Kosher Kush. L’chaim.

While researching this week’s strain, Kosher Kush, I found myself falling down a rabbit hole (as I am wont to do) looking into the lineage. First passes on popular sites like Leafly.com indicated a mysterious origin, with phrases like “growers assume there is OG Kush in it’s lineage” and the like used in multiple sources. Frequently a bit of digging can result in a bit more information, or at least some clarity or more certain consensus. But in this case, not so much.

It seems that Kosher Kush originated in California, at least under that name. It had previously been known as Jew Gold, though was not terribly popular (I wonder why), and renamed. There’s also a rumor – though I haven’t been able to find evidence of any details that would confirm or refute this – that it is the first known strain to be blessed by a rabbi. While this blessing is not a necessary part of kashrut practice, the bits and pieces of the story I’ve found point to this blessing acting as a type of cleansing, to move on from the old name so that this excellent strain could leave that baggage behind.

To close out this intro, OG Kush has its roots in Florida, by way of California (again), when a strain from Cali was crossed with Chemdawg, Lemon Thai, and Hindu Kush. With Kush lineages throughout, it’s easy to see how this cluster of cultivars has maintained its potency, and set up Kosher Kush to be a big hitter.

Let’s start on the review as we always do, with the first impressions. Of note, this is the first strain from AAA Pharms that I’ve smoked. The aroma is simultaneously delicate and richly complex. The first inhalation smacks of fruit and “green.” When I can’t put my finger on a more specific smell that falls into the pine/herbal/maybe-mint category, it gets called “green.” It’s like how I refer to the flavor of Swedish Fish as “red.” My favorite flavor of candy is red. And if someone asks me what I mean, I mention Swedish Fish, and when they say “Well that’s cherry,” I have to follow that by saying that it isn’t, and it isn’t strawberry either, it’s just red.

Though I did learn not that long ago that Swedish Fish are actually lingonberry flavored, which if you’re a fan of the Big Lebowski – or IHOP for that matter – then “lingonberry pancakes” makes this all the funnier, but I still like having this conversation about how some flavors are just colors. Blue has a flavor. So does Purple. But as always, I digress.

Back to the aroma. Fruit and green. To really break it down into its component parts, I took a long time alternating between a variety of smelling strategies (long and slow inhales, big and fast huffs, and so forth) and nasal palette cleansing. The distinctions are just that subtle. They’re there, in your face, but the interplay is so tight. I finally settled on grapefruit, pine, sage, and tea as the dominant disaggregated aroma notes. I would specifically like to brew a tea that smelled like this if I came across such. While I don’t have testing data on this exact cultivation of Kosher Kush, I would put good money on it being Myrcene dominant for its terpene profile. It smells like straight Myrcene minus the sharp pungence that accompanies most raw terpenes.

The buds are tight, medium-sized, and dense. They’re mostly a pale green, only lightly flecked with darker green sugar leaves hiding here and there. The brown pistils are similarly elusive. In the photo I took, I had to pull the green tones up to see the details, as this bud is so covered in trichomes that it washed out quite easily under the lights, even without a flash being used.

This is one of those strains that loses a lot of its aroma characteristics in the flavor of the smoke. In classic Kush fashion, the fruitier notes are lost, and a bitter, pungent skunkiness comes to the forefront, leaving a lingering bitter aftertaste. As with others I’ve reviewed, it’s not bad, it’s just very “weed-y.” This isn’t a strain your kids will confuse with incense or a candle if they smell it. That being said, it’s a medium-bodied smoke, and a very easy hit.

The high is reminiscent of a classic Kush high, euphoric, kind of fuzzy around the edges, and intensely calm. As these more potent aspects are settling in, the ride on the way down is a little stoney, with a gentle head-floating feeling. The body high is relaxing and a little heavy, with the lightest tingling sensation. While I get both hungry and thirsty with this one, the sleepy body high that hits made it easy to avoid just snacking all night, and this was all accompanied by a general sense of emotional well-being that I categorize for simplicity as anxiety relief.

True to its lineage (such as it is) and its Kush name, Kosher Kush is a heavy hitter, euphorically uplifting and heavily sedative. This is a strain I’d put in the “beanbag chair” category, but wouldn’t go so far as “hookah bar,” as I want to be comfortable at home with this one. This is a strain for rewatching a familiar show or movie, perhaps with one other loved one or a small group of close friends. Have a glass of water handy, and relax to the soothing comfort of a Kosher Kush high.

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