Freeborn Selections Limepop Kush F3

Origins and Backstory:  I purchased these seeds at the Emerald Cup—they are @meangenefrommendocino’s cross of the famous Ghost OG Kush and Mean Gene’s Limepop 5—this hybrid was then bred to the F3 generation. I selected a single male from the pack to use for pollenations, based on stem rub aroma and vigor. Five female phenotypes were grown out and pollenated to make the F4 generation. I grew these indoors organically in soil. They were all uniform, so this review equally applies to the whole gang.

Appearance:  Like a typical OG, The Limepop Kush grows lime green pyramid-sloped buds with heavy tops. I didn’t realize how OG heavy the genes on this cross were until late into flowering, when the plants started to look (and smell) like OG Kush. The finished flowers are pinecone shaped fingerling buds, with the terminal calyxes stacking to appear almost like little crowns. This really looks every part of a classic OG plant, and finished flowers are no different.

Aroma: The Limepop really comes through in the aroma and flavor, a match made in heaven for an already funky/citrusy plant like Ghost OG. While the plants predominantly smelled of Lime rind, turpentine, and classic OG, notes among phenotypes ranged through candied ginger, lime freezer pops, 7Up, rubber, tarmac, Pledge/Pinesol, perfume, lemon warhead candies, and gasoline. The most dominant aromas are lime, lemon, ginger, and various chemical solvents—it is really a bizarre combination of pleasant citrusy aromas and harsh janitorial scents. There is definitely a “pop” or “Soda” element to the aroma as well; the smell is not like cracking open a lime, but makes me think of drinking a lime-flavored soft drink. The union of these seemingly-unrelated scent profiles is really lovely, and it is rare that I can say someone has done something different, unique, and interesting with an OG. However, this is one of those rare occasions! The bouquet is typical of an OG, but is unique enough to inspire intrigue. The unique aroma, which I have not experienced in cannabis, differentiates itself from other clone-only OGs as well as any I have seen in seed form.

Flavor:  The bouquet translates well to flavor on Limpeop Kush, yielding a deeply citrusy, janitorial/chemical flavor that hits on many subtleties and complexities. It encourages one to repeatedly taste one’s own palate, smack lips and tongue, and really just to savor the experience. The citrus comes through strongly as does the ginger. One pheno in particular tasted of ginger snaps with artificial lime flavoring, while another leaned heavily toward lemon pledge and turpentine. There is an element of bitterness and funk as well, which pushes the bright lemon aromas into more of a bitter lemon/lime rind flavor. The flavor is less sweet than the smell, but certainly more funky, which I welcome with open arms (and mouth). Another phenotype was reminiscent of Pure Kush, with a velvety softness not far from marshmallow and vanilla—flavors I have experienced in Hollywood Pure Kush as well as Lucky Charms. The flavor is just as enjoyable as the smell, and just as novel. It is incredibly rare to experience such a well-composed collection of flavors all in a single plant, and it is flavors like this one that remind me why Freeborn Selections is considered a top-tier seed company.

Effects:  Limepop Kush has a quickly-setting stone, and characteristics like instant-nose-crinkling, forehead sweating, and a head rush that can be somewhat similar to tobacco. The effects are classically OG for the first couple minutes. The high starts to differentiate itself as time goes on, and LPK is reliably uplifting, euphoric, and happy. While some plants are more relaxing or mellow, LPK consistently gives me a happy effect that inspires smiles, a feel-good attitude, and strong sense of well being and optimism. The feeling isn’t incredibly long-lived, as it settles back into a more relaxed, numbing, silly-dumb kind of high after an hour or two of looking at the glass as half-full. The effect does settle down into a high I typically associate with indicas, so this can be a tricky one for day smoking. Morning smoke is great on this one, but the comedown is on the heavy side and can interfere with plans later on.

