Emerald Mountain Legacy x Freeborn Selections Royale with Cherries (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  A collaboration of two exceptional breeders, Cherry Royale is a play on Cheese Royale from Pulp Fiction (or Royale w/ Cheese…?). A cross of the famed Royal Kush and Mean Gene’s Cherry Limepop, there’s really no way to lose here. These two varieties are proven outdoors, equally full of color and aroma, and certainly not lacking in effect. A friend purchased these seeds and generously gifted me a portion of the pack to look through. I felt obliged to breed with them, and so I made many F1 outcrosses as well as F2s with my favorite female of the bunch.

Appearance:  These are really beautiful plants, especially when grown outdoors and subjected to varying temperatures. My plants finished in October with reds, purples, violets, greens, and yellows all present to some degree, parts of the plant looking like a package of skittles the color is so diverse. Buds are dense and well-formed, and the plant itself has a sturdy structure with relatively low leaf-to-calyx ratio. In fact, the only plant that was more eye-catching in the garden this year was Pyxy Styx, due to her exceptionally dark and purple coloring, bordering on black at times. Royale with Cherries was only slightly eclipsed by this plant, but she was stunning in October exhibiting purples, blues, reds, yellows, and of course many shades of green—truly a full spectrum of color and vibrancy!

Aroma:  Absolutely my favorite aspect of this weed, Royale with Cherries is packed with aromatic sensation. Diverse and complex, I will do my best to describe some of the subtleties. Royale with Cherries pulls notes from both parents. Fairly reminiscent of Royal Kush, there are notes of fuel, skunk, and rubber. I would say the aroma is funky and “dank” more than fruity, although some sweeter fruit tones are present as well. There are fruity notes that are enjoyable and very present, yet vague at the same time—is it grape? Cherry? Hard for me to say, and seemingly shifting at times.

Flavor:  Mouth-coating and pleasurable, like a sweeter and fruitier Royal Kush. My mouth is coated in skunk, gasoline, and “dank” flavor, while the vague fruitiness is also secondarily present. There are burning rubber notes as well, pushing the whole petrol vibe, yet remaining sweet with the kind of candied grape/cherry generic fruitiness with it too. Like a remixed Royal Kush.

Effects:  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is not all that much unlike Royal Kush! This is mellow and relaxed, great for a day on the beach or staring across mountain views. It’s a warm effect which blankets the consumer with a sense of ease, well-being, and peace, and is somewhat euphoric too. The happy and relaxed vibes are an ideal combo, and part of what most of us really love about ganja to begin with. Personally, I think that sometimes euphoric weed has a place—sometimes relaxed weed has its place—but most often, it is the varieties that can emphasize both euphoria and low-stress feelings that I appreciate the most. For effect alone, this was my personally favorite plant of the season.

Overall:  One of my favorites from the outdoor season, Royale with Cherries is a unique and enjoyable variety. Featuring some of my favorite traits of Royal Kush, smoking Royale with Cherries is simultaneously both nostalgic and novel for me. The aroma, flavor, and character of effect that I associate with Royal Kush are all here, but with added nuance and detail. The colors on the plant and finished flowers are truly stunning, and I imagine the flowers in an indoor garden would be incredibly resinous, colorful, and beautiful. The structure is nicely dense, with a relatively easy trim. However, my favorite aspects of this plant are really the aroma and effect. The smell is almost intoxicating in itself; maybe this is because it is so clearly recognizable as a relative of Royal Kush, which I have always thoroughly enjoyed. However, the added fruit tones and sweetness are great compliments to the funky, skunky, gassiness of Royal. I’d love to look through more of these seeds as well as see them in an indoor setting. I believe the F2s I made, as well as the F1 with the Pyxy Styx mom, will be really worth running.

Freeborn Selections Headband x Sky Cuddler Double Kush

Origins and Backstory:  Grown indoors by my friend @beneath_the_dirt, I gifted him these seeds after I acquired them from @freebornselections. The 707 Headband was used, in contrast to Loompa’s or the Underdawg OG. I believe Meangene used the SCDK to pollenate a variety of plants, and I have some of the other crosses of the Sky Cuddler Double Kush.

Appearance:  The plants and flowers are reminiscent of Headband, clearly exhibiting many traits from their mother. However, the plants are more vigorous than Headband, higher yielding, and the buds are much beefier. No purple or blues arise even in cold temperatures, and these plants remain a strong healthy green with vibrantly-orange pistils all the way to harvest. As can be seen in the photos, there is no lacking of cola buds here! The plants grow large with massive, thick, and towering floral structures—potential home defense items in a pinch! Seriously though, the yields and structure are quite impressive. These plants offer robust frames that fill out with massive buds, relatively easy to trim.

Aroma:  Again, resembling mostly Headband, these plants are stinky and skunky, with some sweetness. Skunk, gasoline, and sweet burning rubber are prevalent, but none jump to the fore of consciousness. The WD-40 and melon notes, characteristic of SCDK, are sadly missing. Rather than combining in a novel way, it seems that Headband aromas dominate the cross. I am not complaining about it, but nothing was really added to the Headband aroma via SCDK. To be very honest, it does not seem quite as profoundly heady as Headband either—some of the nuance and character is lost, and these just smell slightly more generic than the 707 Headband clone to me (although to be fair, it has been years since I have seen or smoked 707HB). This is classically dank weed, skunky, funky, burning rubber and nasty feet—but I was hoping for a bit more terp “pop” that I am accustomed to getting from Meangene.

Flavor:  Following in the aroma’s footsteps, this is classic dank weed. The flavor is relatively intense, and the mouth is coated in that sweet skunky, gassy, burning rubber, acrid flavor that most smokers know well and associate with OGs or Headband. The burning rubber and a sense of asphalt or some kind of artificial, petroleum-based product is notable.

Effects:  Similar to Headband, but somewhat reminiscent of GMO—odd, because this same grower had GMO and Donny Burger in his garden. The effects are indica-dominated, not quite as heady as headband, but more chill, relaxing, and “down.” This weed is for low-energy activities indoors, at least in my estimation. I imagine this could be quite effective for physical pain management, but is lacking some of the euphoria that I personally love to experience from ganja. Primarily, Headband x SCDK is sedating, numbing, sort of dumbing, anxiolytic, and relaxing. Great for a night in, but keeping on theme, missing some character.

Overall:  Overall, this cross was really dominated by the Headband. Headband’s influence can be seen in the appearance and growth characteristics, and even more profoundly in the aroma and flavor. I love Headband, but it does seem like some of Headband’s finer points and subtleties are lost in this cross. The aroma is dank but not quite as enticing as pure Headband; I feel the same about the flavor and effects. All of it is good, and it’s not lacking in anything I can put my finger on, other than the unique, kind of mind-boggling factor that I so frequently experience with @Freebornselections seeds. If you are a commercial cultivator, these plants could be incredible for you. Due to the impressive structure and yields, these could also be a building block for a breeding program—a few off-the-beaten-path terps thrown in, maybe some color or some other factor, and all the sudden I think there could be something special produced from these. That said, I personally will be moving onto other terpene monsters from Meangene.

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Cannarado Genetics Pyxy Styx (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  A clone-only strain boasting a hype-worthy lineage of Grape Pie x Wedding Cake , this plant was gifted to me by @divineareslain. Originally released by Cannarado, this plant must have been selected by someone relatively locally to Colorado and eventually made its way to my garden. While mostly reviewing my outdoor plant that was grown beyond organically along a creek in one of Boulder’s little farming communities, I also have some indoor-grown organic flowers (grown by @divineareslain) pictured and incorporated in the review as well. This plant was pollenated in my garden by a Cherry Royale male. She was late to finish, the last plant I harvested, making it nearly to Halloweeen. Luckily the weather on the front range cooperated and we didn’t get any significant snow until Pyxy was ready.

Appearance: Certainly the most beautiful plant in my outdoor garden this year, and debatably the most beautiful in a bag as well, this plant finished entirely purple to the point of almost being black. I harvested it right around Halloween, and the aesthetic was completely fitting. While the plant and leaves do not generally turn purple indoors, the plant in its entirety (with the exception of some stems) turned purple in my outdoor garden. The buds are dense, fully-formed, and outdoor nugs are so frosty and multi-colored that they appear to be grown indoor. The flowers have an excellent structure, frost-factor, color variation, and the overall bag appeal is off the charts really.

Aroma:  Another high point of the strain, Pyxy Styx is an apt moniker. The smell is skunky, sweet, and is super-loud when cured properly. The outdoor plant’s flowers emphasized a super-sweet aroma that is present in powdered sugar, fun dip, and yes, Pixie Stix candies. It is something to behold in cannabis, and honestly makes me wonder—am I being duped through evolutionary means to smoke this weed? I mean, it smells like delicious artificial candies more than anything natural, and I wonder how much of my yearning to smoke this weed is wanting the effects (which are potent) or if I’m merely chasing the olfactory sensations that seem impossible to occur in a plant. In any case, the sweet, perfumey, candied, and skunky aroma is complex and wonderfully enjoyable, and warrants the name.

Flavor:   At least equally as enjoyable as the aroma, the flavor of Pyxy Styx is perfumey, sweet and candied, dankly skunky, with added floral tones that aren’t always detectable in the smell. Probably the high point right next to the effects, the flavor of this weed keeps everyone coming back for more, long after ideal blood levels of THC (and other cannabinoids) have been achieved. Of course the sugary-sweet candy notes are there, again bringing Pixie Stix and Fun Dip to mind. Additionally, classical “dank” notes are present as well, coating the palate in an herbal and perfumed skunkiness that really can only be associated with high-quality cannabis. Nobody has complained about this one!

Effects:  When you thought Pyxy Styx couldn’t shine any more, you feel her. The stone of Pyxy is immediate and strong, certainly not lacking in potency, or really anything else. This effect is a complete package and total representation of cannabis really. The effect is euphoric, wonder-inspiring, numbing, thought-provoking, stoney, and spacey. It is feel-good as well as relaxing, and tends to blast my mind into a silly space of introspection, reflection, contemplation, and giggles. While coming on immediately and strongly, the full effect takes maybe 20-30 minutes to fully onset and “bake in.” I tend to feel the more heady effects in the beginning of the experience, while the later experience is more stoney, felt in the body, numbing, and frankly a bit dumbing too. Sometimes my mind makes connections on Pyxy Styx that are pretty far out, and my ideas require some extra explaining to those around me. This is high-THC cannabis, guaranteed to stone you to the bone. What I really enjoy about Pyxy is that she isn’t a one-dimensional narcotic-like indica, but also features all the heady, giggly, fun, and enjoyable effects of cannabis that so many folks love.

I should also note, perhaps because of its potency (or some other trait), Pyxy can cause anxiety for some. Mainly, me! Sometimes I’d get paranoid when smoking Pyxy Styx, or start contemplating some of my deepest fears. This is a semi-typical experience for many folks on weed in general, but it was interesting to me that none of my friends had this experience with PS—just me. Go figure! I thought it was worth noting.

