Guava Mints, and Today that’s Enough.

It’s been a busy week, and things don’t look to be slowing down, so today I’m going to jump right into the review.

Time and time again I keep coming back to Strawberry Guava, and here I find myself, with a strain for which I somehow overlooked the parent, but low-and-behold, Guava Mints is directly descended of said Strawberry Guava (or StrawGuava sometimes) and Ice Cream. I picked this up a while ago, with several other new strains, and while I really enjoyed the first smoke, it got a little lost in the shuffle. Even having talked about it with customers many, many times in the subsequent weeks, I always had new strains to try, and only in the last week have I broken Guava Mints back out and really come to know it well.

I’m always torn between reading reviews of strains before I try them and going into a strain cold so I can get my unbiased take. But I’m also kind of picky, and want to know at least a broad stroke idea of what kind of high to expect. While I’ve got my take pretty firmly in my mind (and my spreadsheet), I took a quick peek at Jar Co.’s listing for this strain, and it reads somewhat like my own review, so while I’m still going to put my spin on it, the cultivator’s own description is excellent as well, and to the point.

The aroma of Guava Mints is singular. I have three “Other” spots at the end of the list of 60+ pre-populated flavor and aroma options on my review form, and Guava Mints gets a Moderate (on a scale of Light, Moderate, and Heavy) Other for a Mossy tone that permeates the Cream, Fruit, Pine, and Tea notes. It’s sweet and green, like a juice and smoothie bar that also doubles as a plant store, located in a recently renovated but historic downtown row of shops in a cute, touristy coastal New England town. You know the type: wide Main Street (for the small town), not every intersection has a traffic light, the ocean is close enough that you can smell it at times, and see it from some roads but not others; the inside of the shop has well-worn wooden floors that are clean and lacquered smooth and shiny; there’s always a good mix if local and out-of-towners in the store; and all the produce and plants are as local as possible, but there’s a couple of trendy national brand drinks in the fridge. Now order your I Guava Have It Tropical Tango Smoothie, smell the ferns and succulents, and enjoy.

The buds of Guava Mints are solid, good-sized nugs, medium to dark green, but with the brightest of orange pistil clusters that almost overtake the verdant tones. The buds are dense, with a gentle give, and pull apart easily enough, leaving a dry but lightly sticky residue of trichomes on the fingers. It smokes well, hitting all the “good” notes of easy, clean, and smooth. The flavor loses most of its sweeter and fruitier tones, leaving a very nice pine and truffle taste that lingers gently as a smooth and earthy mouthfeel long after the smoke is gone.

One place where my notes and Jar’s differ on the effects is that I didn’t find it as energizing as they rank it, though it was certainly otherwise very uplifting, with hints of a lightly stoney euphoria, but a clarity or focus that speaks to the pine/mint qualities of the terpene profile. The body high is where I noted the energy, it just wasn’t enough of a highlight for me to rank in the top three effects as Jar placed it. I also experienced a lightness of body, and body calmness that was very pleasant.

Overall, this is an excellent daytime high, not necessarily the highest functioning high, but certainly excellent for low key or casual tasks, or simply engaging in some fun. I’ve smoked this in the evening before watching some favorite television, I’ve smoked it in the early morning before painting, and I’ve smoked it before designing new business cards, stickers, and formating for the blog itself. It’s also an excellent social high, particularly when the people you’re socializing with are also feeling its effects… but maybe also if they’re not. I highly recommend Guava Mints for an excellent uplifting high especially if you’re someone who avoids certain types of sativa strains due to risk of feeling some anxiety or that feeling of being too elevated. This one hits just right. Enjoy!