Overall: Limepop Kush is one of the more unique strains to make it in my garden recently. She really shines in her structure, aroma, and flavor, which are all exceptional. Not only are these aspects of LPK incredibly desirable, but the aroma and flavor really cannot be found elsewhere in my experience. I’ve smelled some plants that were mildly similar, but the overlap is only slight, and LPK really has her own thing going on. Her delightfully-effervescent lime flavor (layered with all the chemical aromas is really something else) kept me coming back for more, and I depleted jars of LPK much faster than Pillow Book (I harvested these at the same time, and so I constantly had to make a choice between which of the two I wanted to smoke). I did make the mistake, many times over, of smoking LPK in the morning. The optimistic euphoria is really an incredible way to start your day, but the foggy comedown was less than ideal for me. This is a really great strain for commercial cultivators and the home-growing connoisseur alike. I would especially recommend this to fans of OG looking for fresh terpene profiles.

Bodhi Seeds Pillow Book

Origins and Backstory:  I received these seeds as testers, before Bodhi had named them. They are a cross of the famous clone-only Master Kush (one of my personal favorite indicas of all time) and Bodhi’s Purple Unicon F3 male. Purple Unicorn is a cross of Chemdog D and Blackberry Widow. I grew out 5 different females after germinating 11 seeds indoors in organic soil rasied beds irrigated by blumats. The plants were given pure RO water throughout the entirety of their life, and were grown under 315W CMH lights until their final 4 weeks of flowering, when they were finished under a mixed spectrum 3000K/1750K Timber LED.

Appearance:  All phenotypes had varying degrees of purple or magenta hues, with some bordering on dark pink. The bag appeal of Pillow Book is extremely high; the flowers are chunky, full, almost entirely purple (some phenotypes exhibited half green half purple), and covered in resin. The pistils are are a bright and striking orange, which really contrasts with the darker anthocynanin pigments underneath. The flowers are dense without being overly-so, and just look like classic high-quality purple bud. The only difference is in the structure; Pillow Book yields significantly more than any of the classic purple clones that I know of, and her flowers form much longer clusters, as opposed to the golf ball-like structuring of Purple Urkel and similar strains. Pillow Book is a beautiful strain whether she is alive in the ground, or ready to smoke in a jar.

Aroma:  The theme among all the phenotypes is a musty-sweet-floral perfume. “Purple” isn’t an aroma unless you smoke weed—Pillow Book smells plenty “purple” for those in the know. Pillow Book is sweet, perfumey and feminine, with heavy notes of varying berries and skunk. The more subtle notes ranged from every berry on the planet, to captain crunchberry cereal (it’s uncanny how similar the aromas are), to gnarly skunk funk, hints of onion/garlic, fresh plastic, hash, grape kool-aid mix, and extremely light notes of nail polish remover. There is a lot of hunting to be done in this one. Since there’s so much variation, the grower can really take their pick. Most of the plants are pretty loud, but one was more muted. My personal favorites were the most diverse and multi-layered phenotyes that had a bit of evertyhing. These plants definitely emphasized the floral perfuminess and sweet grape notes, but had some funk to keep things interesting.

Flavor:  Pillow Book’s aroma translates pretty well to flavor—it is musty, sweet, floral, perfume-heavy, and expresses berry flavors of all kinds. The phenotype that smelled like crunchberry cereal tasted like it as well! The flavor is pretty satisfying, and I would liken it to a decent craft beer after work. It is not the $20 Belgian tripel flavor that you bring out on special occasions, but is a satisfying and classic “dank” flavor that any cannabis enthusiast can appreciate. Most of the more exciting notes like candy, kool-aid, onion, and nail polish from the aroma are unfortunately lost in flavor. The taste of Pillow Book’s smoke is more generic than most of what I smoke, but is certainly still enjoyable.