Overall:  A winner in every category, Pyxy Styx was the unanimous favorite among my friends from my own personal harvest this year. She really does hit in every category. Pyxy is beautiful to grow (especially outdoor), yielding cookie-structured buds with copious amounts of resin (yes, she is probably a fantastic hash producer). In cold temps outdoors, she has the potential to completely purple over, which is really something. Her loud and diverse aroma make her an instant hit, both with mainstream folk at parties as well as weed snobs. This translates beautifully into flavor, and leaves one’s mouth nearly sopping with sweet, skunky, perfumed and candied terps. Often, so much modern cannabis stops here, being bred merely for commercial production and bag appeal. Pyxy Styx distinguishes herself and offers a complete and impressive stone, one that frankly I don’t think anyone could complain about, with the exception of the guy who only smokes pure sativas and landraces (has anyone run into him recently?). This is an easy daily driver, because she is such a complete package. Personally, I do see potential for improvement in the aroma—I think there could be more funk, or chemicals, or fuel, or some other aromas to complement the sweet and candied side. However, that’s really just me trying to find something wrong here. She’s a complete package, very enjoyable to grow as well as smoke, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her in my stash.

This flower was grown outdoors, and then bounced around jars for about 6 months before this picture was taken. The trichome production is still apparent, but was astounding 6 months prior. Don’t let the sort of haggard outdoor appearance fool you—this is just as potent as its indoor counterpart!

This indoor sample of Pyxy Styx was grown indoors by @divineareslain and is an excellent representation of the plant. A similar aroma to the outdoor but with a bit more rubbery funk and a bit less candy-like sweetness.

Exotic Genetix Lip Smacker

Origins and Backstory:  Grown expertly and organically indoors near Denver, these flowers from @divineareslain appear to be divinely grown indeed! @Divineareslain received the plant as a clone, but originally it is from Exotic Genetix seed stock. A cross of Sherb (is this the Sunset Sherbet? I’d assume so) and Strawberries & Cream, we can expect this plant to be colorful, beautiful, and popping with aroma/flavor. We did manage to pollenate this gal with some Passionfruit Dakini F2 pollen as well. Certainly a strain that is following the hype train, pursuing beautiful bag appeal, candy-like aroma, and killer frost factor.

Appearance:  Stunningly beautiful in a bag or jar, the nugs of Lip Smacker are high on the list for bag appeal. Buds are dense, incredibly frosty with trichomes, and exhibit a diverse color array ranging from dark purples to lime greens on the foliage. Pistils are a classic and fiery orange-yellow, adding a wonderful contrast and skittle or candy-like appeal. Plants grew relatively compact in an indoor setting.

Aroma:  Sweet, powdery, dessert-like and confectionary, and surprisingly mild, the aroma of Lip Smacker is interesting but nothing revolutionary. It is actually very similar to Pyxy Styx in some ways, but like a muted and less-complex iteration. I detect tones of ice cream cake (think the aroma right when entering a Baskin-Robbins), baked goods, powdered sugar, a hint of skunk, and some mild sour tones. It’s pleasant, attractive, and enjoyable, but surprisingly mild given the appearance and lineage of this weed. Overall this is fine, but compared to elite quality plants, it is lacking in both complexity and intensity.

Flavor:  A bit of a surprise here, the flavor is significantly more enjoyable than the aroma. While I break nugs open to expect the smell to “pop” more, but flavor needs no such coaxing. It is primarily sweet, conveying many of the confectionary and powdered-sugar like notes from the aroma. However, the skunk and sour tones come out more in the flavor, as does the sense of a true dessert like ice cream or baked goods. These notes are all well-pronounced in the flavor and come together in a fairly complex and layered way. It isn’t sopping with flavor but not as lacking as the aroma.

Effects:  Again, a surprise here. The effect comes on slowly, smoothly, and easily. I feel it mostly behind my eyes and in my forehead as a generally relaxed feeling. Shoulders and the body relax, as I wait for it to really come on in my head. And continue to wait…..This is mild weed, it’s relaxing, enjoyable, not overwhelming, but also not particularly euphoric or feel-good. It does seem to convey a sense of energy and lightness, and a friend of mine felt inspired to go work out after a smoke session. There is a creeping aspect, and I do feel like the full potency takes 20-30 minutes to really manifest. Even still though, it is not at all overwhelming or going to satisfy OG orChem lovers. It’s enjoyable and light, but ultimately I generally end up craving something stronger and smoking a more potent variety to follow.

Overall:  I feel mixed about this one. The best things Lip Smacker has going for her are that she is beautiful, has an enjoyable aroma, is pleasant to break up/pack/roll etc., and is easy to grow. The buds look and feel absolutely beautiful, making it a real pleasure to go through the full ritual of smoking. The downsides, or perhaps more accurately, the unfulfilled expectations of Lip Smacker, consist of the lackluster aroma, flavor, and effect. The smell from this weed seems muted; there is no other way of putting it. It’s as if someone turned the intensity from 10 down to 5 or 6. It’s nice, but oddly does not match up to the appearance of this weed. The same is true of the flavor, although it is a bit of a step up from the aroma. The effect is also relatively unremarkable. While I am not exactly glowing here, I don’t want to convey the idea that this weed is garbage (because it surely isn’t), but it doesn’t stand out in any particular way, and I generally feel like I haven’t smoked enough even after a whole bowl by myself. With my strongest smokes around, I’ll take 3 or 4 hits and will put the bowl down because I’m satisfied! So, I feel like a snob to complain about this weed. In my youth, and certainly anyone in an illegal state, would absolutely love to receive a bag of this weed. However, in a world where we can pick and choose from the best of the best, Lip Smacker doesn’t compare to other so-called “elite” plants. There are so many other kinds of weed I’d prefer to smoke, but also can’t really feel like I can complain in earnest. Nothing wrong here, it’ll satisfy commercial growers and those going for bag appeal, but there are also many better smoking plants to be grown in my opinion and experience.

Higher Thought Golden Goat x Cherry Limepop F2 (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Golden Goat is a clone-only strain that I grew for the better part of a decade. There was a time period where this electric-highed plant was ubiquitous on the Front Range of Colorado. It was on the menu at every dispensary, in the grow room of all your buddies, and anytime one looked for clones, Golden Goat was on the tray. Everyone either loved or hated her, and I have grown fond of Golden Goat over the years. She is quick to flower, full of uniquely-tropical flavor, and when grown expertly, can be mind-bogglingly potent. Some describe her as psychedelic, myself included, which can be a double-edged sword. While I still haven’t made it around to giving Golden Goat a full review, I did find her high quality enough to cross her with Meangenefrommendocino’s Cherry Limepop F2, after finding so many wonderful things about that plant too. Hopefully a match made in Heaven, this is a test of the seeds grown outside around a mile high on Colorado’s Front Range.

Appearance:  Stunningly beautiful, this cross of Golden Goat and Cherry Limepop F2 takes after her pollen donating father, CL F2. At harvest time, this plant was a rainbowed mixture of yellows, greens, purples, debatably even some bluer and indigo-like tones that made her a joy to have around and a beauty in the garden. Buds are an equal balance of spear, pine-cone, and grenade shaped—just a classic nug shape that sits well on the plant. Truthfully, the bud structure could use larger nugs with less leaf structure, but all things considered she still isn’t below average. This plant obviously put out many huge tops, and grew untopped as an evenly spherical bush. Many favorable traits with some room for improvement.

Aroma:  Bursting with aroma, and certainly one of the high points of this cross, it is sweet, candied, fruity, and seemingly artificial. Gummy bears, Flintstone vitamins (the mineral-rich kind from the ‘90s), skittles, yancha or wuyi rock tea, and a medicine cabinet all come to mind. It’s a stretch for some, but there’s a chlorine-like note in the background present as well. Most prominent is the note of gummy bear, followed closely by the sweet-minerally notes of vitamins or pharmaceuticals. The chlorine I imagine comes from the Cherry Limenade, as it is a note similar to that in Cherry Pyromancer—bleachy and awesome! Primarily sweet and fruity, but more than complex and balanced enough to keep me interested. When flowers are broken apart, the tropical fruit-smoothie and mineral notes are intensified as is the chlorine. There is a sugary note so sweet it reminds me of a concentrated or powdered drink mix—that note of powdered sugar as it hits your nostrils when you stick your nose in a container of Gatorade, Tang, or any other drink mix. It is one of the smells that’s addicting and rewarding, making you want to break into bud after bud to repeat the aromatic experience again and again.

Flavor:  Interestingly enough, the flavor of this cross keeps to the aroma as much as it differs from it. All the fruity notes are there, especially the specific Flintstone-vitamin-powdered-mineral note (very similar to Yancha and Wuyi tea varieties) among some generic fruity tones, but there are also velvety herbaceous and botanical notes present in the flavor. There is even some spice bordering on the back-end of the exhale that reminds me of some of the middle-eastern Kushes and landrace hash plants. Bright, sharp, fruity, sweet, complex, but quick-lived, this smoke is indeed a bit candy-like, with tones in the flavor leaning toward cotton candy. It’s very enjoyable, but the pleasure being so short-lived begs for more consumption. Dangerously tasty!

Effects:  Zippy to begin, this cross can have nose-crinkling and sinsus-tickling potency. Immediate in its onset, this cross is euphoric and feel-good, giggly and happy, almost celebratory even. However, the effect is as short-lived as it is zippy, recalling Cherry Limepop’s quick roller-coaster like high in my mind. This leads to frequent re-ups on the cannabinoids in here, making me want to keep toking every 30-60 minutes or so. The euphoria wears off relatively quickly, leading to a feeling of dreaminess edging on burn-out toward later sessions—a bit of chasing the dragon of euphoria, which can become disappointing. I suppose the effect is a low point of sorts—everything about this cross is really desirable and enjoyable, and the effect is not an exception—however, it does seem really short-lived and it’s annoying to chase after the desired effect multiple times a day, seemingly just pumping up my tolerance. Certainly not a downside, but also certainly leaving me wanting for more!

Overall:  All in all, I think we’ve actually achieved something here. Golden Goat is a fantastic clone-only that seems to have never made it outside of Colorado in a big way, but I have always thought should be more widely available and considered an elite. Cherry Limepop is one of Meangene’s creations that is a work of art in itself, a masterpiece of cannabis breeding in some ways. I’m of the opinion that this cross manages to wed the two varieties into something new and different. It doesn’t even necessarily exhibit the best of both parents, but does seem to pass on or otherwise combine their traits in ways that don’t really show up in the parents themselves. The aroma is vaguely reminiscient of both parents while also being unique enough to be something of its own, and the same could be said for effect and flavor as well. Overall, I love virtually everything about this plant, but I do wish that the effect was more pronounced and longer-lived. Perhaps a valuable piece of the puzzle for a future breeding project, and certainly an indicator that these are worth looking through further.

