The Original Alternative Review: How Do They Stack Up?

Overview

CBD Brothers is a premier UK CBD company. They utilize high-caliber hemp for all of their products and insist on a standard of quality and transparency.

Ingredients

Whole plant Sativa, indica dominant, or indica extract, cold pressed hemp seed oil.

Recommended use

Users should use a drop up to one to three times a day.

Extraction process

CO2 extraction

Medical benefits

Due to CBD's status with the government, there are no recommendations.

*All the data provided is for oil products only

Potency range

280mg

5000mg

Price range

$11.74

$792.73

Site:

theoriginalalternativeofficial.com

N/A

The Original Alternative Quick Summary

Pros

A vast array of both oral and topical CBD products
Uses whole-plant extracts for maximum effectiveness
Hemp is organic and grown on European soil
The company uses modern CO2 extraction methods
Sativa, indica, and hybrid varieties are available

Cons

So many options could confuse new CBD consumers
The website is a little slow and difficult to navigate

Read on for our complete Original Alternative review, or check out some of our favourite UK CBD brands below:

The Original Alternative: Full Review

The trouble with the CBD market today is the relative lack of regulation. It is possible for practically any firm to create oil (or other CBD products), and claim it is pure cannabidiol. Thus, we always advise you to only deal with companies that have a significant online presence such as CBD Brothers. Its Facebook page alone has over 40,000 likes, and while this is no indicator of quality, at least it spells out the fact that CBD Brothers is likely to be a reputable organization.

The Original Alternative: Who Are They… And Are They the Same as CBD Brothers?

The Original Alternative, aka CBD Brothers, is a seller of premium quality CBD products in the UK (though their official address is in Spain). Their hemp is grown using an organic process on farms across Europe, and while its indica strain is grown indoors, it has three other strains grown outdoors in the full force of natural sunlight. Every plant is hand-picked at the optimum harvesting time and hung out to cure and dry to perfection.

CBD Brothers uses CO2 extraction with low heat and low pressure to pull CBD and other active cannabinoids from the plant material. Their oil tinctures contain full-spectrum terpenes, flavonoids, and a host of beneficial phytocannabinoids (it is more or less common knowledge nowadays that whole-plant tinctures are more effective than isolates).

The Original Alternative [CBD Brothers] CBD Oil Review

CBD Brothers currently has six different CBD oil options:

Green (cheapest option): Sativa blend, 2.8% CBD per 10 mL
Blue: Sativa, 5% CBD per 10 mL
Purple: Hybrid, 3.2% CBD per 10 mL
White: Indica, 30% CBD / 1.5% per 10 mL
Red: Indica, 30% CBD / 3% per 10 mL
Black (most expensive option): Indica, 30% CBD / 6% per 10 mL

The above list is arranged in order of price, with the cheapest at the top. The Black Edition (Indica) contains 30% CBD and comes in two sizes: 10ml (£240) and 30ml (£648). For the purposes of this review however, we looked at the Blue Edition (Sativa), which is the second ‘weakest’ one.

The CBD Brothers / Original Alternative “Blue Edition” comes in three sizes:

10ml: £21.60
30ml: £58.20
100ml: £156.00

There is approximately 500mg of CBD in the 10ml bottle we tried, which equates to 2.5 mg of CBD per drop. We elected to use four drops a day, or 10 mg of CBD total. It is important to put the drops beneath your tongue and allow about 30-60 seconds for it to absorb, rather than swallowing it immediately.

What Happened When We Tried Original Alternative CBD Oil?

The first thing we noticed was how calm we all felt after a dose. It took maybe half an hour to work, but there was a noticeable effect. It began with a warm feeling around the eyes followed by an odd (but pleasant) sensation in the body. There was even a slight hint of euphoria, but nothing close to what is provided by THC. We also had noticeably more energy, which is what one would expect from a Sativa blend.

One of our product testers suffers from chronic pain in his shoulder and while it didn’t eliminate the pain, it did reduce it slightly. With a higher dose, (or perhaps one of the stronger options like the Red or Black Edition), he believes it would work wonders for the pain. What the oil did do effectively was to improve his sleep and alleviate anxiety.

