick: We became acquainted back in the mid-90s. I was hanging out with a couple of my older brothers’ friends who needed a pipe to smoke. I happen to have one. So, we sat in the driveway underneath a house on stilts, listening to Ween and Beck, and got down to business. After that, the quality and availability of cannabis where I lived were less than desirable, but that didn’t stop the occasional session. Upon arriving in Ft. Collins in 1999, I very quickly learned where to find Kind Bud and we became great friends.
WB: Cheeba Chews is a class act product. I’ve been acquainted with it for years now. Please tell me about the new pate’ de fruits.
Ryan Kilpatrick: Thank you! MELTS by Cheeba Chews represents the first new brand launched by our company in a decade. MELTS were designed from the ground up to be a completely natural edible experience. A vegan-friendly, limited ingredient product made with fresh frozen fruit puree, solventless extracted live rosin cannabis oil, pectin, beet sugar and little else. We worked for over a year to ensure our MELTS provide a unique, balanced flavor profile rich with cannabis terpenes, supported by an intense fruit character. Our initial launch includes Sweet Strawberry Jam, Fresh Apricot Jelly, and Toasted Coconut Purée. All are amazing in their own way, but the Toasted Coconut is by far my favorite.
WB: What is your favorite Cheeba Chew variety?
Ryan Kilpatrick: In the last eight months, I have really been enjoying our Live Rosin, Strain-Specific taffy, and gummies, but now I’m obsessed with the Melts. However, my classic go-to edible is our Trifecta Chew–a caramel-flavored taffy infused with CBG, CBD, & THC.
WB: Do you cook? What’s your favorite food? Restaurant? Where? Favorite get high food?
Ryan Kilpatrick: I dabble a touch. I am the head chef for my household feeding a family of four nightly. I have a plethora of kitchen gadgets that I love to employ in my cooking. My favorite thing is to try something new; even when it doesn’t turn out to be that good, I simply enjoy trying something new. As the household cook, I also enjoy a good night out at a restaurant. In Denver, I have a hard time passing up a great spread of sushi. While it has become pretty common to find great sushi all over town, Sushi Den is still at the top of my list! If I’m sitting down for a smoke session after a long day, I usually have a bag of hard sourdough pretzels close by.
WB: What is your passion?
Live music! I am a fan of many different styles and genres. I will go see just about anyone playing live, but I tend to gravitate towards blues, jazz, funk, and jam bands. Summer doesn’t start until Widespread Panic plays at Redrocks!