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Freeborn Selections Motorbreath 15 x Northern Lights/Oil Can (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Received as a tester from @meangenefrommendocino, this intriguing seedling is a cross of the clone-only Motorbreath15 and one of Gene’s more obscure males, a cross of Northern Lights and Oil Can. Northern Lights needs no introduction, while Oil Can is an old northern California heirloom variety. I wasn’t told anything about these plants but was happy to get growing them and exploring the genes. These were grown outdoor on the Colorado Front Range just outside of Denver.

Appearance: Christmas-tree like, a bit tall and surprisingly an element of lankiness, but with solid and dense bud structure that goes every bit of the entirety of the branching. These plants remained completely green in spite of cooler fall temperatures, and other plants right next to them turning completely purple. These plants grew tall with extremely heavy flowers and the sizes of individual flowers as well as overall yields were excellent. Nugs are huge and full, very satisfying to look at in a bag, and relatively pale in coloring.

Aroma:  Distinguished from most of Mean Gene’s other gear, this cross is dry, woody, acrid, musty, smelling nostalgically of old-school indica weed from the ‘90s and early 2000s. It is not smack-you-in-the-face loud like most other Freeborn gear, but is layered with complexity. When broken up, these woody and herbaceous flowers release tones of mint, menthol, metals, pine, skunk, and something funky and inexplicably hard to place. It is at once attractive and off-putting, the indescribable note, asking for nugs to be broken up more and sniffed for further investigations. Overall it is a bit underwhelming.

Flavor: OK, so this is the surprise—while certainly herbaceous, woody, dry, and acrid upfront, this all shifts into a mouth-coating skunky dankness that reminds me of some of the more putrid smokes I received as a younger lad in the midwest. Occasionally, my area would be blessed with a variety of weed reeking of roadkill skunk, but would almost always come without any particular name. We’d always describe the aroma and flavor as “dank,” and this mouth-coating, pungent skunkiness is captured in Motorbreath 15 x NL/Oil Can. The flavor is really impressive and one certainly wouldn’t have picked up on it from the aroma alone. If you’re a skunk lover or miss classical “dank” weed from earlier years in cannabis, this is worth the experience.

Effects:  This weed is really a classic indica stone to the fullest. Eye-reddening, mellow, and easy-going describe the buzz from this weed. It isn’t too strong, and I usually end up smoking something else 30-60 minutes or so later. Maybe I’m a glutton. OK, I’m probably a glutton. However, I hold weed to a pretty high standard, and especially weed from Freeborn Genetics. This strikes me like a more basic smoke, and it doesn’t stand out in any particular direction.

Overall:   People are magnetized to Freeborn for a few different reasons—wanting something completely unique, wanting something stunningly loud and/or potent, or a combination of both. This strain certainly seems to fit in the former category, as I’m not sure if there’s really anything comparable that comes to mind. Landrace Afghanis and other varietals with origins in the middle east come to mind, but even then there is enough layered complexity here to warrant a category all of its own. This plant grew very easily and yielded spectacularly with little effort. The aroma is weird and intriguing and attractive, and the flavor follows suit. The buzz is a classically-relaxing indica stone, and relatively long lasting while also not being overwhelming by any means. From an overhead point of view, this plant is underwhelming in many respects. It is an impressive plant and the structure/growth are remarkable, but the aroma and effect leave me dissatisfied. The flavor is impressive, especially given the mild aroma, and gives me hope that there are likely more-favorable phenotypes to be found in these seeds. The reader should keep in mind that I grew a literal single seed of this variety—so it’s entirely possible that this plant is not representative of the genepool as a whole. In total transparency, I’d like to run a few more of these plants and see what else is inside this cross, as I suspect there are more desirable females to be found.

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Greenshock Seeds Long Valley Sleigh Ride F2 (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Originally bred by Greenshock Seeds, Long Valley Sleigh Ride is a cross of Long Valley Royal Kush and Tropical Sleigh Ride, itself a cross of Meangene’s Pina and Purple Candy Cane. Known for its high ocimene content, Tropical Sleigh Ride has won the Emerald Cup. Pina is a plant from meangene known for its pineapple/caramel aromas as well as uplifting high and relatively high CBD content. These were taken to the F2 generation by a friend of mine, and gifted to me for this year’s season.

Appearance: I grew two females this year and they looked significantly different, but had some similarities. One grew like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, while the other grew more stout and shrub-like. Both of them had purple stems so dark they were almost black, with buds of a similarly dark purple hue. The foliage on both plants was entirely green. The buds grown stout and compact like little golf balls. They have strange formations on top, not like a normal bud which comes down to a symmetrical point; these nugs grow almost fractal-like like Romanesco cauliflower. Both highly resinous and dense, the two plants were easy to trim with little leaf material.

Aroma:  The dried/cured flower differs significantly from the live plant, but I would say that both are enjoyable. The live plants smelled like apples, grapes, tropical fruit,honey, and Febreze-like chemicals, with a characteristic tone that Royal Kush enthusiasts would recognize at once as being common to Royal Kush and its progeny. My favorite of the two females is sweet and candy-like, leaning toward artificial grape, apple, honey, and sugary-sweet candy cane aromas. The shorter plant finished with less candy-like notes, and was heavier on a sort of sour fermented dairy (maybe a lactobacillus note?) that is similar to yogurt or a milkshake. Both aromas are enjoyable but most folks agreed with me that the aroma rich with fruit and candied tones was preferable. Both plants finished with heavy floral tones which could also be called perfumey, and I’d describe them overall as honey-fruit-blossom-candy. It’s really desirable and different from most offerings in the mainstream today—undoubtedly an attention-getter! Overall, the candied fruit, the floral perfume, and the notes from Royal Kush we know and love all come together for something unique and special. I often feel like most weed aromas these days are akin to remixed music—something played around with, but nothing truly original is expressed. LVSR sheds this stereotype of modern weed, offering something simultaneously novel and nostalgic, a total winner.

Flavor:  Echoing qualities of the bouquet, the flavor is at once unique and familiar, and thoroughly enjoyable. The flavor of LVSR’s smoke is soft and velvety, heavy on all of the floral, perfume, and candied fruit notes. Interestingly enough, there are also some more sour tones in the flavor than the aroma would let on about, almost like a sour patch kid. It all comes together in a wonderfully complex and deep flavor sensation, ranging from sweet grapes and apples to a sourness so pronounced a friend described it as “almost like hoisin.” The floral, perfumey, and herbaceous/botanical notes contribute significantly, maybe making up 50% of the profile. I don’t want to turn anyone off by saying that either—it is really these elements that makes the flavor so complex and multi-dimensional, and ulitmately so enjoyable—the sweet and sour fruit tones have something to contrast against, and it’s simply wonderful to smoke. Really unique and high grade, something to be sought after repeatedly.

Effects:  More relaxing than anything, Long Valley Sleigh Ride is some of the most chill new weed around. Despite the very mellow relaxing effect, Long Valley Sleigh Ride contributes strong feelings of euphoria, “feel-good,” and just a general strong sense of well-being. I’m guessing there are high levels of alternative cannabinoids in here. Whether CBD, the ocimene effect, or something more obscure (or even unknown), Long Valley Sleigh Ride is laid back and mellow, and consistently-so. Surprisingly, this has consistently been the favorite among my friends from this year’s grow. This weed is always “feel-good,” contrasted by the sometimes too-potent strains that are so common today. This is excellent beach weed, excellent movie weed, really it is great weed for just about anything making it an incredible “daily driver.” While relaxing, it can be enjoyed with some light activities and certainly could be categorized as recreational, or medicinal for certain things (but probably not pain). Overall, the effect is one that is universally loved and enjoyed, and I have a very hard time seeing anybody going overboard or having an overly-intense experience of any sort. Highly underrated, consistently and thoroughly enjoyable. Everyone loves how this weed feels, myself included.

Overall:  It should come as no surprise that combining genetics like Long Valley Royal Kush and Pina would produce something as high quality as Long Valley Sleigh Ride. This weed was some of the favorite from the season, and really stands out as a different smoke. The bud structure and ease of trim are icing on top of the cake that is the high quality aroma, flavor, and most importantly, effect of this fine cannabis. I love smoking LVSR as does everyone else I’ve put in contact with it. It’s a rare thing for everyone to enjoy any given strain these days, and for this (among other things) LVSR stands out. The aroma is an intriguing one, with the sour Febreeze notes a real pleasure to experience with the growing plant. This morphs into the sweet-sour-candied-perfume thing that I’ve come to love, which translates so magically and mysteriously into an flavor that one couldn’t predict from the aroma alone. The effect is really what we’re seeking though, and LVSR delivers. This is weed that simply makes one feel good, and confers all the benefits of cannabis that we’ve all come to appreciate. Highly underrated, very unique, and very high quality. I’ll be growing with this one again, and hopefully making selections to continue F3s and beyond in a direction more personal to me.

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Freeborn Selections Cherry Limenade ("4FB") x Sky Cuddler Double Kush (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Labeled Cherry Limenade 4FB x SCDK 24, I received these as testers from Meangene at Freeborn. The CL4FB plant (labeled “from back” for the breeder) happened to be a lime-leaning selection from Cherry Limenade, and SCDK 24 is a male meangene used. Sky Cuddler Double Kush is an impressively-inbred line of Meangene’s choosing, and is known for its strong aroma, robust plants, heavy yield, and overall desirability. These sounded like they would be fantastic outside in every way, and were dry-farmed at about 5300’ in elevation on Colorado’s front range.

Appearance: These plants, between bushes and christmas trees, stayed completely green despite temperatures in the 30s. The buds are consistently and incredibly dense and highly resinous, creating a strong sense of bag appeal. Even the lower nugs retain their impressive structure and density, and the yields from seemingly-small branches are impressive. The buds are super-dense, certainly the most dense I grew this year, and a grinder is highly recommended for consumption. Overall a good looking live plant as well as beautiful in the bag. The most dense flowers of the season, each bud weighs 1.5-2x what you’d expect it to.

Aroma:  A stunning high point, this is loud cannabis at its finest. Foremost are notes of a sour, classically sweet-skunk dank tone (leaning toward lemon and lime) and a nose-crinkling kushy perfume, which are strongly complimented by bile-like vomit tones. Other phenotypes exhibited more of a sour fuel, and a note I still have trouble describing—but I have smelled it in Pink Kush before, and it is a distinct perfume-candy aroma that one doesn’t forget. This is the kind of jar that begs to be huffed from repeatedly, as the aroma is half the fun. Nugs broken open reveal intensified notes of cherry, chemical cleaners/solvents, and freshly manufactured plastic. Beautifully complex and layered, it’s cannabis like this that makes Meangene so relevant in today’s market. Overall I’d describe this one as very sour, very loud, dank, skunky chemical lime kush. If you smell this jar and say you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you and we definitely can’t be friends. The variation in the line is heavy enough that each phenotype is significantly different from the last while obviously being related, and you can pick your favorite—like lobsters in a tank!