Effects:  This is classic “good-night” bud, and is my go-to when sleep is the goal. The buzz is reminiscent of Master Kush; it is a sleepy, relaxed, chill feeling that is hard to overdo. Paranoia is almost nonexistent with Pillow Book. You’ll never get the feeling that you’re an alien amongst humans (or is that just me?) you might get with OG and comparable varieties. If you oversmoke on Pillow Book, you’ll just get really sleepy and tired behind the eyes. This herb comes on quickly, but its full effects take some time to creep up. This makes it a satisfying after-work smoke when you just want something to hit, but it will also build on itself. Pillow Book is a reliable “everyday driver,” a great indica smoke to have around for casual smoking. It is great for social situations since it is so mellow, but is also ideal right before bed for a good night’s sleep.

Overall: Pillow Book is a great strain to have on the shelf for any indica enthusiast. I struggle to describe it without disparaging it—it is the most exotic generic strain that I know of. None of Pillow Book’s traits, on their own, would qualify this as exotic herb. However, the combination of some of the traits are indeed very unusual. To have such a beautiful and consistently purple strain with great yields is great, but has been done before—but to have all of the above in combination with skunky dank aromas, and a potent kush stone, indeed makes this a bit of a unicorn of purples. The aroma is completely different from the more classic purple cultivars like Urkel and GDP, but is excellent in its own rite. This is a great choice for commercial producers, or an indica home-grower who appreciates a good yield, and wants something new to play with. Pillow Book is a fun strain to grow, and a great one to have on hand.

Swami Organic Seed Northern Lights #5 x Neville's Haze F5

Origins and Backstory:  Northern Lights #5 and the Original Haze are two of the most legendary sativas in the cannabis community. They were hybridized long ago by the late and famous Neville—these seeds from 1989 were kept and passed on (I believe by Clackamas Coot?) to Swami Seed, who has bred them to the F6 generation as of this writing. I purchased the seed at F5, and that is the plant being reviewed here. Both parents have rich histories (and effects to match), and the mere idea of combining their genes is enough to elicit a buzz in a true sativa lover.

Appearance:  Obviously a hazy sativa, these flowers have small-but-totally-resin-covered calyxes and pistils protruding in all directions. It is really a striking look—however, since the pistils are so delicate, sativas like this often do not look half as good by the time they reach a consumer in a typical market. One of the myriad benefits of being a cultivator (or knowing one) is being able to get fresh and in-tact sativa buds. Flowers are a light and lime green, with calyxes stacking in small groups and then growing outward from the stem—this gives the sense that the flowers are spiky. They look almost evil or sinister in a way, almost like a cactus. Foxtails are fairly common. Some clusters are a bit airy, definitely not the densely formed indica flowers that most smokers are used to. However, with all the exposed surface area, it gives the consumer a good view into the intact resin glands (one can see they’re intact if the flowers sparkle or shimmer in light, as opposed to being merely “crystally” with a white appearance).

Aroma: The bouquet is reminiscent of many other sativas with Dutch origins. However, I will give a full description for the uninitiated—these varieties are increasingly rare, especially in north America. Overall, the aroma is sweet, spicy, and botanical. The most prominent notes are pine, eucalyptus, frankincense, black pepper, and various aromatic woods. I found it particularly intriguing that many newer American smokers are generally put off by the aroma of this flower. However, a friend from London visited me and sampled this smoke, and commented that it was “classic cannabis scent, definitely not going to be able to hide if you get pulled over with that one!” I thought his comment was intriguing, given that “classic cannabis scent” to most Americans means skunky, putrid, and/or gassy. This varietal does not exhibit any of these traits, but it goes to show the geographical differences in cannabis preferences. The pine, frankincense, and eucalyptus make for a refreshing aroma, one that certainly is not common in north American dispensaries. The aroma is intriguing and while I personally find it very pleasant, it elicits either a love or hate response from others. The smell is interesting, but not the highest point of the flower.

