Sour Diesel is one of the most recognizable names in cannabis, a genuine legend of the sativa world. If a strain could smell like a city morning, this is it: sharp, pungent, and unmistakably fuel-forward. It built its reputation on the East Coast in the 1990s and never let go of it, becoming a benchmark that countless later strains are measured against.

Lineage

Sour Diesel's exact origins are famously debated, part of what gives it its mystique. It traces to the early 1990s and is widely described as descending from Chemdawg and Northern Lights related genetics. Whatever the precise family tree, it became the founder of an entire category, the parent or grandparent of countless modern diesel and sour strains.

Aroma and flavor

Loud and pungent: diesel fuel up front, with sharp citrus and a skunky, earthy backbone. It is the definition of a gassy strain, the kind that announces itself from across a room. Underneath the fuel there is a bright lemon-peel lift that keeps it from feeling heavy.

What we measured in Sour Diesel

An ISO 17025-accredited laboratory measured the profile we use for Go-Go Bananas: 104 identified compounds. The eight largest are below as a share of total terpenes, with the milligrams each one contributes to a 20mg chew. The full list of all 104, down to the trace ones, is on the product page.

Most strain guides call Sour Diesel a caryophyllene strain. The lab says it is a myrcene and limonene strain: the fuel-and-lemon signature is limonene at 19% riding on a myrcene base of 37%, with caryophyllene at 9% supplying the pepper underneath. That is why it reads as gas first and skunk second.

The vibe

Sour Diesel is a Daytime strain in the MONDAYS vibe system, the strain to reach for when you want something lively rather than mellow. The bag says FOCUS, UPLIFT, SOCIAL. We are describing character and aroma here, not making a promise about how you will feel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sour Diesel a sativa or indica?

Sour Diesel is widely classified as a sativa, and it is one of the most iconic sativa strains in the world.

Does the MONDAYS Sour Diesel chew contain THC?

No. Go-Go Bananas captures the Sour Diesel profile using terpenes only, with zero THC and zero CBD, verified non-detect by DEA-registered lab testing. Read terpenes vs THC.

What does Sour Diesel taste like?

Pungent diesel and sharp citrus over a skunky, earthy base. In our chew it is paired with banana cream, which softens the gas without hiding it.

How many terpenes are in Sour Diesel?

104 identified compounds in the profile we measured, which is typical of a real strain and far more than the three to six a flavor blend uses. Every one is listed with its percentage and milligrams per chew on the Go-Go Bananas page.

What does the name Sour Diesel mean?

Diesel for the fuel smell, sour for the sharp citrus edge that rides on top of it. The name is a literal description of the aroma, and it stuck because nothing else smells quite like it.

Sour Diesel in MONDAYS

We captured Sour Diesel's bright energy in Go-Go Bananas, pairing its gassy citrus character with banana cream. It is one of our Daytime strains.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Terpene descriptions refer to the compounds and their aroma, not to effects of this product.