Another review of hashish from Green Barn Farms. This time, along with my assistant K.C., we set out to delve into the mysterious constituents that make up the entire experience in smoking this wonderful concentrate. By listing the various characteristics, I hope to bring out an awareness of what can be offered by this sample of Wild Thai.
Visually, this piece appeared a smooth,dull dark chocolate. Thin with consistent color all the way through. To the touch it was hard and not pliable, and very hard to cut a piece off to smoke. But after being heated on the needle, it became fluffy and crumbled nicely into the bowl. While being heated it was a good time to take in the olfactory sensations while also looking at the clean blue flame coming off the piece. The aroma was reminiscent of green olives and thyme. A very pleasant smell that captured what was to come of a sativa strain taken to its elemental level.
Once in the bowl and with successful ignition, the first hit gave fruity overtones that was surprisingly smooth yet well rounded and satisfying. The flavor and smell combined that is sensed somewhere between the nose and mouth was of classic Lebanese from my first days as a hash smoker going back nearly 50 years. It is said that our sense of smell has the most power in evoking memory and it didn't disappoint in taking me back. The large hit with no cough was a surprise though and stood out as a very positive characteristic attesting to the purity of this hash.
The effects came on rather gradually and after a second hit felt like an external energy flowing inward, coming from all around but most particularly from the sun streaming in the window, following a morning of wet, late winter snow. The energy was fortifying yet brought on a more contemplative, philosophical feel rather than a sativa burst of energy. We were both content to sit in comfort and discuss the subtlety of the hash rather than going out to do some work.
About 25 minutes in we take note of a grounding feel as opposed to a float through the clouds, yet the boundaries of awareness and sensation become indistinct. The reflective, philosophical feel continues as the mind remains alert to all stimulus coming from both inside and out. 40 minutes in, a stage of losing the ability to perform basic tasks but all right with that as I feel content to stay where I am with no desires. A good state to be in for the next 45 minutes when things seem to level off and I hear and smell lunch being prepared. Having not felt any need for anything, all of a sudden I am taken by the urge to eat and everything on the table looks and tastes absolutely delicious. Still feeling the effects but more active now and feeling in the present.
I would rate Wild Thai very favorably, due to the sum of all levels explained. The initial impressions were varied in smell and taste but the effects didn't evolve as they do mostly from Indica varieties, this may be due to only taking 2 hits. The taste was reminiscent of the hashes from Turkey, Lebanon and Morocco when they still used narrow leafed drug varieties to make their hash. Lately European breeders have introduced Indica dominant hybrids to replace the traditional varieties. This most definitely improved overall potency for these areas but for someone committed to preserving landrace strains this practice marks another stage in the disappearance of the old ways. Although this strain is a sativa from Thailand, not a hash producing culture, it does a great job in replicating the old style hash from Anatolia, the Middle East and North Africa. The bulk of my experience from that part of the world comes from Turkey and the thin, brittle sheets with their dry, chalky style have found a modern day match in this Wild Thai from Green Barn Farms.
Where they differ is that I can say for sure that the process of harvesting the tricomes is done in a whole lot cleaner environment. Although both use a dry sieve method to dislodge the tricomes from the plant, I have witnessed the process both in Turkey and Addy Washington. In the old world the entire plant is used and usually dried and processed in old buildings made of adobe. In these times of people worried about contaminants other than soil additives and pesticides, you can imagine that dust and the like would be in the hash from the old world. At Green Barn, only the trim is used to make the hash and the facilities are new and state of the art. So, old world style and new world methods make for a good combination.
To sum it all up I would say that Wild Thai is a lighter high than the previous variety I reviewed but this sampling was only on 2 hits. This actually comes as no surprise when I see that the THC content is 28.5%, but 3 or maybe 4 hits should do quite nicely. If I was to do it again I would take another toke at the 45 minute mark and the pleasant experience would have been heightened and extended. Wild Thai would be a good one to go out on the town with and take in some great food and atmosphere. As my lunch attested, the flavors and aromas are intensified to the point where having no feelings to eat were completely changed when the meal was presented.