Flavor:  If this weed weren’t so damn potent, the flavor and appearance would really be the show stealers. The flavor of the smoke is extremely unique. It is slightly sweet, piney and botanical, almost effervescent, with very strong incense-like qualities reminiscent of frankincense used in catholic church services. The flavor is first and foremost sweet, piney, and frankincense-incense like. The sweetness is not fruity or candied like so many popular American varieties today, but is a subtle sweetness like that of grass on a prairie. There are many subtle flavors that come out further down in a joint, or are only present in some hits from a bowl—these include mint and menthol, compost, and some other very exotic spice-like notes that I have no idea how to describe with words. The flavor is fairly mild, especially when speaking relatively next to OG and Chem varieties. However, it is stunning in its own rite. The flavor is incredibly unique and really only found in very particular haze lines—I am a lover of it, but maybe hit is only because I have come to associate the one-of-a-kind flavor and aroma with the equally unique effects. In any case, the strange and special combination of flavors comes together beautifully in a flavor profile that is not really seen in any other cultivars.

Effects:  The effects of this varietal are almost unparalleled, especially in today’s market. It is a soaring and euphoric sativa , and does not sacrifice the slightest bit of potency. In fact, it may be one of the most potent sativas available. The only comparable sativas I can think of are Neville’s Haze (the father of this variety), pure Thai, and the occasional and truly exceptional batch of Jack Herer or Mother’s Finest. The effect is overall racing, cerebral, paranoid, and almost psychedelic. Sometimes after smoking this herb, I have visual light tracing effects. There is a near instant shift in how one thinks, as one begins to associate concepts and ideas that are only loosely related—definitely a creativity-inducer! The effects onset immediately, but do not fully come on for at least 20 minutes, but usually even longer. One is high almost instantly when smoking this herb, but the near-overwhelming potency and paranoia will not kick in for about half an hour—which means care should be taken when using this flower! This can be very fun smoke when taken in the right setting, but can also be an anxiety-inducing smoke when used in the wrong one. With friends, this herb makes me silly, giggly, and probably drops me a few IQ points. It can really loosen up a mood. However, this is not active and motivational smoke, despite being a sativa—when I have smoked this cannabis prior to engaging in my “to-do” list, my list usually does not get done. If I go to a public space, I am generally overwhelmed with anxiety and a feeling that everybody is watching, or at least judging me. It is a general social dysphoria, and can come on with little or no warning. If you are immune to these effects in cannabis as some of my friends have claimed, I would strongly encourage sampling this flower—it might give you an experience you’ll never forget! If the reader enjoys horror movies, they could probably forget Netflix for a night, and simply smoke some of this varietal before running errands. Terrifying indeed!

Overall:  This is one of the greatest sativas on the market today, and nonetheless available in seed form! After growing it, it is pretty obvious why it’s not commercially available. While it does not exhibit many of the typical shortcomings of sativa varieties (i.e. extended flowering time, low yields, etc.), the reasons for keeping this out of a commercial facility are understandable. The plant grows tall and is structurally a bit scattered, and the buds are somewhat airy as well as leafy. This makes canopy management difficult for mass production, and trimming is certainly not an easy activity. Even if a commercial cultivator could get over these hurdles, the flower quality and bag appeal quickly degrade with packaging and transportation—much faster than a “golf ball” structured indica might. There are just too many opportunities for this flower to go awry in a commercial setting. However, the quality of smoke is enough to keep any serious enthusiast or small-scale grower engaged. The potency is unparalleled, even by many indicas and OG plants—it is truly in a league of its own. The frankincense and typical “haze” aromas will be a point of nostalgia for many smokers as well, and I frequently receive messages on instagram being asked if the variety smells of frankincense. I personally love having jars of this on my shelf, and it is a great option to impress friends with sheer sativa potency or euphoria, or to induce silliness and giggles into a gathering. However, it is not a jar I reach for for an everyday smoke, as it can be too much at times. I am struggling to produce an apt analogy, but it might be like having a James Bond replica vehicle as a daily driver—I certainly wouldn’t complain about driving such a vehicle, but something about it just isn’t ideally suited for going to the grocery store, and is over the top in some regards. Overall, this is a variety absolutely worth trying, and running enough to have some flowers on the shelf at any given time. It is incredibly special in many different ways, but she won’t be in my flower room every cycle.

