Irene from The Russian Assassin Boyz via #TraditionalDTLA on 3/19/2021 (big thanks to them both for making it happen!). THC not listed on this batch. I was gifted this bag but from what I see on Traditionals Menu, it looks like it would go for about $33.50 plus tax if available. After the first impressions of their Wonka hit my page, I got a few messages saying Irene was THE strain to try from the Russian Assassin Boyz, so I was stoked to see it was one of two strains in my newly acquired sample pack. The surface of these trident-esque buds are mostly a mix of raisin and aubergine with rashes of emerald and mint green, pronounced wisps of lanky tiger orange pistils, all of which is heavily engulfed in a dense flocking of egg cream colored triches.

The nose out of the bag is an intensely savory GMO like smell (which I’m told is due to the Chem in the lineage) with a battery acid edge and some underlying sweetness coupled with a very distant touch of cream. Busting open a bud, that intense savoriness stays dominant but there’s a pastry sweetness that emerges, all while still being wrapped in this acidic tinge. Breaking it down by hand, it leaves a light savory scent on the fingers with a touch of sweetness, while the grinds themselves are undeniably savory, the scent shifts slightly and dips into tones of anise or black licorice. The dry pull on the joint is super strong in that savory chem characteristic to the point it feels like it coats your tongue and it’s all you can taste. The inhale on both the joint and the bong is smooth, and the former has a savory hashy taste with a noticeable tang, while the latter I’d describe simply as a sweet hashy gas. The exhale on the joint is super savory and has a gassy aspect that leans slightly sour, whereas the bong is a bit harder to pin down, as it hits me with that savory gas but also has a light sweetness kicking around in the background. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a heavy floral with a perfume kick, where at 185c it’s still extremely floral but has a light pine element that morphs into a hoppy beer like aftertaste. The headchange comes on quick and smacks like a fully loaded Mack truck. I was totally caught off guard by it the first time I tried it, one bowl had me spacey and slack jawed, and when I came back to earth I started messaging my group chats about how it absolutely obliterated me. Physically, a calm set in near immediately as a hazy glaze made its way across my eyes, and a bit of weight settled into my shoulders and lower back. Mentally, I found myself constantly losing the thread and generally confused when challenged with simple things like spelling common words, however that cognitive chokehold laid off fairly quickly and was replaced by a chill easy going vibe that left me feeling mellow and not wanting for more. All and all, this batch of Irene is some fantastic smoke for any time you want to get truly blasted to the point you lose touch with planet earth. Even now, after growing accustomed to it’s slap, I still approach with caution as it manages to put me on the ropes no matter the time of day. While I’m able to manage certain tasks and get through my to do list with the aid of a strong cup of coffee, if I’m at all tired, Irene will for sure have me down for the count within minutes. I really enjoyed my time with this batch and I definitely plan on picking more up again in the future. Fantastic flower Russian Assassin Boyz, you absolutely killed it on this one, keep up the awesome work!