[Boats Buds] Berry Banner Hybrid Sativa | 4.4 / 5

Not often do we see the cheapest oz (~80$) we've come across and even less often do we see one that's a cross between Blueberry and Bruce Banner. This (what I assume) hybrid sativa has our expectations set to low.

Out of the container we get hit with a chalky/muted smell but then followed up with a NICE berry smell that seems to linger far after (which will continue to be present through the review). The bud is quite large nugs, dark red hairs, very well trimmed, 'neat' (so not scraggly but quite whole) and an overall dark color. Quite a nice assortment of colors (dark green, light green, darker red hairs) with the only things missing is some purple

Cracking it open the bud turns out to be quite fluffy and not as dense as we first thought. Rather a very airy whole nug. Down to the core we get a bit of a lighter brown but overall maintains its dark color with no red hairs or green near the center. Cracking it open we get a very berry smell (but not overpowering) with a hint of chalky/neutral smell ... perhaps woodsy/berry? Not a super unique smell but def one of the more pleasant budget ounces we've come across.

Once ground up we see quite a dark-monotone color (dark green, some red hairs. A very sticky bud (sticks to itself, to my hand, and leaves my hands with a sticky sound). A surprisingly sticky and crystally strain. The smell is still majority berry, some woodsy/chalky smell but also now a citrus smell which is a great surprise. It adds a bit of extra depth to the bag smell which we haven't seen from any budget ounces before.

Vaping it at low temps (185) we get a chalky, woodsy, almost tasteless flavor with slight hints of berry. But at 195 we got about a 50/50 woodsy with a VERY sweet berry flavor. The berry flavor tasted almost like candy... and a nice surprise as it would have been disappointing if the vape taste was simply muted or bland. This berry flavor also lasted for the entire session which was great. From recent memory we haven't seen any budget buds with such a sweet taste and is up to bar with other top-tier buds in terms of taste and flavor.

Smoking it from the pipe we're left with a dark to dark grey ash. The smoking experience itself mirror'd the darker ash: a bit harsh. Nice big clouds of smoke, easy on the lungs, just a bit harsh. The plus side is we got a NICE strong berry flavor burning which is a rare occurrence even in AAAA buds. On top of that the effects were very strong, a mix of hybrid with a bit of a body buzz but social, in a good mood, mentally active and doesn't leave you mentally stoned or slow. Def a good social buzz or something to smoke in the mornings.

Overall this bud, tho starting off with lacklust bag appeal, turned out to be one of the best budget ounces we got. If we were to take price into consideration would be something I would recommend to anyone ( 5/5 ) but not including the price still scores a pretty high rank. With good smells in the grinder, a surprisingly tasty vape experience coupled with strong effects and great taste while burning it def makes it up there with some other favorites of mine.