Sherb Cake from Indoor Organic Gardens

Sherb Cake (Wedding Cake x Sunset Sherbet) from Indoor Organic Gardens received as a birthday present on 8/21/19. It’s still fascinating to me that the same genetics can yield two completely different plants. While this is a sister to the Raspberry Cheesecake there are subtle differences that make for a unique smoking experience. While equally impressive on the visual front these buds split the color spectrum from bright lime green to deep purple hues all while carrying forward the same burnt orange hairs and immaculate frosting of triches demonstrated by its sibling.

The nose out of the bag is sweet with a backend of mint and pine. On the nug break the pine makes its way to the forefront. On the hand grind that sweetness really comes out and leaves just a bit of stickiness on the finger tips. I’d describe this sweetness as more of a sugary sweet, it hits my nose sort of a like a vanilla frosting, as opposed to the berry powered sweetness of its sister. The inhale is smooth and on the exhale I catch a bit of vanilla sweetness. The headchange comes on fast and you’ll quickly lose track of what you were doing just before you sat down to smoke. It’s got a similar thwack to the cheesecake in the sense that it leaves you dazed in most pleasant way without sapping you of your energy so you can actually enjoy your buzz. It’s the type of herb that puts you in a fantastic mood and is an awesome way to usher in the weekend on a Friday afternoon. Whatever your plans might be, as long as they don’t require supreme focus, you’ll find yourself having a blast after getting some Sherb Cake in your lungs. I really can’t thank the team at IOG enough, not only for gifting me with these sweet samples, but for putting out some of the best cannabis in existence period. While I haven’t tried everything they’ve produced, I’m confident in saying if you pick up some genuine IOG, you’ll be holding some of the most expertly cultivated cannabis on the planet without a doubt.

Blue Dream from Lowell Farms

Blue Dream from Lowell Farms via The Spot on 8/31/19. THC tested out to 18%. Purchased for $10 on early bird special with purchase of another 8th at regular price. I love the early bird special at the Spot because allows me to take a chance on stuff from the mid tier shelf at a rock bottom ticket. The buds in this batch are a decent size, especially for this jar, it felt like they were really crammed in there. While it’s evident it’s outdoor and the buds are a little shaggy and dry it has a pretty fair coating of triches. The bud structure and density seem to be on point. The surface is mostly dark green dipping into lighter shades as you turn the nug in your hand with the occasional patch of red hairs making itself known.

The nose out of the jar is musty with hints of sweetness. On the nug break the sweetness becomes much more pronounced and has some citrus elements in the background. On the hand grind I really just get a more savory sweet smell, but no hints of that brief citrus smell I picked up on earlier, and no sort of stickiness left on the fingers. The inhale is smooth and I catch just a hint of sweetness on the taste. On the exhale I don’t really pick up on much other than a bit of spice. The headchange is decent, it’s a bit of a hazy headed high, but doesn’t leave you unable to focus. It doesn’t bring any sort of energy with it and feels like it’s too heavy to be labeled sativa. This actually touches on one of my long time pet peeves. It seems like over the years whenever I come across a Blue Dream it’s labeled a sativa but it’s a sativa leaning hybrid at best and this batch is no exception. For the discount ticket I really can’t knock this and I’d pick it up at that all day but at the full boat I’d be a bit hesitant. I’d say if you like Blue Dream in general you’ll like what you get in this jar, so if you find it at a ticket you feel comfortable with, swoop it.

Flat Earth from Korova

Flat Earth from Korova via The Spot on 8/31/19. THC tested out to 19.11%. Purchased for $50+tax – 25% off for the Korova Takeover Discount. I was lucky enough to grab this one on special for the Korova Takeover at The Spot. Not only did I get a discount but I got a cool shirt too. Being a cross between Conspiracy Kush and Earth OG, Flat Earth is a fantastic and hilarious name for this strain. The first thing that catches the eye as soon as you open the jar are these massive triches that coat every bud. The nugs are bulbous, spikey, and alien looking. While the surface is a light green, the intense coating of triches give it this sort of jaundiced look, and no matter the lighting the nugs have a frosty white-ish yellow hue.

