Yellow Mermaid - Bungludetch Farms
For the last year or so, I’ve been seeing an unreal amount of hype for Yellow Mermaid, bred by rising star Flavor Designer, the house genetics out of Pheno Addicts. So when DC Source hit me with the opportunity to check out this despite the buzz about Bungludetch’s business situation, I was psyched to finally see what’s what.
Cherry Bomb - Puff Tuff
Another day with another new brand, this time Puff Tuff is on the chopping block, courtesy of Charas, with their Cherry Bomb. It’s a Cherry Pie hybrid with a ton of kerosene flavor to it, and I would say it’s a very strong note to start on.
Wrank - Gobshop
Every time Gobs comes to town, he surprises me with some dank flowers from his homegrow, or in this case, Wrank. The one other time he brought Ethos Genetics flowers, I was impressed with the expressions, despite my general lack of faith in their seeds, and he’s done it again with his selection of Wrank.
GMO - Alchemy Studios DC
I’ve been grateful to know and work with Drue Downs at Alchemy Studios the last couple years, so when he asked me to check out his GMO grown in-house it was an instant yes. Even though I’m a bit biased towards the strain, getting to try an elite clone-only genetic from an elite competiton-winning grower is a no-brainer.
Kosher Kush V2 - Dorsia
I’m a huge fan of Kosher Kush, to the point it may be my favorite OG. Dorsia, in my opinion, is the guy to pay attention to when it comes to fuel and gas, so it’s no surprise that this version of Kosher made it to the menu.
Blue Zushi - Untouchable Genetics
There’s been a lot of talk on the weed net about who has the real Blue Zushi and who got fake cuts, and while I’m sure there are tons of fake cuts out there, this one from Untouchable Genetics is not one of them. This is not only the real deal, but it’s frankly the strongest version of this strain I’ve had in years.
Zoap - Pleasant Effects
It’s been a good long while since I’ve had a batch of Zoap that was worth anything, so naturally my hype for another batch from Pleasant Effects was through the roof. Many previous batches of their Zoap had been specifically siloed off for the Fear and Zoaping drops with The Book Club, so it was an extra treat to get some down in my local market.
The Swirl - Dorsia
If you’re on hyperniche corners of the internet for weed, you’ve seen people from coast to coast freaking out about Dorsia’s drops the last few months, and The Swirl got even more fanfare than normal. It’s a brand new flavor in the lineup with a killer blend of deep fruit and light gas that sits in front of quite the wallop in effects.
LemonZZZ - Dorsia
Dorsia’s store mostly focuses on sour, funk and gas, but he and I have spoken many times about how great it is when you can supply truly elite candy. Lokiños is a hybrid of Watermelon Zkittlez x Runtz, and this stuff has me excited like it’s 2022 again. Zkittlez x Runtz was always something I wanted to try from Seven Leaves, and when I opened this jar it impressed past three years of hype.
Apples & Bananas - Pleasant Effects
I’ve gone on record to say that I’m the biggest fan of Apples & Bananas in the world, and if there’s one I could smoke forever it would be Pleasant Effects’ version. This was one of the first strains I smoked from Pleasant Effects a couple of years ago, and while the planned final tour was a way for the strain to go out with a bang, I’m really glad it’s back.
Crunch Berries - Pleasant Effects
It’s not a secret that I’ve been pretty impressed with Funk House Farms’ work over the last year or so, and being honest I thought that streak might end with Death Star x Skunk Dog because the eye appeal is just not in the same league as Runtz or Black Maple. That is, at least on the outside of the nugs, which if they weren’t large, golf-ball dense and geode-esque on the innards, would be in scrungly territory.
Wedding Pie - Living Matter
Wedding Pie is something of a staple amongst Maine cultivators, and there are few who do it on this level. Heads from the western side of the country may be trired of this strain from the inundation of hash and flower coming from the Pyxy Styx cut. The Wedding Pie cut is generally attributed to Living Matter as the keeper of the flame, and at this point the cut has propagated quite far.
Zen Master - Harbor Headstash house cultivation
Last time I smoked Harbor Headstash, I noted that it was a super unique flavor profile, and that continues with his Zen Master. Xeno Seed Co has been making some frankly insane hybrids, and this is no exception. Zen Master is a hybrid of (Hi-Octane/Permanent Marker x Black Bubblegum), and even folks who’ve smoked a lot of Permanent Marker or bubblegum terps will find the flavor combination to be quite novel.
Pop Smoke - Harbor Headstash house cultivation
As long as I’ve known Harbor Headstash, he’s been trying to grow his own fire flower, and after a few years of hard work, we’ve arrived at a menu ready batch of Pop Smoke. The genetics remind me of a lot of the things I was smoking in 2022 but with the benefit of being grown in the same state I live in.
Permanent Marker - Funk House Farm
If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you’ve seen a lot of positive press from Funk House Farm, with the biggest reason being the quality, consistency and price of their products is hard to beat. While this herb is of the same quality and price I’d expect, the provenance of this cut of Permanent Market tarnishes the experience.
Cap Junky - Living Matter
It’s no secret that I have absolutely no love for Cap Junky, but Living Matter has always really impressed me with their products the few times I’ve tried them. A mutual friend told me the batches of Cap Junky and Wedding Pie were truly on another level this round after moving to a new facility. Wrapped in a dense supremely resinous dank kush package, this version of Cap Junky is one that I’m glad I didn’t miss.
Chem 91 x Skunkdog- Funk House Farm
Funk House has been really crushing it with the Skunkdog crosses, and lucky for me Jane Doe hooked me up with the second one, which is Chem 91 x Skunkdog. Chem 91 is a legendary hybrid that’s thought to be the underpinning of all gas genetics we know today. Maui Skunkdog has been popular in Maine for a while, and the melding of those flavors and effects is truly killer.
Cheddar Wedges - Blended Family Farms
Another debut of a local grower, Blended Family Farms reached out and submitted his Cheddar Wedges for review, and samples like this are why I accept review submissions the way I do. It’s clearly an off the beaten path genetic grown with much care, and it’s clear Blended Family Farms is only on its way up from here.
Pioneer Piff - Funk House Farm
Welcoming a new vendor to the community is always a serious pleasure for me. We’re long past the salad days of I71, so finding someone like Jane Doe Deliveries that’s in it for the love of the game and to chase the dragon on quality, is always special.
Motorbreath - Ryder Farms
It’s not a secret that I’m a big Motorbreath lover, but this version from Ryder Farms is truly exemplary. It’s another cut that’s been kicking around the Maine scene for the past half decade or so and for good reason.