Pubdate: Thu, 14 Apr 2016
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

SN&R MARIJUANA EXPERT NGAIO BEALUM'S FAVORITE STRAINS OF THE YEAR

SN&R's pot expert Ngaio Bealum on his favorite strains from the past year

I smoked a bunch of weed this year. I don't mean in the usual "I'm a 
stoner. I smoke weed. Duh." kind of way. I mean in the "Oh my 
goodness, I have been invited to be a judge at two cannabis 
competitions. I need to step my game up." kind of way.

This is going to sound odd, and I sometimes giggle at the thought, 
but it's a bit of a strange feeling when you have to smoke weed for 
your job. Like, for real. Testing 60 different strains in a week (as 
I did at the Denver High Times Cannabis Cup) or more than 200 strains 
in a month (see the Emerald Cup Outdoor Organic Cannabis Competition) 
was a tough, but great, gig. It did wonders for my palate-and my 
tolerance levels.

But enough humble-bragging. In no particular order, these are my 
favorite strains from 2015:

Tangie

This citrus flavored bit of deliciousness is a cross between Cali-O 
(a mid-'90s strain that didn't get much love, for some reason) and 
Skunk. It smells like tangerines and tastes like a citrus punch. Good 
sativa. Excellent for daytime.

Granddaddy Purple

Old-school purple indica with a heavy narcotic feel. Great "purple" 
flavor, especially when grown right. Excellent for pain relief and naps.

Blueberry Cookies

Kinda the best of both worlds. Super-sweet blueberry inhale, then a 
nice, rich, slightly coffee flavored exhale. Very balanced effects. I 
liked this one so much I chose it as the feature flavor when I joined 
the High Life team of chronnoisseurs.

Yayger

I thought this weed was named "Yeager," after the dude that grew it, 
but it turns out that it was named "Jaeger" because it does indeed 
taste like Jaegermeister. The folks at Jaegermeister weren't pleased, 
however, and after a few cease-and-desists went around, folks decided 
to change the spelling to "Yayger." Now, everyone seems to be happy 
about it. Found primarily in southern Oregon, this hearty outdoor 
does indeed taste like its namesake liqueur: spicy and savory, with a 
great happy buzz that will have you smiling like a hippie at the 
Oregon Country Fair. One of my all-time favorite strains.

Purple Candy Cane

This weed was so good-it won third place in the 2015 Emerald Cup-that 
I had to track down the grower. He told me that this plant was an 
especially tasty phenotype he found after growing some random seeds, 
so I don't really know the genetic background. But it smells like 
limes and tastes like candy; very sweet on the tongue and in the air. 
The effects are uplifting but not overpowering. This strain is hard 
to find, but worth the hunt.

Omega

Another tasty Oregon creation. (IMHO, California and Oregon are 
smashing the game right now. Colorado, not so much-although I have 
smoked some nice "head stash," the commercial cannabis has a ways to 
go.) This strain from near the Roseburg area, Omega Frost from Rogue 
Bud farms (www.roguebuds.com) is spicy and fruity with a smooth high.

BOG'S Cherry Spice Sour Bubble

The "Bushy Old Grower" has been on the California scene for more than 
20 years. His Sour Bubble strain is damn near legendary. The Cherry 
Spice SB was a one-off from a really nice Sour Bubble cut. Tastes 
like cherries and bubble gum. Indica, but not too heavy.

Cherry Limeade No. 6

This strain was my pick in the Emerald Cup. It was purple, tangy and 
super nice. It didn't win the big prize-an unnumbered Cherry Limeade 
from the same grower ended up winning, but whatevs-yet it won my 
heart with its pleasant aroma and comfortable buzz.

Nonsolvent hash

Sure, butane-hash oil is cool. But give me a nice cold water, or some 
sort of dry sift, extraction and I am a happy stoner. Plus, no danger 
of explosions. A little dab'll do ya.

Whatever you are smoking right now

We are fortunate to live on the West Coast. We have access to all 
kinds of marijuana and marijuana accessories. We are more than a 
little bit spoiled when you think about the good people in Kansas and 
Idaho that don't even get to see weed like this. Enjoy what you have, 
my friends.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom