Strains
Robbed at the Cup? The Blueberry Muffin That Deserved More
There’s judging a cannabis cup…
…and then there’s surviving one.
Back in the fall rolling into early this year, I had the honor (and at times, the emotional endurance test) of serving as a judge at the Empire State Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, New York, hosted by Robert Tambasco. Roughly 30 of us took on the responsibility of evaluating the best flower growers had to offer across New York State.
I judged both indoor and outdoor categories.
Let me tell you right now—those were two very different experiences.
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Indoor vs. Outdoor: A Tale of Two Realities
The indoor competition?
Smooth. Enjoyable. Competitive in the way you want it to be. Quality across the board. Judges smiling, nodding, probably texting their friends like, “Yeah, I’m working real hard right now 😎.”
The outdoor competition?
Let’s just say… it built character.
Out of 37 outdoor entries, a solid 75% were, and I’m choosing my words carefully here… rough. We’re talking leafy, under-trimmed, harsh-smoking, “did this plant offend you personally?” type flower. Some entries felt like first grows—and honestly, they probably were.
And look, this isn’t me being disrespectful. Everybody starts somewhere. But when you’re judging a cannabis cup, you expect a certain level of polish. Instead, a lot of us judges were out here fighting for our lungs like it was a championship bout.
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The Bright Spots (Yes, There Were Some)
Now before you think it was all doom and despair—there were standouts.
The clear and rightful winner?
Banana Melt by Curtis Kling. No debate. No controversy. That strain earned its crown, and I had it locked in at #1 on my personal scorecard too. Respect where it’s due.
Other memorable entries included:
• GG1
• Permanent Marker
• Purple Ghost Candy
All solid. All respectable. All shining brighter when surrounded by… well… the rest of the lineup.
But one strain stood out to me in a way that stuck long after the judging ended.
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The One That Got Away: Blueberry Muffin
Let’s talk about Blueberry Muffin from 4 Acres Farms, grown by Joshua.
This strain wasn’t just good—it was memorable. And in a category where a lot of entries were forgettable for the wrong reasons, that matters.
On my personal scorecard?
👉 #2.
Not #10.
Not “somewhere in the middle.”
Number. Two.

So What Happened?
Official results came in…
Blueberry Muffin placed #11.
Yeah. Eleven.
And that didn’t sit right with me then—and it definitely doesn’t sit right with me now.
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Let’s Break It Down (Because I Actually Took Notes)
This wasn’t a sympathy pick. I didn’t just throw it a high score because it didn’t hurt me to smoke it.
I ran every strain through the same process. No shortcuts. No “eh, close enough.” If it crossed my table, it got evaluated properly.
And Blueberry Muffin delivered:
• Aroma: Sweet, fruity, unmistakable blueberry notes
• Flavor: Smooth, flavorful, dessert-like inhale that actually translated from the nose
• Appearance: Frosty, trichome-rich, visually appealing
• Effects: Immediate. Potent. Two hits in and it was, “Woohoo—yeah, I’m home.”
We’re talking:
• Uplifting
• Mood-boosting
• Relaxing
• Pain-relieving
This wasn’t mid-tier. This wasn’t average.
This was top-three caliber flower.
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My Theory (And Yeah, I’m Saying It Out Loud)
Here’s what I believe happened:
There were so many rough entries in the outdoor category that some judges—whether they realize it or not—started rushing. Skimming. Mentally checking out just to get through the pile.
And in doing that?
They overlooked a gem.
Because when you go from smoking something that feels like it was trimmed with a lawnmower… to something actually dialed in… your perception can get warped if you’re not staying sharp.
I stayed sharp.
And that’s why I stand on this:
👉 4 Acres Farms deserved second place.
👉 Blueberry Muffin should have placed.
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To Be Clear…
Placing #11 out of 37 is not a failure. That’s above average. That’s respectable.
But this isn’t about “respectable.”
This is about what was deserved.
And in my professional opinion as a judge who actually gave every entry a fair run—
This strain got overlooked.
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So I Took It a Step Further
I didn’t just sit on this take.
I made a full video review of the Blueberry Muffin from 4 Acres Farms—breaking it down, showing the flower, and backing up everything I’m saying right here with real evidence.
Because talk is cheap.
Proof isn’t.
