TOP 10 STRAINS OF THE YEAR: 2007

Top Ten Strains of 2007 By Danny Danko

 

Traveling around the world to test and sample the finest pot and hash that each region has to offer can be a grueling experience. Luckily, bud breeders have been hard at work, choosing carefully from their arsenal of strains to create better-tasting and more refined cannabis varieties that express the many hidden characteristics inherent in the indicas and sativas we love. Complex flavors and attributes continue to add subtle nuances to the pot-smoking experience that keep it interesting and unique. Recent research has determined and quantified the specific effects of essential oils known as terpenes, which are present in different cannabis varieties and combine with THC to provide the variety of experiences and tastes. Each year the bar gets set higher and higher. And so, without further ado, these are the strains—in no particular order—that raised the standard for kind buds in 2007.

Satori from Mandala Seeds
Sativa lovers rejoice! Breeders Mike and Jasmin of Mandala Seeds have created one of the finest sativas we’ve ever sampled. Satori combines the wonderful “up” high of a longer-flowering plant with the production, hardiness and rapid growth indicative of shorter, stocky indicas. Known for their potent yet affordable strains, Mandala Seeds produce limited amounts of unique connoisseur-quality seeds created from rare genetics from Nepal and India (where some of the strongest herb on earth has been grown for centuries). Mike and Jasmin only sell F1 seeds, which benefit from hybrid vigor, thus ensuring that plants grown from them exhibit stronger resistance to heat, pests and deadly diseases that can be caused by molds and viruses. The high from the Satori is “electric” without any kind of ceiling; keep smoking and you continue to soar! This strain is perfect for those of us with higher THC tolerance. Medical users point out Satori’s ablities to ease depression and anxiety (unlike some sativas that can make your heart race). Growers will find Satori easy to manicure and a pleasure to cultivate. Go easy on the nutrients and let her go the full ten weeks for complete enlightenment.
Flowering time: nine to 10 weeks
Contact: Mandalaseeds.com

Chocolope (AKA D-Line) from DNA Genetics
Anyone who remembers the Chocolate Thai buds that went around in the 1980’s will be thrilled to know that the DNA Genetics boys have been hard at work to revive the incredible chocolaty taste and cerebral high of that fantastic weed from yesteryear. Don and Aaron sprinkled their Chocolate Thai female with pollen from their Cannalope male and then backcrossed the progeny to shorten the flowering time a bit while still retaining the unique Thai qualities we love. This almost pure sativa takes a bit longer than some strains to finish flowering but is well worth the wait and yields quite nicely. Chocolope buds have great medicinal value but unseasoned smokers should be cautious; stifled giggles can turn to uncontrolled laughter and some people even report heart racing and paranoia as some of the symptoms of puffing this potent pot. Some even refer to it as a “high-school” high that reminds them of their earliest experiences with cannabis. If that sounds interesting to you, try some potent and flavorful Chocolope in your garden.
Flowering time: 9 to 10 weeks
Contact: dnagenetics-amsterdam.com

Burmese Kush from THSeeds
THSeeds have earned a stellar reputation for bringing California’s finest genetics to Amsterdam and beyond. This proud tradition continues with their latest offering, Burmese Kush (lovingly referred to as Buku). One of the most resinous strains in Holland at last year’s Cannabis Cup, the Buku is the result of crossing an authentic Burmese Kush with the clone-only O.G. Kush so well known in the Los Angeles area. It’s super “kushy” with the telltale dark green leaves and unique piney flavor inherent in the strongest of Kush-line strains. Anyone who smokes the real deal Kush knows the incredibly euphoric properties of the high. Combine that with the short flowering time and easy to trim profile and you’ll understand why we’re cuckoo for Buku.
Flowering time: 7 to 8 weeks
Contact: THSeeds.com

Opium from Paradise Seeds
Luc from Paradise Seeds introduced the strain he calls Opium at the 19th HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup in 2006 and promptly won 2nd place in the sativa seed company contest. The creamy, fruit punch flavor cut right through most of the other entries and this new hybrid will surely win more awards in the future. The father of this plant is actually technically a mother – a reversed female thus resulting in female-only seeds. Huge colas feature an amazing amount of trichomes that activate the senses into a cerebral and visual experience that must be experienced to be believed. Growers will find that Opium benefits from multiple branching for high yields of super-dense buds covered with resin. Opium continues the tradition of great hits from Paradise Seeds. 
Flowering time: 8-9 weeks
Contact: Paradise-seeds.com

