Once a year, Humboldt Seed Co. gathers an elite crew of extremely stoned experts on a week-long trip through the wilds of NorCal to sift through more than ten thousand plants in search of the next big strains.
Humboldt Seed Co.’s annual Northern California pheno hunt is one of the most respected in the world.
They invite a motley crew of cannabis experts armed with rating binders, loupes, and an endless supply of joints to move row by row, scoring vigor, nose, and trichome texture before running jar checks, where contending fresh cuts are shaken in ice water until trichomes hopefully settle at the bottom.
Leafly’s Lindsay MaHarry was on the ground, and this year, the focus was all on “washers,” or plants grown for hash production. We were looking for sandy trichomes that snap clean in ice water, and hold their own without dissolving, so they can be pressed into all the various forms ice water hash can take.
From the Klamath River to the Avenue of the Giants to Mendocino and then over to Grass Valley, we chased the phenos of tomorrow and got high as hell along the way.
The payoff? A winning string of bangers, including an ice-cold jar of pink trichomes and a glimpse at the future of hash, strains, and the weed world at large.
Check out the full lineup of this year’s winning strains to learn about the cutting-edge genetics shaping the next wave of cannabis.
See inside Humboldt Seed Co.’s pheno hunt:
Hyper Za
Farmers Daughter x Wedding Cake x Poddy Mouth | Indica-dominant hybrid
The great race to the highest THC is only heating up, and Hyper Za is Humboldt making a play for the lead. This strain can reach up to a stupifying 35% THC, enough to humble even titans of tolerance, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that Hyper Za is just a big percentage.
First, it’s stop-and-stare gorgeous (just look at the frost on those buds), but beyond that, Hyper Za features a distinctive aroma that brings sweet, buttery, and vanilla notes to the fore while also delivering an undercurrent of diesel deliciousness. Humboldt also claims that Hyper Za is a treat to grow, with short flower times, high yields, and impressive resilience. The hype is real, and Hyper Za is just getting started.
– Morgan Rosendale
Candy Hustle
Don Carlos x Jose x Grape Menthol | Indica
With tasty terps, big yields, and even bigger bag appeal, Candy Hustle is every grower’s dream girl. This cross between Don Carlos × Jose × Grape Menthol was hunted at the HSC anchor farm in Humboldt, and brings the heat with high yields, great structure, and a modern candy gas profile that challenges the monotony of the genre with juicy grape notes and a cooling menthol finish.
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The effects of these big purple buds lean indica-forward with a psychedelic edge: potent, functional, and exciting enough to keep things interesting. With its unique blend of yield, aesthetic, and buzzy terp profile, Candy Hustle meets the market where it’s at, then kicks things up a notch.
– Lindsay MaHarry
Blueberry Muffin x Whitethorn Rose
(Razzleberry x Purple Panty Dropper) x (Paradise Punch x Lemon OG) | Indica-dominant hybrid
Blueberry Muffin × Whitethorn Rose, hunted by the family-run Mendocino farm Casa Flor, brings together two of Northern California’s most iconic strains and delivers exactly what hash makers dream about: a unique high, loud terps, and, drum roll please… pink rosin.
The Blueberry Muffin side (Razzleberry × Purple Panty Dropper) lends its unmistakable bakery nostalgia of warm blueberries, chamomile, and muffin batter. Whitethorn Rose, the Huckleberry Hill Farms legend known for its berry smoothie profile and award-winning purple hash, contributes dramatic coloration, flavor complexity, and a bright, happy high.
The result lands in that sweet spot between energizing and heady, with a flavor profile that actually matches the aromatic promise. As a flower, it’s pretty and fragrant. As hash, it’s stunning, with pigments from both parents pushing the rosin into hues of pink and violet.
– Lindsay MaHarry
Blueberry Honey
Blueberry Pancakes x PPD x Dip N Stix | Indica
Imagine a warm evening in the Californian hills, the last sunbeams of the day warming your face, a cool drink in your hand, a sweet scent on the gentle breeze. You’re about halfway to the experience boasted by Humboldt’s Blueberry Honey, a gentle, euphoric strain that claimed the attention of the HSC crew.
Blueberry Honey unsurprisingly tastes and smells like blueberries and honey, but it’s reportedly a light, subtle sensory experience. It’s this unique terpene profile that charmed the Humboldt team. Its effects are a perfect match for that gentle flavor; Blueberry Honey is a great way to put the day away with its enduring indica effects. Finding a good match between flavor and effects is one of the highest goals of any pheno hunt, and they hit the jackpot with Blueberry Honey.
– Morgan Rosendale
Honey Bear
Honey Banana UKC S1 x Papaya Tallyman x Honey Bear | Sativa-dominant hybrid
While Honey Bear was selected as a washer, her colossal colas are bright, frosty, and fit for the jar. This cross of Honey Banana UKC S1 × Papaya Tallyman × Honey Bear was named for “Den Bear” (Dennis), one of Humboldt’s original back-to-the-landers who worked on HSC’s anchor farm for years.
He was a kind, thoughtful member of their team who championed responsible breeding and reminded everyone to take their work seriously. This strain carries his quiet rigor and love for the plant.
Hunted at the HSC anchor farm, this sativa-dominant flower is strong and energizing. In the wash, Honey Bear dumps perfect trichomes, producing sparkly white rosin with a sweet tropical profile of papayas, bananas, and honey. Checking all the boxes, Honey Bear drips, quite literally, on all fronts.
– Lindsay MaHarry
Puff Pastry
Obama Kush Z S1 x Blueberry Cupcake | Sativa-dominant hybrid
Puff Pastry is a Swiss Army Knife strain that can do just about everything besides light itself and clean the bowl. It’s an incredibly versatile hybrid that’s naturally disease-resistant, easy to grow in both indoor and outdoor settings, produces abundant pale resin, and responds well to a variety of extraction methods.
It boasts a terpene profile with complex layers of spice, chocolate, citrus, and gas; a multi-faceted, aromatic brew that has something for everyone to love. And of course, cultivators can expect a multi-talented strain like Puff Pastry to be a reliably high-yielder, as well. It’s a strain that truly has it all and then some.
– Morgan Rosendale
Golden Sands
GMO x Kashmir OG x Blackberry Kush | Indica
Hunted by the HSC satellite farm at Errl Hill, Golden Sands is an indica-dominant hybrid created with live rosin makers in mind. A cross of GMO × Kashmir OG × Blackberry Kush, she’s a heavy hitter that grows vigorously, stacked densely with trichs shimmering on bright green and purple buds, making her equally suited for flower or fresh frozen.
Years of selection and backcrossing prioritized the driest, sandiest, most bulbous trichomes possible, making it a reliable option for both traditional and new-school hash makers. Reported fresh frozen yields hover above 3%, backed by a terp profile of OG gas, funk, and subtle flowers. The high is strong and euphoric, with a heavy softness on the comedown.
– Lindsay MaHarry
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