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Now I’m Putting It On You
I want you to decide.
👇 Watch the video below.
👇 Look at the photos.
👇 Hear the breakdown.
Then head to YouTube and leave a comment:
• Do you agree with me that Blueberry Muffin should’ve taken second place?
OR
• Do you side with the official results placing it at #11?
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Final Hit
Cups come and go. Winners get trophies.
But sometimes?
The real story is about the one that should’ve been standing next to them.
And this time…
That story smells a whole lot like blueberries.
Strains
BANKROLL: THE “SWEET GASOLINE” STRAIN THAT STOLE AUGUST
Why One Purple-and-Frosty Favorite Was Enough to Earn Strain of the Month
Well, I had a great vacation.
Then I came home to a little bit of drama.
But enough about that.
It’s time to get back to business.
Normally, I like to give you two or even three Strains of the Month to choose from. But this month is a little different. I’ve been spending a lot more of my time exploring cold-cure rosin lately, so I simply haven’t been working through as much new flower as I normally do.
I did receive a few samples recently, but I haven’t made my way through all of them yet.
One of those samples, however, immediately caught my attention.
Bankroll.
The Bankroll sample reviewed for this month’s feature came from Hudson Valley Greens, and while I’ve had Bankroll before, this particular sample stood out enough to earn the title of The Plug’s Pages Magazine’s August 2026 Strain of the Month.
And after spending some time with it, I came up with a name of my own.
If I were naming this strain?
I’d call it:
SWEET GASOLINE.
And once you get into the appearance, aroma and flavor, you’ll understand why.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: PURPLE TAKES CENTER STAGE
Let’s start with the look.
Bankroll is an eye-catching cannabis strain, with buds showing a mixture of purple and green coloration. Purple is definitely the dominant color in most of the sample, while the orange pistils provide a nice contrast throughout the buds.
But the real attention-grabber is the trichome coverage.
There’s an above-average amount of visible trichomes here—enough that the buds have a distinctly frosty appearance.

Basically, Bankroll showed up dressed for the occasion.
And apparently, it didn’t get the memo that August was supposed to be a quiet month.
THE NOSE KNOWS
The aroma is where Bankroll really starts getting interesting.
To me, the first thing that comes through is gas.
But it doesn’t stop there.
I’m also picking up fruity, floral and slightly sweet notes. There’s even something about the aroma that reminds me of vanilla.
That combination makes for a surprisingly complex smell.
You get the gassy character first, but as you spend more time with the flower, the sweeter and more floral notes become easier to recognize.
It’s not simply a one-note “gas” strain.
There’s considerably more going on.
And that made me curious about whether the flavor would follow the same path.
THE FLAVOR: SWEET GASOLINE
The flavor doesn’t hit quite as hard as the aroma initially does.
The aroma is stronger and more immediately recognizable, while the flavor takes a little more time to reveal itself.
The first impressions are smooth and gassy, with a slightly sweet character coming through.
As I spent more time evaluating it, those floral and vanilla-like notes became easier to identify.
And that’s when I knew what I would call it.
Sweet Gasoline.
It’s an unusual combination, but that’s exactly what makes the profile memorable.
The more time I spent with the strain, the more recognizable the flavor became. Instead of getting tired of the profile, I found myself picking up additional characteristics as I continued evaluating it.
That’s always a good sign when I’m reviewing a strain.
THE BALANCED EXPERIENCE
Bankroll is generally described as a balanced hybrid, and that description made sense based on my experience with the sample.
The overall effects felt balanced rather than heavily tilted in one direction.
I experienced a euphoric and relaxed feeling while remaining mentally alert. I wasn’t particularly tired or ready to go straight to sleep.
Instead, the overall feeling was more along the lines of: “I’m good. I’m comfortable. Let’s put something on TV.” And honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
Bankroll didn’t leave me feeling like I needed to accomplish twelve things before midnight.
It was more of a relax, watch a movie, watch some YouTube and let the brain take the evening off kind of experience.
That balance is one of the characteristics that stood out most to me.
A SURPRISINGLY STRONG SAMPLE
Another thing that stood out was the overall strength of the sample.
Because I have a high tolerance from regular cannabis use and my experience with concentrates, I don’t always expect flower to make a particularly strong impression.
