THE MAN IN THE KHAKIS IS BACK!!! I'll Be the Judge of That -- Bahama Mama

Peace yall! It's ya boy Judge, back at it (finally!) with another strain review for ya. Now I know, I've been off the radar for a minute, I hit the UK for some music related business, but I'm back and combing the East Coast for the best locally grown genetics. This time, we've got a sexy little diva to sample, Bahama Mama (Tropicana Cookies x Black Banana) from Solfire Gardens, grown by my homie Sean Berte, who brought us the infinitely popular MOB x Valeria x Pink Alien last time. Let's see if he outdid himself this time!

photo by Judge The Disciple

Okay, so bag appeal is solid, though nothing ground breaking. She's got some decent sized forest green nugs with occasional hints of purple, which have an interesting scent profile; citrus and funk. Slight creamy notes on the tail end but theres a heavy, predominantly orange kick to her. When I say funk, think vitamin C pills and feet. It's horrible to say/type, but her scent isn't bad by any means, she's just misunderstood, ok? Pretty solid trich coverage from top to bottom, her primarily clear and cloudy coat shimmers brightly, but I do wish she'd put out a bit more, perhaps it’s the pheno.

photo by Judge The Disciple

Zooming in to the macro level, she's a beauty. Her colors really stand out, those luscious orange hairs really compliment the green backdrop. They really help the random purples pop. Nice squeeze with a healthy bounce back when released. Again, she's coated in trichs but I feel like she could have been more densely covered. Guess I'm just a snob, but I know her lineage, especially the Black Banana side, is known for stellar resin production. Considering she's got cookies on both sides of the family tree she's just a bit lacking in that regard, though what she did put out is admirable. On the break up, she's got that trademark cookie stickiness to her! Interior trich formations are MUCH better in my opinion. Let's see how she tastes!

photo by Judge The Disciple

Her smoke is thick yet easy on the lungs. She was certainly cured well, with a nice white ash when burned. Her flavor is almost all citrus, very little of the creaminess pops through. The funk in her profile is nonexistent on the tongue which, unless you like the taste of feet is a good thing! I'm honestly not a huge fan of the flavor profile, there's an almost medicinal tinge to the orange, which is not really my cup of tea. Her high though, is a great sativa ride; perfect for midday sessions and worked wonders for my anxiety. She is mellow enough to keep you running throughout the day, with her effects lasting a solid hour and a half or so.

photo by Judge The Disciple

Overall, I'm kinda torn. While she is certainly gorgeous, her scent and flavor profiles leave much to be desired, for me at least. I know there are many of you out there who love the citrus cuts, but she's a bit overboard with it. I wish more of her cookie side came through in the end. I would love to come across phenotypic expressions of her, I know there are some heavily cookie-dominant cuts out there, so I'll have to keep my eyes out. That said, her effects are solid and l think she's a great beginner to intermediate smoker strain. She will keep you rolling along with no worries about couch lock. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a solid 3 out of 5 blunts. 

Judge the Disciple

I'll be the Judge of That - Do-Si-Dos

Peace ya'll, Judge here once again with another weekly review! Now, this review here makes a total of 8 strains I've put through the wringer, but I have yet to really explain my process so, let's break it down right quick. Every strain I review becomes my only strain for 24 hours, can't be crossing the streams so to speak! I smoke primarily Fronto King leaf, so it's blunt after blunt for 24 hours; taking notes during each session, to make sure I can absorb as much from her as possible before officially putting the pen to paper. Now, you might say, "But Judge, you can't taste anything in a blunt leaf!" and I would quickly tell you to stfu on some Batman/Robin meme shit, cuz you definitely can, if you are accustomed to smoking blunts and have even a marginally serviceable palette.  

Ok, so now that we've got that (and my quick lil blunt haters vent) out of the way, let's get this review popping! This week I've got some gorgeous genetics, an indica dominant hybrid that is well known for being a talented resin producer, Do-Si-Dos (Girl Scout Cookies x Face Off OG). She has some big shoes to fill with her lineage, let's see if she can carry the crown!