Flavor:  The aroma translates well to flavor, and nearly everyone I smoke with comments on the flavor (without prompting). Like the aroma, the flavor is sour, skunky, perfumey, mouth-coating, and classically dank. While I generally consider descriptions like “kushy” as a cop-out from really being able to describe the flavor, this is dictionary kush. The sour, skunky, petroleum-laden flavor coats the mouth in a sensation that I have really only experienced with high-grade weed. The petroleum notes are more subtle in some plants than others, but range from fresh plastic and rubber to gasoline to barely perceptible. In any case, the flavor is sour and dank, and nobody will complain about it.

Effects:  Impressively potent, this weed has been one of my favorites to smoke, and I’m 100% confident it could win the Emerald Cup (or other cannabis cups). It is warm, powerful, euphoric, completely encompassing (head, body, etc.), long-lasting, and generally everything that a smoker looks for. The stone can be felt almost immediately following exhaling the smoke; this is one of the quickest-acting flowers around. While the high does build some, the peak is near-immediate and frequently forces me to tap out on joints—even when shared with others! The immediate and powerful effect is highly desirable in my opinion—I love smoking it, and this is the flower I roll up when trying to impress a smoking buddy. CL4FB x SCDK is also predictable in its ability to lighten my mood and make me giggle. I tend to find most things funny under the influence of these flowers, and am frequently chuckling, giggling, or laughing—even in the most casual of conversations—which imparts a light mood on my interactions, makes me much “looser”, and I sprinkle more jokes into conversation (contrast to my sober mind, which is often grave in disposition for whatever reason). This one sends my thoughts swirling as well, and I’ve had extremely enjoyable times just laying down with my eyes closed after smoking this flower, pondering the ways of the world. Genuinely, the effect is everything one could want from cannabis.

Overall:  Everything about this weed, whether discussing the living plant or the consumable flower, is desirable and impressive. I have no doubt this weed could win a cannabis cup while also being a favorite of the cultivator. This one is a joy to break open, grind, smell, and consume, while also a pleasure to grow. My personally favorite traits have to be the strength and production of the plant, the obnoxiously loud and sour aroma, incredibly dense bud structure and resin production, and the always-desirable effect. The consistently fantastic stone, coupled with the addictive aroma, are what keep me returning to this jar more than all others this season. The flavor is also enjoyable and highly desirable, with the vast majority of tokers commenting on it when smoking a joint. They don’t say it tastes like anything in particular, just “really good”—while not helpful, I think that testifies to the loud, sour, and classical component of the profile as opposed to any novelty flavors. There is absolutely everything to like about this weed, and it will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

Freeborn Selections Red Hindu Kush F4 (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Bred by Meangene (@meangenefrommendocino if you’re new), Red Hindu is a building block of many other cultivars. It was released via Aficianado Seeds in their debut, and I believe this is the F3 population that @deepoutthere pulled from to create these F4s. I acquired the F4 seeds, and grew them in full Colorado sun during the 2021 season.

Appearance: The plant was aggressively topped by a rabbit, and this resulted in the plant branching off and creating a shrub of itself—I’m not sure what it would have looked like otherwise, but it finished slightly shorter, and very much stouter than the rest of the plants in the garden. That being said, each branch on this plant was a towering cola of impressive girth, density, and production in every sense of the word. The plants yellowed strongly in senescence, with very mild red and purple coloring on some of the foliage. The buds are thick, dense, and look like high quality greenbud from the 90s and 2000s. It’s just big, chunky nugs that are both resin-heavy and pistil-apparent. Despite finishing late in very low temperatures, neither plants nor flowers turned purple. Very dense buds and a satisfyingly compact structure.

Aroma: I haven’t smelled or drunk mondo juice in likely 2 decades, and actually forgot about its existence, but on smelling the live flowers I immediately recalled Mondo juice. The dried flower is rich and fruity, juicy even, noticeably of grapefruit and citrus. Lavender is also prominent, both floral and perfumey, as well as a crisco-like note that is in the same vein of last season’s And It’s Deep Too!. The two strains actually have a lot of similarities in aroma and other traits, and are related somewhere. Finally, lurking in the background are earthy, mineral heavy loam and mossy forest floor-like notes. Overall, a very enjoyable reminiscent of weed from years past while remaining a thing of its own.

Flavor:  Grapefruit candy-lavender-moss (there are definite notes on the palate of all the above) with strong mineral notes makes for a compelling profile and smoke. My favorite aspect of consuming Red Hindu, the flavor is unique, understated, but surprisingly satisfying. While floral, sweet, and perfumey up front, the aftertaste is thoroughly mouth-coating and telltale dank—it is unmistakably high grade botanical-skunky-weed in a way that neither the aroma or flavor are in a direct way. The aftertaste is just as fun of an experience as the taste itself, as it seems to shift in character entirely. I love it.

Effects:  A chill and laid-back smoke, Red Hindu exhibits traits typical of indica weed. This is high-inertia bud, good for just chilling. Depending on exactly what you like, Red Hindu might be a decent social smoke too. Red Hindu is relaxing without being overwhelming, and makes for mellow conversations and social interactions. I appreciate smoking it in the evenings after dinner and/or before bed, especially if I haven’t smoked earlier in the day. It’s whatever the weed equivalent of having a beer would be. You get an enjoyable effect great for couch surfing, but it’s not debilitating or paranoia-inducing either. This lack of smacky-effect might be off-putting for some heavy tokers, but there’s definitely a place on my shelf for weed like this.

Overall:  Overall, Red Hindu Kush features many desirable traits. It’s vigorous and easy-growing, high-yielding with girthy, dense flowers, responds well to training, has a strong and diverse aroma (and an even better flavor). I can see why Mean Gene of Freeborn Selections has made Red Hindu a contributor of so many of his breeding projects—it’s a genetic line that seems to have nothing but great traits for the grower. However, I can also see why it wasn’t a stopping point, and more of a stepping stone—smoking pure Red Hindu may leave smokers wanting something more. The flavor is unique, complex, and interesting, but the current popular demand for artificial-like aromas would not find it overly attractive (my speculation anyway). I appreciate breeders who do unique things that you can’t find elsewhere, and Red Hindu has a lot of that. It’s special weed but is not popular among everyone—some of my friends really enjoy it while others really do not. That’s fine, more for me!

Freeborn Selections Limenade Kush (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  I received these seeds via Meangene (@meangenefrommendocino) and I believe the cross is OG Kush/Sour Diesel x Limepop 5, making her a half-sister to Limepop Kush. I loved my experience with Limepop Kush, and have always enjoyed OG/Sour crosses. Between both of these affections, I knew I’d love Limenade Kush—and the thought of grenades made of lime-flavored cannabis has had me drooling ever since acquiring these beans. I believe Limenade Kush was sold at Emerald Cup as well. These plants were grown outside in several gardens along Colorado’s front range during the 2021 outdoor season.

Appearance:  Grenade-like indeed, these completely green buds are chunky and resinous. Similar to calyx-stacking OG but chunkier/thicker/fuller, these green nugs scream “high quality” from inside of a jar or bag. Other plants yielded smaller fingerling-like nugs, but the common traits were high resin, completely green flowers and plants, and low amounts of leaf present around the buds. My favorite plants looked like thicker and higher-yielding OG.

Aroma:  Intensely loud and pungent, there are notes of bitter lemon peel and pith, fresh-cut lime, and super-sour fuel like OG or Sour Diesel. While I always think of “dank” as a descriptor as being a way around genuine and more articulate descriptions, Limenade Kush is the sort of dictionary definition of “dank” in the context of weed. Chemical components are definitely present here as well, leaning toward lysol and other industrial cleaning products. These become especially apparent as flowers are broken up or ground. Other phenotypes lean more toward lemon-lime pez, an almost-cloying and candied aroma, but my favorite phenotypes tend to lean more toward OG and Sour Diesel in character. I believe the candy-like plants lean toward the Limepop 5.

Flavor:  Palate-coating and far from understated, this in-your-face flavor will please OG heads and hardcore smokers. This is sour with notes of bitter lemon, limeade or lime kool-aid (does that exist?), and specifically lysol. Loud as can be, Limenade Kush is simultaneously both classic and novel. Smokers who appreciate old Sour and OG cuts will love the flavor of Limenade Kush, as it exhibits intensified qualities from both strains and frankly improves on both of them. The sour fuel and skunky character is present in spades (although “light” on fuel compared to some other elite cuts), and wonderfully dovetails with lemon, lime, lysol, warhead candy, and pez. Limenade Kush is like blending a salad* of weed, balancing notes from the OG and Sour families with the candied sweet Lime of Meangene’s stock. Incredible.

*People have different terms (seemingly differences in geography correlate to differences in terminology) for this, but I always considered a “salad” a bowl or joint when two or more different strains of weed are combined. It’s really just a blend of two or more flowers.

Effects: Limenade Kush hits immediately in the forehead and is felt in the sinuses, causing nose crinkling, eye squinting, and feelings of regret wondering if you’ve already gone too deep. Similar to smoking OG, the effects are potent and hard-hitting like a true Kush varietal, the stone is reminiscent of OG&Sour Diesel crosses (like Sour OG, Headband, etc.) and is the type of flower that could give you a head rush and instant sweats out of a bong. The effect is at once sedative and creative, making the writing of this exciting, engaging, and honestly cerebrally thrilling. I’m having the time of my life in my head, while by all appearances I’m hanging out on my couch with a laptop. This is super strong weed that most daily smokers (and especially those who had the experience of smoking OG or Sour in their youth) will love. The effect is relatively long-lived before dying into a tired, groggy, and foggy state of mind. Highly enjoyable on the front end.

Overall:  Meangene continues to find new angles to approach “lime” from. Every time I germinate a new Lime ____ or ____lime, I know I’ll be getting something different and unique. Limenade Kush significantly differs from the various iterations of Lime I have already grown or smoked, and in a direction that I love (it might be my favorite, next to Black Lime 15). I have enjoyed Lime and Limepop crosses in the past, but I do think the OG/Sour cross used here really adds to the profile. I’m of the opinion that both Limepop5 and Sour OG are great cuts, but crossing them is an improvement on both ends—an ideal breeding achievement. The buds are thick and the plants are strong, and I imagine these would be decent or better for a commercial grower. For home-growers like me, there is a laundry list of reasons to grow Limenade Kush. That being said, there was some selecting involved—some plants were super-sweet candied and not my particular favorites (they have a short lived high but the flavor is an experience), but I thought the flowers exhibiting both parents were the preferred keepers. I will definitely be making more of these seeds and it’s worth keeping a favorite female around.

Freeborn Selections Cherry Limenade x Pina (Outdoor)

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Origins and Backstory:  Acquired from Freeborn Selections, this F1 was originally released at The Emerald Cup. Cherry Limenade is one of Mean Gene’s better known strains, having won the Emerald Cup at least once. Pina is an old heirloom bred by Meangene as well, and is renowned for her sweetly acidic pineapple aroma, uplifting effect, and general plant strength (pest resistance etc.). I first heard of Pina as it was the father of Aficinado’s In the Pines release. I will minimize my digression and encourage the reader to see that review as well, but In the Pines first put Meangene into my personal awareness, and I was deeply impressed. That’s ultimately the mother I used for Passionfruit Dakini as well. The lineage here is two winners, but also two very different genetic lines. F1s can be pretty consistent contrary to popular belief, and the Cherry Limenade x Pina is a great example of that. This genetic pool is similar enough that it’s obvious the plants are sisters, but diverse enough that each cultivator can hunt a favorite plant from the bunch.