The smell out of the jar is savory and aromatic and reminds me of opening the spice cabinet at your grandma’s house that’s she’s been using for decades. On the nug break I still take in that peppery smell but it’s accompanied by notes of metal in the background. On the finger grind the metallic nose intensifies and nearly overwhelms the other scents all together. It’s very dry to the touch and breaks down really easily leaving no stickiness on the finger tips. The smoke is smooth and on the exhale tastes like licking a 9volt battery but in the best possible way. The headchange comes on at a moderate pace. It doesn’t really thwack but gently settles in and gives you that floaty head sort of feeling. It has me slightly spacey and staring off into the distance. If you’re at all tired when you smoke this strain it’ll sap any motivation you have to take on any given task but it doesn’t exactly leave you feeling couchlocked either. You have the ability to move from your seat bu there’s just not a good enough reason to get you to do it. This is a good mellow strain to end the day and kick off your evening. It’ll tamp down your energy from the day but won’t leave you dead to the world. While no doubt a beautiful well cultivated herb worthy of the ticket it commands, the headchange isn’t something I found personally appealing as it left me feeling just kind of “meh” about everything, which is not really a place I enjoy being. That said, every strain hits every individual differently so if you want to give Flat Earth a chance for yourself, I’d say it’s definitely worth a shot.

Kush Sorbet from Indoor Organic Gardens

Kush Sorbet (Sunset Sherbet x Triangle Kush) from Indoor Organic Gardens received as a birthday present on 8/21/19. The is another absolute banger from IOG. The surface of the nugs are a beautiful mix of dark purple hues and lime green patches completely frosted from base to tip in a layer of triches so thick it looks like it was applied via a mini paint sprayer.

The smell out of the bag is a one two punch to the nostrils of sweet mint coupled with pine. On the nug break the sweet mint and pine are all there but there’s this savory earth element in the background that’s hard to identify. On the hand grind you get a nice stickiness on the fingers and the scents all combine into a sensational sweet candy like nose that really comes hard with the mint. It reminds me of a flavor you might find in 5 Gum. The inhale is smooth and I catch a noticeable sweetness while on the exhale there’s a creamy mint taste the leaves itself on the tongue. The headchange on this one is straight violent! This batch smacks like a mack truck and scatters you on the roadway. Early on I made the mistake of burning through back to back bowls and I have to say this strain has thoroughly put me to bed more than once since it was gifted to me. Just burning through greens on a single bowl I feel the weight of the entire week lifted off my shoulders. It’s really giving me that turn up the music and bop your head to the beat kinda hell yeah it’s Friday feeling. My head is entirely weightless and it’s frankly a little hard to concentrate and finish up this review. There’s an energy that comes with it up top but it quickly dissipates as you really start to feel it in the eyes and then it slowly makes it’s way to the back of your neck and into your shoulders. It has such a thwap it almost feels like being likely dizzy where you have a bit of trouble focusing but in the most enjoyable way. And that’s not even burning through a whole bowl! Insane. It makes you want to stretch, kick back, and chill until you find yourself weed napping or in need of a coffee to keep you going. You’ll want to save this one for the end of the day when you’ve got your shit handled and you’re ready to achieve ultimate chill. Stellar work once again IOG! If I saw this in a store there’s no way I’d be leaving without it.

Undisputed 87 TKOG from Tyson Ranch

Undisputed 87 TKOG from Tyson Ranch via Cookies Maywood on 9/4/19. THC tested out to 25.23%. Paid a whopping $69.26 out the door. I have never been so disappointed by a brand before. I usually do my reviews in order but this one irritated me so much I wanted to just be over and done with it. This showing of TKOG is simply disgraceful and is barely worth $20 an 8th and that’s being generous. The first thing you notice when you open the jar is a massive amount of stems. The buds are small, thin, and poorly trimmed. Even picking the best bud out of the batch doesn’t help as it has no structure nor density. It feels like handling absolute larf. The buds themselves are a light green with a fair amount of reddish brown hairs and, miraculously, a decent coating of triches. That’s probably the most positive aspect of this batch.

