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.