Terpinolene: Aroma, Where It Occurs and Lab Tested Profiles
Marcos Gabriel MoralesTerpinolene is a terpene that smells of fresh pine and citrus with a woody, herbal edge. It occurs in tea tree, nutmeg and lime oils, and it leads only a minority of cannabis. In our February 2026 SC Labs tests, Sour Brulee 2025 (Live) measured 32.9% terpinolene, the highest of any profile we have lab tested.
What does terpinolene smell like?
The Good Scents Company, a flavor and fragrance database, describes the odor of terpinolene as "fresh woody sweet pine citrus" and, at 1%, as sweet, fresh, piney citrus with a woody old lemon peel nuance. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) lists its flavor profile simply as pine. In taste tests at 2 to 25 parts per million it reads as woody, lemon and lime like, with a slight herbal and floral note.
Chemically it is C10H16 with a molecular weight of 136.24, and it boils at roughly 183 to 187 °C (sources: PubChem, The Good Scents Company).
Where does terpinolene occur outside cannabis?
Terpinolene is not unique to cannabis. Published analyses compiled by The Good Scents Company list it in distilled lime oil (about 9.7%), sweet marjoram oil (up to 7.8%), cypress cone oil (3.9%), mace oil (3.3%) and tea tree oil (3.2%), as well as pine needle, fir needle, juniper berry, parsley leaf, rosemary and nutmeg oils. It is also a recognized flavor ingredient: FEMA lists it as number 3046.
How common is terpinolene in cannabis?
Terpinolene led cannabis is uncommon. A 2022 study in PLOS ONE grouped more than 41,000 THC dominant flower samples from six US states by terpene profile. 87.4% fell into two groups, one led by caryophyllene and limonene and one by myrcene and pinene. The third group, high in terpinolene and myrcene, held the remaining one in eight (source: Smith et al., PLOS ONE, 2022).
The same study found that strain names are not reliably tied to one chemical profile. That is why we publish lab numbers for each batch instead of relying on a strain name.
Which Lágrimas del Sol profiles are high in terpinolene?
Three of our 2025 Live profiles carry more than 20% terpinolene. SC Labs (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited) measured 39 terpene compounds by gas chromatography in February 2026 batches.
| Profile | Terpinolene (rank) | Other leading terpenes | Total terpenes | SC Labs batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sour Brulee 2025 (Live) | 32.9% (first) | myrcene 19.9%, limonene 11.3% | 76.9% | 260217P025 |
| Pineapple Kush 2025 (Live) | 22.5% (second) | myrcene 26.8%, ocimene 6.5% | 74.9% | 260217P018 |
| Starburst 2025 (Live) | 22.0% (second) | myrcene 29.0%, limonene 9.1% | 73.9% | 260217P024 |
- Sour Brulee 2025 (Live): sweet and creamy with citrus and a touch of fuel. From $57 for 3 mL.
- Pineapple Kush 2025 (Live): sweet pineapple, creamy, with an earthy kush base. From $57 for 3 mL.
- Starburst 2025 (Live): sweet and sour creamy candy with tropical notes. From $57 for 3 mL.
Sour Brulee is the only one where terpinolene leads. In Pineapple Kush and Starburst it sits just behind myrcene. All three are Live profiles, captured with cryogenic aroma capture, 100% solventless, from fresh flower grown in the terpene belt of Sonoma County, California, straight from the field and never frozen. Each is 100% cannabis derived and tests at 0.0% cannabinoids on a full panel certificate of analysis. Full reports are on our lab results page.
Want to compare? The Discovery Trio lets you pick any three 3 mL profiles for $139, and US orders of $150 and up ship free.
How to use a terpinolene rich profile
Most vape cart formulas use 4 to 8% terpenes by weight; start low and adjust by aroma. These are industry starting points, not guarantees. Our guide on how much terpene to add to distillate covers other product types, and the terpene calculator does the math for your batch size. Shop terpenes for vape carts or terpenes for distillate.
Frequently asked questions
What does terpinolene smell like?
Fresh pine and citrus over a woody, herbal base. FEMA lists its flavor profile simply as pine.
Is terpinolene common in cannabis?
No. In a 2022 PLOS ONE study of more than 41,000 THC dominant flower samples, only about one in eight fell into the group high in terpinolene and myrcene.
Which Lágrimas del Sol profile has the most terpinolene?
Sour Brulee 2025 (Live), at 32.9% terpinolene in SC Labs batch 260217P025. Pineapple Kush 2025 (Live) has 22.5% and Starburst 2025 (Live) has 22.0%.
Where else is terpinolene found?
In tea tree, nutmeg, mace, cumin, lime, marjoram, rosemary and conifer needle oils, among others. It is also a FEMA listed flavor ingredient, number 3046.
Other terpene guides: myrcene, limonene, ocimene, pinene, and the terpene chart comparing all of our tested profiles. Keep reading: Live vs cured terpenes and Cannabis derived vs botanical terpenes.