RS11 Flower and Pomander Cappuccino

There are a number of ‘hype’ cultivars that have grown far beyond their originating region’s reach, and RS11 is no doubt one of those strains. Originally bred by DEO Farms out of California, RS11 crosses Pink Guava and OZKush. Today, this infamous cut has floated around the nation, sometimes with Sunset Sherbet in the mix – like this version (Sunset Sherbet x OZKush) bred by Doja Pak and cultivated by Royal Tree Gardens out of Tacoma.

For January’s Coffee and Cannabis pairing, we decided to roll up some Royal Tree RS11 and head to another local latte slinger: the Queen Anne location of Café Hagen. Shop owner Maria Beck settled in Seattle from Scandinavia, bringing the charm (and coffee) of Copenhagen to the Emerald City. The warm and cozy cafe outfitted with rich marble and rustic wood was a welcome break from a wet winter day in the PNW. We grabbed a Pomander Cappuccino, a seasonal special with house-made orange and spice syrup, and headed back up the road to Leaf HQ to drink our java and roll our joint.

Opening the jar and breaking up the buds, the nugs are a rich, deep purple in the center with long, frosty orange hairs poking out in every direction – creating a color palette reminiscent of a fiery sunset. Ground up, the bud is fluffy and that purple hue is even more prominent. We take a sip of our latte and start to spark up…

First flavor impressions are fruit-forward with notes of skunky citrus from the Sunset Sherbet. On the exhale, that gas becomes even more prevalent as the summery sweetness slightly fades into a foresty funk, thanks to the OG heritage in the OZKush. All these unique notes came together to create a tart, tropical taste on the tongue. 

Since the RS11 flower has such a complex flavor profile, this mild and herbaceous cappuccino was the perfect pairing. The gentle floral aromas when tipping back the coffee cup and a slightly bitter aftertaste of orange peel and espresso toned down the sugary sweetness of the flower. Between the spiced citrus in our caffeine fix and the taste of the tropics in our joint, this pairing gave us a wonderfully weedy escape from January in the PNW.