Photo: Judge The Disciple 

Her bag appeal is bangin' right out the gate! Earthy, cookie funk with slight floral notes on the back end. She's right up in your face immediately and she doesn't back down. That sugar cookie sweetness occasionally cuts through the pungent soil nose, but she's clearly got that OG kick. She's slightly minty, which is a bit unexpected yet very welcome, as it gives her a very uplifting scent profile. Her bud structure is impressive as well, swollen and dense cookie form with an almost marbled effect to her green and purple coloring. Her trichome production is very well known, this strain is a favorite amongst extractors and for good reason; she puts out a massive amount of trichs! So powdery you could ski on her, her trich development nearly hides her coloration at a quick glance. She's a sight to behold, for sure!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Her bud feel is great as well, great squeeze, with a slow but steady bounce back and a solid coat of resin across the finger tips. Her terpene profile is crazy with that mint funkiness I mentioned earlier poking through a bit more on the break up. Subtle hints of lime are there, though they play the background. She will have you cleaning your fingers often through out the rolling process, finger hash for days! She was definitely loved throughout her cycle, these buds are nearly perfect in density and form!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

On the macro level her trichs are worthy of the cookie lineage; she is caked across the board with a legion of cloudy and amber heads. Clusters of trichomes stand tall like little stoned soldiers, waiting to march on your sobriety. Her interior trichs are even more condensed, it's easy to see why she's an extractors best friend. Often approaching 30% THC, if you don't get a solid yield running her, either your grower sucks or your method does. Let's roast her and see if she can take the heat!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

That mint kick is really apparent in her smoke! It's not so overpowering as to make her feel mentholated, but it's a very unique feel on the lungs. Sugar cookies, mint and fresh moist soil are in every exhale, she's precise in her olfactory attack. A bit harsh on the lungs, though it could be the mint feel. She was definitely cured well, with a pristine white ash. Her high is lethal in it's effectiveness; she kicks in within 10 minutes and doesn't relent! She is most definitely for the more experienced smoker, beginner beware! She's equipped with a very gripping body high with a strong sedative effect, don't expect her to be your wake and bake companion, unless you want to have to wake up again in a little while.

Overall, she is a definite keeper; eye catching bag appeal, a really unique, minty nose, and a crippling high make her one to keep an eye out for. Both of her parents' genetics are equally put on display here and the final result is a serious win for me. She's not for the uninitiated, but she's a winner, for sure. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give Do-Si-Dos a solid 4 out of 5 blunts.

 - Judge The Disciple 

I'll be the Judge of that - Shapeshifter

Peace ya'll, its your resident trich hunter Judge back at it with another strain review! I took a break last week to enjoy the holiday with the family, but we're right back in it this week with a sexy little indica dominant hybrid, Shapeshifter (Old Man's Purp X Malawi X Northern Lights Haze X Memory Loss). I'm a sucker for purps, let's see if she's got that funk!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Her bag appeal is a mixed bag, so to speak; gorgeous purples laid over a hunter green backdrop. She's frosty, with lush dense buds, but her aroma is pretty subdued. Light candy notes, slightly floral with a hint of citrus. I just wish it hit you as hard as the visuals do, cuz she is certainly a looker. Once you crack open a nug, her scent really ramps up, there's an earthy grape funk coming off her that is intoxicating! That's what I was looking for! Her buds have a great squeeze, the density really shows through with a decent bounce back.

Photo: Judge The Disciple

On the macro level she's no slouch, there's a treasure trove of milky trichs nearly everywhere you look. Her purp genetics are very face forward, her structure is incredible.  Her manicure was handled well, you can tell that she was given plenty of affection throughout her life cycle. On the break up she is delightful, there is a certain airiness to her (in a good way!) despite the blatantly dense form, and her terpene profile had me inhaling deeply with my eyes closed and a sublime grin across my mug on several occasions.  Let's get her roastin'!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

She's got a smooth hit; hints of cream and grape. There's a sweetness to her finish, it's extremely subtle but reminds me of a grape jolly rancher. Every so often her finish is more soil than sweet, very interesting flavor profile! She's very mellow on the lungs but she comes on quick, with an almost immediate heaviness on the eyelids. Her indica dominant side shows through in full force, with a calming sedating effect, she's probably not the best strain for early to mid day. She's great for pain management and forgetting where you left your keys though! 

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Overall, Shapeshifter was a treat to burn; big beautiful purple and green nugs packing a mellow yet infectious scent and a vicious left hook of a buzz. I do wish her aroma was more pungent before the break up but it's a minor gripe. Man, I love me some purps, but they aren't for everyone, I know. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a solid 3.7 out of 5 blunts.

