FIND MORE MARIJUANA COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/MARIJUANA MARIJUANA S T RAIN GANG Red Delicious is more satisfying than its apple inspiration. Red Herring BY HERBERT FUEGO I’ve gone on rants about the general shitti- ness of Red Delicious apples plenty of times — at least once before here — but allow me to do it again. Those free-sack-lunch-ass apples have never once tasted delicious, tasty or even okay. They’re mushy, the skin gets stuck in my teeth, and they remind me of a mean, cold middle-school cafeteria. Be gone with you, Red Delicious, and don’t come back until you’re a Braeburn. Or a strain of weed. Maybe it’s the masochist in me, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the jar of Red Delicious fl ower during a monsoon dispensary run. I was intrigued by the ge- netics — Apple Fritter and Red Pop, two very potent hybrids — and the budtender’s claim that the strain had broken 3 percent in terpene potency. I’ve never read into THC percentages, but the terpene count has always been an easy way to hook me. If Red Delicious truly topped 3 percent, that’s like hitting .340 in the Major Leagues. It’s not just good; it’s an all-star. Maybe I needed to give Red Delicious reincarnated a chance. My nostrils were expecting an overly 38 sweet blast of ripe apples with Red Deli- cious, but instead received an interesting blend of hops, roses and overlying funk. Not at all what I anticipated, and nothing I was very excited about, either. Spicy, fl oral and bitter were never my favorite cannabis characteristics, but if the high is good, that’s all water under the bridge — and for the most part, the high checked out. Red Delicious brought a quick injection of mental euphoria, which seems too strong for the fi rst twenty or minutes or so. However, those effects turn into a mental squeegee, clearing out stress and anxiety without clog- ging my brain. I tend to burn out after a few hours, and I avoid Red Delicious joints because of the fl oral fl avor, but the strain is still a satisfying spell after a long day. Looks: Tightly knit and compact, Red Delicious buds have small trichomes, but the coverage is still above average, with wintergreen calyxes that have a tendency to turn dark purple. Smell: Spicy, fl oral and bitter, Red Delicious is hardly fruity, but has just enough underlying sweetness to smell like a produce section. I usually pick up hints of roses, tea and a hops- like bitterness, with a funky ending that lingers. Flavor: The taste is more unique than enjoyable for me, but there are redeeming qualities. Floral and spicy notes combine for a more herbal fl avor, which isn’t my favorite. A funky push with biscuit notes is strong enough to counteract those characteristics, however. Effects: Red Delicious is considered a hybrid best kept for nighttime, and that designation generally applies. I have smoked Red Delicious without fading, but those mid- afternoon sessions only worked if I had just eaten and had a coffee in my hand. Every other time, I experienced a steady climb with a guaranteed drop inside of three hours after signifi cant munchies and a strong head high. But even with effects mainly centered between the ears, it was never hard to focus. Where to fi nd it: Canna City, Colorado Harvest Company, Cookies, the Dab, Emer- ald Fields, Golden Meds, the Herbal Cure, Herbal Wellness, Lova, Medicine Man, Oasis Cannabis Superstores, Rocky Road and Stand- ing Akimbo have all recently stocked Red Delicious, with several shops in southern and western Colorado carrying the strain, as well. Wholesale grower Bloom County is re- sponsible for most, if not all, of the Red Deli- cious fl ower currently in Denver, although Eureka Vapor sells Red Delicious pre-rolls that are infused with distillate. Chronic Creations, a Wheat Ridge-based hash maker, sells extracted versions of Red Delicious, too. Fresh, another Colorado wholesale grower, has also reportedly grown Red Delicious, but we haven’t come across it yet. Is there a strain you’d like to see profi led? Email [email protected]. JUNE 30-JULY 6, 2022 WESTWORD | REAL ESTATE | RENTALS | HEALTH WELLNESS | SERVICES | EMPLOYMENT | ADULT | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | westword.com HERBERT FUEGO
