In Search of the Holy Grail

musashi said:
Aloha fellow firewalkers! And aloha to you @TGTDE!

A symphony can perhaps best describe the curing process The word symphony comes from the greek word symphonia, loosely meaning harmony. The symphony is divided into 4 movements. I will mainly use the 1st and last to illustrate my point as both of these movements are typically the same; allegro. Let's listen to one of my favorites, Beethoven's 9th symphony.

In the first movement, a powerful, definitive statement if made. It builds in it's intensity and complexity; at times frenetic, as the instruments start to come together in unison.
The smoke of the sativa has some power. Flavors are fresh but undefined. In the first 4 weeks, cannabinoids begin their transition and certain terpenes dominate this initial part of the cure.

The middle parts of a symphony are slower as the theme further develops. The maturation continues and at times flavors and smells change and even the effects are transitory and can be hard to define. This is the scherzo of the 3rd movement. There is a slow blending in a harmonius way. I liken this to the 6 weeks of cure for this sativa. One can sense the potential at this point but it has yet to all come together- though the smoke is getting stronger in it's effect, tastes and smells are in flux.

The last movement incorporates the "An die Freude." Now, we not only hear instruments but human (angel) voices as well. The complexity and the number of instruments involved illustrates full participation. There is a feeling of elation and happiness. A release of tension, a reclaiming of self immersed in spirituality. The initial terps that sparkled in the beginning are now somewhat muted as they take their place among the many that now "speak up" and contribute to the overall complexity in smell, flavor and high. If you listen particularly to the last 11 minutes starting at 18:20 min, hopefully you'll get the idea that I am trying to convey.
In a 6 month cure, all chlorophyll has disappeared, cannabinoids have matured; the subtle smell and the power of these delicate sativas is finally realized.

Hope this helps. Long cures for these types of sativas should be part of the process. Always put one bottle in the back of the closet for later. You'll thank yourself when you finally pop open that bottle and smell the divinity!

mu
Click to expand...

Bet that composer has been smashing the haze hard before coming on stage. Looks like he is out there on haze cloud 1000'00000. Hazed off his face.
 
musashi said:
Thank you braddah! A great collection there! Hard to say without testing. They all have their phenotypes ranging in smells. NOT the Doors/Stones/Cure. The AB requires a bit of selection. If you have the time then the Neville's Haze would be my first choice. The Grail has the old time signature. Where's the Mango?

mu
Click to expand...
I have had a couple different types of NH in the distant past and each was awesome and potent. A very Sat dominant and another with big hard buds. Both were very potent. Can you tell me how the HG stacks up? I realize there may be some different types but no matter which one, how do they compare to NH or what you feel is the most potent?. I am more interested in potency than anything else. The more potent the better. It may be that 50 plus years of puffing only the best has given me this resistance and need for ultimate potency. Thanks!
 
Aloha MNS ohana!
They are all good questions and it took me a while to ponder how to answer in the best way, from my experience anyway. The short answer is that they are both excellent sativas. They both get me to the moon.
Potency has a standard definition but in the canna world, I wonder if the word should be more expansive. Not only how it knocks your head in various euphorias, but the aroma, taste, look, how it is grown, etc.; they could all contribute to whether the plant imparts a good vibe to us personally. As to how I look at it, I am looking at how the Haze AC improved the NH. Some would say it has improved it in many ways. While these two cultivars have some general characteristics, there are differences that I have observed.
Looking at early to mid bud there is a difference in bud shape and density, pistil shape and length, leaf distribution and expression:
Neville’s Haze
Nevs #5 1_17.jpg
vs Holy Grail
hg7 3_19.jpg

In mid-flower, the NH is more viny in this case with buds growing horizontally in fenotrigo due to weight; while the HG grows vertically upright because of stronger stems with tighter bud structure. The HG is more uniform in morphological expression (columnar) with more bud distribution throughout. The NH has a little more variation maintaining some of its feral, primal beginnings. I appreciate its uniqueness.
NH
NHb 2_22.jpg
vs HG
hg5 3_19.jpg

The NH at harvest has a sweet herbal spicy, slight citrus scent while the HG seems more meatier smelling of rosemary and darker spices. There are more little leaves to clean up in the HG than the Nev's.
NH
nh#2 5_18.jpg
vs HG
hg #2 9_7_21.jpg

I see @shantibaba latest creation to be a big improvement. It is a stronger stemmed plant with more yield. The smoke is a little heavier, savory in the taste. The slight differences in high are defined by phenotype but most were up; perhaps a little less NL influence.
Both plants bring a kalichrome world, brighter more pleasant, calmer, happier. The Nev's is still my favorite, sentimentally. But I would never turn down a spliff of Holy Grail. It is an excellent example of what a breeder can purposefully bring forth in actual improvements instead of just random crossing of plants. Shanti has another winner here and I am happy to be smoking it right now as I write this hehehe. The Haze AC makes solid contributions to whatever it is crossed with and this particular crossing to Neville’s Haze is yet another expression of Shanti's knowledgable efforts.

