5 Local Beers For 5 Local Weed Strains: A Tasting Pairing Mini-Guide

May 18, 2015 By Fischer Campbell Leave a Comment

If you are like me, then you prefer to enjoy a tasty grain with a tasty strain. Here are 5 local beers & 5 local recreational marijuana strains that will go well together (in this author’s opinion, of course):

(Oh yeah. This is just a pairing guide for tasting, NOT for drinking. And remember, consume responsibly. We are not responsible for your irresponsibility.)

Beer: Elysian Brewing Co. – Immortal IPA (6.3% ABV)

Strain: CannaSol Farms – Jack Herer

Let’s all forget that Elysian was just acquired by Anheuser Busch (capitolhillseattle.com has a wonderful write up and dialogue about it). Elysian Brewing makes a mean IPA, and this Immortal IPA has a refreshing hop flavor that isn’t overpowered. In our review for Jack Herer, we suggested enjoying the strain with a fragrant IPA – so here’s our choice!

Beer: Fremont Brewing Co. – 77 Select Spring Session IPA (4.0% ABV)

Strain: Dutch Brothers – Seattle Cough

One of my favorite breweries, the Fremont Brewing Company creates a vast amount of select delicious brews – made all the better from the tap at their humble Fremont location. Seattle Cough is a potent strain that will take the drivers seat when combined with this crisp 77 Session IPA – the herb is nitrogen purged to lock in flavors of vanilla, pine and grapefruit. Day = made.

Beer: Pike Brewing Co. – Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ruby Ale (6.5% ABV)

Strain: High Altitude – Obama Kush

Ach lads, a good thick ale is just what Dr. Fischer ordered. This Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale is malty scrumptious, offering caramel thickness in a style I can only describe as “Scotchtoberfest” (yes, I went there). Such luxurious nature should be accompanied with a presidential nug, namely Obama Kush: a spicy funky specimen worthy of your vote.

Hales Ale Supergoose Avitas Agriculture Snoops Dream

Beer: Hale’s Ales Brewery – Supergoose IPA (7.0% ABV)

Strain: Avitas Agriculture – Snoop’s Dream

A classic Northwest brewery, Hale’s Ales has been around since the 1980’s and is located in Fremont. Supergoose is a balanced borderline-imperial IPA. The hoppy flavor will lend itself to Snoop’s Dream’s duality of sweet and spice. Meerkat! With a cape!

Bellevue Brewing Company Torch NW UFO Flower

Beer: Bellevue Brewing Co. – 425 Pale Ale (4.8% ABV)

Strain: Torch NW – UFO Flower

Pale ale’s are usually light on taste, but this 425 packs a punch of crisp malty love. This author can only recommend sampling generously, preferably from a tap. The flavorful 425 really made me want some UFO Flower, a ludicrously good tasting strain. Picture a white mystery flavored Airhead, smack it some skunk-funk and you’ve got this tasty bud.

(Again. This is just a pairing guide for tasting, NOT for drinking. And remember, consume responsibly. We are not responsible for your irresponsibility.)

Our One-year Anniversary: A Celebratory Toke

April 1, 2015 By Manic Conrad Leave a Comment

We can’t believe how fast time flies. Seriously.

It just seemed like a couple of months ago, we launched HighAboveSeattle.com into the local marijuana stratosphere. A lone black hot air balloon, with a pot leaf silhouette, that hovered above the Seattle marijuana industry.

Which would mean, Cannabis City made history by being the city’s first recreational marijuana store to open its’ doors about a month ago. Which would mean that the rest of the retail shops opened just last week. Oh, and the Legal bottles blew up. And the weed fairy became a real thing.

Of course, this is all based on what the timeline seems to us. It really has been a year. And we can’t wait to see what the 2nd year of HighAboveSeattle.com brings!

First, we want to thank all of our advertisers: Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop, Green-Theory, Ganja Goddess, Apache 6, and Rain City Cannabis. The dream continues because of you.

In the same breath, I would like to thank every single visitor to this site. You are what makes this site possible.

