Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel is one of the strains that put East Coast weed on the map, but its family tree is about as tidy as the New York underground scene it came out of. The most widely cited lineage pairs Chemdog 91 with Super Skunk, though the exact breeding history behind the original Sour Diesel remains disputed.

The strain rose to prominence around New York during the 1990s, where stories surrounding breeders including AJ became tangled with the history of the famous East Coast Sour Diesel cut. Even the name comes with lore. One longstanding story claims "Sour" referred not only to the bud's sharp aroma but to the business relationships that supposedly went sour as the coveted cut changed hands. It's a great piece of New York weed mythology, just not one that can be treated as documented history.

The flower backs up the Diesel name without much subtlety. Pungent fuel and chemical funk come first, followed by sour citrus, earth, herbs, and peppery spice. It's the kind of aroma that made Sour Diesel recognizable before strain menus needed tasting notes to explain themselves.

Those who've hit it describe a fast, cerebral rush with an energetic, euphoric streak that can turn dreamy and spacey as it rolls along. Sour Diesel built its reputation as daytime weed with some horsepower, delivering plenty of head change without immediately dragging the experience into heavier territory.