Appearance: Beautiful plants, Cherry Limenade x Pina is richly colored. Ranging from a typical green at the beginning of season to a fading finch-yellow beginning senescence, ultimately concluding with purples and reds on both flower and foliage, growing these plants is an aesthetic experience. Flowers and colas are good-sized, with grenade-like structure after drying. Finished flowers are consistently a pretty mix of green and purple, with light orange pistils and a satisfyingly chunky structure. Resin production is good, and bag appeal is great.

Aroma:  A freshly opened jar brings notes of ripe fruit, baby wipes & baby lotion, and is even mildly reminiscent of freshly-laundered clothes. Predominantly sweet and fruity, phenotypes vary from vague cherry notes (the same present in some of my own Cherry Limenade x Pina crosses, like this one), to acidic pineapple, to coconut-based lotion or baby oil, to laundry detergent. My favorite plants exhibited all of the above, but leaned strongest toward the sweet candied fruit, with the sort of beachy sunscreen/baby oil notes lingering in the background. The smell of this one is enticing to all, a real people pleaser! People frequently comment that they love the smell of this one, both as a living plant and as dried flowers.

Flavor:  Cherry Limenade x Pina is sweet, smooth, fruity, and an easeful pleasure to smoke. Cherry is brought to the forefront and certainly dominates. However, the acidic pineapple-fruit and baby oil are still noticeable. My favorite phenotypes are those that taste uncannily like cherry and pineapple in a joint. here seems to be no laundry flavor, but occasionally I do get a far-off chemical tone of hairspray or another barber/salon product. This isn’t mouth-coating, palate-painting weed, but it’s definitely tasty and far from a weak point. It’s a fairly clean and direct translation of the aroma and altogether enjoyable and unique.

Effects:  Jockeying with the bouquet for the supreme highlight of Cherry Limenade x Pina, the effects are some of the most consistently feel-good and pleasurable to be had. This weed is a well-blended balance of THC, CBD, and presumably a few other cannabinoids and psychoactive terpenes—it offers a strong sense of well-being, optimism, euphoria, and is compatible with activity and worldly engagement. If I didn’t know it was likely high CBD, I’m not sure I’d know—tokes from a joint produce an instant head change and feel of stoniness behind the eyes. However, I never feel even close to being too high or otherwise overwhelmed. This is great party weed, ideal for yoga or skiing (or presumably other athletic endeavors) or really any kind of activity that one already enjoys. This is the kind of weed that enhances life in myriad ways, and won’t keep you from living it (as some other more narcotic strains can do). While I do like to smoke thought-obliterating strains and occasionally even get overwhelmed by potency, I am never found jonesing for a different weed after smoking this. I cannot say the same about many other high-CBD varieties! Overall, the best aspects of the effects of this weed remind me of Aficianado’s In the Pines, which shares the same Pina parentage—probably not a coincidence. Optimistic, uplifting, feel-good, relaxed, active, loose and easy-going—it’s not OG, and that’s not a bad thing in my book.

Overall:  As alluded to earlier in this review, I’ve really enjoyed smoking Pina’s descendants (Long Valley Sleigh Ride, In the Pines, and some of my own Cherry Limenade x Pina crosses). Cherry Limenade x Pina is certainly no exception, as it offers a rich and unique bouquet. The effects are top-notch, and Pina crosses are consistently my favorite thing to smoke early in the day, or along with activities of all kinds—but especially physical and outdoor ones! The complex and uniquely fruity aroma is unanimously enjoyed, and this is probably the strain that garners the most unsolicited comments on the flavor (with the exception of Cherry Limenade x Sky Cuddler Double Kush). Like most Freeborn, this plant and variety checks all the boxes and leaves nothing to be desired. It’s worthy of giving a shot in nearly every garden, but will find a special place in the heart’s, minds, and lungs of enthusiasts of such uplifting, optimistic, and day-brightening smokes. A Mendo heirloom at its finest!

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Freeborn Selections Black Lime 15 (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Prior to Root Beer, Black Lime held the status of being Meangene’s most famous and coveted variety. Black Lime Reserve, daughter of Black Lime, was popularized through Aficionado Seeds, and has since made her way through the community. I’ve smoked some BLR, and it has been of varying quality. After growing/smoking Black Lime 15, a specific delineation of meangene’s Black Lime, it is clear to me that Black Lime Reserve is a sort of watered-down Black Lime, and BL more powerfully exhibits every desirable trait present in BLR. I believe Black Lime is an old inbred line of Northern Lights, Oil Can (another long-held Mendocino heirloom, and Burmese. I am also of the impression that Black Lime 15 is a specific offshoot of this line, tending more toward the darker chemical aromas.

Appearance: Plants grew with a classic sativa cannabis structure with the majority of the plants resources ending in the elongated, spear-shaped buds at the ends of each branch. Plants faded strongly to yellow, with hints of purple, pink, and magenta lining tips of foliage and calyxes. However, this overall finishes like standard spear-shaped green buds. Relatively abundant leaflets end narrowly around the buds, which annoyingly mean higher trim effort is required. Very high resin production, and the buds look highly resinous and high quality with very plumped calyxes at finish.

Aroma:  The defining attribute of this plant and flower, the aroma is absolutely very bit as iconic as OG Kush, Sour Diesel, or any other world-famous clone-only. I genuinely cannot believe Meangene has managed to keep this one so close to home after all these years, it is simply that incredible! Both living plants and dried flower are very similar, with an overwhelmingly strong lime-chemical aroma. Depending on the plant, the character of the lime can move from juice to outer or even inner rind, but it is dominantly lime—not even a hint of lemon. There is an element of rotting or overripe fruit here too, like if limes could get super overripe and wet in a tropical environment. The intense lime character would be enough for novelty on its own, but is almost outdone by the accompanying chemical aromas present in this plant. I could detect both sharpie marker (MUCH more intense than an actual sharpie) as well as nail polish remover. Each plant seemed to have lime juice/lime rind/sharpie/nail polish remover notes present, but these were more/less intense depending on pheno. To clarify, I mean that some plants were heavy on lime juice and nail polish remover with some sharpie and rind tones, while other plants tended to be heavier on lime rind and sharpie but lighter on the juice and solvents. In any case, the gene pool is just unstable enough that you’ll be able to pick a personal favorite. Black Lime 15 offers unparalleled richness in its bouquet, and I would grow this based on scent alone—it is that unique, intense, and desirable. Friends who have smelled her agree.

Flavor:  An enjoyable translation from the aroma, the flavor tends to be much juicier, sweeter and lime-dominated, accentuating the lime notes as well as those of rotting or overripened fruit (although I cannot articulate any specific fruit outside of limes). Chemical tones of nail polish remover and some solvents are lightly present. While losing slight intensity of the chemical funk, the flavor is still entirely enjoyable and different and new, unlike anything I have smoked or am aware of on the market. The flavor is definitively more like the actual fruit and flesh of a lime than the aroma, and my only critique is that I wish it would have kept the intensely industrial and seemingly-artificial character of the bouquet. After the initially juicy lime flavor fades, there is a lingering aftertaste on the back of my palate that is of lime rind and nail polish—a work of art.

Effects: Black Lime is strong, stoney, and relaxed. Most would call this one indica-dominant in its effects, but lighter doses are equally creative, spacy, and thoughtful. While felt instantly in the head, the majority of Black lime comes on gradually behind the eyes, and noticeably in the body—I feel that it can instantly resolve tension in my shoulders and back, as well as in my mind. Smoking Black Lime is, metaphorically speaking, like taking a deep breath from life. It slows everything down a bit and offers some breathing room. In higher doses however, Black Lime can be disorienting and borderline psychedelic in its effect. For brief moments after smoking a lot, the world can feel like it’s moving about or otherwise seem alien and anomalous. Sometimes, weed is so tasty that breeders are willing to sacrifice all quality and potency of effect to preserve it—however, Black Lime makes no such compromise, and is as potent and deeply stoning as any weed on the shelf. It isn’t particularly giggly or giddy, and it isn’t lazy either—but Black Lime is certainly a treat for the introspective among us. I enjoy Black Lime alone or on nights spent inside with music, youtube, podcasting, gaming, etc. Not my favorite smoke for outdoor adventure excursions or socializing.

Overall:  This is a plant worthy of keeping, breeding, and generally doing everything else with. It’s an incredible plant and in my opinion, just as worthy of the unofficial weed smoker’s Hall of Fame as OG Kush, Sour Diesel, Purple Urkel, Haze, and any other undisputable icon that one could name. It features a greasy finger-feel and lime&chemical-dominant aroma that are nearly Trademarks of Freeborn Selections. The aroma of Black Lime is so complex, unique, and nuanced, it would genuinely be worth growing if it only had half the buzz that it offers. Hell, I might grow hemp plants every year if they smelled like this one. The combination of lime and sinus-clearing chemicals is stunning, and one I can’t say enough good things about. Most people have never truly experienced lime flavor in cannabis, and this weed offers just that. The flavor and head experiences of a joint are wholly unique, and I can’t find a bad thing to say about it. This is a plant that I’d like to have around for a lifetime.

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Freeborn Selections Yesca OG x Jaro (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  Acquired as testers from Meangene at Freeborn, I grew these outdoor in full sun on Colorado’s front range around 5300’. Yesca is an OG cut from California, desirable for its aroma and robustness of plant. Jaro is one of Mean gene’s lesser known hybrids—although I’m not sure why. Closely related to Rootbeer, they share the same OGCoffee “father” (pollen donor). Rootbeer’s mother is Headband, and Jaro’s is Sour Diesel—which likely share genetics. It’s highly probable that Rootbeer and Jaro share an unbelievable amount of DNA. So, Jaro is worthy of at least some percentage of the hype of Rootbeer in my opinion!

Appearance:  Growing like a much stronger OG Kush at first (somewhat lanky stacking nodes but growing fairly vertically), these plants developed into heavy-yielding OG Kushes, with much more impressive girth and weight than a traditional OG. The plants stacked calyxes in the typical OG fashion, and basically just produced much bigger-than-normal OG nugs. Everything about the plants and flowers stayed entirely green through cold temperatures, rain/hail/snow, 50 degree/24hour temperature swings, and yellowed at senescence. While the plants would have ideally finished later than our clime allows, the buds finished like many Sour crosses outside—full in shape, but could be more densely packed. These plants stayed entirely green through weeks with temperatures in the 30s.

