CCA has stepped it up again. This last batch of meds I picked up are seriously potent and really, really good. Maybe the best so far. Since I've always liked the kind of "checklist reviews" of specific strains and I've never done one myself, I think I'll do it regarding the last few strains I got at CCA. So, here we go.
Diesel
Looks: Like dank haha. Pale green, almost olive-colored buds with only slightly darker green leaves. Trimmed well, not too leafy. There's a few light orange hairs here and there and an abundance of tiny crystals. It looks really good.
Smell: Kind of bizarre, actually, but in a really good way. Pungent. Funky. Complex. Rotten fruit; skunk; mentholated gasoline, but not right away. I had to stick my nose in the jar repeatedly to pick it all up. An hour later, I smelled it again and was picking up on new scents. Finishes with a hint of lemon-y funkiness. The first thing my girl said when she smelled it was,"Bacon!" and I can't disagree with her. It does have a weird, salty meat smell to it, in addition to the "menthol/diesel/rotten fruit" smell. After smoking so many OG's lately, I have to say that there's definitely OG elements to the way this Diesel smells, but it's really nothing at all like an OG. It's really not anything like Sour Diesel, either. I mean, it IS, I can definitely see how they're related, but this is waaaaaaaay funkier. I know I keep using the word "funky" to describe the smell, but it really is like that. All kinds of shit going on with this one.
Taste: This is where I can see the Diesel name being appropriate. There's a definite delicious gas-y taste to it, but it also just tastes like dank. Like the smell, the flavor is very complex. Delicious, though.
High: In a word? POWERFUL. In two words? Surprisingly powerful. I'm still shocked every time I take a bong rip. One big bong rip is all you need for this one. The high is super-pleasant, relaxing but definitely functional. I can work out on this, cook dinner, run errands, all that shit. No couchlock at all, despite how strong it is.
Overall: 9.5. One of my new favorite strains. This is very, very good weed. The only reason I wouldn't give it a ten is because I really wanted it to just have a piercing, pungent fuel smell and it didn't. I mean, there's a hint of fuel, but there's also so much more going on. One of my favorite things to do is open up a couple of jars of other strains, smell them and then open up the Diesel jar. It's like,"Whaaaaaat????" Such a weird and funky smell.
Vortex
Looks: Really, really amazing. Slightly looser buds with light green buds and darker green leaves. There's actually a lot of purple in there, too, but I have a feeling that that's because of the grow room temps. Nothing I've read about Vortex mentions any kind of purple coloration. Still, it looks amazing, whatever the reason for the purple. The nugs are pretty fucking frosty, too. Super-fine crystals.
Smell: A little spicy, maybe pepper, hint of sour fruit with a tangy finish. Honestly, I wasn't blown away by how this weed smelled initially, but after sticking my nose in the jar a few times, you really start to pick up on all the subtle hints of fruit and spice and pepper.
Taste: Being a nerd, I always google strains that I come home with or am planning on coming home with. I like to have a reference point to help me formulate my opinions about specific strains. Sometimes I agree with the info I find, sometimes I completely disagree. I pretty much agree with everything I read about Vortex regarding the taste. It's very impressive. It tastes like it smells but a million times stronger. Spicy pepper mixing with sour fruit. The way it finishes is what got me, though. Fifteen minutes after my first bowl, the flavor was still lingering and evolving. It finishes with a really tasty sour and tangy flavor. Delicious. I should also mention that this bud tasted great right down to the last hit and the flavor kept changing the more I smoked of it. The first hit had more of the "pepper" flavor, while the last hit was full of sour fruit. Fucking awesome.
High: Very interesting. When I googled this strain, a lot of people mentioned that over-indulging could make you "stupid." I wouldn't say it made me stupid, but it did make me a little space-y. Like, I'd open a beer, take a few sips, read some article or something online, forget that I had an open beer sitting in front of me and get up, go to the fridge and open another beer. Having said that, I also felt extremely focused. So focused, in fact, that I was forgetting shit like I have an open beer in front of me. You know what I mean? I don't think this weed makes me stupid at all, it just makes me so focused on one thing that I kind of forget about everything else. This one's pretty strong, too. One bowl out of my bong and I'm good for 1.5 hours or so.
Overall: 8. I've read a lot of good things about this one and I'd have to say it lived up to its reputation. I'm a Sativa guy and this one is definitely a Sativa. A lot of times, people think of Sativas as that kind of heart-racing, super-up type of high, but this one is more of a focused yet relaxed high. Certain Sativas can make one space-y, for sure, and I'd say that this is definitely one of those kinds of Sativas. I realize that I'm kind of contradicting myself in describing it as "space-y yet focused" but that's really how it is. Good weed.
