From fuzzy buds to nutty nugs, these flower selections will impress at any green-friendly seasonal gathering
Though there are definitely hints of roasted chestnuts and cardamom in the air with some of these picks, we did not set out to make a list of cultivars that smell like cinnamon or yule logs.* We’ll also drop a roundup of tinctures and edibles which satisfy the holiday appetite, but when it comes to the bouquets we’ll be holding up to noses, we’re simply looking to knock stockings off of friends and relatives. If you also want to be that person with the best weed at the table this season, check out these recent favorites of ours from some of the state’s top crop shops …
Mission Planet of the Grapes
This one is a total showbunny, from grope to smoke. Crack a nug in half and reveal something of a sticky candy center. The flavor is as wonderfully overwhelming as its white and purple glitter camo, and then there is the deep amazing stench. Easily one of the stinkiest strains we have sampled all year, it’s way more than just grapes, pushing into blue-and-black-berry territory. We finished ours weeks ago and can still get a solid whiff inside the empty can.
Perpetual Brands Bubble Marker
Another highly aromatic number, this one is more bubble than marker, but still reveals plenty of gas in the tank as things realign from sweet to heat. Seriously resinous, it translates nicely on the tongue and gets the taste buds tingling. One of us sensed slight traces of haze, mostly off the fresh hit. The fuel comes as you press on the accelerator, especially as your session progresses; as the bowl burns, the gassy undertones take over. Good for the head as well as everything below the shoulders.
Root & Bloom Lemonhead Delight
The touch is wild with this lemon drop—it feels velvety, almost like a Calico Critter. It’s a hybrid with classic sativa bud structure, but significantly darker and denser than what typically comes of this class. It also doesn’t smell or smoke how we expected, making for a bait and switch like purple ketchup. It doesn’t disappoint though, delivering a swift limonene blast riding on fumes. It also hit us right between the eyes and knocked us half into a coma. This is a rare bird for a few good reasons and a super-scented treat for sniffers. Highly recommended.
Tower Three Black Maple
This one is a furry bastard, a shag rug straight out of another era, but born of modern and organic tactics, naturally. You don’t get everything up front; you’ll have to torch this Black Maple to reveal its full brilliance, a rare fruit salad hitting dessert memories galore with orange hovering above the whole experience. We especially appreciate the way that it ground up like green cocaine, making for those mesmerizing miniature mountains only robust kief can generate.
Also in our satchel from the crew at Tower Three is Tea Time, which has a new-furniture smell mixed with another worldly sweetness that touches the soul. This is one of those unusually squishy nugs that shreds precisely, making it perfect for papers or a pipe. Look closely, and you’ll see that it’s entirely covered in orange hairs, and the highlights don’t end there. The flavor somehow improves as it burns, even leaving us with something of a salsa verde Tex-Mex aftertaste, scents that all together screw into your nose and literally stick around for hours.
Smash Hits Pablo’s Revenge
There’s a bright green nug under this hairy neon monster. This Gritty-looking beauty is one of the sweetest-smelling strains we’ve sampled, a hint of its Sherbet pedigree. But as things go with the iconic Mass-based Chemdog who grew and nurtured this batch, there’s another nasal spectacle behind the bakery, something of a gassy after-dinner mint for you to suck on while sinking into your couch. Light-green with a thick mane and the scent of Tang, this is the kind of weed that you can still get props for having on your person in a legal market where everybody ostensibly has equal access.
Similar things can be said about Donutz by Smash Hits, though it’s more subtle and much creamier than Pablo’s Revenge. We especially appreciate the way it separates like styrofoam, and mills down into green crystalline gasoline. Also a new limited drop, it smells of French Toast or something in that spice fam. So if you’re looking for a perfect Christmastime morning buzz, this may be it. Unless, of course, you have people coming over and have to do anything besides watch Home Alone and unwrap presents.
Blackstone Valley Cannabis Lemon X #2
We always love a new heavy hitter, and everything we’ve seen from Blackstone Valley Cannabis so far indicates that it is a force to be messed with on the top shelf. This Lemon X is case-in-point, a throwback to those old heavy sativa days that nonetheless still very much exists in today’s realm. That’s to say it packs in all the features of your fave halcyon hazes but cranks them up several notches, bringing the citrus, diesel, and even the whiskery bag appeal to modern heights. An absolute upper, it’s a proper fit for parties.
Cannalive Genetics GLD LPH
Cannalive is a brand that is rooted in community and music, and we were fortunate to recently attend the equivalent of a cannabis listening party last week for the latest GLD LPH, a drop coordinated with Hub hip-hop giants STL GLD. This latest performance, the sixth exquisite harvest with a wispy amber glow, is a smoker. It mills into a fine dank grind, and when packed in tightly makes for a kaleidoscopically mesmerizing spectacle, all while miraculously burning for much longer than most comparable strains.
No matter where you’re partying this season, some people will probably prefer the fruitier numbers, while others have their bell rung by super sativas and strains with the terpene profile of a molotov cocktail. GLD LPH explodes down the middle, dazzling in contributions from the produce section with a sweet faint smell of petrol pushing back. Heading to a party where music will play a major role? Also bring along Cannalive’s indica, GLD II SLP, plus Blaze Berrie, a sativa collab with Boston hip-hop artist Brandie Blaze, and also look out for their Grizzly Goo which benefits Mass Bears and Cubs.
RiverRun Gardens Pave #4
Fruity in the nostrils and pleasantly dry like fine wine on the palate, this one bleeds thick chocolate resin down its bitter undercarriage. Hairy like a spider and bright orange like a fire, it’s a showboat that will float yours. And while we’re talking fun from RiverRun, their Galaxy Glaze is sticky-sweet and floral, emitting a burnt sugar fragrance from the first flame. That sweetness moves throughout the burn and transforms into gassier resinous content over time, making for a full experience sure to throw your appetite and thoughts right into overdrive.
Coastal Healing Raspberry Sunset
We’re just going to leave this one at the notes from our raving reviewer. No edits necessary: “Probably the most complete flavor profile I’ve ever smoked. Every aspect of scent translates to taste. A perfect cure. Terpines inform the flavor but don’t drive the experience. Sweet lemon and floral with overwhelming hazy flavortones. A rich, smooth taste that is a complete and direct translation of the smell all the way through the end burn.”
*If you are specifically seeking something seasonal, we recommend the Gravel Pit from Tower Three, which is nuttier than prohibitionists with pockets full of cashews on an open fire. Also check for the Donutz from Smash Hits we described above.