Blackberry Kush

Origins and Backstory:  The now-famous Blackberry Kush clone hails from the Pacific Northwest. It is a stout broadleaf indica that tends to turn purple and universally produces buds with exceptional bag appeal. I have heard different stories about her ancestry, but the most plausible include Purple Indica (another old school indica from the PNW), DJ Short’s Blueberry, and/or Afghani. She has since found her way to Colorado, and this was grown by a mountain hermit friend of mine.

Appearance:  One of the highest points of this flower, Blackberry Kush consistently looks amazing. BK plants produce rounded and dense golf-ball shaped buds, always glistening in resin with bright orange pistils. It really is gorgeous herb, an even mixture of purple and green pigments. The buds are always thick and “juicy” appearing, really drawing the eye (and potential buyer). It is pretty uncommon to get purely green Blackberry Kush, and the appearance contributes to the novelty of the cultivar just as much as the aroma. The ball-like purpleish buds usually look something like crystal-crusted alien black berries when they’re in a bag or jar. This is a dime of a plant.

Aroma:  True to its name, these flowers smell distinctly of blackberries. There are also very strong blueberry scents, and less pronounced notes of fruits and other ambiguous berries—nectarine, bilberry, raspberry, black currants to name the ones I can detect. Strong scents of honey and apple blossom are notable as well, really adding to a complex and deliciously-fruity bouquet. Overall, this bud smells almost like a bowl of berries generously topped with honey, or maybe a mixed-berry mead. It is sweet, fruity, and dessert-like. The smell is soft and velvety, smooth in a way that I would describe as an olfactory suede. There is a very mild earth-like compost aroma, and some hints of the classic middle eastern spice and must that I associate with the “Kush” moniker. The bouquet is the high point of Blackberry Kush, thoroughly enticing lovers of sweet but complex varieties.

Flavor:  Blackberry Kush tastes like the aroma, but the emphasis shifts from fruit more to the Kush side of things. There is blackberry, but it is only a background note, while the sensation of prominence is a skunky, dank, spicy Kush flavor that coats the mouth in the classic “dank” flavor. Blueberry follows close behind. It is really satisfying to get a green hit of this herb out of clean glass. One’s mouth is left just sopping with a skunky-botanical-berry flavor, and I am often licking the insides of my cheeks and palate after smoking this one.

Effects:  Unfortunately, this is the singular dimension that Blackberry Kush is lackluster. The effects set in relatively quickly—Blackberry Kush is always laid back, relaxed, and mellow. It is almost impossible to smoke too much, and I have heavily binged on this flower with no couchlock or paranoia. Blackberry Kush is anxiolytic, and might be perfect for someone with high anxiety and a low tolerance. I on the other hand, am rarely satisfied by the effect of Blackberry Kush. I have never had a sample from any grower that I would describe as potent. It is a mellow and generic pick-me-up, but I almost always find myself smoking something stronger an hour or less later.

Overall:  Blackberry Kush has been a popular producer for many reasons—the plant flowers relatively quickly, and produces stunningly-beautiful floral clusters covered in resin, and always accented by royal purple hues. A bag stinks from a room away, but up close smells enticingly of fresh fruit and exotic spice. Her buds are dense grenades of purple-tinted trichomes that smell ambrosial. It is a real shame that this variety was not bred with much potency in mind. Or, maybe I need to lower my tolerance—in any case, the effects don’t quite do it for me. I always smoke something stronger after enjoying some Blackberry Kush. She is the premature ejaculator of cannabis—so get your fun in at the beginning of the experience with foreplay! Really savor the bag appeal, the aroma, and the flavor of this smoke. Breaking up buds by hand is extremely enjoyable, and I’d recommend paying close attention. If you’re an OG head—make sure to keep some tucked close by, because your receptors may be found wanting.