Gelato #33 vs. Gelato #41: Which One Should You Buy at a Vermont Dispensary?

Gelato #33 and Gelato #41 confuse more Vermont dispensary shoppers than almost any other strain pair. Both carry the Gelato name. Both appear on menus at the same shops. Both smell like dessert. And neither comes with a visible cue at point-of-sale that tells you which one you're looking at. Here is the actual difference — and which one to reach for.

TL;DR

Gelato #33 (Larry Bird): 20–23% THC, citrus-cream orange-zest aroma, balanced euphoric-then-relaxing effect. The phenotype most Vermont dispensaries stock. The right choice for most buyers.

Gelato #41 (Bacio Gelato): 24–29% THC in lab data (Vermont retail typically 22–26%), deep berry-cream and lavender aroma, stronger lean toward sedation at high doses. The higher-potency, more complex-aroma phenotype. The right choice if you want a step up from #33.

Same parents. Different phenotypes. The difference is real, not marketing.

Where they come from

Both phenotypes originate from Sherbinskis — Mario Guzman's San Francisco cannabis company — around 2014. The parent cross was Sunset Sherbet × Thin Mint GSC, a pairing that combined the fruity-dessert sweetness of Sherbet with the GSC backbone's potency and earthy depth. Guzman hunted through the resulting seeds and selected several phenotypes he liked; the ones that reached retail were numbered #33, #41, and #42. The numbers aren't rankings — they're phenotype selection numbers from the original seed run, the way breeders track individual plants in a large hunt.

Gelato #33 became the dominant commercial expression. Its nickname "Larry Bird" — a reference to Larry Bird's #33 jersey number with the Boston Celtics — spread nationally through California dispensary culture and stuck. Gelato #41 was branded by Sherbinskis as Bacio Gelato (Italian for "kiss") and found its own following, particularly among cultivators who prized its higher potency and more complex aromatic character. Both are now grown by licensed Vermont cultivators; neither comes from California stock.

Side-by-side comparison

Aroma and flavor in depth

Gelato #33 opens bright. The first thing you notice when you break open a fresh jar is a citrus-sweet note — orange zest and sweet cream — with a berry roundness underneath and a faint mint finish from the Thin Mint GSC parent. It smells genuinely appealing in the way that a good orange sherbet does: sweet but not cloying, fruity without being candy-artificial. Limonene drives the citrus-forward character; Caryophyllene provides earthy grounding beneath it.

Gelato #41 runs darker and heavier. The berry character is more pronounced — blueberry-cream over the lighter orange-and-berry of #33 — with lavender undertones from Linalool and a chocolate-dessert finish that makes it smell more like a rich berry sorbet than a citrus sherbet. Caryophyllene dominates more clearly, which pushes the earthier-spice backbone forward. If #33 smells like dessert eaten on a sunny afternoon, #41 smells like dessert eaten after dark.

A batch with degraded terpenes will flatten this distinction — both phenotypes will smell generically "sweet" or "grassy." The terpene difference between #33 and #41 is most legible in a fresh, well-grown batch with a package date within 60–90 days.

Effects: what's actually different

Both phenotypes open with a euphoric lift — mood elevation, warmth, and ease. Neither is a racy sativa-style experience. The shared Caryophyllene-dominant terpene backbone contributes to both strains' relatively calm, grounded character versus THC alone.

Where they diverge is in the arc. Gelato #33 tends toward balance: the euphoria settles into body relaxation that lets you stay functional through a full evening — dinner, conversation, a walk, a film. You're comfortable but not pulled toward the couch.

Gelato #41, at its 22–26% VT retail range, opens similarly but has more room to move toward sedation at high doses. Moderate consumption produces a comparable balanced-euphoric experience; higher doses, or consuming in an already-tired state, push the body effect further. The higher THC ceiling means the difference between a measured dose and an immoderate one is more significant than with #33.

One note on sources: some strain databases describe #41 as "more sativa-leaning" than #33, and others say the reverse. The honest answer is that both are balanced hybrids and the phenotypic variation between individual grows is real enough that blanket statements about one consistently sedating more than the other are overconfident. The more reliable predictor is the THC level and your dose, not the phenotype number alone.

Which one for your situation

Choose Gelato #33 if:

• You want the classic Gelato experience most people have in mind when they ask for Gelato
• 20–23% THC is at or above your preferred range
• You want to stay functional through the evening — dinner, conversation, light activity
• You prefer a bright, citrus-cream aroma over a richer, darker berry-cream profile
• You haven't tried Gelato before and want a well-mapped starting point

Choose Gelato #41 if:

• You've tried #33 and want a step up in potency
• You prefer a heavier, more complex dessert aroma — berry, lavender, chocolate rather than citrus
• You're looking for something that transitions naturally toward sleep at the end of the evening
• You're an experienced consumer comfortable dosing a 24–26% THC strain accurately

Skip both if: you're a first-time cannabis consumer — start with something in the 15–18% range. The Gelato family's potency and sweet, approachable flavor make it easy to consume more than intended before the effects fully land.

Gelato #41 in the breeding tree

Gelato #41's genetics show up repeatedly in some of the most significant strains bred since 2015. Gushers (Gelato #41 × Triangle Kush) amplifies the tropical-fruit character and adds OG earthiness from Triangle Kush. Jealousy (Gelato #41 × Sherbet BX1) concentrates the dessert creaminess further and was Leafly's Strain of the Year in 2022. Gelato #33 contributed its genetics to Runtz (Gelato #33 × Zkittlez), where Zkittlez's tropical candy pushed the flavor lighter and more social. Both phenotypes have earned their place in the Cookies family tree — just in different directions.

What to look for at the counter

Vermont's cannabis labeling requirements mean the phenotype should be on the package or the menu listing. Look for "#33," "Larry Bird," "#41," or "Bacio" — if the menu says only "Gelato" without a phenotype number, ask the budtender which one it is. Most cultivators know.

At the counter, request the certificate of analysis (COA). Caryophyllene should lead on both phenotypes. A batch where Myrcene has climbed to the top will feel earthier and more sedating than either phenotype's typical character. The package date matters more than the phenotype number if the terpenes have gone flat — aim for within 60–90 days.

Vermont dispensaries with consistently deep flower menus — Upstate Elevator Supply Co. on Pine Street and Float On Dispensary on Church Street in Burlington — are good starting points for either phenotype. Both carry rotating selections of premium genetics and their staff can tell you what's currently in stock. Check live menus online before you go, since Gelato inventory rotates weekly and the specific phenotype varies by what Vermont cultivators are currently running.

See also: Gelato strain spotlight — the full history, aroma, and effect profile for the Gelato family, including its descendants; Gushers spotlight — Gelato #41 × Triangle Kush, for consumers who want the #41 character with tropical-OG complexity added; Jealousy spotlight — Gelato #41 × Sherbet BX1, the 2022 Strain of the Year that concentrates the #41 dessert creaminess; Ice Cream Cake spotlight — Wedding Cake × Gelato #33, the creamiest and most sedating branch of the #33 family; Runtz strain card — Gelato #33 × Zkittlez, the candy-social sibling in the #33 breeding tree; Gelato strain card — the quick-reference profile for the Gelato family; Vermont strain matcher to find the right choice for your intent and tolerance; full Burlington-area dispensary directory.