Origins and Backstory: I am not familiar with Buddha Seeds and their varieties in general. However, this beautiful flower is from the same grower that has brought me the other recent organic offerings, and I am not about to turn down cannabis this exquisite! By the breeder's report, this flower is the result of a cross of a "unnamed Californian OG Kush" and a reversed Pre 98 Bubba Kush clone. I believe the grower only germinated a single seed.
Appearance: These floral clusters are tightly packed, and heavily frosted. Pistils range from whitish to mellow-fire-orange. The green calyxes and slightly-tinged purple leaves give the flowers an overall platinum-blue-green appearance that is fairly striking. The structure of the flowers are dense but finger-like as opposed to a Christmas-tree shape. Overall beautiful looking flowers, but nothing too stand-out besides the seeming blue-platinum sheen.
Aroma: The aroma is fairly rich and complex, but most striking and immediate are the uncanny aromas of lemon pledge and Lysol. It is really bizarre how accurately these flowers smell like these cleaning products, and it certainly makes one wonder at the awe of nature. The second notes I notice are skunk and garlic-onion, almost like a homeless person who has been eating Indian food. More subtly, tones of industrial manufacturing make their way through the bouquet. This scent is a combination of freshly-formed plastic, latex, rubber, and industrial petroleum products. I want to add a caveat to this--most OG Kush is heavily fuel/gasoline smelling, and the oil/petroleum notes have a strong emphasis. This flower really does not have these signature OG notes, and the only thing I'd categorize as "OG" about this sample is the lemon pledge/lysol. Really though, it is more reminiscent of Lemon Diesel than an OG.
Flavor: The smoke loses some of the grunge of the aroma, and picks up some serious sweetness. The flavor is overall is like a lemon pledge pound cake served on a latex glove. It is really weird, and really awesome. Each specific note comes through distinctly, and yet they all blend into a single experience that changes throughout a bowl. Some hits lean more lemon cake, while others tend more toward sweet onion and melted latex. Unfortunately, there is not much lingering on the palate afterward--typically OGs coat the mouth in a skunky and tangy fuel-like sensation. Definitely above average.
Effects: Immediately felt behind the eyes and in the body, this smoke is relaxing and mellowing at first. I instantly feel my thoughts start to loosen up and some of my daily stress melt away as my spine slinks back a bit. Buddha Kush comes on in the forehead and brow, giving the instant effects of feeling like a pleasantly-content Neanderthal. It is a bit like Headband in the sense that the user feels as if they are wearing a hat or--headband. The potency is comparable to a diesel, headband, or OG--this flower is super potent, and just a few hits had me sweating in paranoia as I attempted to decipher my Swiss landlady's passive-aggressive communication style--of course she would drop in while I'm doing this review. Overall the effect is really powerful, with both euphoric and relaxing elements. This is an all-around pleaser, and I ended up having a blast endeavoring in writing, some guitar playing, and conversation with a friend. I seemed a bit more enthusiastic, almost giddy in all of the above activities.
Overall: I tend to smoke varietals from seed companies I've never heard of with some skepticism, but this sample was pretty impressive. I attribute this more to my friend's growing technique than genetics, but certainly genetics were not a limiting factor here. Buddha OG Kush (or Buddha OG? I believe the name has changed since my friend acquired his seeds) is best in the flavor department in my opinion, with the effect following behind. The aroma was interesting, but there was nothing novel about it. I imagine a real winner could be found if someone hunted a full pack of these seeds--there was enough complexity in the bouquet to promise more potential deeper in the genetic line. Buddha OG is an overall winner, probably a good settle-in-after-work staple. However, this strain will do nothing for growers after exotics, and offers nothing innovative to the cannabis gene pool.