Zsunami - Upstate Gardens
I first learned about Upstate Gardens about a year ago when I went to Not Your Average Fest, and it’s been a mystery since then why it’s not more common on import menus. Terpy Dabber now is stocking their Zsunami flower after he started carrying their rosin earlier in the year, and if I’m being real their flower hits with better first impressions than the already exceptional rosin.
Blue Zangria - Tread Lightly Collective
Tread has been growing some really interesting work in the DMV but so far the most intriguing has been the Blue Zangria, which I’ve been following intently since he popped the seeds. The strain is a hybrid of Rainbow Zangria x Blue Lobster released by Cipher Genetics in collaboration with Maine Trees.
Kushibara - John Doe Supply Co.
Terpy Dabber was insistent that I tried the new John Doe Supply Co, and hit me with a sample of their Kushibara, which we haven’t gotten the genetics on yet. Like the Kamikaze, it follows a sort of Japanese heritage inspired design and is a Z cut and/or hybrid. The nugs are just caked in resin, and while they’re not huge, they’re much prettier than a lot of Z tends to be.
Pure Michigan - Shmu the Canna Prophet house curation
The first time I tried Pure Michigan was the Pure Maryland cut from Flowerboy Gardens back in 2021, and at the time I was impressed by it, only to have progressively worse and worse batches over time. The hybrid is Mendobreath x Oreoz, and obviously I’ve pretty actively avoided this strain because I think it’s just not worth it and has no terps. This time though, I’m grateful the Shmu guys hit me with this version because it’s quite good.
Blue Waffles - Nebula Gardenz
I wrote before about the rising stardom of Nebula Gardenz, and probably the strain of theirs I was the most excited for is Blue Waffles. The name it obviously a catch, but beyond that, these terps are really unique, especially for being a bagseed of London Pound Cake 75.
Death Star x Skunk Dog - Funk House Farm
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.
Red Runtz - Untouchable Genetics
Last year I smoked Untouchable Genetics’ Blueberry Donut, and as Terpy often does, he wanted to show me the new batch to show how much the brand has changed since the last batch. Red Runtz is a strain I’ve enjoyed a bunch of times over the years, and after it won what I think was Ego Clash Barcelona 2023, I got a pack of the S1 seeds from Exotic Genetix myself.
Pineapple Whip - Shmu the Canna Prophet house curation
Pineapple Whip has been showing up on a few menus in the DC area over the last six months or so, and since the people absolutely freak over this strain, I never got to try it. Finally, it’s my turn in the queue and immediately I can see why everyone has been snagging this up expeditiously. The nugs are not the best eye appeal, but you can immediately see how resinous it is.
Chem D - Skunkfoot Farms
I’ve gone on record many times saying Chem D is my favorite of the Chemdog line, and it’s batches like this from Skunkfoot that confirm my bias time and time again. A lot of folks might pass up Chem D and its siblings because the whole offering is pretty one note, but I think a lot of folks forget that Chem D is the original one note genetic and in my opinion it does that trope best.
Mumbo Zauce - Heads of State
This is a pretty peculiar review because I’m covering a product from my own grow, but I put a poll on Instagram asking if I should cover my own flowers, and got an overwhelmingly positive response, so I decided to indulge and give it a write up. For those who’ve missed my posting flurry about this strain over the last few months, Mumbo Zauce is a strain I bred by crossing a selection of Highway Runtz, a “white Runtz” bagseed, with pollen from a Gonzo male, Gonzo being GMO x OZK from Bay Area Seed Co.
Z Pie - Gallo Grown x Hushle
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past two years you’ve probably seen Raw Genetics’ Z Pie on many menus and probably some podiums. Smokey Bodega’s version won gold in the 2024 Billy Awards, and it’s been on the Don Merfos, Last Frontier and Wildflower Cannabis lineups. But Gallo Grown’s version is on a whole other level. To the uninitiated, this flavor is very similar to a lot of other candies, but with a bit more kerosene and lime.
Runtz - Funk House Farm
If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, since back in the Gentleman Toker days, you know I’ve smoked a LOT of Runtz. Maybe too much Runtz. So it’s safe to say that when a good Runtz passes by my docket, I know what’s up, and lo and behold, this is that guy.
Black Ya Hemi - Grandiflora Genetics
I’ve only gotten to try Grandiflora’s work from their California partners once or twice, but Black Ya Hemi hit the radar and I was immediately interested. I’ve used Grandiflora as the butt of some bagseed jokes over the years, but at this point Project 4516 has earned its spot as a west coast staple.
Meduza - Hall of Flame
Hall of Flame podiumed for Zours at Zalyumpix 2025 and also placed third in the Rookie of the Year category in the Billy’s last month. The sample arrived securely from Clubhouse Drops a little bit beat up, which is known to happen when flower goes coast to coast, but after smoking it myself it’s clear why this made rank.
Lemon Tree x Nigerian Haze - Honeylog Caregivers
Normally Lemon Tree x Nigerian Haze is not a strain I would spring for, but knowing Honeylog’s quality control I knew I couldn’t just write it off as some mids from the dep field. Generally I avoid Lemon Tree hybrids because they have a really pissy aftertaste and a heavy crash on the end of it, but I don’t find either of these things in the hybrid, despite the overwhelming Lemon Tree expression in the aroma.
Apples & Bananas x Zoap - Topshelf Network
Apple Banana Zoap was originally released as seeds by LIT Farms. In 2025, both of these genetics are out of vogue, but Top Shelf Network certainly found a great selection of this hybrid for their operation. It’s got a bit of the Flintstones’ vitamin terp you’re used to from Apples & Bananas but there’s also a good bit of Tide Pod and sherb bite in the flavor as well.
Skullcandy - Turkey Bag Tom
Turkey Bag Tom has impressed often in the past in his searches of large northern California facilities, surfacing hidden gems the often have overstock or get overlooked. In the past, he especially impressed me with his Cherry Moonshine and his curation of Tea Time and he’s also managed to find some of the best value crops of OG in NorCal. A lot of this stuff has shown up on other menus with other names, namely Don Merfos and Wizard Trees, and I suspect Skullcandy is the same deal.
Papaya Marshmallow - Honeylog Caregivers
Going into this review, I didn’t know much about this offering, but I’ve been following Honeylog Caregivers' for years now and I’ve become very familiar with the type of pressure they purvey. So I decided to take a new approach to this and take the brand new offering at face value with little expectations.
Gaslight - Shmu the Canna Prophet house curation
Over the last year or so we’ve gotten a handful of LIT Farms options on the budget section of Shmu’s menu, but Gaslight is probably the best one so far. Gaslight is a hybrid if RS11 x E85 and it’s similar to the original RS11 but with a bit more confectionary nose and flavor rather than the deep candy funk.
G.R.E.A.M. - Shmu the Canna Prophet house curation
G.R.E.A.M. is a hybrid of Lil Valley OG and the aforementioned WUG, with the OG seemingly a cut of OG from Washington. It’s similar to things like TK41 or Gushers in that it’s candy over confectionary gas in the aroma and flavor. The nugs are large and dense and the sample came solidly fresh, which translates well to a smooth smoking experience.