Bankroll did.
The sample produced a noticeable effect without requiring a large amount, which made it clear that this was not flower I would describe as lacking character.
Of course, everyone’s response to cannabis can be different. Individual tolerance, body chemistry and other factors can dramatically change how someone experiences the same strain.
That’s worth remembering whenever cannabis products are discussed.
My experience is exactly that—my experience.
It shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee of what somebody else will experience.
THE GREEN NUG THAT CHANGED THE PROFILE
Interestingly, one of the final buds I evaluated looked noticeably different from the others.
This particular nug had considerably more green coloration—roughly 30% green compared with the more purple-dominant appearance of the rest of the sample.
And guess what?
That particular nug tasted really gassy.
It was another reminder that even within the same cannabis strain, individual buds can sometimes present slightly different characteristics.
For someone who pays attention to flavor and aroma, those differences can be fascinating.
SO, WHY BANKROLL?
This brings us back to the obvious question:
Why did Bankroll earn the August Strain of the Month title when I normally feature multiple strains?
Simple.
Because I only need one winner.
I haven’t been getting through as much new flower lately because so much new flower lately because so much of my attention has been on cold-cure rosin. I still have additional flower samples waiting to be properly evaluated, and I don’t want to give a strain a spot in the magazine simply because I need to fill a space.
If something earns Strain of the Month, I want it to actually stand out.
Bankroll did.
I’ve had this strain before, but the Hudson Valley Greens sample I evaluated for August was impressive enough to make the cut.
The purple-dominant appearance caught my attention.
The heavy trichome coverage kept it there.
The gassy, fruity, floral and slightly sweet aroma made me want to investigate further.
And the flavor profile ultimately gave me the name that sums up my experience with it better than anything else:
SWEET GASOLINE.
THE FINAL WORD
After returning from vacation, I wasn’t necessarily expecting Bankroll to become the highlight of my first month back.
But that’s the funny thing about reviewing cannabis.
Sometimes you think you already know what you’re going to find.
Then a strain comes along and says, “Hold my jar.”
For August 2026, Bankroll did exactly that.
It delivered an impressive visual presentation, a complex aroma, a distinctive gassy-sweet flavor profile and the balanced character that made the sample memorable.
There may only be one Strain of the Month this time around.
But when that one strain makes enough of an impression to earn the title on its own, I don’t think I need three.
Bankroll is officially The Plug’s Pages Magazine’s August 2026 Strain of the Month.
And if you ask OG Strain what I’d have named it?
There’s only one answer:
Sweet Gasoline.
Stay Tuned for the cold cure rosin of the month article!
Strains
🌿 FLOWER FAVORITES OF THE MONTH
🥇 Good Burger — Higher Beings Powered by Hudson Valley Green
If you haven’t tried Good Burger yet… what are you doing?
Seriously.
This was hands-down my favorite flower of the month.
The first thing that hits you is that loud, earthy, musky aroma that immediately reminds me of some classic New York haze cuts. Crack open the jar and it’s like Mother Nature slapped you across the face with a handful of fresh earth, herbs, and funk—in the best possible way. Many modern “dessert strains” lean heavily on candy terps, but Good Burger proudly marches in the opposite direction with a savory, earthy profile that keeps you coming back for another bowl.
The flavor is every bit as satisfying as the aroma. Rich earth, herbal spice, subtle fuel, and just enough sweetness to round everything out. Burger-family genetics are well known for their funky, garlic-forward and earthy terpene profiles, and Good Burger delivers that signature character while remaining remarkably smooth.
The effects?
Absolutely balanced.
A happy cerebral buzz gets the mind moving while a comfortable body relaxation settles in without gluing you to the couch. It’s the kind of hybrid that works whether you’re hanging with friends, watching movies, or spending twenty minutes trying to remember why you walked into the kitchen.
Trust me…
Most people who try this strain end up asking where they can get more.
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🥈 Sub Zero — Gilly’s Greens
If Good Burger is the laid-back friend who always has great stories…
Sub Zero is the friend who drinks three energy drinks before breakfast.
Coming from the Blockberry (Super Boof) × Oreoz lineage, Sub Zero is absolutely loaded with bright citrus, creamy sweetness, and that unmistakable Super Boof influence that has become one of the hottest terp profiles around.
