Heading into the spring of 2020, extensive breeding efforts produced a cross that Chrystal Ortiz couldn’t wait to get in the ground: Tiger Queen.
A second-generation Humboldt farmer, Ortiz owns and operates High Water Farm, a Sun + Earth Certified cultivator which practices the tradition of dry farming.
Eschewing methods commonly used by modern outdoor cultivators – above-ground pots, custom soils, trellis, irrigation systems – the High Water team puts faith in the symbiotic relationship between plant and earth, relying on the earth and weather patterns on their farm, simply planting in the soil and tending the ladies as they absorb and express the natural terroir of the land.
That brings us to this mouthwateringly terplicious strain that excited the High Water team, the result of breeding an SFV OG mother with Citrine, a cross of Banana OG x Sapphire Scout Holy Crack bred by Jesse Dodd (AKA Biovortex).
“That’s a mouthful, and it’s probably even worse than that,” Ortiz said. “I am sure I am supposed to put a few (triple back crosses) or something in there. But, it was bred by us using those two selections.”
The new hybrid packs a wallop, giving off bright, tangerine-laden aromatics that make your nose feel like it’s turning orange.
The new strain needed a name, and given the orange-citrus character and the cultural distraction that overtook so many of us at the beginning of the pandemic, Ortiz and her team landed on a fiercely cheeky name: Tiger Queen.
The lush green nugs offer juicy sungrown terpene aromatics that carry through to the flavor after combustion, making for a tasty, silky smooth smoke with zero throat burn. The overall effect provides a thrilling lift. During the day, it’ll put a bright sheen on sunny outdoor activities, and as a late-night smoke, it’ll make you want to stay up and binge a few more episodes of your favorite guilty pleasure.
The small-harvest strain will only be available at Ortiz’s shop, Humboldt Herb and Market in Arcata, as well as Vapor Room in San Francisco and Cornerstone Wellness in Los Angeles – along with possibly another two dispensaries in Sacramento and Berkeley.
This article was originally published in the May 2021 issue of California Leaf.
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