MichiGanja in Review: Mitten Extracts nails ‘Flavors of Summer Past’ with nostalgic vape trio

This is distillate done right—or at least as right as it gets.

MichiGanja in Review is a column that publishes twice monthly as part of The MichiGanja Report—our free, weekly newsletter about all things marijuana. Click here to sign up.

MICHIGAN—If someone told me I’d spend a whole weekend puffing on flavored distillate vape pens and loving it, I’d have assumed I’d also somehow time-traveled back to 2019. 

But here we are—and Mitten Extracts’ newest limited-edition drop, Flavors of Summer Past, might just be the best-tasting distillate pens on the Michigan market this summer.

The limited edition, seasonal three-pack includes Strawberry Shortcakez, Creamsiclez, and Ice Berry Gelato, each infused with live resin terpenes for a smooth, strain-specific experience.

An important note: These vaporizer pens are not made from live resin. They’re distillate vapes with added terpenes. Don’t let the “live resin” label fool you. That said, these things rip. And for an inexpensive disposable, the performance is truly solid. 

The pens are inhale-activated with no button, a ceramic coil, and a rechargeable battery—though I haven’t needed to charge mine once, even after five straight days of use.

There was also no clogging and no weird throat burn—just flavorful, smooth draws every time.

My personal favorite: Ice Berry Gelato. It’s heavy on beta-caryophyllene, humulene, and linalool and designed to offer a chill, creative high that left me happily floaty but functional. It’s a balanced blend of fruit and coolness—great for daytime seshes that don’t totally derail plans.

Strawberry Shortcakez also stood out, delivering a dessert-like vibe with terps like limonene and myrcene. For me, this one leaned more giggly, relaxed, and sedative. But as always, terpene effects hit differently for everyone, and experiences vary wildly from stoner to stoner.

Creamsiclez was much lighter on the effects, with a mild, energetic buzz that seemed to disappear just as soon as it arrived. But where it lacked in overall potency, it made up for in flavor and pure nostalgia. This one tasted just like an orange push-pop, only in vaporizer form.

With only 2,000 boxes released statewide this summer, this release is clearly aimed at cannabis enthusiasts, stoner collectors, and fans of the Mitten Extracts brand. But at $45 retail for three 1g pens, it’s also a solid value considering the hardware, flavor, and terpene-driven effects.

I’m not usually a fan of distillate (they can be one-note and overly reliant on artificial-tasting flavoring), but this series makes the best possible case for it: with clean hits, good flavor, zero malfunctions, and surprisingly balanced. It’s not craft cannabis, but it’s easily top-tier for what it is—and it works. Just don’t confuse “live resin terpenes” for the real deal.

READ MORE: How Michigan-made Potdots helped me finally learn to enjoy edibles

Got a Michigan cannabis product worth reviewing? Let us know—right here.

Want more cannabis news delivered right to your inbox? Click here to sign up for The MichiGanja Report—our free, weekly newsletter about all things marijuana.