And still in the same breath, I would like to thank our marijuana reviewer Fischer Campbell for his dedication, professionalism, and hard work; as well as Ellie Klein for simply going out of her way to write great content.

Please check out:

The Guide to Seattle Marijuana Stores

Our List of Marijuana Reviews

Marijuana Review: Jack Herer from CannaSol Farms

January 9, 2015 By Fischer Campbell Leave a Comment

Welcome back and Happy New Year. We took a little break from reviews to thoroughly enjoy the holidays, and now High Above Seattle is back for a much more stoned 2015.

We’re ringing in the New Year with Jack Herer, a sativa strain from CannaSol Farms; it was purchased from marijuana boutique Green-Theory (read our review!) for $27.40/gram.

This is in fact the fourth review we’ve written about CannaSol Farms’ product (see here, here, and here) – if that doesn’t tell you something, then let me go ahead and tell you somethin’. CannaSol Farms is based in Riverside, Washington and has a focus on growing superb marijuana. They were recently featured on High Times, and are one of our favorite producers.

Let’s take a look at our first strain of 2015, Jack Herer:

Jack Herer is named after a marijuana activist, and was apparently cultivated in the Netherlands around the mid-1990’s. It is a cross of a Haze hybrid, Northern Lights #5, and Shiva Skunk.

Here’s the specifics for our strain:

Sativa
THCA: 19.55%

(view the photo for more information)

The herb at hand had a very spicy smell when I opened the package, almost too spicy – like it had been overcooked. Little did I know, this is a telltale sign of a truly great Jack Herer strain. Upon splitting apart a nugget, the spicey aroma was overpowered by a pungent lemon dish cleaner scent.

As you can see from the photos, the nugs themselves were pretty small – but well cured all the same. They crumble nicely, and contain a tremendous flavour when smoking through a vaporizer. The taste is piney and tangy, almost hoppy (like an IPA).

Naturally, after taking a hit – I had to get up, grab an IPA from the fridge (Widmer Brothers’ Hopside Down) and drink it alongside hitting the ol’ Hot Box.

The high is that of a creeper, slowly sneaking up until there’s no denying that you’re stoned off your ass. Don’t be fooled and keep smoking until you are high, take your time and let it sink in. Although the high is staggeringly potent, there is a crispness and clarity that allows you to function normally or perhaps even better then usual.

Sometimes pot gives you powers, and this indeed a powerful strain. I’d recommend Jack Herer for getting work/chores done, going out, having a good time – it’s really a doin’ stuff kinda herb. Oh right, and it goes great with an IPA!

Nice job CannaSol Farms, per usual. Tune in two weeks from now for another marijuana review.

UPDATE: Check out all of our marijuana reviews or the list of weed stores in Seattle that sell cannabis.

Infographic: Seattle Recreational Marijuana vs. Rest of the World!

June 22, 2014 By Manic Conrad Leave a Comment

UPDATE: Marijuana stores in Seattle are officially up and running. Welcome the cannabis retail industry to the emerald city!

The official opening of the Seattle recreational marijuana industry is just around corner, so we decided to create an infographic and compare some of the most notable recreational weed cities around the world! Starting with long time cannabis destination, Amsterdam, then followed by newcomers: Montevideo, Denver, and Seattle.

Keep in mind that the Seattle recreational industry has not officially opened. Some of these facts will be based on as if the local industry is already operational. Also, all facts and stats are believed to be true, or are close approximations. We have done extensive research to compile this infographic. If anything needs to be changed, please let us know!

(INFOGRAPHIC LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF POST)

While analyzing the marijuana infographic, there were several surprising and interesting comparisons:

1. Amsterdam, the location with the richest recreational cannabis history, marijuana is still technically illegal. Ever since the Dutch parliament decriminalized possession of up to 5 grams in 1976, authorities have been tolerant.

2. Even though Montevideo, Uruguay, has a full blown legal recreational pot industry, cannabis is purchased in state-licensed pharmacies.

3. Smoking is allowed in all Amsterdam coffeeshops (where marijuana is purchased). The only recreational marijuana industry which is technically illegal. Irony.