- Judge The Disciple

I'll be the Judge of that - MOB

Peace ya'll and welcome to another strain review! Much respect for rollin' through and having another session, this makes 6 weeks you've taken the time to blaze with me and I never forget a fellow burner! This week we've got some more delectable East Coast genetics on deck, this time it's a crazy lil hybrid from Fly Genetics, grown by Roslindale native Sean Berte, MOB (Blueberry x Jerry Berry) x Valeria  x Pink Alien ( Sour Pez x Lemon Alien). Let's get down to business, shall we?

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Bag appeal is very solid; she has gorgeous little nuggets, nothing massive but they are all uniform in size and structure. Her initial scent is a delightful blend of cotton candy and fruit, strong berry notes. There's a slight hint of cherry lime rickey in there as well! Her profile is crazy complex; lemon, lime, cherry, raspberry and blueberry with a sickly sweet, slightly creamy finish. Talk about a varied, yet focused terpene profile! She is coated with trichs top to bottom, both her MOB and alien sides are definitely running strong through her roots. Mainly clear and cloudy trichs with some pinks and reds sprinkled in there, she is a sight to behold. 

Photo: Judge The Disciple

On the macro level her trich development is downright sexy. She isn't winning any awards on bud size but her uniformity is uncanny. Bud feel is decent enough. A bit underwhelming on the squeeze, but man oh man is she greasy! Resin literally coats your fingers like fresh paint, leaving an oily film of decadent terpenes. Her scent permeates the room and commands your attention. The break up is made that much more difficult due to the sheer amount of resin left on your hands. But, you know me… FINGER HASH! Personally, breaking up tree is an experience all its own and I thoroughly enjoyed being bombarded by this scent profile. Time to take a trip!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Her smoke is thick, yet soothing. Easy on the lungs with an over powering berry kick right from the jump. Her blend of berries carries over the tongue, slowly giving way to a sweet citrus funk on the end. You almost want to lick your lips, she's so tasty! The lime cuts through occasionally, but it's a berry buffet up in here. Her high is blissfully soaring; slight raccooning of the eyes and pressure on the forehead. She's got some moxie, I'll tell ya! She hits straight in the solar plexus, a steady cerebral flight, both focused and listless, there is definitely a line with her. If you don't overdo it, she can be a nice manageable daytime treat, but cross that line and your plans will probably fall through. Her high lasts about 2 hours, there is a definite bang for your buck checkmark here. 

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Overall, I am head over heels for this strain. Her bag appeal was on point, her scent is intoxicating and her high is stellar. She is great (in moderation!) for anxiety and depression; expect giggling fits. You can tell she was raised with love and affection. I have to say, Fly Genetics, you've got a winner with this one and Sean, you done her proud! Her unique flavor profile and potent high are a pretty deadly combination for inexperienced users, you've been warned. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a solid 4 out of 5 blunts.

- Judge The Disciple

I'll Be the Judge of That: Durban Cookies

Peace ya'll, Judge here with this weeks strain review! As always, I want to thank everyone for blazing through these reviews with me. This week, we've got Durban Cookies on deck, a 70/30 sativa dominant strain which is a cross of the ever potent Durban Poison and the always tasty Girl Scout Cookies. Let's find out if her parents raised her right!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Bag appeal is okay, nothing to write home about, her manicure leaves much to be desired. There is an excessive amount of leaf left, but at least she was trimmed by hand. This strain is known to hit upwards of 25% THC, though I'm not too confident this cut has reached her potential. Bud structure itself leans more toward her GSC ancestry, she's solid on that front; decent trichome development, though I feel she may have been harvested a tad early. Still, she certainly sparkles in the right light, with strong vanilla, spice and pine notes. There is a nuttiness to her finish, sweet and earthy on the nose. 

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Bud feel is great, her density holds up well, with a nice tactile squeeze and sufficient bounce back. Her buds are chunky and dense, for sure! Trich development within is pretty significant, she's super frosty toward her center with plenty of resin staining the fingers. Still, it's definite that she was plucked before her prime; I'd say its 75/25 clear to cloudy trichs, she could have marinated for a week or two longer. Her cookie lineage really cuts through on the break up, that vanilla and sugar cookie scent is heavy. I think it's time to put one in the air!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

The GSC flavor profile is really the front runner here; vanilla bean mixed with sweet soil. There's a solid pine kick at the finish, thanks to the alpha pinene she puts out. She offers an extremely energetic high, she is definitely a solid brunch strain, being suitable for early morning or mid day sessions. She packs a long lasting, euphoric high as well, which is great for helping with depression and anxiety. Creative types will love her energy boost, which is a clear headed and focused pick me up. 

