Every stoner’s favorite holiday is right around the corner, and to get in the spirit, the team from 22Red invited us to sample a few of their products. It’s been a fun week of cleansing our palettes, “locking in” and testing out one of the market’s fastest growing brands.
For the review, we sampled two different types of pre-rolls, two strains of flower and a live resin concentrate. The pre-rolls were the Indica-dominant strain Z Crasher, the flowers were the Indica-dominant strains GMLS and Z Pie, and the concentrate was the Sativa-dominant strain Jack’s Cleaner in the badder consistency.
Single gram pre-roll (Z Crasher):
Appearance - These pre-rolls looked pretty typical, with one feature that stood out the most: the filter was wrapped in the paper with the flower, so it remained secure throughout the entire use. There were some quality control issues with these pre-rolls; the tips were not wrapped tightly, so they had come a little loose and needed a small re-twist. Luckily the pre-rolls are packed well, so no actual product was lost.
Smell - Very traditional and earthy. Very much what one would expect when fresh marijuana is around.
Taste - Taste matched the smell, a key indicator that the flower is high quality and well-produced.
Experience - These burned like most pre-rolls on the market, so it was nice to know what we could expect timing- and social gathering-wise. The high was gradual, from onset to fade, and made the rest of the day very chill. One thing to note is that with almost all pre-rolls, the last quarter of the joint is rather harsh because of resin getting built up as you smoke the joint.
Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵
Half gram live ice water hash infused pre-roll (Z Crasher):
For those that may not know, ice water hash is resin made from freezing trichomes (very fine outgrowths of the plans) with ice water, breaking them off and sifting to remove anything that isn’t usable plant resin. Normally, ice water hash is made into a concentrate for dabs, but it can also be mixed into flower to create an infused product, like these pre-rolls. 22Red uses a private proprietary method to make theirs that is solventless.
Appearance - These tiny little guys look very classy. Once again, the filter is wrapped within the same paper as the flower, making for a clean and smooth exterior. They were packed and wrapped very well; snug so you could get the most out of your half gram but not too dense that it would be impossible to use. The tips were also wrapped perfectly, so no issues there.
Smell - Same as the one gram pre-roll; the infused element didn’t affect the smell in any noticeable way.
Taste - Once again, the taste matches the smell, which is to be expected since it’s the same flower as the one gram pre-roll. The hits were very smooth, which is nice because infused products can tend to hit a little harsher.
Experience - Even though they look classy, these guys pack a punch hard enough to make us forget we reviewed it much earlier in the week before we went to go review it again. For a half-gram joint, they burned slower than we expected, but it was a nice surprise. It allowed us to enjoy the social aspect of cannabis culture while the high slowly grew over time. The high was light, making the next few hours enjoyable and engaging without the dragging feeling of a heavier high.
Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵
GMLS:
Appearance - Very large tan buds with hints of brown and black. Solid, but not too firm, and have a good amount of moisture. Once ground, it revealed flecks of purple.
Smell - Herby, not earthy, with a hint of citrus, making it a bit sour overall. Once ground, it smelled incredibly fresh and strong.
Taste - Tasted more earthy than herby, tapping into more of that freshness noticed in the smell.
Experience - The high was very nice and put us in a good, chilled out mood. It lasted for a few hours, and was a great way to end the night as it helped get our minds and bodies unwound, but not too much that we couldn’t still enjoy some social time playing video games and watching tv (and maybe having some munchies).
Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵
Appearance - Very large tan buds with hints of brown and bright green. Solid, but not too firm, and have a good amount of moisture that is noticeable once ground and the fresh smell hits.
Smell - Very sour (but we like that), but was much more citrus-y once ground.
Taste - Tasted like most sour flowers, but it was very crispy on the inhale. The crispiness, not to be mistaken with harshness or sharpness, reinforced the flower’s freshness and high quality.
Experience - The high was very smooth, and very quickly onset. It immediately helped us relax (so much so that our notes are a little bare…) and gave us a very calming feeling and experience for the rest of the night, eventually helping us fall (and stay) asleep smoothly.
Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵
Jack’s Cleaner in Badder:
Badder is a type of concentrate that is made malleable using a chemical solvent in the extraction process. The way the solvent is agitated with the resin during the process gives it a fondant consistency, making it popular since it’s easy to work with.
Appearance - Very light amber color, almost blonde. The consistency was solid for a badder; not too runny or too sticky, so if you have to handle it you don’t risk spilling it or getting it stuck to your fingers.
Smell - Very herbal and floral; similar to a desert flower that we know exists, but can’t remember the name of, making it kind of nostalgic.
Taste - This tasted exactly how it smelled (which was very good). There was a bit of an earthy aftertaste, but it didn’t last long.
Experience - This was, by far, the smoothest concentrate and product we’ve ever had. The hits were incredibly smooth, to the point that you could only really tell you were inhaling (with harshness and coughing) if you were using it wrong. Upon exhaling, there was almost no smoke, which isn’t something we had ever experienced before. The high was very nice, smooth and gave us a more energized feeling before naturally and unnoticeably fading a few hours later.
Rating - 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵
Our Thoughts
It’s easy to see (or taste) right off the bat why 22Red products have developed a cult following. The entire process--from planting the seed to sealing the packaging--is meticulous, allowing the brand to ensure they are putting out the highest quality marijuana possible. And for as high quality as 22Red’s products are, they are reasonably priced compared to their competitors, which makes for inclusive access for a wider range of consumers.
In full transparency, we have enjoyed 22Red in the past. However, it’s safe to say that we’re even bigger fans after sampling these delectable products. We enjoyed this opportunity to dive deeper into the brand, learn more about everything that goes into their processes, and explore their latest creations.
Our recommendations are hands down the concentrate and flower products. They tasted great, provided nice experiences and are priced well for their quality. However, if pre-rolls are your style, you still can’t go wrong with the ones from 22Red as they are definitely the top of the line in their category.
We hope you all have a fun and safe 4/20 weekend. The celebration won’t stop here, so make sure to keep an eye out on 22Red’s socials for a new product coming next month.
22Red products can be found at the following dispensaries (alphabetical order):
Arizona Organix (Glendale)
Consume (Taylor)
CuraLeaf (Glendale,
D2 (Tucson)
Downtown Dispensary (Tucson)
Farm Fresh (Lake Havasu City)
GreenPharms Dispensary (Flagstaff; Mesa)
Hana Meds (Phoenix)
Nature Med (Tucson)
Nature’s Wonder (Apache Junction; Cave Creek; Phoenix)
Sol Flower (Phoenix; Tucson)
Story Cannabis (Bisbee; Chandler; Glendale; Kingman; Lake Havasu City; Phoenix; Tolleson; Williams)
SWC Prescott (Prescott)
The Giving Tree (Phoenix)
The Good (Mesa)
White Mountain Health Center (Sun City)
While Desert Sounds Magazine received the pre-roll and flower products from 22Red in exchange for a review, all opinions, experiences and feedback are entirely our own. We do not receive any commission on any sales made as a result of this product review.
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