The smell out of the jar is a musty pepper, which wouldn’t be so bad if the bud looked decent, but in this case feels sort of off putting. I couldn’t get a sense of the smell on the nug break because there were no nugs substatial enough to break, when broke the biggest thin bud it came off as a little piney though. On the finger grind you get that pine and a bit of mint too, but the herb is really dry and even though I tried several times, it seems like I really to put work in to find any sort of scent. The inhale and exhale is absolutely flavorless and actually a bit harsh on the throat. The headchange sucks. I was really hopping that despite the way it looked that this strain would thwap like Tyson but it’s more akin to getting punched in the leg by a strong 2nd grader with a yellow belt. I went round for round with this strain despite it being harsh and after 5 bowls it half got me where I needed to be. It just hits ok and that’s frankly not up to snuff when you’re attempting to command this sort of ticket. If I were Cookies, I’d drop the ticket on this to $20 out the door or just remove it from shelves all together, I felt totally bait and switched by that sample. Tyson Ranch, you need much better quality control if you expect $70+ for your product, this is unacceptable and makes me doubt the rest of your offerings.

Sour Power OG from Kush Co

Sour Power OG from Kush Co via Cana Farms on 8/30/19. THC tested out to 23.22%. Purchased for $68 out the door. I happened to be on the valley when I saw Cana Farms had noted this limited drop from Kushco on the very same day. I’d heard of Kush Co for a while now but I’d never had the opportunity to try anything from them as of yet so when it presented myself I jumped in. This herb is fantastic looking. The intense shine is the first thing that catches the eye on opening the jar. The triches are so intense on the light green yet purple speckled surface that it gives the bud this sort of silver look overall.

While visually stunning the nose is really the first thing that hits the senses when you open the jar. As soon as you untwist the cap you’re smacked in the face with this beautiful sour gassy smell with just a bit of a rubber undertone. On breaking down the herb the smell doesn’t change at all, it just intensifies at every stage down to the finger grind. Speaking of, it’s the type of herb that sticks to the fingers when you tear it apart and doesn’t want to let go. This batch is extremely sticky. I tried to capture a video with my very last bit of nug, it came out a little blurry, but I think it gets the point across. I don’t pick up on anything in particular on the inhale but the exhale comes out all diesel. The headchange comes on fast and brings a slight amount of energy with it. It’s not debilitating and doesn’t prevent you from focusing but it you really feel it hit you right between the eyes and it travel straight down into the body. I think this herb would be great for those kind of days where you’re stressing on minor details and need to just get in that IDGAF mode so you can step back and prioritize. KushCo did an awesome job on this batch and it’s definitely deserving of getting the top tier ticket it demands. If you can find it at a ticket you feel comfortable with and like what you’ve read here then I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. The one caveat I’d put on your purchase is to check the dates on the jar as I discovered my jar is from February while @2478sponger reports that his batch (purchased from the same spot) was harvested at the start of August and tested out at a slightly higher THC percentage. I don’t think it really effected the quality of my experience but it’s good to thing of which to be aware.

Raspberry Cheesecake from Indoor Organic Gardens

Raspberry Cheesecake (Wedding Cake x Sunset Sherbet) from Indoor Organic Gardens received as a birthday present on 8/21/19. Usually I don’t make two posts on one day but I had to do something to get the taste of that Undisputed 87 out of my mouth and this Raspberry Cheesecake was perfect remedy for exactly that. Everything about this batch is absolutely fantastic. The nugs are a gorgeous deep dark purple with these bright orange hairs dotting the surface area. It almost looks like the outline of a mountain in the early evening after a brush fire where it’s mostly under control and only spot fires remain. There’s also a thick frosting of triches that gives it a beautiful glow in the sunshine.