mu
 
Hey Musashi, Thanks for an excellent comparison! Funny that you were enjoying the HG as you were writing. Your description was everything and more that I was wanting to know. Looks like Shanti did something special to an already special plant. I was interested in it because it was an NH x the Haze AC so he added a building block sativa to an already awesome dominant Sat. I am a big time Sat fan from the famous year of 1969, famous for me anyway…He would not have named it as he did unless he felt that it was that special. If heavier and more savory is more earthy then I will be in love. A real old time Colombian Punto Rojo was like that my first trip there in ‘73 and got lucky a couple years ago there again with that deep earthy flavor and power packed euphoric buzz.

Thanks again Mu, great descriptions, comparisons and pictures. An absolutely awesome report…

Boris
 
Last edited:
musashi said:
Aloha MNS ohana!
They are all good questions and it took me a while to ponder how to answer in the best way, from my experience anyway. The short answer is that they are both excellent sativas. They both get me to the moon.
Potency has a standard definition but in the canna world, I wonder if the word should be more expansive. Not only how it knocks your head in various euphorias, but the aroma, taste, look, how it is grown, etc.; they could all contribute to whether the plant imparts a good vibe to us personally. As to how I look at it, I am looking at how the Haze AC improved the NH. Some would say it has improved it in many ways. While these two cultivars have some general characteristics, there are differences that I have observed.
Looking at early to mid bud there is a difference in bud shape and density, pistil shape and length, leaf distribution and expression:
NH
View attachment 73415
vs HG
View attachment 73414

In mid-flower, the NH is more viny in this case with buds growing horizontally in fenotrigo due to weight; while the HG grows vertically upright because of stronger stems with tighter bud structure. The HG is more uniform in morphological expression (columnar) with more bud distribution throughout. The NH has a little more variation maintaining some of its feral, primal beginnings. I appreciate its uniqueness.
NH
View attachment 73417
vs HG
View attachment 73413

The NH at harvest has a sweet herbal spicy, slight citrus scent while the HG seems more meatier smelling of rosemary and darker spices. There are more little leaves to clean up in the HG than the Nev's.
NH
View attachment 73416
vs HG
View attachment 73412

I see @shantibaba latest creation to be a big improvement. It is a stronger stemmed plant with more yield. The smoke is a little heavier, savory in the taste. The slight differences in high are defined by phenotype but most were up; perhaps a little less NL influence.
Both plants bring a kalichrome world, brighter more pleasant, calmer, happier. The Nev's is still my favorite, sentimentally. But I would never turn down a spliff of Holy Grail. It is an excellent example of what a breeder can purposefully bring forth in actual improvements instead of just random crossing of plants. Shanti has another winner here and I am happy to be smoking it right now as I write this hehehe. The Haze AC makes solid contributions to whatever it is crossed with and this particular crossing to NH is yet another expression of Shanti's knowledgable efforts.

mu
Click to expand...
Mu, that's the best comparison report, with pics no less, that I recall reading.
1685883407055.png
The ability to be concise, yet detailed, is a skill I greatly appreciate. Your ability to describe is outstanding. Classic bookmark write up Mu. ;) 🤙
 
Aloha fellow fire walkers!

Just got the weed whacking done and the truck washed. Time for an iced tea and a smoke to bring me through the rest of the afternoon :D This Holy Grail #2 that is in constant rotation here at my casa is just excellent herb. It has that strong frankincence smell coupled with a soaring high. The exhale through the nostrils brings a sweetness that makes me smile. I even get high just smelling the fragrance from the paper bag, it is so yummy. It smells just like the classic Haze of yore. If you like hazes, you need to seriously take a look at this church. It is so fine!
hg2 7_31.JPG

mu
 
NICE to hear that it lives up to its name but of course it does. Our man always does it right and is honest in his descriptions. Sb wouldn't have released it and named it as he did if it wasn't up to his standards. Yours are there too Mu and hearing what you say just adds another measure of certainty. Enjoy it, you deserve it!
 
I feel like the voice in the wilderness about this variety. Is there no one else growing and delighting in these Nevil seeds of old? As @BrotherBoris said earlier, “Sb wouldn't have released it and named it as he did if it wasn't up to his standards.” He did an excellent job of bringing these genetics back to life.
Maybe I didn’t say it loud enough- it is absolutely superb!

mu
 
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