Origins and Backstory: Bred by the famous @meangenefrommendocino from Freeborn Selections, SCDK is quite the doozy. The lineage, straight from the horse’s mouth, goes as follows:
Pure Kush x Sour Diesel x Pure Kush x Purple Urkel x Black Afghani x Pure Kush x Skywalker x Pure Kush x Hindu x Big Red
There’s a lot of Pure Kush in the lineage, and a lot of back-crossing and inbreeding. The reader might also notice the lineage seems like a balance between many of the classical tried-and-true varietals (OG, Pure Kush, Urkel, Sour D) with some of the more unique heirloom varieties Gene is famous for (Hindu, Big Red, Black Afghan) tied in. This strain’s lineage more or less has mean gene written all over it!
Appearance: While flowering, the plants in the garden had a “look” to them—I have only been growing about 10 years, but sometimes I will notice a plant that just looks special. Some are obvious (extreme frost, color, structure, etc.) but the SCDK is much more subtle. It is the cannabis equivalent of a martial artist; when an experienced fighter enters a room, he’s confident but does not need everybody to know. Most people can sense the confidence, but it is understated—this is more or less SCDK! She looks beautiful and incredibly dank, but does not stand out from afar the way the more glamorous varietals might. All my outdoor SCDK plants stayed green, even though they finished with typical CO temperature swings—very hot days, and very cold nights. These plants went into the 30s and even 20s for a brief period of time without turning purple. They did get extremely dense however, and the resin production is spectacular. This herb just looks like classically-dank, chunky, indica greenbud. While not colorful by any means, the structure/density coupled with extreme resin coverage gives SCDK significant bag appeal. The appearance is actually a high point of the flower, especially when on the live plant.
Aroma: The smell is absolutely the highlight of this flower for me. Most growers I’ve seen have described SCDK as green melon and WD40—yes, I can notice these. It is sweet, not quite candied but close, with both natural aromas like fruit and artificial solvent-tones equally present. There is a note of extreme freshness that brings “spring” to mind, and almost makes me think of Irish Spring soap or some similar hygiene product. The smell is simultaneously sweet/fruity, chemical/funky, and fresh/alluring. This is classically-attractive greenbud.
Flavor: The flavor of this herb hits every single note of the aroma out of a clean pipe, and is simultaneously new and familiar. The green melon is dominant, as are clasically-dank flavors like soap and WD40 solvent. It is really bizarre and weird, and again—it is these artificial notes that seemingly don’t belong in the plant kingdom that first got me fascinated with cannabis (that and its anxiolytic properties!). The flavors are intense and carry through the bowl to an extent. The green melon and classically-dank skunky notes are omnipresent, but the barbasol and soap notes quickly fade and give way to more herbaceous notes. I even noted menthol on some hits. Each hit is nose-crinkling and full of terpenes as well as cannabinoids, making each individual toke a satisfying experience.
Effects: SCDK’s effect is typical of high quality greenbud, but is enjoyably potent, warm, and comforting. I can feel the effect settle in a few seconds after exhaling, with a mild headrush. However, the effect is more settled and less euphoric than most smokes that start out that way. The stone settles in the forehead, temples, and really just all over the head in general. I can feel my body relax, and the little tensions in my musculature dissolve to nothing. This is classic. It is happy, warm, sweet, strong, comforting, and relaxing. This won’t have you passed out on the couch from supreme potency, and it won’t have your heart racing with excitement, anxiety, or paranoia. Sky Cuddler Double Kush makes sweet times a bit sweeter, and is an embodiment of all the things that made me personally fall in love with weed in the first place—it enhances almost everything. I notice I’m more grateful, more considerate, more aware, and just generally a better version of myself when I smoke Sky Cuddler Double Kush. As Bob Marley said, “the herb reveals you to yourself.” How true that is of Sky Cuddler Double Kush. SCDK is versatile weed, and a great choice for almost every occasion.
Overall: This is another exceptional example of American weed from Freeborn Selections and @meangenefrommendocino. Every trait is a high point on both the living plant as well as the dried flower. My plants were self-supporting with generous yields, and really beautiful to look at in the garden. The impressive and nuanced aroma is new and familiar at the same time, which is both intriguing and comforting. This one will keep you coming back with its warm, blissful effect and deeply satisfying flavor. This is versatile weed, making it a great daily driver and one to keep on the shelf. It was difficult for me to make sense of so many people raving about SCDK when all of the detailed reviews just made it sound like “normal” weed. This is certainly classic, familiar, and predictable—but it is in all the best ways, with a balance of its own unique spin. My experience of Sky Cuddler Double Kush is how I would imagine it to be falling in love with your wife a second time; smoking this weed is a potent reminder why we fell in love with cannabis to begin with.