The saying “shoot for the moon and you’ll end up in the stars” sounds inspiring, but we’d rather be floating in the clouds with puffs of Sparkling Cider to celebrate the occasion.
Here in the beautiful state of Washington, we can figuratively be “on cloud nine,” which is characterized by feelings of bliss, elation and even the giggles. This is exactly what we feel after smoking Cloud 9 Farms’ flower, where love for the plant and craft, small-batch production and pesticide-free practices are the leading values.
The proof is in the weed, which bursts out of the glass jar with a robust and ripe hit that feels like a symphony of its parentage, all expressing in harmony to delight the senses. First notes are bright with a Jack Herer-esque citrus that’s immediately overtaken by a gassy, honeyed ripeness that’s all Golden Ticket. This profile matches so well with the Apple Fritter, which delivers a spiced green apples and dough finish that rounds it out. Together they combine for an elegant and nuanced, bubbly citrus-apple-honey funk that’s worthy of the name.
Not just a special flower for the flavor, Sparkling Cider is gorgeous and curvaceous, with thick, frosty buds that have major glass appeal. The chunky buds show smaller foxtails on a chunked-up bud surface that’s equal parts purple and green with a healthy mix of red hairs. The flower has heft and is very dense, but the team at Cloud 9 cured it with excellent detail, and each bud delivers a satisfying snap and lightly frosty fingers when breaking up a bowl.
First inhales flow over the palate like honey in smoke form, leaving a sweet, gassy exhale that reminds us this old-school sweet comes with a heavy modern update. The flower smokes smooth and delivers big hits, and a few bowls bring a major rush of cerebral euphoria with the perfect amount of stoniness to keep grounded. Almost like a little sandbag holding a balloon from floating away, the effects are balanced and keep the mind in the moment while the body holds on from below. We recommend this stoney sativa for summertime fun, and if the clouds do dare to come out, simply float above them and experience the sunshine in each new bowl.
This article was originally published in the June 2025 issue of Northwest Leaf.
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