For me, this one leaned heavily toward an energetic experience. It’s uplifting, motivating and incredibly heady. Sensitive consumers may even notice their heart racing a bit—something energetic sativas can occasionally produce—so know your limits before diving in.
But if you’re a die-hard sativa lover?
You’re probably going to fall in love.
This is daytime smoke. Creative smoke. Get-things-done smoke.
Just maybe don’t clean your entire house at 2:00 in the morning because Sub Zero convinced you it was a good idea.
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🥉 Pink Lobster — Best Budz
I’ve smoked Blue Lobster.
I’ve smoked Black Lobster.
I’ve smoked enough lobster strains that Red Lobster should probably start charging me rent.
But Pink Lobster?
This one surprised me.
It took everything I enjoy about the Lobster family and somehow made it even more enjoyable. Dense, frosty buds, a loud aroma, excellent flavor and effects that strike a beautiful balance between mental stimulation and body comfort.
Out of every Lobster phenotype I’ve personally tried…
Pink Lobster wins.
No debate.
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🧊 COLD CURE ROSIN OF THE MONTH
Now let’s talk about the real terp hunters.
If flower is the movie…
Cold cure rosin is the director’s cut.
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🥇 Western Maine — Buddah Brothers
I don’t throw around the phrase “favorite of all time” very often.
But Western Maine from Buddah Brothers might honestly deserve it.
This rosin is unbelievably smooth.
The flavor is difficult to describe because it refuses to fit neatly into one category. It opens with rich earthy sweetness before evolving into creamy herbal notes with a lingering finish that keeps coating your palate long after the exhale.
Every dab somehow tastes better than the last.
It’s the kind of concentrate that makes you stare at your rig after exhaling and quietly whisper…
“Yep… we’re doing another one.”
That’s usually how you know you’ve found something special.
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🥈 Funk Mountain — Buddah Brothers
Don’t judge this one by the smell.
Seriously.
The aroma is downright bizarre.
Imagine swamp water, wet forest floor, funky cheese and old-school skunk somehow deciding to throw a family reunion.
Sounds terrible.
It isn’t.
The flavor completely changes once it hits the nail. Instead of tasting like the aroma suggests, the smoke becomes surprisingly smooth with earthy sweetness, herbal spice and a complex funky finish that keeps evolving throughout the dab.
This is one of those rosins where your nose says one thing…
…and your taste buds completely disagree.
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🥉 Peanut Butter & Jelly — Central Oddities
Leave it to Central Oddities to sneak into the rankings with one of the sweetest rosins I’ve had this month.
Peanut Butter & Jelly delivers exactly what the name suggests.
Sweet berry notes mingle with creamy, nutty undertones and just enough earthy funk to keep everything balanced. Every dab is rich, flavorful and leaves behind a lingering sweetness that keeps you reaching for another.
It’s flavorful.
Potent.
Ridiculously smooth.
And one of those jars you accidentally empty way faster than you planned.
Don’t ask me how.
Science still hasn’t figured that one out.
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FINAL PUFF
This month’s winners proved one thing…
You don’t always need the highest THC percentage to have the best experience.
Great cannabis is about terpenes, flavor, balance, and how the strain makes you feel.
Whether you’re rolling up some Good Burger, blasting off with Sub Zero, relaxing with Pink Lobster, or loading a dab of Western Maine, Funk Mountain, or Peanut Butter & Jelly, these are the strains that earned permanent real estate in my stash this month.
Until next month…
Stay lifted.
Stay laughing.
And as always…
Keep chasing flavor—not just numbers.
Strains
LAMB’S BREAD: THE LEGENDARY JAMAICAN SATIVA THAT REFUSES TO SIT DOWN
Some strains get famous because they test at ridiculous THC percentages. Some get famous because they have flashy packaging and marketing budgets bigger than a small town’s annual budget.
Then there’s Lamb’s Bread.
Lamb’s Bread didn’t need any of that.
This legendary Jamaican landrace sativa earned its reputation the old-fashioned way—by delivering one of the most uplifting and energetic experiences cannabis has to offer. Long before dispensaries were arguing over whether 34% THC is somehow better than 33%, Lamb’s Bread was already building a worldwide reputation from the hills of Jamaica.
