Tangerine Dream

Tangerine Dream is a sativa-dominant hybrid with an unforgettable taste. Created by Amsterdam-based seed company Barney’s Farm, it is a cross between G13 and Haze descendant Neville’s Haze. The strain offers a bold citrus flavor profile as well as a clearheaded, well-balanced high that keeps users both relaxed and alert. This tasty variety won First Place overall in the 2010 Cannabis Cup. It boasts an impressive THC content that hovers around 25%.

Flowers of this strain grow large and chunky, with a dense bud structure that’s more typical of indica than sativa varieties. The leaves are forest green, with some phenotypes showing traces of dark purple. This latter color results when pigments called anthocyanins are brought out by colder than average temperatures during the growing process. The flowers are covered in sticky white trichomes that give flowers a dewy look -- and account for this strain’s high THC content. Orange pistils are threaded through these colorful leaves.

The intense citrus fragrance is where this strain really lives up to its bag appeal -- the cured flowers give off a scent of orange with some sweet earthiness mixed in. Many fans also describe a spicy, clove-like undertone, further enhancing the orange top notes. Breaking up the sticky buds yields a more herbal funk, likely passed on from Haze genetics. Smoke hits smoothly and has a chemical-like, diesel taste. When exhaled, smoke has the distinct taste of orange zest, along with a slight tanginess that lingers on the palate.

Tangerine Dream smokers usually feel an immediate head rush that leaves the senses buzzing. What follows is a spreading feeling of warmth and emotional uplift that can be disorienting in the short term. Thought-provoking and cerebral, but still grounded, this strain offers a high that can be as productive or as lazy as users intend. This balance can tip towards a heavier body high in larger doses, however. Medically, Tangerine Dream has application for mood disorders. It can be a source of relief for those suffering from stress and anxiety. Its functional sense of focus may also be beneficial for users with attention deficit disorders. Some may feel a relaxation of tense muscles and relief from chronic aches and pains. If enough is consumed, Tangerine Dream can also be a sleep-inducing treatment for insomnia.

Tangerine Dream can be grown indoors and outdoors, although outdoor growing requires warm and humid climates with consistent sunlight. The short and bushy plants are more characteristic of indica varieties and can easily be cultivated indoors, as they range between 3 and 4 feet tall when fully grown. This strain’s hardy genetics make for thick central stems and supporting branches to hold up the dense buds -- this means that growers may not necessarily need to provide staked supports as plants enter the flowering stage. Flowering happens within 8 to 10 weeks when plants are grown indoors, and flowers are ready for harvest by late October when grown outdoors. Tangerine Dream has a fairly high yield of about 46 to 56 grams (or 1.6 to 2 ounces) per square foot of plant.

In order to preserve the characteristic taste of the carefully-grown buds (and to keep smoke as smooth as possible), users should also be sure to cure the flowers. Curing is a two-stage process: First, growers should hang the buds upside down by the stem or lay them on drying racks that provide air circulation for 7 to 10 days; the surrounding humidity should be 50% and the temperature about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Once stems snap off of the flowers relatively easily, growers can then seal the buds in airtight wide-mouthed jars in ambient humidity of 60-65% and temperature around 70 degrees. While they cure in the jars, buds should be checked at least daily for a week to ensure that they haven’t developed mold.

Sharing its name with an influential German progressive electronic band, Tangerine Dream is an uncommonly tasty and potent strain. Its pleasant flavor and scent can be fun to share with friends (or enthusiastic strangers), as well as to savor alone in relaxed surroundings. This strain’s complex spicy and citrus flavor profile also make it an appealing variety to pair with food or drinks that have similarly bold flavors.