We will make a road trip for whatever this Merrimack Valley cultivator is growing
We’re not the type to chase cup winners. If we happen to be in a store and see a menu item that recently grabbed a gold medal, then we will definitely make the purchase. But for the most part, it’s unusual for any of us to travel several hours across the state for a specific sativa or particular melt.
But for Red Runtz flower by Advanced Cultivators, we’d travel to the edge of the earth, as long as it was covered in fields upon fields of this kaleidoscopic furball brilliance.
We’re getting to the point where even an increased number of top independent cultivators are turning their attention to sweeter strains, many of which have historically been eschewed by those among us who consider themselves too damn sophisticated or old school to explore similar terp profiles to groves and orchards. And specimens like this from Advanced Cultivators, a Lowell-based wholesaler whose products live up to its name, are sure to please any new or true head, proof once and for all that it is time for everybody to embrace the rainbow.
The smell is absolutely mesmerizing, making for a showstopper and stunner before even laying eyes on it. Up close, it looks like a hairy green and purple spider with intriguing orange feathers. Smoke some, and suddenly you’re lamping in a hot tub full of Skittles in the Wonka mansion, a cherry-flavored Pez jammed up each of your nostrils.
And the high … this … shit … is … powerful. Don’t let the sweet aroma fool you, it is the kind of weed that will even have daily smokers laughing and raiding the fridge.
As for the awards … Yes, this is an obvious belle of the ball in 2024 (and will likely fare well in the Greenskeeper Cup, where it’s among the participating indica varietals), but it’s not a one-off. Among the top boutique outfits in the state, Advanced is the latest little grow that could to surface on our radar and on many others. At the recent NECANN Cup in Boston, the cultivator took home a remarkable five trophies for: hybrid flower (1st place, Red Runtz); indica flower (2nd place, Sherb Cream Pie); preroll (2nd place, Sherb Cream Pie); preroll (1st place, Pink Skittlez); sativa flower (1st place, Pink Skittlez).
We’re looking forward to hopefully visiting their grow in person someday to see where the magic happens. In the meantime, we’re happy to drive as far as we need to for more of their Red Runtz.