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Overall, she is a nice treat to come across. I do wish she had been given a bit more time to develop, but she definitely gets the job done. Her bag appeal left much to be desired, and her trim job was lack luster, but she more than makes up for it with a steady, soaring high. She's got the potency and kick to satisfy an experienced stoner but is gentle enough for the initiate to pick up day or night. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a solid 3.5 of out 5 blunts.

- Judge The Disciple

I'll be the Judge of That: Wedding Cake

Peace ya'll, it's Judge back with another review. Let me thank you all for popping in and burning with me, it's been fun thus far! This week, we've got Wedding Cake aka Pink Cookies (Girl Scout Cookies x Cherry Pie).Time to strap on ya helmets, this one's a bit of a rocky ride, let's dive on in, shall we?

Photo: Judge The Disciple

Her bag appeal is, to be honest, a bit lacking. Visually, she's pretty beat up. Either she was trimmed by machine or her trimmer was heavy handed. It's a shame, really, because she smells amazing; OG notes abound, there are strong floral scents as well, with a dominant vanilla kick to the nose. After cracking open a bud, a nice earthy scent came into play. Her bud feel is moderate, a tad on the crunchy side, with little bounce back when squeezed.

Photo: Judge The Disciple

I did find a couple under developed seeds, which would normally knock her down a bit (and still technically does), as she didn't have 100% of her energy spent on trichome development. Whether it was a late stage light leak, or some other form of stress, I don't know, but it was definitely late in the game because her trich clusters on the interior are pretty insane, as you can see. This strain is known for hitting 25% THC or more, and I feel, if she wasn't stressed to hermie, they would have hit those numbers easily.

Photo: Judge The Disciple

At the macro level, you can see just how stacked these trichs are! Resin tacos everywhere! I truly feel like whoever trimmed this, whether man or machine, ruined what could have been an amazing sight. I was not expecting to see such an abundance of heads where the outside was a wasteland of decapitated stalks. Tons of resin on the fingers. Let's take her for a ride!

Photo: Judge The Disciple

She has a soothing vanilla taste, sugar cookies and ginger on the front end. There are hints of cake batter and earthy notes, but the vanilla keeps rearing her head at the finish. Her caryophyllene levels give her a nice spicy kick, while also helping with anxiety and inflammation.  For an indica dominant strain, she is very easy at the onset; a bit of pressure behind the eyes, but a focused, clear headed cerebral experience. She is very up beat at first, which aligns with her mostly clear trichome heads. That said, she doesn't fight fair. Her potency doesn't show itself all at once and if you smoke of her heavily, she creeps up on you in steady, heady waves. She is a great pain reliever and tends to bring on the giggles, with a relaxing finish that will leave you ready for some munchies and a movie. I would not recommend her for mid day sessions, unless you are okay with moving at a sloth like pace.

I was not impressed by her upon first glance, and she had a couple seeds, which unfortunately bring my score down. Still, I hope to see the next crop, every grow is a learning experience and they still did a solid job . As a whole, I would say this is a strain certainly deserving of the hype, since even without reaching peak plant potential, she packed a punch. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a 3 out of 5 blunts.

- Judge The Disciple

I'll be the Judge of That: Plushberry

Peace ya'll, Judge here! I want to thank everyone for checking in on my first review and coming back for another round. Now, this is all new to me, so let's do what I should have done from jump; explain my reviewing method. I will be critiquing each strain on a number of factors, these factors being: 

Bag Appeal - how she presents herself on first inspection. First impressions are huge and often the excitement of opening a fresh container of properly curated buds does have a slight effect on the upcoming session. Not to mention the effect it has on the decision to pick which strains you're taking home.

Photo by Judge The Disciple for Talking Seaweed. 

Terpene Profile - where she takes us on our olfactory journey is important for a number of reasons, its not just the flavor of the smoke I care about. Different terpene combinations change the effects of the cannabinoids and thus the smoking experience. But let's face it, a deep whiff of amazing cannabis can and will increase the experience as well!

Bud Feel -  This is something a lot of people skip, but it's important to me. How a bud feels on the fingertips tells much about how she was grown, harvested, dried and cured. No one wants something that crumbles to dust when you pick it up, but you certainly don't want wet (and possibly moldy!) bud either. 

Trichome Development - Another huge point, just how well does the strain produce? Was she allowed to properly develop those gorgeous trichs? How long were they allowed to develop? This is one of the most important aspects, and not just for sexy macro shots. Trichomes, and the compounds they carry, lead the journey the strain takes us on. Consider them tiny mushroom shaped Sherpas. 