And if the stories are true, it was reportedly one of the favorite strains of reggae legend Bob Marley. Whether you’re a cannabis historian, a sativa enthusiast, or just somebody who occasionally loses their car keys while they’re still in their hand, Lamb’s Bread is a strain worth knowing.
A PIECE OF CANNABIS HISTORY
Lamb’s Bread, often called Lamb’s Breath, traces its roots back to Jamaica where it developed naturally as a landrace strain. Unlike many modern varieties that have been crossed, recrossed, and crossed again until their family tree looks like a plate of spaghetti, landrace strains evolved naturally in specific regions over generations.
That makes Lamb’s Bread something special.
It’s a living piece of cannabis history—a genetic snapshot from a time before breeders started combining everything with everything else.
Many modern “sativas” on dispensary shelves are actually sativa-leaning hybrids. True pure sativas have become increasingly rare, making Lamb’s Bread one of those strains that seasoned consumers get excited about when they actually find it.
APPEARANCE: SUNSHINE IN FLOWER FORM
Lamb’s Bread doesn’t always have the dark purples or exotic color combinations that dominate social media these days.
Instead, it typically produces bright green flowers covered in a healthy layer of sparkling trichomes. The buds are often somewhat airy and elongated compared to the dense golf-ball nuggets many modern hybrids produce.
In other words, Lamb’s Bread looks like a strain that spent its childhood running around tropical mountains instead of sitting in a laboratory taking selfies.
AROMA AND FLAVOR
Open a jar of quality Lamb’s Bread and you’ll often be greeted with a unique combination of earthy, herbal, citrus, and slightly sweet aromas.
Some phenotypes lean toward spicy and peppery notes, while others offer tropical fruit characteristics that remind you of its Caribbean origins.
The flavor follows a similar path. Expect herbal earthiness mixed with citrus and subtle sweetness, often finishing with a spicy kick that lingers pleasantly on the palate.
It’s not one of those strains that tastes like a blueberry cheesecake dipped in rainbow sherbet and wrapped in cotton candy.
It’s cannabis-flavored cannabis.
And sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
THE EFFECTS: WHY PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS STRAIN
This is where Lamb’s Bread separates itself from the crowd.
Many strains promise energy. Lamb’s Bread actually delivers it.
Consumers frequently report feelings of mental clarity, creativity, focus, motivation, and an overall sense of positivity. Instead of feeling glued to the couch while debating whether ordering pizza counts as exercise, Lamb’s Bread often encourages activity, conversation, creativity, and productivity.
This is the strain you reach for before tackling a project.
Before going on an adventure.
Before cleaning the house.
Or before convincing yourself that reorganizing your entire collection of smoking accessories at 2 PM is somehow a life-changing achievement.
For daytime consumers, artists, musicians, writers, and anyone seeking an uplifting experience, Lamb’s Bread has remained a favorite for decades.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH LAMB’S BREAD
I recently had the opportunity to pick up some Lamb’s Bread from Buddah Brothers, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
What stood out most was how genuinely sativa the experience felt.
These days, a lot of strains marketed as sativas turn out to be sativa-leaning hybrids that eventually settle into a relaxing body effect. Not Lamb’s Bread.
This one reminded me why pure sativas became legendary in the first place.
The uplifting nature of the experience was exactly what I look for when I’m reaching for a daytime strain. The mental clarity, the positive mood, the motivation—it all felt authentic and true to what cannabis enthusiasts have historically associated with classic sativas.
If you’re somebody who loves the energetic, creative, and uplifting effects typically associated with sativa strains, this is absolutely one I would recommend experiencing for yourself.
WHY LAMB’S BREAD STILL MATTERS
Cannabis trends come and go.
Every year there’s a new flavor, a new cross, a new “must-have” strain that everybody forgets about six months later.
But Lamb’s Bread continues to stand the test of time.
Why?
Because it offers something increasingly difficult to find: authenticity.
It’s a genuine landrace with a rich history, legendary status, unique genetics, and effects that have earned respect from generations of cannabis consumers.
In a market filled with flashy names and endless hybrids, Lamb’s Bread serves as a reminder that sometimes the classics become classics for a reason.
And if Bob Marley really did enjoy it as much as the stories suggest, who are we to argue with the King of Reggae?
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