Everybody goes crazy for 7/10 now, just like they do for 4/20, but this one seems to be hitting its commercial stride far faster than our OG holiday did. If I could show you the amount of pitches I got for distillate vapes or edibles this year (because they’re made with oil, right?! idiots) you may lose hope in what we’re doing here. It was honestly depressing. But fret not young padawans, because I cut out the bullshit, and just like last year I waited until the hype died down a bit to remind you that we’re always here, and we always need to get high. Don’t let them take our days and Hallmark-ify ‘em!
This month has been busy, I’ve traveled to sesh’s from Texas to Sacramento, and got to partake in events like Jimi’s latest Transbay qualifier, and the ‘final’ Dead & Co show, which we all know will only be the last one for like another few months. The latter was a crazy experience, as we watched the show from a luxury suite in Oracle Park to close out Lot Comedy & Chronic Culture’s ‘The Last Shakedown’ art show, and I got to trip out and enjoy several hours of music with friends like Sacred Fruits & Fidel, among others, some of whom are mentioned below. There was even a surprise drone show that honestly blew me away. I believe there’s a recap doc coming about that weekend you should keep an eye out for, if you like that kind of stuff. And I’m sure there’s footage of the drones online, if you can’t wait.
That’s the ramble for this month. As always, you’re welcome to yell at me for missing something or put me on to the new here. Without further adieu, let’s hash it out:
The Blue Zushi Buckets
There weren’t many of these jars in existence to begin with, and I’m sure the vast majority have already made their way into collector’s grails, but I can’t do a hash collection without mentioning the hyphiest jar to drop in recent memory. Costing at least $1,000 a bucket (or $500 a gram) from the first-step trapper, and even more astoundingly priced further down the line, while typically I wouldn’t even look at a jar like this, the commotion for this one was just too loud to ignore – which isn’t a huge surprise considering it was a collaboration between two of the most sought-after high-end producers in our space, Ten Co. (Zushi) & West Coast Alchemy. And the rosin really was special – as pungent as you’ve ever seen a Blue cut, and the kind of smoke that has your eyes glazed over before you’re even finished exhaling. But what’s most interesting to me is the follow on from this – we’re already seeing insanely priced jars trying to replicate the hype, and if the small batch flower market is any indicator, this isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Mountain Man Melts
These guys are a recent find for me, and while I’m not sure how long they’ve been around I can tell you that since they were introduced to me I have seen these guys everywhere. From LA trap wrestling jaunts to competitions in Sacramento, these guys are working the floor hard, so it’s no surprise their fan base is growing at a rapid clip. Even better, their portfolio of cultivars is one that even the most eclectic of flavor chasers can dive into, and thoroughly enjoy, with a selection of everything from fruity Z cuts to putrid stank to a Wet Ass Papaya that will stay on your palate for hours. These guys have been in constant rotation for me lately, and they seemingly have the perfect flavor for any mood.
Guru Cannabis Co
This one’s kinda overdue for a shoutout. I’ve been running into Ashhok across the country for years now, and honestly all of the work I’ve seen has been stellar, no matter the location we happen to be in, so this is definitely a flake on my part. And while I know we’re all over the LCG hype that’s been driving the market for awhile, and knowing this may be a deep cut because I got this jar probably a year ago, Guru’s Mighty Runtz (washed by Cold Gold) is the best expression of that cut I’ve seen in hash form, and if you get the chance to taste it, don’t sleep. Come to think of it, I haven’t really come across much Runtz rosin to begin with, so while this one may not be a washer, the Guru figured out how to make this one work in a big way.
Professor Sift
When we talk about hyphy jars, Sift is another one of those names whose jars fly off the table almost as quick as they’re set up to display. I want to start this by saying if you’re trying to score his work and you see he’s going to be somewhere, come early, because it will not last long. That’s not to say he’s not pumping out plenty of product, but watching kids scoop pretty much as many as they can get their hands on doesn’t leave much room for late arrivals. And it’s truly not just hype, I’ve loved virtually everything I’ve tasted from Sift, including some of his early Piatella I caught during the 4/20 festivities in New York, and he’s one of the few names that all the heady boiz I know (who love to be different and have the ‘new’ thing no one else has ever seen) keep stocked in their personal collections.
