The CBD Brothers, also known as ‘The Original Alternative’, is a small UK company with the motto ‘Health over Wealth’. They pride themselves on being passionate advocates of the benefits of cannabis and produce a select range of quality oils. Unlike other CBD brands, with the CBD Brothers, you don’t just select your oil by strength, you can also choose from Indica, Sativa or hybrid strains.
This 10ml blue edition is a 500mg CBD/CBDa, oil made from Sativa hemp strains. Different hemp varieties deliver different effects that come from the ratio of cannabinoids and terpenes.
This is an aromatic, deep brown oil that comes in a sturdy glass bottle. It has a simple white label, displaying nothing but the company logo. This approach gives the impression that it’s functional and effortlessly stylish. There is no information on the bottle, for that you need to look to the box it comes in. There, you can find everything you need to know, from the best amount to take to how they extract the CBD.
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Contents
Who are The CBD Brothers?
The CBD Brothers started its life as a mail-order company, also trading under the name The Original Alternative. Their current success has taken them a long way from when they had to pack their products in a small single car garage. Now, they have custom facilities in Suffolk and Guernsey where they produce and ship their impressive CBD range.
The CBD Brothers grow their hemp at licensed farms in Guernsey. They initially imported hemp from Holland, but now have greater control of their crops by growing them closer to home. Their Sativa and hybrid strains are grown outdoors in the sunlight then treated with supercritical CO2 to produce a high-quality whole plant extract. They maintain their exceptional standards by using third-party lab testing and independent bodies to provide rigorous quality checks.
Third-Party Lab Tests
The CBD Brothers lab test results are easy to find on their website and you can select the certificate that relates directly to your batch. To see them, go to the product you’re interested in and select the ‘certificates’ tab. The one relating to my batch is numbered HB-075.
The certificates themselves are informative but basic with just a cannabinoid profile and the amounts of each cannabinoid given as a percentage. Ideally, it would be useful to see the quantities in mg, also a terpene profile and contaminant screening to give me total reassurance. Those produced by Endoca are an excellent example of a more detailed analysis.
The results show detectable quantities of several cannabinoids, including cannabidivarin and cannabigerol. They also show that the 500mg on the packaging refers to both CBD and CBDa. The box says ‘500mg CBD’ so this could be clearer. You actually get 439mg of CBD and 118mg of CBDa, which gives you a total of 557mg CBD and CBDa. The combined quantity of all the cannabinoids is 690mg.
The oil comes in a 10ml bottle that appears well made and is topped with a leak-proof lid and a bulb-tipped dropper. It has a seal that breaks on its first use but no child-safe cap. Throughout the time I’ve been using it I’ve carried it in a pocket and had no problems with leaks or spills.
The rubber dropper bulb was quite stiff, and I struggled to apply the oil under my tongue drop by drop. In the end, I loaded it with an amount I thought looked right then delivered it under my tongue in one go. It worked, but I was left wondering exactly how much I had used.
The instructions on the box are simple yet with enough detail. They recommend holding three drops under your tongue for 2 minutes before swallowing. Then, they go on to advise that you can increase the amount if needed but you shouldn’t exceed 200mg a day.
Blue Edition CBD Oil Taste
The full-spectrum extract is diluted with hemp seed oil and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour. Its dark colour made me think that it would be intensely bitter, but I was wrong.
It has the full, grassy hemp taste with a hint of nuttiness, but no bitter after taste. Even if you place it directly on your tongue, you will be surprised at how pleasant it is. I did experience a little sharpness in the back of my mouth, but overall I was impressed.
It doesn’t have the clean flavours of Bud & Tender or Cibdol, but the lack of tongue curling bitterness is refreshing.
Potency/ Effectiveness
The impact of this oil has to be one of my favourites. The Sativa effect is mild but noticeable and I felt pleasantly relaxed yet focused and alert. Most oils I’ve tried to give a calming relaxation but this definitely felt more suited to going about your day. I now have this near my desk to take while I work and use a different oil to help with sleep in the evening.
CBD Brothers Value for Money
The price of 10ml holding 500mg of CBD and CBDa is £21.60. I genuinely went back to the website to double-check this; it’s such an incredible price. The blue edition is nearly £5 cheaper than the purple, hybrid version. For me, the blue edition is my favourite, so I’m delighted with the value.
It’s significantly cheaper than any other similar strength oil I’ve found and even beats Holland and Barrett’s 5% Jacob Hooy oil which is priced at £29.99 for 10ml. With only a couple of issues to iron out regarding the THC levels and labelling, this is probably the best value oil I have used to date.
Would I Buy Again?
Yes, I would buy CBD Brothers Blue Edition oil again. The price is very fair and there are detailed lab reports that are easily available, whilst the oil itself is very effective. As a result, it scores highly enough to be included in our best UK CBD oils article. As CBD Brothers only use organic hemp, it cannot be included in our best organic CBD oil reviews.
If what you seek is a high-strength oil, at 5% it is some way off the threshold of 25% to be included in our list of the strongest CBD oils available in the UK.
CBD Brothers Blue Edition Final Scores
CBD Brothers Blue Edition Review
Overall
The blue edition oil from the CBD Brothers contains 500mg of CBD and CBDa combined. It is moderately potent but delivers a useful focusing effect that makes it ideal if you need something to take at work or during the day. It is sourced from Sativa hemp varieties and the lab certificates are easily found on the website. At £21.60 this is possibly the best value oil I've tried.