Jilly Bean from MZJill of Team Green Avenger (TGA Seeds)
Female growers seem to have a special affinity and connection with their cannabis plant sisters and MzJill, Subcool’s better half and partner-in-kind is no exception. For her first strain release, she crossed their female clone-only Orange Velvet with their trusty Space Queen male to create Jilly Bean, a euphoric mood-elevating strain that’s easy to grow and exhibits an incredible citrus taste and smell. Jilly Bean combines fruity and skunky into a unique and sticky strain that medical users report as uplifting and happy. She’s 70 percent indica so she stays short and stocky and finishes quickly, making her perfect for SOG (Sea of Green) or ScrOG (Screen of Green) type growing. A drop in temperature late in flowering will induce deep burgundy to maroon colors on the leaves of this flavorful and seductive strain. 
Flowering time: 8 weeks
Contact: cannasuer.com and breedbay.co.uk

Blue Dynamite from Next Generation Seed Company
As much as I love the sativas, we can’t forget about the dense and potent indicas. Growers love branchy and fast-growing strains with huge yields and plenty of sticky resin. Jay from Next Generation Seed Company scores his first top ten strain with the powerful indica Blue Dynamite, a wonderful F1 hybrid that’s perfect for beginners and pot producers alike. Jay describes the Blue Dynamite as, “a perfect stain for making hash, with amazing taste right down the joint to the end of the roach.” Jay created Blue Dynamite by crossing his male Avalon strain (Blueberry x Afghani) with his Dynamite strain (the famous Grapefruit clone from British Columbia). It’s a tasty and productive indica that turns hues of blue and purple towards the end of flowering.
Flowering time: 6-7 weeks
Contact: Greenlifeseeds.com

Vortex from Subcool Seeds and Team Green Avenger (TGA)
Subcool returns with Vortex - his follow-up to Jack The Ripper, one of last year’s Top Ten Strains choices. For Vortex, Subcool crossed Apollo-13 with Spacequeen for a potent batch of seeds sure to provide a keeper motherplant with the characteristics of one of the two phenos of Vortex. The Apollo-13 dominant one is called Dynamo finishes after 58 days and the other pheno, Cosomos takes a bit longer but grows larger and tastes more fruity with sour undertones. Subcool now focuses primarily on providing seeds with medicinal properties and this one in particular promotes “munchies” for those suffering from nausea and unable to eat. He describes the Vortex as “tasting of sour fruit and pineapple or mango candy. It has a high pistil to leaf ratio that makes smoking it a treat since there’s very little leaf on each bud and a thick coating of resin”. I’ve found that Subcool’s strains are perfect for vaporizing in the Volcano; the tastes just seem all the more complex and the high is outstanding.
Flowering time: 8 weeks
Contact: cannasuer.com and breedbay.co.uk

Super Snowdog from Chemdog
The fastest finishing and sweetest tasting of all the amazing Chemdog family genetics, the Super Snowdog just might be the true connoisseur’s choice. This strain grows incredibly frosty as it finishes and fills out quite nicely when given enough room. Chem tells me, “The Snowdog is the Oregon Snow Male crossed with the Mass Superskunk. Then, we took a male from that cross was chosen to pollinate the Bubble Chem (Chemdog Sister X Sagarmatha’s Blueberry). The result of that cross became the Super Snowdog.” He recommends growing it in 5 gallon containers and vegging for a full month to get over a quarter pound per plant.
Flowering time: 8 weeks
Contact: Clone Only

The Purps from BC Bud Depot
At the 2004 HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup, The BC Bud Depot guys were gifted the legendary Mendo Purps strain. Upon returning to Canada, they immediately began working to release stable seeds of this original and fantastic-tasting clone-only variety. The grape candy favor and deep purple colors of the Purps are accentuated in this seed release to properly reflect it’s heritage as one of California’s most unique contributions to the cannabis gene pool. The Purps will yield copious dark nuggets with tremendous bag appeal and an uplifting high that will have you begging for more of Mendocino’s finest by way of British Columbia. Joints of Purps exhibit an almost impossibly candied flavor all the way down to the roach. BC Bud Depot strikes again with boutique pot for the true aficionado.
Flowering time: 8 weeks
Contact: Bcbudonline.com

 
Old Time Moonshine from DJ Short/Legends Seeds
Cannabis connoisseurs have long regarded the work of DJ Short as some of the best breeding ever accomplished. He was recently honored as one the 10 inaugural entrants into the HIGH TIMES Seed Bank Hall of Fame (Oct. ’07 HT). His Old Time Moonshine is a mostly indica strain that’s sticky and sweet with a deep musky flavor that’s hashy and earthy as you’d expect from a hashplant influenced Blueberry hybrid. Red from Legends Seeds says, “The OTM is an F5 IBL (inbred line) from the Blueberry line. The main difference between this one and our Blue Moonshine (which is the F4 from this line) is the mutant factor. The OTM has a cornucopia of phenotypes that weren’t present in the BM. I love the OTM simply for the fact that you’ll find mother-plants in there that you won’t find anywhere else on the market. These ladies also made some of the finest bubblehash I’ve smoked to date.”
Flowering time: 7-8 weeks
Contact: Legendsseeds.com