Benzil is a long-standing Originals CBD customer with over 27 years of cannabis knowledge. He's not a marketer - he's a genuine head. These products were sent by Originals CBD for review purposes, and as always these are his completely honest words. Meet Benzil - The CBD Head Behind Our Strain Review Series
A Quick Note Before We Start
This is the third and final review in the Premium EU Indoor series. If you haven't already, head back to Part 1 where Benzil explains why he avoided EU flower for two years and what finally changed his mind - then read the Amnesia Haze and Plutonium reviews first. We've saved the most complicated one until last.
The One I Had the Most Complicated Feelings About
What's happening people? Final part of the Premium EU Indoor review series and we've saved the most personal one until last.
Super Lemon Haze. One of my all-time favourite Type 1 strains. A strain that was grown for years around my area from clones taken from an almost legendary mother plant - old as time itself and literally spoken about only in extremely hushed tones by a very select group of people. Consequently I know this strain quite well. I was thoroughly spoilt by my easy access to it back in the day.
My expectations going in were complicated as a result. Clouded by memory and nostalgia in equal measure.
But if there's one thing I've learned with CBD strains named after their Type 1 counterparts - it's that it's best never to expect them to taste like the Type 1 versions you previously knew and loved. Because in my experience they won't. Not at the moment anyway. This is mainly due to the inherent differences between the Type 1 and Type 3 chemotypes of cannabis - but it's a lot more complicated than that and would take someone of far more knowledge than I to explain it adequately.
So I went in with an open mind. Or as open as I could manage.
Super Lemon Haze - Background and Genetics
One of the most legendary Haze strains of all time. The CBD dominant version sits alongside the Amnesia Haze in this Premium EU Indoor range - both Swiss grown, both firmly at the Sativa end of the spectrum. Coming in at 10.7% Total CBD content, it sits at almost identical levels to two of my favourite US strains - Skunk Jam Indoor and Lemon Octane 13 Outdoor. So I had a reasonable benchmark going in.
Aroma - Prison Hooch and Sour Lifter Vibes
As soon as I opened the Mylar I was smacked in the face with what I can only describe as a fermenting, fruit, sickly-sourness. Almost to the point of being offensive - it had almost an ammonium kick to it.
I've never tasted prison hooch before and nor do I intend to. But I imagine if you were to concoct a brew using only citrus fruit, the smell of it fermenting would smell a lot like this SLH strain.
Like the legendary US Sour Lifter strain - you will either love this or hate it. I'm firmly in the love it camp so I was immediately intrigued. Honestly? This SLH smells just like what I imagine a premium Indoor Sour Lifter would smell like. It's an acquired aroma and absolutely not for everyone - but for those who know and love that sour, fermented citrus profile it's genuinely exciting to encounter it in an EU grown strain.
Appearance - Classic Haze Through and Through
Tall, compact buds that are extremely reminiscent of classic Haze flower. Like the rest of the Premium EU Indoor range it grinds up perfectly and fluffs up double - again testament to how well this flower has been cultivated and even more so how it has been dried and cured. The consistency across all three strains in this range on the cultivation and finishing side has been genuinely impressive throughout.
Taste - Enjoyable but Not Quite What I Was Hoping For
The Flavour Profile
A pleasant - for me personally - extremely sour, piney, tart, lemon and limey taste that was present throughout and genuinely enjoyable to consume. The flavour consistency is there and it's a pleasant experience from start to finish. The aroma absolutely carries through into the taste which, as I've said throughout this series, is one of the most encouraging signs of how far EU flower has come.
A Word of Warning
If you're not a fan of sickly-sour aromas and terps - this SLH is absolutely not for you. You have been warned. This is not a gentle, approachable citrus note. It's aggressive, fermented and in your face from the moment you open the Mylar to the very last taste. For sour lovers it's brilliant. For everyone else it may well be a step too far.
Effects - Where It Let Itself Down Slightly
The Sativa Experience
Some genuinely nice Sativa effects - clear-headed, focused and uplifting. Classic Haze territory and exactly what you'd expect from the genetics. For those who find stronger Sativa strains a little too intense or anxiety-inducing, this SLH sits in a really comfortable zone - enough to feel the classic energising Haze character without any of the edge that can come with more potent Sativa CBD strains.
The US Comparison
This is where the SLH let itself down slightly for me personally. Given the comparable CBD content to Skunk Jam and Lemon Octane 13 I was expecting it to hit pretty similarly to those two strains. Unfortunately it didn't quite get there. The effects were present and enjoyable but nowhere near as intense or long-lasting as my favoured US strains at a similar percentage.
That's not entirely a criticism - it's more a reflection of the benchmark that US flower has set. And honestly, for a lot of consumers that slightly softer effect profile is actually a positive rather than a negative. Not everyone wants to be floored.
Overall Verdict on the Premium EU Indoor Range
The Super Lemon Haze
A genuinely enjoyable strain with a stunning and distinctive aroma profile that will absolutely polarise opinion. If you love sour, fermented, Lifter-adjacent terps - get on this immediately. If you don't - steer clear, this one isn't for you. The cultivation and curing are excellent throughout and the flavour consistency from aroma to taste is there. Effects are present but softer than US equivalents at similar CBD percentages.
The Range as a Whole
Despite my fears and misgivings going in, I was very impressed with this Premium EU Indoor range from Originals CBD. No, the effects are not quite up to US flower - which is by now the benchmark - but I am genuinely hopeful that eventually EU strains will get there. Each one is a very enjoyable strain in its own right and certainly a viable alternative to US flower.
If I've learned anything from this endeavour it's that in the past two years EU flower has come on leaps and bounds. However these three strains are at the Premium end of the scale. Budget EU flower - your Easy Weed-type strains for example - will still likely be as poor as I remember them being. So if you intend to go down the EU route, choose a premium range from a trusted source rather than a budget range from a spurious source - to avoid yet more EU disappointment.
I went into this whole exercise a sceptic. I'm coming out of it a cautious convert - at least at this end of the market.
I hope you've enjoyed this three-part review series as much as I've enjoyed producing it. As always if there's a particular product or strain you'd like to see me sample and review - drop Originals CBD a message and let them know. We've got plenty more in the pipeline.
Stay blessed, stay lucky. Until next time. Peace.
- Benzil