snip a bud, dry it, try it, you decide, when its right, harvest the week before.
It amazes me that so many people are willing to accidentally chop a whole crop early,,opposed to just doing what you said above. I can't tell you how many times I've told friends((new growers)) with gardens to do that,,,and there reaction was .....Oh,you can do that
I occasionally take a few small buds early for some real heady smoke.....I've experimented pretty much all the way through flower. I actually learned a lot experimenting this way.