Aroma:  True to its lineage, the aroma is sour, fuely, skunky, and loud—a real sour OG. There are notes similar to Headband, of sour rye bread and gasoline in addition to those of OG and Sour Diesel like lemon pith and sugar cookie. I love weed that smells like this, and OGs and Sours have permanent places in many toker’s hearts because of it. There is a kind of lemon-sugar cookie-perfume element present as well that only adds to the intrigue and complexity. The growing plant had other more alien notes present, smelling like coffee at times and like a kind of fermented or rotting fruit at others. The fruit is gone entirely and makes me wonder if it was a figment of my imagination, but I do frequently get a skunky coffee tone from an open jar. Overall, smells like many other lines of Sours, OGs, Headbands, etc.—and that’s not a bad thing.

Flavor:  The flavor is instantly palate coating, covering my mouth and tastebuds with a sensation of sour kerosene and asphalt. It is sweet-skunky with seemingly-artificial notes of oil and petroleum products as well as natural botanical ones. Reminiscent of Sour Diesel, the pungent and fuely flavor obviously hails from Sour Diesel lineage. Many will love and appreciate this, as Sour Diesel is a clone-only that many tokers lament there isn’t more of. Most Sour Diesel crosses are commonly and derogatorily referred to as “watered down sour”—maybe my memory fails me, but this reminds me of some of the best bags of Sour from “the old days.” It is at once nostalgic as well as deeply satisfying for new and old-school smokers alike.

Effects:  Immediately face-warming and causing a head rush, I can feel my eyes redden in real time. I am instantly stoned when smoking this weed, and my thoughts swirl—they seem new and different in an interesting way, and really everything becomes more interesting than it was before. Not for trips to the grocery store, this weed makes the world seem alien in a way and really puts me into my own head. This weed is deeply reflective, introspective, and generally thought provoking and thoughtful in general. The general effect is long-lasting, as is the peak of effect making this weed seemingly economical. A great choice for rainy or snowy days spent inside, this is my choice of smoke for adventures deep in my own mind, or creative endeavors requiring a balance of openness, deep thought, and focus.

Overall:  A stunner in every way, Yesca x Jaro resembles Headband, Sour OG, and other varieties hailing from Sour Diesel and OG Kush lineage. The aroma and flavor are as sour and petroleum-based as expected, and this line has obviously been selected with flavor in mind. Equally as compelling are the warm, relaxed, and highly enjoyable effects. Yesca x Jaro is one of my favorite weeds to smoke on evenings alone—interesting podcasts become fascinating, tasty food becomes delicious, enjoyable music becomes exquisite—you get the idea. Consuming this is really a great experience alone, and gives me a great appreciation for my own thoughts and self. I don’t like being social after smoking this weed, as it seems like a chore to adhere to social conventions. Between the sour-skunky-fuel flavor, joyous feelings of solitude and deep fascination, this has become one of my favorites this winter and I genuinely savor an evening in with this weed. To top it all off, this plant is robust and vigorous, especially for an OG cross. The buds were impressively big and thick (again, especially for an OG cross), but ideally would have liked a longer flowering season than the Front Range of Colorado offers. I’ll be growing more next year and seeing what else this gene pool offers.

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Higher Thought London Pound Cake x (Cherry Limenade x Pina)

Origins and Backstory:  I bred this cross using a LPC mother and a pollen donor originally from meangene. His own cross of Cherry Limenade x Pina has a great reputation, and I managed to find a male that exhibited a stunning aroma Each time I would step into my garden, I would be met with an extremely loud and fruity smell featuring cherries, pineapples, and bright red fruits that I cannot accurately articulate. The male was just so loud and out-stunk every other plant in the garden at the time that I had to use him for something! These flowers were grown by my very talented and skilled friend in Kansas City (link here to see more of his flowers).

Appearance:  Stunningly beautiful, these buds are densely formed and densely packed with trichomes. The classic structure (somewhere between a pinecone and a grenade) is very satisfying both to the eye and to break apart. The buds themselves are a middle-of-the-road green, complimented by purple leaf tips and pistils ranging from pale yellow to a jack-o-lantern (maybe one still around a week after Halloween) orange. Very high bag appeal, and makes me want to dig right into these nugs.

Aroma:  Primarily cherry, old stinky soft cheese wheel, and medicinal/geriatric, the aroma is weird and great. The geriatric notes are similar to those in a nursing home, not far off from Cherry Pyromancer. There are also prominent tones of sterilized gauze or other medical bandaging, and mild fruity notes of both cherry and pineapple. Breaking open a bud definitely is a noteworthy experience! In addition to everything described, the fruits become both more intense as well as complex. There are notes I cannot describe as far as the fruit goes, as well as a nose-crinkling funk that I only experience in high grade cannabis. Strangely and pleasantly enough, the aroma left on my fingertips after packing a bowl is none of the above, but instead a very earthy, loamy aroma reminiscent of forest floor. This is not the crazy-loud weed that like an OG or GMO or other hype-strains, but is definitely loud and exotic Cookies etc. do, but I do think this would impress almost any serious cannabis enthusiast in its own way.

Flavor:  Like a cherry flavored band-aid/gauze, freshly cut wheel-of-cheese, with aftertaste of a home apothecary kept in an old chest. The predominant notes are a vague cherry flavoring, stinky cheese, and sterilized medical bandaging, and are very unique. The transition to the aftertaste is smooth, with the cherry and band-aid lingering on the palate. These give way and allow a tone to come through that is both botanical as well as musty, which reminds me of a traditional apothecary or old cedar chest in your grandparent’s basement. The flavor is entirely different from other weed on the market today, and is one of the most interesting and enjoyable aspects of this cannabis.

Effects: While I am instantly able to feel the high from this weed, I feel like I have a sober mind (does this make any sense, or am I that stoned?). It is strong and strong enough to satisfy but not overwhelmingly so. My thoughts are not alien, otherworldly, or spacey, but seem pretty lucid and sober. I am just feeling looser, better, uplifted and smiley, but am certainly not debilitated and don’t feel like a foreign visitor to this planet (the way an OG, Chem, or Haze might make one feel). I sense there is likely some CBD here, and the grower agreed with me—we are both hoping a lab test is possible! The effect does lose potency with multiple smoke sessions in a day. Very long-lasting effect as well.

Overall:  Awesome. I love this weed. It is gorgeous with high bag appeal, extremely resinous with a diversity of color and excellent bud structure. The aroma is complex, interesting, and translates to flavor in a robust and intensified way. The taste is at once impressive, flavorful, and unique, something to be savored and thoroughly enjoyed by any weed enthusiast. I enjoy the powerful, warm, relaxing, and laid-back effect—however, my favorite weeds are more euphoric and giggly. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this weed and am proud to have made these seeds. This is a great alternative to whatever you’ve been smoking, because of its unique factor. It’s really solid weed, but won’t be replacing Headband or any of the all-time greats.

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Higher Thought (Maui Skunkdog x Eureka Lemon) x (Lime 1 x Grape Soda Skunk F2)

Origins and Backstory:  Bred in Colorado sun during the 2020 season, these seeds were grown by a friend of mine in Kansas City (the same one featured in this post). The mom, Maui Skunkdog x Eureka Lemon, can be read about here (link). Lime 1 x Grape Soda Skunk F2 can be read about here—(link) the pollen donor used is a brother to the female featured in that article. This was an incidental cross that I made when making L1 x GSS F3, but I thought it could be interesting. The aroma of the Skunkdog cross wasn’t what I expected at finish, and these flowers are not what I expected from the cross, but it has been a pleasant surprise.

Appearance:  My friend brought 3 phenotypes—2 looked similar, like an Amsterdam Skunk from the 2000s or so—lime green buds, pinecone-shaped, with bright orange attractive pistils and a fluffy consistency. The third phenotype looks a lot more like grenades, and is extremely resinous. This plant looks more like modern American weed and I think has a significantly higher bag appeal.

Aroma:  Reminiscent of weed from a decade-ish ago, this weed is skunky and spicy. It brings Maui Wowie to mind, a strain that was nearly ubiquitous across Colorado dispensaries around 2009. Not overly powerful, you’d be upset if I told you this was Roadkill Skunk—however, this weed is predominantly skunky! The secondary must-spice component is difficult to tease apart, but there are notes of black pepper, laundry, and musty midwest basement. In fact, smelling this weed brought back a memory (the sort of flashback memory a scent can conjure) of going down into a friend’s basement to smoke weed. Despite the lineage, there is only the faintest hint of citrus in the aroma. If you’re looking for it, there’s a vague note of lime when you break open a bud. The aroma is not overwhelming in any particular direction, and I don’t think it is overly compelling either compared to today’s designer gear.

Flavor:  Superior to, yet still a reflection of the aroma, the flavor is full bodied. It is mostly skunky, hashy, and peppery, but there are definite lime notes as well. Surprisingly, I and others have noted that the aftertaste and exhale are creamy in character, or almost milky, it is a mild sweetness that coats the palate the same way cream does. The skunk-spice thing works in the flavor more than it does in the aroma, at least for my personal tastes. This isn’t sopping with terps and won’t leave you begging for more, but it certainly is a pleasant and high quality flavor.

Effects:  The three phenotypes differed significantly, with some featuring CBD and felt very mild to smoke, while others were extremely potent and relaxing. The potency is not like an OG or Chem, but can be on that same level of strength—quite a surprise! Each hit of this weed gets me noticeably higher, and I often find myself not finishing whole bowls of the more potent phenotypes. However, the curious aspect of this weed is this: If I smoke something else earlier in the day, this weed does not seem to hit me the same as an OG or Chem, or really even in the same ballpark. It doesn’t seem to have much effect on me, and I do end up preferring a genuine OG later in the day. This is highly functional weed in spite of its potency, and it is one of my favorites to use during the daytime when I want to get things done, but with a buzz.

Overall:  Beautiful with a high bag appeal and strong sense of nostalgia for those who have been toking longer than a decade, this weed certainly is enjoyable and doesn’t really have any noticeably weak points. However, it also only really stands out (in my opinion) in the domain of effects. The aroma and flavor are both enjoyable and engaging, but today’s complex and diverse genetic options outshine flowers like this. I think there are many aromatic and flavor profiles superior to this one, although there is nothing wrong with this smoke. I do enjoy the consistently relaxing, uplifting, and chilled out effect that certainly makes me think of the Hawaiian islands. This is good-life bud that I can smoke in the morning and then float through my tasks and responsibilities. However, I do appreciate more punch from an OG, broadleaf afghan, or something in that ballpark later in the day. I enjoy smoking this weed but will pursue both breeding and growing with other genetic lines before I revisit this one.

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@Beneath_the_dirt Colorado 2021 Indoor

For info on this cultivator, please read the first post featuring their flowers.

This is living soil indoor at its finest, grown in Colorado mountains.

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Ice Cream Cake’s most prominent feature has got to be its bag appeal. This beautiful and visually-stunning weed has the looks of a perfect 10. I really don’t know how to improve it. It’s wonderfully dense, completely covered in resin, with purple accents and classic orange pistils tucked tightly into the bud. I love the structure of this stuff, and breaking it up is a pleasure. The aroma really reminds me of fresh-off-the-boat plastic, like a brand new toy from a McDonalds Happy Meal. There are sweet tones as well, and some that remind me of the smell when entering a Baskin & Robbin’s store. Relaxing stone.

