My Favorite Strains: Chocolope

You may recognize this strain name from previous reviews of mine, and that’s because I absolutely LOVE Chocolope (winner of High Times’ 2007 ‘Strain of the Year’), and most strains that come from her, such as previously reviewed Fruity Thai.

Chocolope, as it may be apparent, is the offspring of a Chocolate Thai (a known sativa landrace from Thailand) and Cannalope Haze cross, and holds true to characteristics of both sides, while also being a pure sativa strain.

I liked Chocolope a lot, but even more so after I started to grow her in my own garden. It is an easier maintenance plant – faster to grow, flower and mature, and can take up a great amount of room for branches full of nuggets, if you let her. Her yield is also great for rotating crop types or strains, due to the fact that you can cure and keep the bountiful harvest for quite a long period of time without losing valuable terpene and taste profiles.

As a side note, Chocolate Thai landrace strain is known for low-yields, but extremely high potency and mind bending effects… can you see why this cross with Cannalope Haze was imagined and created now?

The Chocolope buds tend to be more of a lively, bright lime green color with a few splashes of dark green leaves, housing smaller trichomes on its surfaces. The nuggets are fairly dense and smothered by darker orange, brownish hairs (pistils), together making an eye-catching flower. From experience, I personally believe this is where the “chocolate” nature of this strain ends — with its “chocolaty“ look, and does not delve into the characteristic taste or smell of Chocolope.

The smell of this raw flower is more of a musty citrus, with a sweet fruity aroma that lingers behind an earthy blanket of oaky tones. The taste, on the other hand, is a whole new world. Hints of coffee and mint are the first two sensations to hit my taste buds, followed with a smokey aftertaste. I sit here and ponder, I’ve tasted this before… cigars! The aftertaste of Chocolope reminds me of that chocolaty essence that a good and properly cured and stored tobacco has to offer. This whirlwind of flavors ends with a refreshing crisp note of lemon as you exhale, leaving you wanting to experience this flavor spectrum over and over.

Another reason I love Chocolope so much, is her effects. With the cross of the cerebral numbing Chocolate Thai and (almost matched in potency but higher stability and efficacy), Cannalope Haze, this strain is not for the first time 20%+ THC user. But if one is looking to experience a high energy strain that offers induced euphoria as well, Chocolope would be my recommendation — though approach and use with caution.

Her medicinal value is above par, and is known to help those who experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue and chronic pain, just to name a few. I like to believe this is due to her landrace genetics and carefully appointed hand-bred partner. Overall, Chocolope will most certainly always remain in my Top 10.