Sugar Magnolia Farms
On top of people making quality products, it’s also important to me that I’m highlighting quality people as well, and the man behind the scenes at Sugar Magnolia’s the real deal all around. Originally landing on my radar from an exquisite collaboration with Fidel on a hash hole a little while back, having now gotten to dive further into the portfolio of hash I have to say there’s something special here. He’s got orange cuts, he’s got gassy cuts, but probably my favorite of the moment is his Honey Bunny, which is some variation of Honey Banana, which almost always works for me. If you’re not familiar, it’s time to tap in.
Eternal Hash
This is one a few people had asked about, and I’m just diving into, but you know somebody’s a true artist when they can take something you’ve seen a million times and reintroduce it like you’ve never met. That’s exactly what Eternal Hash did for me with their Grease Bucket, which as I’m sure most of you reading have at least heard of before – it’s no spring chicken. That said, there’s a reason it‘s become a classic, and Eternal reminded me of that truth. The pungent stank on this is the type to make your little hairs stand on end, and you’ll taste that exact same funk on the inhale. The exhale presents a bit gassier in flavor, and as soon as you notice that your brains going to slow down quite a bit, so good luck getting anything done!
Feel Good
Coming from the trifecta of hype that is Bobby Trill’s arsenal, I’ve got to give a nod to the flavors that Feel Good’s been washing out these past few months. I might’ve mentioned these guys in the Water Boyz shout a few months back, but they’re far more than just a collab pop-up – in fact, I was smoking these jars before I saw all the TWB stuff, so I may have gotten things a bit backwards this time but we’re here. My current favorite varietals from these guys are the Pie Dough, the Kushie Juice, and the Jelly Donut.
Dammit Bobby
There are obviously a lot of heady jars available at the moment, but when I’m looking to impress a pal who doesn’t typically dab and I want to really knock their socks off, Dammit Bobby’s always the first jar I pull out. Not only will whoever the viewer is undoubtedly dig the pop culture references adorning his various jars, but it’s pretty much guaranteed that they’re about to smell (& taste!) an expression of the plant unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. From true small batch runs of flavors the market will likely never see again, to some of the most sought-after emerging underground cultivars, DB’s rosin is a staple in my hall of flame.
Mandolorian Melts
I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with this team before Jimi’s most recent Transbay qualifier in Sacramento, but boy did they steal the show. Winning with the affectionately named BB-8, which was a wash of a Dulce de Fresa cut from Bloom Seed Co & Harry Palms, I have to say (without slighting any of the other competitors) this one seriously jumped out of the jar, and the flavor was just as potent as the aroma. For any of the judges scoring the hash entries, the two winners were apparent from a mile away – which says a lot, because there were some really big names competing in this one! City of trees, after all! But after their win I heard they also just took home a trophy from the Dabrite Invitational down here in LA earlier that same week – it’s clear they’re doing something right! Ones to watch for sure.
Kalya
These guys are frequent flyers over here, but I couldn’t complete my hash rundown without including the gang. I’ve told you in the past how Marc’s easily one of my favorite people in the industry, and that hasn’t changed a bit – in fact, it’s seemingly grown alongside the growth of his business – which honestly, typically goes in the other direction. I spent the majority of my 7/10 festivities with the Kalya crew up at eleven11 in Sacramento and I’ve got to say, it’s like dude is a magnet for warmth. Although it was at a speakeasy, the whole thing felt more like a house party – the type where you’re already friends with all the attendees, even if you haven’t met them yet. There was food, there were laughs – there was excellent hash. Everything you’d want in a holiday celebration. Throw in some hang time with my homie Matt Jackson, and the latest Kalya recruit Luigi, and it’s feeling like we’ve got a real tradition on our hands.
BONUS: Puffco’s 3DXL
Now, I know Puffco is on a product release tear right now, but I’ve gotta say, their new 3DXL attachment is exactly what all your slurp-fiends have been waiting for. Supersizing the bucket to fit massive globs, anybody who has ever said the Peak can’t hit like a rig is about to eat their words – myself included. There’s a fun little clip of me choking off a glowie with this new guy that I’m sure they’ll be sharing soon, but let me preface the circulation by saying that while I was acting unimpressed for the sake of playing the ad’s role, that choke was absolutely real. I stand by the belief that dabs don’t need to be that hot, stop killing yourself broz. But if you want something a little bigger than your average dab, this one’s the ticket.
