Origins and Backstory: This was bred by @trichome.fields.forever and @hawaiianheirloomgenetics. The Hashplant 13 mother is a legendary plant that I have never even seen, whether in flower, concentrate, plant, or any other form. I have only seen it reviewed in the cannabible—the author, Jason King, raves about HP13 like it is God’s gift to man. The clone apparently has a history in NYC as well as Hawaii, but it seems to have less of an “exclusive” factor on the island. I was lucky enough to be gifted these seeds. Pog is another famous Hawaiian heirloom, but I’ve never seen/heard of it off of the island. It is a cross of Skunkdog and HP13. I believe the Pogdawg is a Pog x Chemdog plant, but I am actually not sure of the details on this one. In any case, this is a mashup of classic and rare Hawaiian heirlooms that I have always wanted to try.
Appearance: Although broad-leafed, these plants grew tall and lanky, requiring support. The flowers remind me of something halfway between modern cannabis and old-school Thai weed. The flowers are not exactly airy, but they tend to foxtail and stack spires of calyxes—this is a specifically Thai trait in my experience, and I was very surprised to see it here! Despite taking this plant to 90 days of 12/12 before harvesting, none of the pistils had matured by time of harvest. One can see the harvested flowers at the bottom of this post; all the pistils remain white. It is possible they could have finished if I had allowed longer flowering. The resin production on these plants is excellent, and the appearance really reminds me of high quality sativa weed from 2000s Amsterdam.
Aroma: Truly bizarre, the aroma is the high point of this flower. It is simultaneously sweet and savory, offering fruity notes, garlic salt, and other culinary notes that are normally never coupled. There is freshly-chopped white onion and equally-strong notes of as green melon, guava, and fruit punch (Hawaiian-C?). Oregano is also prominent, as is mustard, pickles, and a velveteen spice and floral/ perfume-like back end. It’s a complex smell that is something like a salad a five year old might make. The combinations of sweet honeydew and raw onion are attractive, and possibly the most unique thing on my shelf right now. The sweet, fruit-juice notes seem out of place with the salty, garlic/onion/oregano that reminds me of Italian cooking. I have definitely never smelled weed like this before, and it is awesome. It is a bizarre mix of attractive/repulsive tones, seemingly out of place, that most ganja enthusiasts come to love.
Flavor: The flavor of this weed is spectacular. Nuanced and layered, a clean pipe makes all the difference! You can taste onion up front, but the flavor lingering in my mouth is like a sour, green apple jolly rancher. It is not super-sweet like candy, but the flavor is there. There are also some really beautiful and soft floral/perfumey notes that come through the back end, and remind me of Thai and Cambodian landraces I’ve smoked. It is a like a mildly spicy perfume, but mostly floral—it’s a rare but distinct aroma in weed that I wish I saw more of! Overall, the flavor is an experience of mildly sour, green-apple-melon-onion perfume tones. Killer and extremely unique—I think what I enjoy most is the diversity, complexity, and strange combinations of flavors you don’t normally associate with one another. The exotic floral spice I associate with southeast Asian sativas is icing on the cake. The taste is on par with the aroma—excellent.
Effects: This weed is deceivingly potent (all white pistils..?), and is at once euphoric/rushing and relaxing. I find that my inner state goes on a roller coaster ride with this one. Similarly to the aroma, the effect is pulling in two opposing directions. I get giddy belly rushes of excited euphoria that make me feel like a small child. These are immediately followed by calm, centered, and grounded feelings of gratitude, finished off with paranoid thoughts about my nosy neighbors—I seem to be all over the place with this one! The seeming unpredictability makes this a bit of a wildcard, and I smoke it when some “wildcard weed” seems appropriate—social events with friends, feeling like an unusual evening experience, etc. Hashplant 13 x Pogdawg seems to offer something in all occasions, and makes for a fun smoke on all occasions. My only complaint is that the effect is somewhat short-lived, or at least the euphoric aspect. This calls for relatively frequent smoking, and can lead to burnout early in the day.
Overall: This is extremely unique and high quality cannabis. Every aspect of this weed is unlike any other I’ve smoked really—the appearance is somewhere between high-grade indoor frost-covered commercial strains, and a wild equatorial landrace. The white pistils and platinum sheen of resin make for a striking and unique appearance. The smell is even more captivating; the savory Italian cooking notes mix warmly with the cool, refreshing, sweet-fruity-tropical tones to make a richly layered smell I’ve never experienced elsewhere. The closest thing would be a freshly-baked pizza next to a high-end floral fruit smoothie. On top of it all is a rich, woody, floral-perfume-spice that brings me back to pure Thai and Cambodian weed. The aroma is nuanced, complex, and on par with any weed I’ve ever smoked. This translates to flavor. While not extremely “dank” and mouth-coating, the flavor is enjoyable, nuanced, and one can detect every note from the bouquet. The equally-novel mixture of effects and unpredictability of this weed make it a fun smoke that I don’t take down from the shelf often. However, when I do, I know it is a special occasion that will be remembered (or, won’t!). I understand the legend of Hashplant 13 if it is anything like this herb, and I also understand the Hawaiian enthusiasm for Pog and Pogdawg. Growing and smoking this cultivar are both fantastic experiences, and the quality of this seed is on par with any others I’ve grown.