There is no ‘high’ at all, but we felt a whole lot better once we used this CBD oil.

The company keeps it simple with its full spectrum range, as there are only two options. The Purple Edition is whole-plant extract with a minimum of 16% CBD, and is made from the flowers of a female cannabis hybrid. It is available in 10 mL (£26.40) or 30 mL (£71.40) size bottles.

The Green Edition is an indica variety with a minimum of 14% CBD and is available as 10 mL (£9.60) or 30 mL (£27.00).

The Original Alternative: Additional CBD Products

In addition to their lineup of CBD oils, CBD Brothers also sells clothing, books, and accessories such as a DIY capsule kit and a legalize cannabis sticker! Its CBD capsules come in Green, Blue, and Purple editions, with the latter being the most potent and expensive option. The Purple Edition CBD capsules comes in three strengths:

50mg: 30 x CBD capsules for £16.80.
100mg: 30 x CBD capsules for £31.80.
250mg: 30 x CBD capsules for £75.30.

These capsules contain a whole plant extract including CBD and coconut oil, and are suitable for vegans. One of the team had a go with the PC100 capsules and was happy with the speed and quality of the effects. He has insomnia and took his capsules around two hours before bed. The result? A solid seven-hour sleep session with zero interruptions; a rarity according to the man himself.

As usual, we were looking forward to the edibles section and CBD Brothers had more options than most companies. There are three different Belgian Chocolate bars, Goodness Raw Chocolate, and a pair of hot chocolate stirrers (a powder that you mix into a glass of hot water or milk). The Goodness chocolate bites seemed the most appealing, so we gave them a shot!

How Did We Rate Original Alternative CBD Chocolate?

Each chocolate contained 16 mg of CBD, and it says on the label that you shouldn’t take more than two a day. It is also important to wait at least two hours between each chocolate. According to CBD Brothers, you’ll need to consume them regularly for three weeks to get the best results (and the same goes for any other CBD product, to be honest).

The ingredients are all-natural, with dates added to sweeten the raw cacao butter. Other ingredients include sea salt, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. However, they genuinely taste like high-quality candy that you would buy in a boutique store! The only problem is restricting yourself to two a day. Also, at £7.20 a pack they are better served as a treat rather than as your sole, daily dose of CBD.

Other Original Alternative Products

The remaining CBD Brothers products are the Water-Soluble CBD and the CBD Balm. The Purple Edition Water Soluble option is a hybrid strain, which contains a 17.6% CBD whole plant extract. You can add it to your favorite beverages, and it costs £48 for a 10 mL bottle.

The CBD Balm is also a hybrid and is made from the stems and leaves of the plant, rather than the flower. It contains CBD oil, coconut oil, and bee’s wax. It is 30% CBD and costs £35 for a 30 mL tub, or £100 for a 100 mL tub.

What If I Want to Buy CBD Brothers Online… Are They Still Available?

Your best bet in terms of where to buy CBD Brothers online is to check out the official Original Alternative website. They still offer oral CBD tinctures with the ‘CBD Brothers’ label, but the brand itself is officially known as ‘The Original Alternative.’ You can sift through the firm’s full range of items via the official online store.

Of course, if you’re local and want to visit an actual store, the company invites you to check out their facilities in Suffolk, England, or Spain (although you’ll need to make an appointment).

Final Thoughts On Our CBD Brothers / Original Alternative CBD Review

In our opinion, The Original Alternative is one of Europe’s finest sellers of CBD products. They produce a wide range of high-quality CBD oils, edibles, topicals, and other CBD-laden items. We love the fact that there are so many options. For instance, you can have an indica for the night time, or a sativa for the morning. Or, you can get the best of both worlds with a hybrid.

CBD Brothers oil tinctures work quickly and effectively, and since the lower strength version worked so well for us, we would imagine that the more powerful Black Edition would be ideal for many different issues.

Final Verdict – 8.5/10

Want to know which form of CBD is best for you? Check out our article on the best CBD products around.

Photos are courtesy of CBDbrothers / The Original Alternative