Fire OG
Looks: A little different from Fire OG's I've gotten in the past. Don't get me wrong, at a glance you can tell that it's an OG, but the buds are a little looser than most Fire OG's. Grow room temps may have gotten a little too warm, maybe? Still, I like the fact that the buds aren't as dense as usual. It means you get more haha. And anyway, they look fucking great, lots of crystals, nothing to complain about at all. Fire OG!
Smell: Like heaven haha! Stereotypical stinky OG smell. Lemon, fuel and Pine-sol. Some OG's have this wonderful finish that I love and this one definitely has it. "Rich" is the only word that ever comes to mind when I notice it. It's like a skunky vanilla citrus, but rich. "Rich" isn't exactly the right word, but it'll have to do for now. One of these days I'll figure out the right word.
Taste: Again, stereotypical OG taste. Just like the smell. Lemon fuel. So fucking good.
High: Like the Diesel, this one is super-strong. Another one-hitter-quitter. The Fire OG stone is really perfect, in my opinion, and one of the reasons why it's one of my favorites of all time. While some OG's knock people on their asses, I've always thought that Fire OG definitely has more than a little Sativa in it. After smoking this one, I tend to get up and sweep and mop my apartment, work out, cook an elaborate dinner. I find it motivational. Uplifting, without a hint of paranoia.
Overall: 10. Fire OG is the shit and this particular batch is a damn good representation of it.
Pure OG
Looks: Like really good weed haha. Tons of orange, almost rust colored hairs. Olive green buds with a few darker green leaves here and there. This one was manicured very well, there's barely any leaf at all. Very crystal-y. Sparkly. Awesome.
Smell: Not as much of a pronounced "OG smell" as other OG's I've had, especially when you compare it to something like the FIre OG. This one's a little more earthy, but there's still more than a hint of that pungent, nostril-burning, chemical-y OG funk to it, as well. It smells good.
Taste: More distinctly OG than the smell, but also a kind of thick hashiness to it, too. That may be because I didn't smoke this one out of a completely clean bong. Whatever the case, it tastes really good.
High: I'm gonna sound like a broken record here, but this one, like the others, is very strong. The high is more "up" than I expected, which is fine by me. I've smoked Pure OG in the past and it was way more of a lethargic stone than this particular batch. I really like this one. Perfect for smoking right before I cook dinner. Or right before I do anything, for that matter. It's relaxing, but it doesn't make me just want to sit on the couch or anything.
Overall: 9. I've always liked Pure OG and this one is even better than the Pures I've smoked in the past.
Woody OG
Looks: Bigger, pyramid-shaped buds. Olive drab, barely any leaf at all, a few orange hairs here and there, super-small crystals, but lots of them. It looks really good and frosty.
Smell: Very unusual. Not OG-ish at all. Well, not initially any way. Earthy, skunky-sweet, possibly a hint of pine, ever-so-slightly astringent. Hint of chocolate or coffee or something in there, too. Not what I expected at all, although it's not unpleasant or disappointing. Once I broke it up, it had a much more pronounced OG lemon fuel smell to it. Nice.
Taste: Hash-y. Earthy. It's not an overpowering taste, nor is it one that stays with you, although that may be because I can't stay awake for more than 30 minutes after smoking it haha! It tastes good, though.
High: Like I said, this one knocks me on my ass, which is fine. I always have one or two "sleepy time" strains around and this one fits the bill. If you like heavy Indicas, this'd be the one for you. I know some people don't think the Woody's THAT heavy and maybe it's not, but for a Sativa and Sativa-heavy hybrids fan like myself, this one is plenty Indica-ish for me. And it's strong, too, just like the others. Two hits had me hella baked and smiling like a fool. What's weird is that sex is really good on this one, despite the fact that it makes me lazy in all other regards. Honestly, I think this one would be good if you have erectile dysfunction, in addition to aiding sleep and appetite.
Overall: 9. Very good, very strong meds. I'd probably give it a 10 if I was an Indica-heavy hybrid fan.
Okay, so there it is, my little "strain checklist" review. I gotta say, CCA just keeps upping the ante. All of these strains are exceptional and pretty fucking impressive. If you haven't been to CCA before and you're one of those people (like me) who gets disappointed when they look at a dispensary's page on weedmaps and see a smaller menu, DON'T BE. What CCA lacks in quantity, they make up for big-time with quality. And all of those dispensaries with like 80 different strains on the menu really only have like eight strains worth picking up anyway. Pretty much everything at CCA is worth picking up. Check 'em out!