And…

The Smoking Experience - What flavors do we experience? How mellow or harsh is she? How does she make me feel? Am I able to be a (somewhat…mostly debatable) functioning member of society after? How much will I be spending on munchies? It's all important.

Photo by Judge The Disciple for Talking Seaweed. 

Finally, I will give an overall rating, on a scale of 1 (being subpar) to 5 (being one of the best strains I've sampled) blunts. 

Hope you’re still with me after that intro. Now, on to the good stuff, let's roll up!

Another week brings another gorgeous strain to review, this time I'll be sampling TGA Subcools' first Kush entry, Plushberry.

Plushberry (Black Cherry Cola x Space Queen) is a unique strain, that's for sure. Somewhat subtle (in this cutting, at least) pink and magenta hues meld between the light and forest greens of a sturdy kush-like bud structure. Hints of cherry, but mainly black berry, attack the nose and command attention. Her scent is intoxicating. Bag appeal is extremely high with this one, one whiff and you'll want the chance to taste her.

Bud feel is solid as well, this cut was perfectly manicured. There's a little bit of give when squeezed, with a healthy amount of bounce back, which tells me she was properly dried and cured. Buds are very dense, and packed with trichomes from crown to stem. She definitely gets her resin production from the Space Queen lineage, she's a beauty to behold. Let's smoke her, shall we?

Photo by Judge The Disciple for Talking Seaweed.

The blackberry and raspberry flavors are potent right out of the gate! Very calming and relaxing on the head, this is a great mid day strain. She's perfect to de-stress after a long day as well, you won't go wrong with this heavy indica dominant hybrid. Mellow on the lungs, very little cough to mention here. Her high levels of myrcene and linalool certainly tip toe across the tongue, while a bit of hoppy humulene rears its head in places, but never overpowers. I'm very impressed with her leisurely stroll of a high, she takes you for a nice walk through the clouds and drops you off right where you need to be. 

Overall, I feel TGA Subcool has a winner on their hands; Plushberry is packed with flavor and just the first whiff of opening her container transports you to a better place, but its her calm and composed high that takes her to the next level. As always, your mileage may vary, but I give her a 4.5 out of 5 blunts.

- Judge The Disciple 

I'll be the Judge of That... Strain: Miss USA

Miss USA (Strawberry Banana #1 x Kosherdawg) by DNA Genetics/Crockett Family Farms (the well known creators of Tangie and Chocolope, amongst many other strains) is aptly named; easy on the eyes and heavy on the head. With a reputation for reaching over 30% THC if properly grown, she is making quite the name for herself. Noted for having high myrcene and limonene levels, she is said to be a heavy hitter; time to put her through the paces.

Her bag appeal is extremely high with a generous coat of trichomes blanketing her densely packed, kush-like bud structure, its easy to see the Kosherdawg lineage. The nose is very earthy (thanks to the high levels of myrcene), with a hint of sugar cookies on the tail end. Not too much of her Strawberry Banana side comes through, if at all, upon first sniff. There is a mild fruitiness there, an almost fermented fruit aroma, which peeks through once you start to break up one of her buds.

Bud feel is very impressive, with a subtle give when squeezed and an ample coating of resin on the fingers. She is one frosty strain for sure, trich stacked upon trich producing a resin taco appearance when observed at the macro level. I'm definitely a fan of her on the break up, I'm always game for some finger hash and she doesn't disappoint there.

She rolls nice and smokes even nicer, this is where her Strawberry Banana side shows through. Her pillowy smoke is gentle on the lungs, rarely eliciting a cough, leaving a mellow yet sweet bouquet of aromatics across the palette. There are subtle fruit notes; berries and melon - but the earthiness of the myrcene cuts through and is the real star of the show.

She is definitely a heavy hitter as advertised, no doubt. Her effects are not subtle by any means, bringing an overall calm and sedating effect within the first 10 minutes of lighting up. I would not recommend her mid day for low tolerance smokers. She will put you to sleep if you aren't accustomed to strong indica dominant strains. Miss USA is a clear winner for evening/bed time sessions and general pain relief. 

Overall, I am impressed with this strain, DNA Genetics/Crockett Family Farms has done it again. She's a treat to smoke, does her job exceptionally well and kept me coming back for another toke. As always, your mileage may vary, but I can confidently give Miss USA a 4 out of 5 blunts.

 - Judge The Disciple