Old-school black hash was typically one of three consistencies: hard and crumbly with consistent colour inside and out; semi-soft with black exterior and brownish red inside that would soften and crumble when heated; very soft black with a very dark inside that bubbles slightly when heated and crumbles into a very sticky goo that sticks to everything. The last of those was always the most rare and the most potent making your fingers sticky just handling it. It was and is always a real treat.
With the above preamble in mind, you can imagine my surprise when the mail brought me a wonderful blast from the past of what has to be some of the very best black hash my 40+ years consuming cannabis has ever seen. It wasn’t just a random gift or anything, so perhaps some context is in order.
A friend in the twitter canna community and talented grower, Tom @thegrowshoweh, held a contest late last year. Contestants had to guess the amount of hash used to make this hashface and win 5 grams of home made hash.
With the kind of magical luck I wish the national lottery would bestow upon me, I guessed the magic number, 9.7 grams, and won the prize.
Early this week, I was thrilled to receive my prize in the mail. I became even more excited when I opened the package and started to play with and smell the hash. It is soft and gummy at room temperature, makes my fingers sticky and has the most wonderfully deep, kush, musky hash aroma. Upon trying to heat and mix it with some herb, I found more of it stuck to my fingers than the weed! Not a bad problem to have, right up there with ‘my gold bar is too heavy’.
I have no insight into how this hash was made, bubble bags or otherwise. The only information I did get is this is a product of multiple phenotypes.
Knowing so little made no difference in the enjoyment factor whatsoever. This is absolutely some of the very best hash I have ever tried. It smokes smoothly without any of those inevitable pin hole burns down the front of your favourite satin shirt. The effect comes in as great hash does, initially at the top of the neck, then a little fog in the head followed by a relaxing overall body high minus the overpowering couch lock. I found I could function very well, or not at all, and be quite relaxed and comfortable doing either.
I do not recall any name being given for this soft and gooey goodness aside from ‘homemade black hash’ but if I were to be so bold as to give it one, it would be something along the lines of “Alberta’s Other Black Gold”. When given choices of flower and or hash, flower would always be my singular 1st choice. If Alberta’s Other Black Gold were on the menu, it would have me splitting my buying power between it and whatever premium flower was available.
There’s simply no better way to start a new year than with a nice hunk or premium Gold. Thanks, Tom! You are a hash master, sir.