A bunch of buds to burn for breakfast, from Banana Kush to Dognanaz
In a recent interview with Bobby and Bailey Nuggz from the Greenskeeper Cup about hot new strains and market trends, the latter said, “It’s about paying attention and keeping your ear to the street about what’s popular,” because “tastes, they shift.”
Bailey also noted, “Right now, banana is kind of all the rage and is something that a lot of people are messing with and entering into cups.” To which we thought, Huh, that does seem to be the case, doesn’t it?
When done right, banana buds are unmistakable. Apple strains can be confused with cherry, guava for orange, and lemon for lime. But with banana, you know that you are sucking on banana. And that alone is a phenomenon of gardening worth celebrating.
As for some different clever spins that cultivators in the commonwealth have brought to this concept …
One variety that we discovered in the Greenskeeper indica kit was Banana Kush by Springtime, a Western Mass-based operation that recently arrived in the Bay State with some big heat. This one unfolds thusly: gas, gas, and more gas, chased by a bushel of bananas followed by a swift kick in the pants. The dense and aromatic nugs are full of flavors not ordinarily found in weed, and you’d have to be a serious contrarian punk to think that’s a bad thing.
Next up is the sleeper of the bunch, both in that it brought a bouquet beyond what we expected and that it sat us down on the sofa. Though not as intensely bananariffic as some other cuts noted herein, Dirty Banana by Perpetual impressed us with its nuance, as well as its all-around general excellence. With compact nugs that break up beautifully and hints of sweet as well as gassy notes that get up in your nose, it’s a versatile crowd pleaser that got us nice and crispy.
Finally, we’re on the lookout for Dognanaz by the legend Chemdog at Smash Hits / Canna Provisions. A killer cross of his iconic Chem 91 and Banana OG, the 50-50 hybrid is 100 percent special. As the Mass grass godfather’s team explains: “When you cross the OG cut that started it all for the Chemdog line—the Chem 91—and then cross it with Banana OG, which is a cross of Banana and OG Kush (and itself the result of a Chemdog cross), you enter a heady landscape that is not for consumers looking for a light experience.”
The rest of their description is a case study in what happens when these strains go right: “The abundance of overripe bananas, kushy sweetness, and gassy diesel petrol fumes that comes from this gorgeous strain is only matched by its ability to lay waste to pain, sleeplessness, and not having an appetite.”