4. Amsterdam has 250+ coffeeshops. Seattle and Denver don’t even come close. Granted there are more people living in Amsterdam, still, 200 more coffeeshops?

5. Seattle has (will have) approximately 29,000 people per marijuana retail store. More than double the amount of people per store in Denver, and way more than Amsterdam.

6. Seattle is the only recreational weed industry that doesn’t allow plants to be grown at home.

Which comparisons we listed stand out to you? What comparisons have you found that you find interesting?

Legal Marijuana in Seattle Pushed Back Again. Bummer!

April 3, 2014 By Manic Conrad Leave a Comment

UPDATE: The recreational marijuana industry is well under way. You may purchase legal weed at these Seattle marijuana stores.

No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. We are actually a couple of days late for that. But it could very well be considered a “thorn in the side” type of joke to thousands of people who have eagerly been waiting for the re-birth of the legal Seattle marijuana industry. For people who are looking to use medical marijuana as a way of pain relief, the use of products such as a distillate inhaler is not yet legal for residents of Seattle. But as the law constantly changes regarding this industry, it may been sooner than you think where medical marijuana patients will be able to get their hands on the right medication, in the hopes of managing pain effectively and start getting their life back on track.

Forecasts first predicted May as the official grand opening of the legal marijuana in Seattle, and then it was June. Now it’s Early July. A bummer none the less but it is better than waiting until 2015, which would be a worse case scenario.

Only 8 pot growers have been issued licenses since the historic date of March 5, when 32 year old Sean Green became the first person to receive a legal marijuana license from the liquor control board. Currently, there are 36 growers who are anticipating inspections.

One of the likely reasons why the date was pushed back is because growers need about 3 months to grow and prepare the bud for sale. Sites like GreenBudGuru show some of the high-tech equipment that growers use nowadays, but since growers are not allowed to grow legal marijuana until after they have received their license, they will need about 3 months after the date of issuance. When the legalisation of marijuana does eventually happen, people who are considering venturing into this industry by opening their very own dispensary would benefit from looking into something like Green Bits’ dispensary software to help keep their business running and stick to the rules and regulations of the cannabis industry. Plus, it will help you interact a lot easier with your customers, which should always be a priority for any business. Hopefully, the legalisation will happen sooner than you think.

So what does this all mean for I-502 and legal marijuana in Washington State? Besides a delay in giving the general adult public the ability to use their statewide right to purchase legal cannabis and a delay in the benefits that tax dollars would give the state of Washington, it doesn’t really mean much.

Colorado opened its’ doors to the legal cannabis industry several months ago now, and they are still opening factions of it. For example, if you were not a previously a medical marijuana shop in Colorado, then you won’t be opening up shop until july, the same time Washington State plans to unleash the industry.

Once the city of Seattle and Washington opens its’ door to the industry, it’s going to take a while before everything falls into place. One thing for sure, it’s not going to happen overnight and not without possible hiccups. Since the date has been pushed back, it is hoped that this extra time can allow the Liquor Control Board and the state of Washington can make this roll out go go even more smooth than anticipated.

In the meantime, what is one to do if they just can’t wait until early July? Don’t fret because there are options – in fact there are legal options. Even though it is technically illegal to operate recreational marijuana shops in Seattle, there are a couple establishments that are working alongside state officials to conduct business and give the citizen an option to practice their right of purchasing legal marijuana. Yes, it is technically illegal, and grey area, but since there is no industry set up, state officials and police are turning a blind eye.

The Winterlife Cooperative and the Raccoons Club, are two marijuana delivery services operating within the city limits of Seattle. Ordering weed from them is simply visiting their website or Twiter page, picking up the phone and placing an order. Winterlife has gained national media attention for their grey area delivery service while Raccoon Club is more in the “shadows.”

If you can’t wait until early July, then these cannabis deliver services are a viable option. Or, you can take a Seattle marijuana tour to brush up on your cannabis knowledge. In the meantime, sit tight. The weather will clear up soon, warm up some, and before you know it, that big date will have arrived.