The strain that I have the pleasure of introducing today is a cross between a sherbet heavyweight in Sherbcake (Ice Cream Cake x Sunset Sherbet) and an oddly sweet yet funky strain in Garlic Cocktail (GMO x Mimosa).
What a wild combination of confident flavors being carefully blended here, almost like an old-fashioned with house-marinated cherries and bacon-fat-washed rye whiskey.
Something that jumps off the menu and raises eyebrows and appetites in equal amounts.
While I’m personally not as in love with all the newfangled candy-GMO crosses that seem to have become all the rage, this Sherb Cocktail has got me second-guessing my biases.
And if you smoke something that makes you question your biases and that, in turn, causes you to reconsider your default preferences when dispensary shopping, then that tells you that you’ve got your hands on something uniquely special.
Contrasting something sweet, usually some degree of fruit terpene profile, with something a little funkier, often via a GMO or Skunk cross, creates an interesting juxtaposition.
Sherb Cocktails’ story is deeper and richer than just a surprising contrast, though.
This is a strain that stands above many of the other Sherbet and Ice Cream Cake crosses, largely because of the already unique hybrid that is the Garlic Cocktail parent, itself a cross of GMO (there’s your funk) and Mimosa (bottoms up!).
Today’s offering was cultivated by my favorite living soil farm in Oregon, the good folks at Focus North Gardens.
Out of my initial 7 grams purchased, I’m down to my last 3 buds, so let’s get down to putting finger to keyboard and get on with this Sherb Cocktail strain review!
Appearance: Where The Wild Things Are Bud
These look like they were harvested from a secret garden deep, deep in the forest where The Wild Things Are.
That is to say, this flower looks like it lived a very happy live, growing in peace and tranquility, tenderly nurtured to reach her fullest genetic potential by feasting on the decaying goodness of the living soil Focus North features.
My quarter ounce contained smaller to medium-sized buds, all of a more knobby structure, which I personally associate with fruiter strains rather than your typical GMO crosses.
But that’s the beauty of hybrids, eh: there’s a lot of variation to be enjoyed!
Breaking these knobs off, though, your fingers have to dig in a bit to break it up because she is denser than she alludes to, visually.
Perfectly cured to retain some stickiness, this flower was easy to break up, grind, and portion out, whether into a 1¼ cone or a 14mm ball vape bowl to maximize flavor.
Between the size, the free form and kinda wild looking silhouette, and the frosty as fuck faded green colors, asking for a sniff test was a no-brainer.
Smell: Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
Sherbet strains are awesome. Sunset Sherbet is a godmother to many a flavor bomb. From modern classics like Gelato #33 to more playful crosses in Smackerz and Soul Train, a strong nose has been a hallmark of the Sherbet dynasty.
It is this perfected dessert strain that apologizes for the affront that the bipolar Garlic Cocktail assaults your nostrils with upon first whiff.
The garlic and mushroom elements marry with boot rubber, creating a smell that jumps forward and pierces the air with their astringent, lightly sulphuric odour.
But before you can scrunch your nose in recoil, the Sunset Sherbet is there to smooth things over with its deep, creamy berry nature, all while Mimosa stands in the corner laughing at this unusual union.
Everything really gels once you rip this through a water pipe and a ball vape, though. The flavor is much sweeter and friendly, the GMO twang disappearing almost entirely as Mimosa finds her voice and belts out a sparkly chorus.
I particularly enjoyed vaping Sherb Cocktail in the evenings, either before or after dinner, almost as its own palette cleanse. The light, bright, refreshing mouth is a fun contrast to this girl’s more stanky prelude.
Contrasted with the Banana Cannons and Rip City Durban I had on hand while crafting this review, Sherb Cocktail stood out in a stunningly unique fashion, a Frida Kahlo painting for the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs.
Sensation: A Heartfelt Love Letter to GMO Fans
If you’re a diehard fruity strain smoker, then the GMO element might be enough to turn you off here, as there’s no way getting around it when you open the jar to roll up.
If you’re a GMO fan, though, and looking for something romantically sweet, a more sensual veneer to your dinner-themed smoke session, then I think you’ll get a real kick out of the Sherb Cocktail.
Flavor is Sherbet and Mimosa forward, with a tiny bit of peppery thump to remind you this strain means business.
The business proceeds as business should: promptly and directly. Whether savoring a bowl’s worth of Sherb Cocktail through my ball vape or sparking an OCB hemp cone, it is a delight every time.
Effects-wise, the Sherb Cocktail reduces your gravity, so everything feels a bit lighter, including your head. Daily stressors melt down your shoulders like snowflakes on bare skin. Stress has its volume turned down to a comfortable level.
You definitely feel “high,” but your body and mental clarity are left relatively intact, so walking, exploring, and carrying on a conversation are still very doable.
I’ve found that more often than not, some of these stinkier ladies tend to “hit” me harder. Maybe that’s because I’m more sensitive to body sensations, but that’s how I’ve come to associate GMOs and Kushes, for example.
Maybe it’s the Sunset Sherbet genetics, or maybe it’s Mimosa, but this hybrid isn’t as couch-locking as I found straight GMO or Ice Cream Cake to be.
So I suppose, ultimately, the effects kind of mirror the intriguing duality of the smell, a butterfly (lighter, fruitier side) and a bee (onion and rubber fumes), and that’s a pairing that you don’t often see!
If you’re a GMO smoker who considers themselves “fruit-curious,” then Sherb Cocktail would be a good strain to pick up.
Likewise, if you’re the Sherbet/Gelato tribe but are GMOpen-minded, then you might also benefit from Sherb Cocktails’ flavors and effects.
It is with those puns that I will see myself out and conclude this review. Another banger from Focus North, as always, and very much enjoyed!
What about you? What do you think of stinky/sweet crosses? Answer the community poll or sound off (respectfully) in the comments!