The smell out of the bag is an incredible mix of fruity and sugary sweet and comes off as a delicious berry frosting. On breaking the nug and taking a whiff it smells exactly like fruity pebbles cereal. When you finger grind it down that berry sweetness intensifies coupled with a vanilla musk that reemerges which really speaks to its namesake. The inhale is also sweet and while minor, I detect a faint hint of caramel. On the exhale I catch a sweet zing that comes off a bit like sweet tart candy. The headchange comes on fast and leaves you dazed. So dazed that some how I managed to forgot to take pictures of this batch like I normally do. That’s a first! I managed to snap a few today of the bit I had left and added one with a cameo from my lady’s cat but head back to my first impressions video to get a much more detailed look. After the preliminary smack I found myself easily distracted and lost in thought but not couchlocked in any kind of way. It puts you in a great mood with plenty of energy to hit the fridge but about an hour later as the initial buzz wears off you may find yourself ready for a nap. It might be a little too heavy for a wake and bake, but I’d consider this a great strain for any time of day and pretty much any activity that doesn’t require intense focus. Once again IOG absolutely smashes it with another fantastic batch and proves they are true masters of high end cannabis cultivation. Excellent work IOG, thank you for being a shinning star in a cold and vast universe filled with overpriced boof.

Cherry Meringue from Lumpy’s Flowers

Cherry Meringue from Lumpy’s Flowers via Evergreen Santa Ana on 8/23/19. THC tested out to 19.72%. This was a birthday gift but it was $76 out the door with a 15% discount. When my lady picked this up for me for my birthday I was absolutely stoked. Lumpy’s a big name in the industry known for putting out top notch flowers and that’s exactly what this is. You can tell that Cherry Meringue is expertly cultivated. The colors shift from bright green to dark purple and hit every hue on the color scale in between. Orange hairs sporadically punch their way to the surface and there’s a rich trich layer that glistens with an impressive shine.

The nose out of the jar is a spicy must with just a hint of sweetness in the background. On the nug break there is a fresh element that makes itself known as well as that subtle sweetness moving closer to the forefront. On the finger grind the freshness amps up as does the sweetness in a symphony of smells that really light up the nostrils. The inhale is smooth and gives off the same spicy with a hint of sweet flavor you catch on the exhale. The headchange takes a little bit to ramp up. You slowly start to feel it hit the back of your eyes and the front of the forehead. You can focus on any given task but there’s no sort of energy or motivation behind it, although I wouldn’t say it’s sedating either. I’d describe it as a sativa leaning hybrid with a staying power similar to Trainwreck. I found myself burning through this far too quickly and while it’s enjoyable I can’t help but constantly think about the price. It’s up there. After smoking through this I feel like I can get similar well crafted fire power, like Source’s Quest, for about $45-50 out the door. I wanted to be blown away by this batch of Cherry Meringue, I wanted to be able to say in honesty that yes it’s worth the 76$ price tag, but I can’t. Again, it’s extremely well grown, looks great, smells great, it is absolutely top notch in every regard but when it comes to the headchange, it’s par for the course. There are definitely Lumpy’s strains that are awesome and well worth the ticket, but unfortunately when it comes to Cherry Meringue, this ain’t it.

Editors note: I came across this Leafly article with the following quote “Philosophy: “We’re not for everybody,” Lumpy’s CEO Josh Veal said. “We like that Napa winery feel. We sell Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I don’t want to sell Hondas.”

This is not the way to look at Cannabis, and while this may have just been an off the cuff remark it makes me wonder what cannabis producers really think they are producing. Cannabis is not a luxury good no matter how well it’s grown, it’s not like a Ferrari or a Rolex as it doesn’t gain value over time, it’s more like a donut. You can go to your average donut shop and get a dozen normal donuts for $7 or you can go to a fancy donut shop like Donut Man in Glendora and spend $4 each on a fresh fruit donut that’ll change your life. No matter what though, those donuts the next day aren’t worth what fresh donuts are, they lose value over time until they are trash. This is the case with cannabis also and it would be in the industry’s best interest to recognize this fact sooner than later.