It’s always a treat to dab the Colorado Extract Company line. Their signature cold-cured SHO rosin badder is immaculate, made with Altitude Organic Medicine’s top-shelf flower “manipulated into its purest form using only water, heat and pressure.” This issue’s selection was a special treat, using the dispensary’s crop of Jupiter, an indica-leaning cross of Chem 4 and Goliath, which creates a rosin particularly known for some crazy, gushing terpenes.  

Our sample was a creamy gem, the color of flan, "almost glittery, almost fluid, and really quite pretty." Her consistency was like that of an all natural nut butter, moldable and…

What happens when you cross the combination of Forbidden Fruit and Silver Lemon Haze with the child of NY Cherry Pie and Critical Glue? A spectacularly resinous, meaty bouquet of bliss.

Typically regarded as an indica-leaning hybrid, the growers at Three Rivers report this particular phenotype swings a little harder sativa -- at least in the power of its uplifting zoom. A completely free afternoon gave us the opportunity to test that theory.

Our sample buds were dense, shining, sticky neon morsels with patches of amber shag, bursting with some of the best aromas we’ve reviewed: blackberry and lemon-citrus, against…

Tres Star is a lesser-know--but powerful--Afghani-Chemdawg backcross best suited “for those long days that you want to escape from,” according to the growers at Epic Remedy. And we’re inclined to agree: the hybrid makes it easy to enjoy the gonzo head of Chem, with the absurdly-potent anchor of an age-old Himilayan indica. If the psychedelic daze doesn’t sideline you first, the weight in your limbs definitely will.

Our nugs were tidy, tight yet fluffy, striped in sun-red hairs and "consumed" in a cover of  honey-colored crystals. Like late-spring forest, the buds carried the scent of fresh pine and blossoms, organic…

The kind folks at A Cut Above always deliver on quality, and their top shelf delicacy, Wedding Cake, is no exception. Forged from "dessert" parents GSC and Cherry Pie, this sparkling indica-heavy hybrid will put you in a sugar coma while it soothes your aches. With googly eyes, we enjoyed our sample over a long afternoon, sitting in peaceful vibrations together. 

The nuggets were compact and meaty, sporting beautiful honey-colored stubble amidst “autumn colors,” and absolutely covered--covered--in crystals. Like a “fruit salad of buds,” tangerine and lemon adjoined a sharp woody pine essence in the jar. The aroma was subtle…

Tru Infusion is recognized as one of the top growers in Arizona, so we were excited to get our hands on their harvest of Animal Candy from local dispensary, Oasis. One of the Phoenix Valley’s most hyped strains, the hybrid blends Animal Cookies (GSC x Fire OG) and Candyland (GDP x Platinum Cookies) for a dark, sugary-purple take on the classic Cookies line. It’s a good way to dislodge from reality in a feel-good, playful-yet-docile splash, plus, opening Tru Infusion’s wood-top jar is “like a kid opening gifts on Christmas,” as one critic put it.

The buds were beauties, vibrant…

Your choice-of-fire can really affect your day. Sometimes you just need danceability, the kind of silly psychedelia that breaks you right into groovin’ at the store without thinking. The kind of hit that stones you into next week. If so, you’re talking about OG Kush Breath, namely, OGKB from A Cut Above, where they’ve impressively mastered the skill of turning their nuggets into pure morsels of mind-melting sugar.

Our sample could have been a strain cup contender. The buds were luscious, dark forest green with hints of blues and purples, with an amazing coat of soft powdery crystals almost to…

Lemon OG was one of Colorado’s first signature dispensary selections (no surprise -- seems like it’s always been a staple in the community). It’s easy to see why: it’s super-versatile, the kind of hybrid that can be hit wherever, whenever (or at least, after lunch). The body high is pacifying, but the head soars. This is your “out with the friends” or “up late gaming” or “jam session” strain, one that chills pretty hard but veers without fail into mystic philosophical and creative tangents.

We were jazzed to get our very fruity sample from Three Rivers. The morsels were well-trimmed…

Any dispensary’s top shelf can be amazing (at least, most in this state of high standards), but none is perhaps so rare or mysterious as the menu at Epic Remedy. Highway Cake is no less than one of those unorthodox strains of scant documentation, with a moniker that raises so many questions: Is it a cross of the fruity, skunky Wedding Cake with the sweet & sour Highwayman? Perhaps merged with the Northern-Skunk of Highway Delight? 

We were up to the investigation, glistening fluffy sample in-hand. The buds were a marvelous assortment of bright greens and lavender, shadowy grays and…

We don’t see a lot of razor-ripped sativas come through the office. But like a roller coaster, the thrill of Tangilope can make for a wonderful experience every now and then even if it isn’t normally your cup of tea. The roaring zaniness of Tangie’s high, combined with the esoteric vertigo of Chocolope should prompt even connoisseurs to dose wisely. Still, this is the sativa lover’s paradise. The Red Bull for your day. And by that we mean, launched skyward during the Red Bull Flugtag competition.

We were treated to beautiful solventless Tangilope bubble hash from our friends at Colorado…

The likeness of a rabbit hole instantly came to mind as we began to peruse Triple Chocolate Chip’s lineage--and that of parents Mint Chocolate Chip and Triple OG. Needless to say, this heavy indica-leaning hybrid is one of the most exotic, complex flowers on the market. Another rabbit hole, appropriately, is the psychedelic, Wonderland-adventure it delivers even for the most frequent connoisseurs, enough to send you spelunking the couch.

We received our calendar-worthy sample from Doctor’s Orders. Like the “butt of a tarantula,” the buds were hairy and plump with streaks of dark gold and purple, pleasantly dense with boundless…