Whether placebo or not, I did set a burning bowl down a couple feet away from my face. The bowl continued to smolder, and I caught a whiff that landed on my nose exactly like ice cream cake. It is rare to name weed after its aroma as it burns, but it was an interesting experience to say the least!

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Easily the best MAC1 I have ever smoked, this is supposedly Cap’s cut. I have smoked a fair amount and it always struck me as mediocre. However, this particular sample is much more of a condensed milk and chalk aroma (as opposed to the sour milk I usually experience), and it is much more potent from other Mac1 sample’s I’ve had. It hits almost immediately, and it caught me off-guard how much I enjoy the laid back (but certainly adequately potent) effect. Cuts like this one that are heavy on trichome stalks and less on glands are usually not my favorite aside from appearance, but this particular sample is a great smoke.

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Kush Mints has been getting a lot of hype lately, and I have a mixed opinion after finally getting to try some. Like the others here, the bag appeal is excellent. The flowers have a structure that I am sure is very popular with most smokers, and the diverse coloring is very attractive. The aroma is like a better version of Cookies; it is sweet and mildly tart with some berry tones, and heavy on dough aromas. The flavor is really where this one shines, producing a taste that is nothing short of exquisite. It is sweet, floral, candied, and perfumey, and is honestly absolutely stunning. I’m not even a Cookies fan, but Kush Mints has a flavor in the smoke that is totally unexpected and equally as welcome. I cannot say enough good things about the taste!
The stone is relatively strong, relaxing, and numbing as well as dumbing. It isn’t the most euphoric or my favorite by any means, but the flavor is amazing!

San Fernando Valley (SFV) OG Kush S1 (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  This is one of the most famous OG clones of all time. The same friend who gifted me the Grandnesia Haze plant (link) gifted me this plant. It was also grown full season, outside on my partially shaded deck in organic soil. Even though the light conditions were not ideal (about 5 hours of direct light everyday), the quality of this flower was spectacular and was actually the favorite of the season for many of my friends.

Appearance:  Due to the partial shade, the buds are very leafy. Temperatures reached freezing and possibly below, but the flowers and entirety of the plant remained green and did not exhibit any kind of coloring. These flowers are fluffier than normal, again due to the light conditions. However, calyxes are still covered with resin, and the buds are extraordinarily sticky. From afar, this looks like mediocre weed. Even up close, it looks just above-average greenbud that really isn’t remarkable, just impressively-frosty. But even then, many other designer strains these days are equally so.

Aroma:  This weed stinks in classic SFV OG Kush fashion. It is fuely, funky, skunky, dank, and loud. Everyone comments on how loud this weed is, and I think it may in part be due to being somewhat shade-grown. People love the smell of this weed, as it encompasses everything great about weed. When I hear the word “dank,” this profile comes to mind. It is the classically sweet-skunky smell from afar, with nuance of fuel and funk when one gets up close. Similar to other OGs and Sour Diesel cuts, this plant smells like lemon cleaner, sour diesel fuel, some sugar cookie, and a delightful perfume that accompanies my favorite OG plants. There is a vague and generic botanical note in the background, one that reminds me of tomato plant stems.

Flavor:  In the same vein as the aroma, this plant is OG all the way. I get an immediate flavor of lemons and intense lysol/cleaner aroma, along with signature sour OG funk and perfume. There is a sour note almost like rye bread (or even moldy rye bread) reminiscent of Headband. It is pronounced, complex, and intense, yielding a lovely sensation on the exhale. Sometimes I forget how great OG is until I smoke it again, and this lip-smacking-pucker-up bud begs to be smoked regardless how high you are. When someone describes weed as “dank,” this is generally the flavor I think of. Overall, it is like a lemon-cleaner-sour-perfume.

Effects:  This weed is strong and immediate, hailing from its OG lineage. I can feel this one behind the eyes and along my forehead as I exhale smoke—the potency is no secret, SFV hits immediately in my head, and gives me the classic happy-go-lucky attitude cannabis is known for, and that we all love. I really do think SFV OG is one of the most giggly/smiley, happy, and creative OG cuts out there (as opposed to being purely potent or devastatingly-strong). It’s like a warm hug or a warm blanket of well-being that just makes me feel great. For whatever reason, SFV OG has always meshed near-perfectly with my personal cannabinoid receptors, and just really hits home properly—I’ve always enjoyed smoking this weed! While felt obviously and immediately, the totality of the effects probably peak around 30 minutes in. This is when I really feel warm, mellow, relaxed, fairly lazy, with the overall sense that everything is going to be cool. The stone lasts a while, and will encourage a nap later if it’s smoked early on.

Overall:  One of the best smokes of my 2019 outdoor season (over a dozen strains), it really is a toss-up between SFV and Triangle for me. Triangle tends to be more potent and inward in my experience, while SFV OG Kush makes me a giggly like a little boy (and is certainly not lacking in potency!). The lemon-cleaner and mildly sour flavor of the SFV is something I will go back to again and again over my lifetime (or even in the hour). When I have jars of this stuff, I smoke them quickly. And if I have company, they ask to take the SFV home if they see it’s out. Even though this is an S1, this is a close representation of the real deal, which is one of my all-time favorite smokes. SFV OG Kush is one of the best offerings of the American west coast cannabis scene—a true complete package of flavor, aroma, and effect of legendary standing. SFV, Triangle, and Ghost are the holy trinity of OG cuts as far as I am concerned (assuming we can call Underdawg/Loompa’s a Headband cut, not an OG!), with each one offering something a little different. Personally, I think the effects of the SFV are the “best”, while Triangle and Ghost tend more toward pure potency—but we are really splitting hairs at this point, and it’s tough to wrong among company like this.

Grandnesia Haze (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  I received this from a friend who brought the plant to me as a confirmed female. They told me it was “Grandnesia Haze.” After seeing the symmetrical growth and determining the plant was from seed, I inquired further—it turns out the plant I was given was really either an S1 or a bagseed of Grandnesia Haze. I can only guess that this plant is a cross of Amnesia Haze, and perhaps something like Grandaddy Purps? But I don’t really know. I grew this plant outdoor on my porch, which is unfortunately partially shaded. Plants out there grow leafier than is ideal, but are also extremely aromatic.

Appearance:  This plant is as narrow-leaf as they come. The leaves are so narrow that they look like knife points or blades protruding from the plant, really giving things a sinister appearance. Despite this plant being grown outside and enduring temperatures around 32F, all flowers and foliage remained green to harvest. Buds are light and fluffy, and this strain would be culled from a commercial setting in a heartbeat. The surface area of calyxes are thoroughly covered by trichomes though, again giving this weed a mildly intimidating and evil look.

Aroma:  One of the more unique weeds I have personally grown, this weed smells like teriyaki beef jerky, old vitamins, and the smell of freshly-sliced shitake. It is kind of sour, a tiny bit sweet, musty, full of umami, and heavy on minerals. It certainly doesn’t exhibit the classical haze aroma or anything I would associate with Amenesia, but then again it doesn’t really exhibit many familiar traits. The mineral-vitamin note reminds me of Golden Goat, but Grandnesia Haze just isn’t nearly as sweet, syrupy, or sopping with terps the way Golden Goat can be. This is weird stuff.

Flavor:  This weed tastes way better than the aroma would imply. The flavor is much sweeter, with far less must than the aroma. It really does parallel Golden Goat—this is tropical and hazy-tasting, with some minerality. It totally coats the mouth and palate the way any smoker appreciates as well. This definitely reminds me of classic Haze plants, but with more tropical fruit tones. Really great from a flavor standpoint, with no umami coming through.

Effects:  This is super strong narrow leaf or sativa weed, felt entirely in the head. Each toke is noticeably felt, really emphasizing the potency of this creeper weed. The effect builds, peaking maybe 10-15 minutes after smoking. So, it is not an extreme creeper like Limepop Kush x SkyJaro, but does take a bit to settle in. This one can actually make me a bit antsy, both in my body and in my thoughts. I wouldn’t describe it as functional weed, but I would describe it as active. While not particularly lucid or cerebral, Grandnesia Haze does inspire one to move, to do something—not necessarily knocking out high-level work items, but it might get you to do some yoga, go for a hike, or take a bike ride. Also of note is how this weed consistently makes me feel like my eyes are halfway closed, and I am constantly trying to open them when I talk to people. It’s kind of hilarious, but definitely of note that this weed makes one look completely stoned.

Overall:  Unusual in many respects, Grandnesia Haze is nice to have on the shelf. The aroma is far from my favorite, being much too savory and musty for my personal preference (and most other people’s). However, the transmogrification of the aroma to flavor is remarkable in this case. The smoke of this flower tastes great, coating the mouth in sweet, tropical spice notes that seemingly are not even present in the aroma. This is very strong weed as well, making for satisfying smoke. However, high-THC cannabis and pure potency are somewhat easy to come by these days, and the agitating character of Grandnesia Haze is not my favorite. I do not reach for this jar often, but I pull it out for friends who want to smoke “sativas” or just for the sake of showing someone the bizarre aromatic profile. Interesting and I am glad I grew it, but once is enough.

Lemon Larry OG x U Dub (Outdoor)

Origins and Backstory:  This was originally bred by @motiv303_. We traded some seed at the time and I was given many crosses he made by reversing the U Dub cut. I then gave these seeds to a friend of mine, who was a first-time grower. They grew these seeds outdoors, just outside of Denver in organic soil. I walked them through the drying/curing process and the flower turned out to be pretty high-quality!

U Dub is a famed older clone named affectionately after the University of Washington. It was ostensibly bred in Seattle, WA in the ‘80s and became a local staple. The plant is known for being a hashplant, and after many years of being assumed extinct, the cultivar resurfaced and was subsequently bred by many seed producers.

Motiv303 reversed this plant and put the pollen on many of his elite clones. The Lemon Larry OG was one of them. LLOG is reportedly a cross of an OG Kush clone and SFV OG Kush from the Cali Connection. The Cali Connection is one of the more controversial seed companies I know of, and I can only take the info on LLOG at face value.

Appearance: Stout green buds grow on small, bushy, classic broad leaf frames. This is classic broad leaf bud, and I think the U Dub comes through strongly. The buds are highly dense and even more resinous; this is undoubtedly a hashplant. Even the leaves close to the bud are noticeably more broad than other flowers (at least in person), and are coated with huge-glanded trichomes. The resin production is excellent. Leaf tips are occasionally purple, offering nice accents to the flowers underneath.

Aroma:  Overall, a fruity and slightly tropical hashy aroma, LLOGxUDub is dominated by mango, guava, and papaya tones. There are heavy notes of hash and kief as well. There is a bit of skunkiness too, something akin to one of the skunkier/funkier hop varieties out there. That is more or less all there is to the aroma—there are the fruity tones, mostly mango, and some hash. It is certainly not unenjoyable, but it is something I have experienced in cannabis many times.

