Looking Back on Mistifi’s 2021

by Dan Ketchum

Let’s be real — 2021 was complicated. Even as the world struggled to get back to normal, though, cannabis came out stronger. In a year full of unprecedented challenges, it was important to practice good self-care and to cherish every victory you can get. With immense gratitude, we had the privilege of playing a part in thousands of self-care routines, all while racking up a laundry list of personal victories.

As our CBO Dan Enzig told LA Weekly in September, Mistifi “spent four years developing technologies and processes and systems […] that lead to products that are really about being kind of best in class.” That’s right — for four years, we did R&D without a single vape on the market. We took our time, we crafted the best pens and curated the finest triple-strain blends we could.

We started slow, but when the time came to share the goods, we went high quickly.

Less than a year after our retail rollout, we’re so grateful to have been recognized with prestigious awards and rave reviews from institutions and publications that we have tons of respect for.

The Initial Announcements

When we officially arrived at retail in spring of 2021, bringing our “Golden Ratio” of native cannabis flower compounds (a result of our proprietary plant-mapping technology) to your local dispensary, both the cannabis community and the larger business world treated us kindly. Sites as diverse as Yahoo! Finance, Mary, Puffin’ Style and Bollyinside heralded the arrival of the flower lover’s vape pen.

As the year went on, Mistifi increased our reach across California, bringing our premium cured resin blends to 40 retailers and delivery services throughout the state.

The Awards

The folks at iconic industry pub High Times awarded our triple-strain sativa Over the Rainbow disposable vape third place in the “People’s Choice” category for best vape pens of 2021. In its 18th year of action, the Emerald Cup also awarded Mistifi’s triple-strain indica vape, Houdini, third place in the category of CO2 cartridges. Santa might just have to bring us a trophy shelf before 2023 gets here.

The 420 Box Collab

The renowned style and culture publication LA Weekly is known for expertly curating the best of the West in its cornucopia-like “420 Box,” and in April of 2021, we found ourselves in excellent company with brands like POLA, Level and Cloud Water. We couldn’t be more proud to represent the world’s first triple-strain blend in celebration of our favorite holiday.

The Events

After we spent most of 2020 locked inside our homes, it was great to meet so many people at cannabis industry events and other live happenings throughout 2021. Here are some of our favorite memories:

Hall Of Flowers – Santa Rosa

We invited VIP guests to enjoy our pens while snacking on some liquid nitrogen sorbet inspired by the flavor profiles of our triple-strain blends. Our friends at Supercool Creamery produced these treats on site.

Meadowlands – Camp Navarro

We took guests on a night hike where they enjoyed our premium cured resin blends while learning about the stars.

Hall of Flowers – Palm Springs

We enjoyed smooth pulls poolside at Bing Crosby’s estate while flappers danced the night away at the Bada Bing Party.

Emerald Cup Harvest Ball

What better way to end the year than with a celebration of cannabis right in our own backyard? We caught up with fellow winners and judges — and our fans from last year — as we spent the days listening to fantastic performances from bands like Trevor Hall and Big Wild … and spent our nights relaxing at the Flamingo Hotel.

The Reviews

We noticed a heartwarming trend in 2021 — we bring you an uplifting buzz, and the media brings us some uplifting buzz, too. Here’s just a dab of what they had to say this year.

In their review of all three of our vape pens, Weedmaps noted that Mistifi’s vapes are “Designed to be comparable to sipping a fine scotch or mezcal” and “aimed at those who appreciate luxury and savor flavor.” Reviewer Tess Rose Lampert went on, “I was admittedly skeptical at first: How elevated can a pen really be? But its three flavor blends have set the bar high, each with its own flavors and effects […] The pens speak for themselves with an unassuming yet sophisticated look and feel.”

Meanwhile, Magnetic got their hands on our Over the Rainbow vape, writing, “If you are looking for a super-premium experience that will prep you for being social, with a slight feeling of euphoria and energy — this is your pen. It hits well, tastes great and is easy to dial in.” Uproxx focused on our exclusive CO2-based Hi-Phi extraction method, exclaiming, “It works! These vapes are tasty as hell and the stylish metallic design on the carts doesn’t hurt, either.”

In October, Leafly chimed in with plenty of enthusiasm, too: “…if you can get your hands on [a Mistifi vape] you’ll be able to go for a true adventure in the terps. When you rip a Mistifi pen you’ll understand why I presume blends are now here to stay for sure.”

The Lists

We love a good list (in fact, we’ve been known to make some here and there), but we might just love being a part of a good list even more. In 2021, more than half a dozen tastemakers featured Mistifi products on “best of” lists across the spectrum of canna-culture, from the beginning of the year to the end:

Weedmaps’ “6 New Weed Products To Try” praised our pens’ lack of nasties like additives, chemicals, artificial flavors, diluents, thickening agents, carrier oils, plant waxes, resins or chlorophyll.
LA Weekly’s “Father’s Day Cannabis Product Guide 2021” recommended us: “If your dad is a vape pen guy, this is one of the hottest items on the market in that space.” The alt-weekly’s “2021 Green Wednesday Gift Guide” also noted that “Mistifi’s premium cured resin vape pen is the must-have gift for cannabis connoisseurs this holiday season. Much like a blended whiskey, their unique, triple-strain blend guarantees a consistently luxurious experience in every pull from every pen.”
The Social NY’s “Best Dabbing Accessories for 710 Day” applauded our “extra virgin cannabis oils full of exceptional flavors with powerful ‘super-entourage’ effects, beyond full spectrum.”
CannaBiz Team Worldwide’s “14 Best Cannabis Products To Celebrate the Holidays” raved, “For those who want to celebrate 420 with elegance […] you’ll experience a happy 420 holiday with this design that balances exact airflow, temperature and voltage.”
High Times’ “Top 13 Halloween Picks” highlighted the Houdini pen, writing, “Harry Houdini was a master of escape arts, but when you’re consuming this Houdini vape, you’re successfully escaping reality for a little while.” Their “Retail Holiday Gift Guide 2021” further gifted us with these kinds words: “High Times Cannabis Cup-winning Mistifi’s beautiful vape pens redefine the art of the draw.”

With year one officially in the bag, we absolutely couldn’t be happier or more excited about the future. From everyone at Mistifi, thank you for spending your 2021 with us, and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey. Here’s to year two, year three and year 101.

Dan Ketchum is an LA-based freelance lifestyle, fashion, health and food writer with more than a decade of experience. He’s been fortunate enough to collaborate and publish with companies such as FOCL, Vitagenne, Livestrong, Reign Together, Out East Rosé, SFGate, The Seattle Times and more.

References:

High Times – The Winners of the Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2020

The Emerald Cup – 2021 Awards

CannaBiz Team Worldwide – Happy 420: 14 Best Cannabis Products To Celebrate the Holiday

LA Weekly – LA Weekly’s 420 Box Gets You Higher

Bolllyinside – The Flower Lover’s Vape Pen

Puffin’ Style – Introducing Mistifi: The Flower Lover’s Vape Pen

Yahoo! Finance – Introducing Mistifi: The Flower Lover’s Vape Pen

Weedmaps – 6 New Weed Products To Try From Spherex, Mistifi, Cookies and More

LA Weekly – The Father’s Day Cannabis Product Guide 2021

Mary – Introducing Mistifi: Triple-Strain Vape Pens

The Social NY – We’ve Rounded Up the Best Dabbing Accessories for 710 Day