It feels like it’s only been a week since I wrote the last one of these, but March has already come and gone and I haven’t stopped moving long enough to catch my breath. From art shows to weed bros, this month was packed to the gills with fun events (I have a problem overbooking) and we haven’t even gotten into the 4/20 madness yet! Well that’s not entirely true, there’s madness in my inbox, but if I don’t read the pitches it’s like they’re not there, right?
Anyway, I’ve got a piece coming in the next few days about my experience at The Chambers Project’s Godfathers show earlier this month, but I’m going to include all my highlights from the Spannabis trip here as Barcelona was a literal blur and I am still barely remembering what day it is. That will be the latter half as there’s some local heat that requires call outs, but shouts to all the homies I spent time with out there, and to all the gracious hospitality – there are far too many of you to name but I love you nonetheless. Let’s do it again sometime somewhere… chiller.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to let me know what I missed, or what needs to be on the next one.
DOMESTIC
One of my favorite of the new school cultivators, Life Is Not Grape has some incredible new heat on his hands. Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself coming back to his new gear nearly every time I’m ready to sesh. The new offering includes 99Z, a cross of his fan-favorite 996 with competition-sweetheart Zkittlez, as well as Sad Candy, which is Bolo into Papaya. And while these are clearly sweet smokes, each has more than enough gas for even OG smokers. The 99Z in particular is a versatile high, with an energizing and creative peak that can quickly lay you out if you overindulge. I love to walk that line.
Team Elite Genetics
Most of my mentions of Team Elite in the past have been around the new heat they’ve shown me at Hall of Flowers, and while I wasn’t able to make the first show of the year this time, I did catch up with the Team in LA before I left for Spain. As I’ve become accustomed to with these guys, their latest cultivars are unlike anything else on the market – pushing daytime varietals and unique terps like styrofoam and cheese in a big way right now, which is a great zig on the overextended candy gas zag the market’s making right now.
If you’ve caught yourself recently reminiscing on the bud from back in the “good ‘ol days”, you should check out what Heirbloom’s got cooking. Brought to you by Cannabiotix, one of the leading brands (by just about every measure) in California’s recreational market, Heirbloom is a new label running a suite of classic cultivars that are frankly even better than I remember, which is nearly impossible to do with nostalgia plays. Strains like Cherry Pie, Sherbert, Orange Crush and Green Crack are almost brand new, as grown with todays best practices the flowers are checking all the modern boxes while still getting you high school high. A true testament to the classics!
Speaking of classics, I ran into the No Till Kings a few weeks back, and they brought me a jar of Durban – one of my all time favorites – that sent me through a time warp back to my teens. Alongside Sensi Star, this was one of the strains that got me through college, and it’s still that morning rocket fuel I remember. I talk a lot about needing solid daytime smoke, and Durban Poison has been a staple longer than I’ve been alive, so it’s good to see the gang doing justice by one of our OG’s.
These guys are three for three with telling me they’ve got some insane new heat and it actually living up to the standard they set, and let me just say, even most of the kings aren’t that accurate. Their latest, 11 Coffins, is a cross between hypebeast RS-11 and the cultivar I mentioned in their last cop list appearance, Coffin Candy. If you’re an LCG fan, which, going by the numbers seems to be an awful lot of you, here’s a familiar yet different taste I think you’ll dig. This one’s a bit stonier on the high – great for when you’re trying to relax, so although it tastes so sweet you’ll expect a sugar high; maybe save this one for the evenings.
I’ve written about Heady Heads before, and while I’ve said in the past they make the best monster sized prerolls in the game, each of the past few times I’ve seen them in the wild they’ve been pushing a new product, expanding the brand in a rapid clip. I’ve seen a bunch of their flower now, which was all impressive by any standard, but their massive eighth sized joints – now available as hash holes – still just absolutely steal the show. In fact, now that they’re making holes someone has finally usurped my long standing king of the preroll market – which is just them replacing themselves.
SPAIN-ISH
Out of all the social clubs I went to in Barcelona, without question the most comfortable of the lot was HQ. Now certainly Spannabis week is much busier than normal for any of these clubs, but even packed HQ wasn’t as overwhelming as some of the other spots I visited. There was ample seating, with tables, and plenty of drinks and snacks on offer, but they also did a killer job with decorations. I mean, what other consumption lounge has custom Talking Terps artwork adorning their walls? None that I know of! It’s worth noting this was one of the pricier establishments, with a EUR 50 annual membership fee, but everything else is pretty fairly priced once you’re inside. And for locals that $50 doesn’t hurt quite as much, as they get a full year, instead of only the week I was visiting.
Out of all the flower I saw while over in Barcelona, would you believe my favorite come up from out there was from California? Go figure. I ran into Hall of Flame during my one day on the actual Spannabis show floor, and boy did this make up for some of the other samples I was shown that day. This was my first time hearing of Hall of Flame, and I’m glad to report that with a name that bold, the flower actually stacks up – and real bright green weed, at that! I will definitely be keeping my eye out for these guys now that I’m back home.
Now for the best Spanish cultivated flower I saw. This was my first experience with Bando Farmers, and I’ve got to say their buds were far superior to what I expected the local wares to look like. This super orange forward cultivar was plenty picturesque, but it was the flavor that stopped me in my tracks. Supplied by the homie Fran from Terpy, this one would be a killer in any city in the world. It was the first local smoke that I actually felt REALLY high from, and I didn’t even throw any hash inside it. Considering the surplus of material I was working with that week, smoking a single flavor stick meant something.
Speaking of Terpy, these guys deserve their own mention as well. Another one of my favorite clubs out there, what Terpy lacks in size it makes up for in vibes. Completely decked out in the brand’s bright yellow, everyone from the employees to the patrons just seem to have a great time there, it’s an almost bubbly atmosphere. Shouts out to Fran and Ana. Not only that, but they do an excellent job of stocking heat. I saw Parlay, Toad Venom, and even All My Hats Are Dead on their shelves, as well as the aforementioned ‘It’s Lit’, and this next one as well!
One of the big winners of the week was the Bud Professor, who took home first place for full melt in one of the more notorious of the 12 competitions that took place that week. While I’m not usually one to dab melt, this was one that I had to try in a banger, as well as nestled within the core of a joint. I’m not usually one to celebrate trophies, but this one absolutely deserved the acclaim. Its overwhelming aroma encompasses the room as soon as you crack the jar, and the flavor is even more enticing than the smell. I don’t know how to describe that sweet melon flavor better than that, other than to say it had an almost crystallized sugar taste in there too, and it was just exquisite.