Flavor:  A translation of the aroma, the flavor is a mostly fruity and herbal flavor with equally-heavy hash and kief coming through. For the uninitiated, “hash” as an aroma is a sort of musty, spicy aroma that borders on smelling “dusty.” This weed tastes like that next to mango/papaya. Again, this is fairly unremarkable weed as far as flavor goes, but it definitely isn’t bad either.

Effects:  This is classic broadleaf smoke. This is relaxing and anxiolytic weed, making me generally care less about most things. It comes on like a Cadillac in idle—it is slow, smooth, steady, and one senses the power. The creeping effect is very mellowing, and really relieves my social (and other) anxieties. This isn’t face-meltingly strong, but it is strong enough that the real stoners won’t need to reach for a jar of OG after they smoke this. All in all, this is like a good, average, indica smoke. It comes on slow, smooth, and steady, and is strong enough to satisfy the THC craving of almost anyone. It isn’t overly sleepy, and is really versatile weed to be smoked on all kinds of occasions.

Overall:  This is extremely resinous weed, probably excellent for extractions. It is very easy to grow, requiring few inputs, water, or general care. This weed was grown by basically putting it outside in some soil with regular watering, and the resin production really couldn’t have been better. That being said, I do think that the aroma and flavor are both fairly basic and generic. The effects are enjoyable and versatile, but also quite generic—because of this, I do find myself smoking my other weeds a lot more often. I don’t have anything bad to say about this weed, but the only standout trait about this strain is probably the resin production. Beginners looking to make dry sift or water extractions might want to grow this one, as it is almost guaranteed they’ll have quite a bit of resin to play with at harvest.

FOUNTAIN CITY FLOWERS: Smoked Buds & Brisket in Kansas City

When I made plans to visit Kansas City, I knew the “BBQ” was going to be a highlight. What I didn’t anticipate is that Missouri is home to some of the best cannabis in the country—the flowers pictured here are some of the best I’ve smoked in the last year.

The featured cultivator is extremely private, and I won’t be revealing many details about their person or their garden. However, this individual meticulously minds their garden as well as garden space. Their subtle-but-unwavering attention to each detail reminds me of a Zen monk—everything is done regularly, like clockwork and with purpose, but without a shade of merely “going through the motions,” roboticism or OCD. This way of gardening (and way of being) really blurs lines between utility and grace, and function and form.

These flowers were grown in organic living soil with plenty of additives and bottled/bagged products. The cultivator keeps a strict regimen of when to add what, and is consistent with the practice. This consistency directly translates to quality in these wonderfully-cured and well-preserved flowers.

I am likely biased because this person chose to grow many of my own strains. However, I would like to think (and am fully confident) that even in a blind smoking test, I would find every one of these samples to be superb. When plants are grown expertly, they fully express their subtleties and nuances, and I personally would rather smoke the most generic strain from an expert cultivator over a rare and coveted variety grown with mediocre skill.

Fortunately, I don’t have to choose here—I consider most of these varieties to be rare, coveted, and grown with one of the greenest thumbs I know of.

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This Golden Goat x Cherry Limepop F2* is one of my own creations, and probably my (personally) most anticipated breeding project from the last year. Golden Goat is one of my all-time favorite smokes, and I unfortunately never got it on the blog after consistently growing this plant for about 7 years. Cherry Limepop is the best outdoor performer I have ever seen, and is equally stunning indoors. These flowers are a blend of both parents, but certainly not as I anticipated. There are vague tropical notes of Golden Goat (similar to Island Sweet Skunk), but more prevalent is a fruity flavor that makes me think of “red fruit basket.” I get notes of cranberry, bright red fruit tones, hint of cough drop, and a very strong note of sharpie marker. I even get spicy and bitter notes that remind me of a bourbon-made Manhattan cocktail. The flavor is remarkably more intense than the aroma, and a joint is fruity in the extreme, almost reminding me of a red hard candy and fruit basket through the roach. A simultaneously euphoric and relaxing creeper, this is an all-around stunner that never gets overwhelming, and is likely to be a crowd-pleaser.

*Read about Cherry Limepop F2 from Freeborn Selections here

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Riptide Rush* x Passionfruit Dakini** is a cross I made for fun, hoping for some phenotypes with THC/CBD blended profiles. The breeding certainly achieved just that! These flowers, while beautiful, resinous, and aromatic, hardly can be felt after smoking. They are even somewhat sticky, and some of the most dense flowers from this group. If I didn’t smoke the weed myself, I wouldn’t believe it was lacking in THC. However, I smoked an entire joint of this stuff to myself and felt a mild buzz. It could have been because it was my 6th joint of the day (!), but that theory was disproven by smoking joint number 7 (!) of a different weed and getting plenty stoned. I would be keenly interested in having these flowers tested, as I can only assume they’re unusually rich in CBD. I saw two females, one with a grapefruit and hop-like aroma very similar to Remedy (this seemed to have almost no THC), while the other female had much stronger grape skunk notes (similar to Riptide Rush, with some noticeable THC). They also possessed chemical tones of electric-toy-lubricant (if you’ve ever messed with model trains, you know what I’m talking about) that was really enjoyable and nostalgic. These will be highly valuable to any cultivator after a mixed profile of THC/CBD, or someone looking for a gorgeous hemp variety.

*Read about Riptide Rush here

**Read about Passionfruit Dakini here

This is the best AK-47* that I have smoked, or at least that I can remember. The buds are dense, and have a shape to them that reminds me of the AK-47 from the late ‘90s and early 2000s in the midwestern US. The aroma here is the best I have experienced in AK-47; it is sweet and fruity, but the character of the fruit seems to shift between a mango&papaya thing to cherry—it is hard to place. Once broken up, there is a cleaner-like tone that reminds me of OG Kush. It is a lysol-like note with just a dash of lemon. The other tones that come out strongly on breaking up the buds are fresh plastic and vinyl—I mean this really smells like plastic and vinyl, and the nuanced chemical funk pulls me in unlike other AK samples I’ve had in the past. This is the cultivator’s favorite smoke of all-time, and I can get behind any AK that has this much funk in it. A happy and uplifting smoke, the grower finds this one creative. I prefer just a bit more punch.

*Read about a different AK-47 sample here

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Gorilla Goji x Blueberry Sativa is a strain I traded for with a young handicapped man in Washington State, probably around 2012 or so (I then gifted the seeds to this cultivator). I wish I had stayed in touch with him (please contact me if you read this Chris!) because this weed is world-class. I believe Gorilla Goji is a cross of Gorilla Grape Gush and Goji OG, but I might have that slightly wrong. The Blueberry Sativa used is from DJ Short. In any case, these flowers have a stunning aroma that I have never experienced in cannabis before. Richly fruity and featuring the tell-tale DJ Short velvet note (think Flo, Blueberry, F13, etc.), this weed legitimately offers aromas of a Blue Raspberry slurpee, snowcone, jolly rancher, or cotton candy. The artificial (and unmistakable) “blue raspberry” note is prevailing here, a tart blueberry aroma with added artificial sweetness and a candy-like tone that doesn’t seem like real food (or anything from nature for that matter). The smoke is decidedly euphoric, and I encountered the tingling exhilaration that can only be had with sativas—in my experience, these sensations really only occur when smoking southeast asian varieties, Jack Herer, Mother’s Finest, or something from that vein. This weed is plenty strong, and the character of the smoke is what legends are made of. The flavor is oddly much closer to red apples than blue raspberry, but the occasional blueberry flavor does come through in the smoke. Bravo—blissful Blue Raspberry weed is real.

I regret not being able to smoke more of this Gharuwood aka Chloroform*, and to more thoroughly examine its traits. This cultivator grew four females to finish, and they ran the full gamut between parents—one plant smelled identical to Copper Chem, another smelled like sweet fruity bubblegum and haze, very close to Amnesia Haze. Both my and the cultivator’s favorite, the pictured flower smells like a razer-sharp version of Amnesia Haze with the slightest dash of Chemdog funk on the backend. It is sweet and sharp, like a fruit-flavored hairspray or perfume (it reminds me of a pear-perfume I bought for my sister when she was 16—overly fruity, overly zesty and in-your-face to appeal to a young person), and just a hint of orange creamsicle and grungy motor oil at the end. This breeding was really incidental more than anything (Amnesia Haze just happened to be in the room), but I couldn’t be more pleased. The effect is very strong and heady, bringing on euphoria and exhilarative effects before settling into a more classical stone. I could actually see this plant taking a cup—best of all worlds!

*See my own grow of Gharuwood report here

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This was an unknown seed that the grower mixed up with some others from Amsterdam. Based on the possible choices, we both decided this was likely Skunk #1. Boasting the best in-person bag appeal of the entire selection, this stunningly-beautiful plant exhibits purple and pink-accented, huge and resinous nugs. The buds are extremely dense and chunky as well, and make for jewels in a jar (or god forbid, a zip-loc). The aroma and flavor are unfortunately very generic, but this herb is plenty strong. It smokes like Skunk #1, and is a happy, long-lasting effect that doesn’t pull in any single direction of experience. Visually stunning and incredibly beautiful.

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I saved my personal favorite for last. This indoor Iraqi (Ranya) x 88G13HP* x OGxOGxJaroF2** is the whole package. A stunning hashplant, the extreme resin production as well as density hail from the mother in the cross. The aroma is a balance of both parents though—up front, I get notes of raisin scones and roasted fennel. It is a bizarre and awesome funk. When broken up, the buds exude more classic OG tones like sour-and-perfumey preserved lemon, gear grease, and motor oil. The flavor is like a more laid-back OG, with some funky nuance—the perfume, raisin, and preserved lemon come to the front with hints of industrial grease and tobacco. While all of these traits are nice, the real highlight is in the effects. This ganja smoke blends extreme potency, blissful euphoria, well-being, and relaxation all into the same experience. After smoking a joint, I actually requested we hang out in the cell phone lot prior to entering the airport—I was terrified of facing TSA and airline employees after this one. The almost unbearable intensity did subside quickly, and I am pretty sure I ended up levitating through airport security on this stuff. This is likely one of the greatest indicas I have personally created—the pollen donor from Freeborn Selections.

*Read about the mother of this cross, bred by Strayfox and Bodhi Seeds, here

**Read about my own outdoor-grown version, here (Unlike the outdoor, this indoor is not super sleepy)

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BBQ: BURNT ENDS, BRISKET, BEANS

Who could forget the munchies? This is the closest thing to terroir that I’ll be writing about from a metropolitan area like Kansas City. A historical hub for American cattle trade, KC is renowned for its beef barbeque. I had to indulge while there. Everything pictured is from Joe’s, which seems to hold the highest esteemed reputation by the local enthusiasts. I am no aficionado, but it all tasted great to me!

Featured below are ribs, burnt ends, beans, dirty rice, chicken gumbo, and a pork&sausage sandwich.