Product Review: Hybrid Flower

With ganja, you really can have your cake
and eat it (or smoke it) too. Hybrid flowers are the result of crossing indica
strains, the ones that make you sleepy, with sativa strains, the ones that spur
creativity and the giggles. The strategic blending of flavor profiles, aromas,
and highs means that users can seek tailored strains, of benefit to medical
patients with specific needs. Hybrids can also be more potent than a standard
indica or sativa, adding to their attractiveness among consumers. Growers are
fans, too, since hybrid plants are more mold and pest resistant, and can
combine the rapid growth of a sativa with the high yield typical of indicas. Not
all hybrids are a 50/50 split between indica and sativa. Depending on a
strain’s ancestry, one can be more dominant than the other.

Skunk Hero | Mass Grow

THC 18.1% | Sativa dominant

Deep green flowers with a woody bouquet,
the aromatic Skunk Hero is well named. The strain is the result of crossing vintage
Super Skunk with Mandarin Sunset, producing chunky buds might give some of you
nostalgia for ‘90’s-era dime bags. It is also the most manageable of the bunch,
whether a daytime toker who needs to be able to function, or a causal user who
wants to remain on the more cautious side of cannabis while still enjoying the
experience.

Taste: 3/5| Aroma: 2.5/5| Potency: 3/5 |
Overall Rating: 3/5

Available at: Canna Provisions, Lee, Massachusetts

Caramel Apple Gelato | Nature’s Remedy

THC 21.9% | Indica dominant

Wanna get high? Caramel Apple Gelato is a
rollercoaster of a ride that takes some getting used to. The strain’s indica
dominant nature is quick to react and take hold, giving a false sensation that that
is all there is going to be. But when the sativa giggles start, the amusement and
sense of elevation can last for hours. The fruity terpene profile adds a
pungent edge to both the flower’s bouquet and the burn, producing a light smoke
with a piney, earthy aftertaste.

Taste: 4/5| Aroma: 3/5| Potency: 4/5 |
Overall Rating: 4/5

Available at: Temescal Wellness, Pittsfield,
Massachusetts

Dog Patch | Bloom Brothers

THC 25.8% | Indica dominant

Bloom Brothers are all about the flower,
and the big ol’ buds of Dog Patch embody all the elements of classic ganja. An
herbal nose with a pleasantly skunky undertone, the result of crossing Apple
Cider with Jet Fuel Gelato, Dog Patch comes on quickly with a heavy blast of
indica that settles around the eyes. It is then that the sativa appears, taking
the edge off the indica to combine into an elevated, calming body high that lasts.
Dog Patch is well-balanced, a connoisseur’s strain in the making.

Taste: 3/5| Aroma: 4/5| Potency: 4/5 |
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Available at: Bloom Brothers, Pittsfield,
Massachusetts

Snowdog | Berkshire Roots

THC 21.8% | Sativa leaning

Something special, even within a group of
excellent of hybrid flowers, Snowdog excels at every stage. The aroma is
captivating, with a fruity bouquet of citrus and berries reminiscent of
raspberry lemonade that lingers without skunking the place out. Despite being
sativa leaning, the lineage coming from the legendary Chemdawg strain, combined
with Superskunk and Oregon Snow, the balance is on point, providing relaxation
with a sense of focus. And the grow quality of Snowdog is up there with the
best—dense flowers cured to be firm and sticky that hold against crumbling yet
break nicely in a grinder or picked between fingers.

Taste: 4/5| Aroma: 5/5| Potency: 3.5/5 |
Overall Rating: 5/5

Available at: Berkshire Roots, Pittsfield,
MA

Note: availability may vary.

This article appears in July 2021.