d........y

OKC is my all-time favorite strain for a number of reasons. Here are just a handful of them: 1. It is STRONG. Definitely not a beginner’s bud. 2. It’s a true hybrid. On the indica-to-sativa spectrum, I personally feel it leans toward the indica end, but it’s legitimately a great strain at any time of day. 3. It tastes amazing. I’d describe it as more broadly citrus than being orangey specifically, but it’s a very pleasant, sweet flavor. 4. It’s incredible at providing pain relief. Even in smaller doses, OKC doesn’t play. 5. It doesn’t seem to inhibit my productivity. If anything, I see a boost to my creativity. (Recently, I got an idea for a novel after medicating with OKC. And by “idea” I mean the entire plot of the book basically just appeared in my brain.) The only thing making me hesitant to recommend OKC is the fact that if everyone knows how great it is, then it’ll sell out faster than it already does.

Wow… wow! Bruce Banner has become my go-to daytime strain. It’s one of those rare strains that gives you a nice head buzz without making you feel slow or stupid. I feel like my creativity is at an 11 on this strain, making it great for medicating throughout the day. As far as pain relief goes, I would say it’s above-average – not the best or worst I’ve had. Banner doesn’t read as strawberry to me although there’s certainly a sweetness toward the front. This sweetness gives way to a more herbal quality that’s more pronounced over successive hits. Overall, I’m quite pleased with Bruce Banner and am so thrilled that my nearby dispensary seems to be carry this (and other great AltSol strains) regularly.

My dispo got some Trulieve products this week, one of which was some Space Age Cake flower. And d-d-daaayyyyuuuum. First, the smell is fantastic. It’s got that classic skunkiness with some noticeable sweetness to it. The flavor is a bit different than how it smells; I get like a skunky, grapey vanilla. Effects have been really good. It’s an indica, but it feels more like a hybrid if you ask me. I wouldn’t say it energizes me like a sativa would, but it definitely made me feel more focused and I also felt more creative. I was also really feeling… frisky. Sexytime was very nice on the Space Age Cake. Again, it felt very hybrid, just a nice, balanced high. There’s less of a body high with this strain, but having said that, I do feel like it helped to alleviate some arthritic pain that had been bothering me, so I guess it did what I needed it to do. Overall, I’m just really pleased with Space Age Cake and will absolutely be keeping this on my rotation.

Wow. Just wow. I had never heard of Tiger's Blood, much less tried it, when it showed up on my dispo's menu. I didn't have high expectations, especially for a strain that's so indica-forward. (For reference, I tend to prefer hybrids for a nice balanced high.) However, Tiger's Blood blew me away in just about every way it could. The flavor is amazing, probably the best-tasting strain I've ever encountered. At the front, the flavor is tropical with an herbal undertone. Some notes of berry are barely detected before you taste sweet violet. It's definitely on the sweet side, but I wouldn't say it's overly sweet. (It's not nearly as mouth-puckeringly sweet as Peaches N' Cream.) In terms of the effects, this was a very "heady" high for me. It was kind of like a fleece bomb went off in my brain and I found myself in probably the best mood I've been in for a long time. The high is intense but it doesn't make me so stoned that I can't get some work done or cook dinner for my family if I need to. Overall, I couldn't be happier with Tiger's Blood. It's definitely a top-five strain for me, potentially even top three (but I'll need a bit more time with it to know for sure).

(Reviewing a Seed & Strain Tropicana Cookies cartridge.) I didn't have super high expectations for Tropicana Cookies, but it ended up being a very nice daytime strain for me. Although I wouldn't say it made me more creative, I definitely felt more focused and like I could concentrate on things a bit easier. The flavor is nice as well. For me, the first thing I notice when I take a hit is like a tropical-esque sweetness. Then it blends into this herbal, sagey flavor before it ends with another layer of airy and almost sharp sweetness. It tastes very natural and quite pleasant. In terms of the effects, I wouldn't say it's energizing in the usual sativa sense, but I definitely felt more focused and attentive. I feel that while Pineapple Express is better, Tropicana Cookies is one that I will absolutely buy again.

Some number of years ago, I came across a really nice description of Wedding Cake and had been obsessed with trying it ever since. Papaya Cake had been as close as I could get, but my dispo finally got some Wedding Cake carts and... it was worth the wait! I don't often come across strains that feel like they're made just for me. Particularly from like late afternoon through early evening and even as a nightcap, Wedding Cake seems to check a lot of my boxes: Nice balance of body and mind effects. Helps to alleviate some of my pain. Alleviates stress and anxiety. Helps me to relax... However, I also feel like it's one of the most delicious strains I've ever tasted. It's got such a nice, sweet yet balanced vanilla with like a flowery backdrop. The smoke also just has this very creamy texture to it. (And no, I don't think this is just psychosomatic.) For me, a WC high starts with in my limbs where my joint paint starts to dissipiate. It starts to get... well, not quite tingly, but it's almost like my hinges have been thoroughly oiled (🤷🏼‍♂️) so it feels like there's less resistance or like gravity has been turned down or something. Then it creeps up my neck and begins to bloom into my consciousness from the base of my skull. By this point, my stress vanished and I'm just in an incredible mood. As someone who tends to like hybrids more than either a straight sativa or indica, my read on WC is that is smokes very true-to-life as an indica-leaning hybrid. In addition to Pineapple Express, which has been my go-to for early-in-the-day imbibement for a hot minute, I think Wedding Cake is definitely going on the "strains I will never not buy when they're available" list.

As a flavor, peach is always a gamble. I’m either going to love it or hate it. (I’m told I have a “sensitive palette.”) In any case, Peaches N’ Cream falls into the latter category. The one thing I appreciate this strain for is helping me to realize that I don’t usually like strains that very obviously taste like something. For instance, Pineapple Express remains one of my all-time faves, but it doesn’t actually taste like a pineapple. (Not to me at least.) Well there’s no mistaking the peach with PNC, but therein lies the problem because it’s just too much. It’s kind of nauseating to inhale blasts of this weirdly chemical-tasting peach herb over and over again. The worst part is that now I have this 1G cart that I don’t think I can smoke. 🥺 Note to self: No more peach!

I got Forbidden Fruit at my dispensary a week or two ago. Here are my thoughts. Taste: Considering how it’s described as having a fruity taste, I was somewhat surprised to realize that it didn’t taste very fruity to me. It’s difficult to describe how it tasted, but “pungent” might be a step in the right direction. High: Since this is an indica, Forbidden Fruit is very relaxing. I’d almost compare it to like a benzo effect where things seem kind of slowed down. But I was surprisingly alert on it, which threw me a bit. In terms of alertness, I could’ve swore I’d loaded a sativa cart into my rig. Longevity: I don’t recall feeling like Forbidden Fruit lasting a particularly long time. Overall, I’d call FF a decent-to-good indica. If it were me, I think I’d use FF mostly for layering with other strains. I could see FF going down real smooth after like some Pineapple Express.