Strain:  Truth (unknown lineage, seems to involve some sort of Kush)

From:  Berkeley MMC

Pickup Date:  7/5/2011

Inspection Status:  Pass

Passing inspection with no signs of any trouble, this sample had a very dense and rocky structure and a crisp, dry texture that offered little give when squeezed.  The trichomes were a bit odd, with a lot of variation in height and head/stem size throughout the sample, as well as a good number that were damaged.  Still, the trich coverage was solid, and the selection of deep colors seemed to suggest an Indica lineage (one staff member felt that Bubba Kush could be involved for several reasons).  It was mostly free of guard leaves thanks to a thorough trim, but we did find some tiny seeds scattered throughout the buds, likely a result of self-pollination.

Part of the reason we are thinking Kush here is because of the smell and flavor package, which offer that same greasy, lingering dank flavor and deep, spicy smell as you’d find in a Bubba cross.  It lacks the often creamy elements and adds a sharper, more fuely/rubbery bite that really comes out when the sample is ground.  The flavor wasn’t quite as strong and abiding as the aroma was, but it was very similar, and did linger on the palate for a few minutes after smoking.  The rest of the smoking experience was fairly average, with a moderate amount of harshness and expansion which can definitely cause coughing.  A light medium-gray ash was the end product of this sample, showing that it had a quality flush.

We’ll keep researching and trying to find the origins of this strain and will update this post if we find anything.

Jack Flash Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Fresh Baked

Grade:  A

Type:  Hybrid (generally leans Sativa-dominant)

Lineage:  Jack Herer x Super Skunk

Price:  $35/8th

Strain:  303 Purps (Mendocino Purps x Unknown bagseed)

From:  Green Dream Health Services

Pickup Date:  6/12/2011

Inspection Status:  Pass

Before we even inspected this one closely, its tight structure and superb trim job impressed our crew.  The deep purple coloration interspersed with the fiery orange pistils made this an attractive sample, and it also seemed to gleam in the light thanks to the relatively thick coverage of clear and milky trichomes.  While we would’ve liked to perhaps see some amber heads, the effects were fairly narcotic as-is, so perhaps it was an intentional choice by the grow team.  We saw a hermie flower or two, but no signs of tiny seeds, so it didn’t seem to be a real problem.

We were very impressed by the aroma of this strain, which was all the things purple-lovers enjoy about the “family”, but sweeter and more directly fruity than many examples, losing the incense/floral qualities for a much more enjoyable (in our opinion) scent overall.  While the aroma was absolutely top-notch and ranking amongst our favorite Purple strains ever, the flavor just didn’t quite live up to that, giving a more neutral, soft, and floral flavor which lacked the superb sweetness of the aroma.  The smoke was very smooth and enjoyable throughout the experience, but the final ash was a murky dark gray with some flecks of white, showing that the flush could’ve been better.

Every “Purps”-lover out there would be doing themselves a favor by checking out this beautiful and fragrant example of the family from Green Dream.

Strain: Maple Leaf Indica

From: Colorado Apothecary and Wellness Center

Pickup Date: 6/1/2011

Inspection Status: Pass

This frosty-looking specimen passed inspection with no signs of any pest or pathogen issues and certainly impressed us with its overall trichome coverage as well as preservation.  The dense smaller nuggets that we received seemed to be lower buds, but had clearly been taken care of post-harvest, from the manicure to the cure, which left them perfectly brittle but not overly dry.  We also liked the harvest timing, especially for an Indica strain — there were a healthy amount of amber trichomes (~20-25%)  among the cloudy and clear heads.

This sample had a very interesting and fairly unique scent which had a mentholated quality to it, landing somewhere between the vegetal and spicy side of the spectrum — it’s not a nose-wrinkler, but it has a background sharpness that adds complexity to the package.  It was hard to pin down a distinct scent, but it was pleasurable and pungent nonetheless.  The flavor was again slightly mentholated, bringing to mind incense in a way — not particularly distinct, and it was mostly gone after 2 hits, but remained pleasant throughout the experience.  There was moderate expansion and some coughing, but that’s mostly to be expected with hearty Indica varieties such as this.

This isn’t a strain that we see around town much, so if you’ve been on the hunt for this old Sensi Seeds favorite, Colorado Apothecary and Wellness Center’s version is certainly worthy of a trial.

Name: House Blend Bubble Hash

From: Urban Dispensary

Type: Bubble hash, made from mixed strains

Price: $20/g

Grade: A-