Tropical Sleigh Ride is known as one of the highest terpene strains in the world.
The Strain-
Tropical Sleigh Ride is known as one of the highest terpene strains in the world. Created by Mark from Greenshock Farms, this strain was bred in Mendocino County specifically for outdoor growing. Tropical Sleigh Ride was created with Greenshock Farms’ special award winning in-house genetics called “Purple Candy Cane” crossed with a rare Pineapple from breeder Mean Gene. The combination of these two exotic flavors gave birth to something very unique and powerful. This Sativa-dominant strain grows vigorously under the full sun, fighting off mold and mildew like it was Bruce Lee. Packed full of insane fruity terps, every puff tastes like you’re drinking a fruit smoothie. The aroma of guava, mango, papaya, lemon, strawberry, pineapple, orange, grapefruit and even pine are all intertwined together to form this explosive profile. This strain produces beautiful buds that ooze resin from every calyx. Perfect flower formation, strong lineage from its parents and some of the loudest terpenes in the game make Tropical Sleigh Ride one of the new top strains.
Strain Overview-
I remember the first time we got our hands on Tropical Sleigh Ride – we were completely blown away! The smell jumped right out of the jar and hit us like a tornado of fruit. Squeezing these buds released an intoxicating aroma of pineapples, oranges and mango. Just touching these beautiful flowers left a slick coating of resin instantly covering my fingers. Not only were the terpenes screaming at the top of their lungs but the looks were on point. These flowers could easily be mistaken for green house and even indoor but they were grown in the full sun completely naturally. We couldn’t wait to roll one up and get a taste of this amazing cultivar. The first puff was just as good as the first smell. My taste buds were completely covered with layers upon layers of fruits and pine. Even the lingering smoke had a smell that reminded me of Christmas. Tropical Sleigh Ride was the perfect name for this amazing flower. Smoking a Sweet Aromatic down to the roach it was full of flavor and we were hooked.
We first met Mark at a Natural Cannabis Company Harvest Party and had the chance to chop it up about his genetics and we instantly became friends. Mark told us about his experience growing over the past 20 years and all the work he has been doing to perfect his creations. We were very impressed to say the least. As 2018 came upon us with new laws and regulations we were zoned out of growing commercially at our house but had an opportunity to work with Greenshock Farms. We decided to team up together blending our grow styles and techniques to create our new brand “Green Dope”. During this new grow season, we were hands on with numerous phenotypes of the Tropical Sleigh Ride and we really got to know the plant. Each pheno of this strain has slightly different features when it comes to structure and smell. Some having the classic green stem while others show off a beautiful dark purple color stalk in the first weeks of veg. Both exhibit the tropical fruity aromas this strain is known for. Greenshock Farms has created this strain to withstand the extreme hot days of summer and the stormy rainy days at the end of harvest. When it comes to picking what strains to grow it is always important to have strong genetics that fight off mold. Tropical Sleigh Ride is built for the outdoors.
In 2017 this strain gained a lot of respect when it won the Highest Terpene Award at the biggest outdoor cannabis competition in the world the “Emerald Cup”. Test results came in at a staggering 4.8% total cannabinoids making Tropical Sleigh Ride one of the highest recorded terpene profiles out of the hundreds of strains entered. We all knew this strain was something special so we planned to enter a few of these different pheno types into the 2018 Emerald Cup.
At the Mendo Dope house we weren’t able to get our permit but we continued to grow our personal garden. One of the plants we really wanted to grow was of course the Tropical Sleigh Ride. When we teamed up with Greenshock Farms our first goal was to get some killer seed starts growing for the new permitted farm. Mark brought us some of his Tropical Sleigh Ride seeds to start at home so we could begin a new pheno hunt. Known for growing monster plants we also wanted to see how big we could get these when grown directly in the native soil under full sun.
One of these Tropical Sleigh Ride seeds right away stood out to us so we wanted to keep it at home and grow one for our personal stash. As the year continued we got to see the growth patterns and flowering cycles of numerous phenos. Purple Sleigh Ride was one of Marks favorite phenos and we could see why. The buds had a magnificent purple color and they were frosty like a winter morning. Perfect formation each bud reached for the sky and soaked in the natural sunlight until they were plump and juicy.
Another amazing pheno was #54c also known as Tropical Fruit Bomb. This was one of my personal favorites I had been keeping my eye on the entire season. As flowering began the stacking on this pheno was amazing and the looks of this particular pheno had something very special and unique to the flower. Sharp spear shaped buds with tight fingers reaching from the tips were glistening and sparkling as she caught my attention. The aroma from this pheno had a little bit of everything the grocery stores produce isle has to offer. Strong scents of pineapple were blending together with mangos and guava all while being showered in lemon and orange juice. This was a fruit cocktail of Cannabis. For us and many others when searching for what to smoke a big factor is the flavor. Some strains have extremely high THC levels but lack on smell and taste, while others can have a fantastic smell but very low THC levels. Tropical Sleigh Ride is a perfect balance of that wonderful mouthwatering flavor accompanied by a clean smooth high. Some of these varieties have a strong uplifting head buzz while others give you a nice mellow high, perfect for a chill relaxed day. Through strict lab testing results have shown THC levels to be in the low to mid 20% range making it a more potent flavorful strain. Just smelling this flower will make you feel good.
This strain harvests in about 8-9 weeks depending on phenotype making it perfect for beating the late October storms. Each pheno produces solid medium to large buds and is easily trainable with caging and trellis. Harvesting is easy with this strain. Starting with a nice first top pick then letting secondaries mature for a few days is prime for perfect ripe buds. The Tropical Sleigh Ride seed starts grew rapidly on the farm and we had some of the biggest plants to date. This strain proved to not only be great for its high terpene and flavor but it was a solid plant all the way around. Growing over 12 ft. tall and as wide as your living room these plants were overwhelming when standing below them.
It was now competition time for the 2018 Emerald Cup and we were confident with our Tropical Sleigh Ride entries. With 2018 being the first year for legal Recreational Cannabis the flower competition was split into permitted grows and personal grows. Going up against some of the best farmers in California we took home 10th Place in the personal category with our Tropical Sleigh Ride from sed and 6th place in the permitted category with one of Mark’s different phenos of Tropical Sleigh Ride #77. Having two top 10 finishes and the highest terpene award have made this strain a certified winner. Every pheno has something special to offer whether it be the structure of flower, crystal content or even a specific terpene. For example: Tropical Sleigh Ride has a rare terpene called Ocimene. Its properties are great for anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, and some phenos are averaging 1.5% which is very rare for Cannabis. Packed with extreme flavor and a great uplifting high this is a great strain for old and young. Tropical Sleigh Ride is very anti-depressive as it is great for relaxing the body giving you a good feeling behind the head and eyes. “This is inspirational feel good herb”- Mark, Greenshock Farms.
I would recommend this strain to anyone who enjoys a full flavor smoke. This is what we call exotic boutique Cannabis. There is a very small percentage of sun grown flowers that have the structure, smell and taste. Tropical Sleigh Ride is a well-rounded strain that has looks buyers love, flavor smokers can’t get enough of and the medicinal properties patients need. Visit the Mendo Dope YouTube channel and follow along for the new series “The Green Dope Project” taking the viewer on a first person look into a full season growing in the Emerald Triangle.
Breeder: Greenshock Farms
Genetics: Purple Candy Cane X Pineapple
Yield: Heavy
Height: Medium to Tall
Harvest: 56 to 60 days
Indica: 30% Sativa: 70%
By Mendo Dope
Originally published in Weed World Magazine issue 139
