melt diaries by anthonyjames

Blog content for melt shots by anthonyjames

[ajmeltdiaries]

Solera dabbing

Or, How I reclaimed my flavor

It’s almost 2026!

To cap the year, I sat down with a shadow project that’s been swirling in my head… solera dabs! Briefly, the term refers to a method of applying technique, maintenance, and aromatic selection principles to best dabbing practices, in order to embrace reclaim buildup (bc fighting nature is dumb).

Sounds heady, but if you’re an electronic dabber who struggles with reconciling your experience against traditional dabs, or if you take an analytical approach to your dabs, or if you would just like some insight into my own Zen of dabbing, then it’s for you too!

I promise, it’s not an argument against regular maintenance, but offers boons there as well.

Finally, some acknowledgments. I employed AI for the abstract (like a real citizen scientist?), but the remaining content is all me. This is not a scientific article, though the research was honest 🤙

Hashy NYE 2026!!!

Intermediate residual condensate from hash rosin vapor inside an e-rig

1. Abstract

This opinion article examines the differences between e-rig and traditional rig technologies for dabbing hash rosin, highlighting how device design, temperature control, and cleaning routines influence the user experience. The study compares two e-rig models—Peak Pro and Poby LE—using specific hash rosin strains and finds that condensate buildup inside the devices affects flavor perception. Intentional sequencing of products and aroma-based selection can enhance the sensory experience, while cleaning protocols help standardize results. The findings suggest that understanding reclaim and device characteristics allows users to personalize and optimize their dabbing practice for both medical and recreational purposes.

2. Introduction

Since I began focusing on dabbing hash rosin as a primary method for self-administering medicine, I’ve dealt with a common, if misguided, notion of equivalence among varying technologies used for “dabbing”, defined as the inhalation of aerosol vapor from prepared cannabis resin via direct application to a controlled heat source in a controlled environment. (I would thus distinguish dabbing from primitive technologies and natural phenomena.) The notion may seem simple, but it is not. Indeed, it vexes communities and fosters heated, at times divisive, debate among members.

E-rig and traditional rig technologies vary in significant ways not only between each other but also within themselves. These include considerations like construction materials, air path designs, heating apparatuses, temperature ranges, heating modes, and physical accessories. In my experience, there are significant quality differences among all variables, which has buffered that notion of functional equivalence. Perhaps these families of rigs (or competing branches therein) possess basic foundational equivalence per our opening definition. If so, they diverge from there.

Having dropped such expectation, I've been freshly revisiting aspects of e-rig dabbing I would have previously dismissed as inconsequential minutia. In this article I highlight one example: intermediate residual condensate from hash rosin vapor inside an e-rig, also known as reclaim. (The information is also transferable to a traditional rig.)

In previous posts I’ve alluded to a concept I called “solera” dabbing, in a technically misguided but conceptually interesting analogy. Solera refers to an artisanal process for blending vintages of wine, spirits, or beer. Abstractly, these could be imagined as extractions of source materials, namely grapes and grains, as hash rosin is an extraction of oleoresin from the glands of cannabis plants. In a solera system, new material is input into the system, where it is gradually mixed by gravity and fluid dynamics before outputting a portion for bottling. This is conceptually like the layering of condensate inside an e-rig from one dab to the next, in which flavor molecules are mixed by thermal aerodynamics before exiting for inhalation. During the process, condensation occurs, leaving residue that contributes its own flavor to the next dab.

Over time I devised a dabbing methodology that considers that process and its implications for enhancing flavor perception. Specifically, I hypothesized that device-specific control coupled with intentional product sequencing (based on initial aroma perceptions) would gradually build a flavor patina within my e-rig that extends the flavor phenotype, so-to-speak, beyond its native jar. In other words, dabbing a jar similar in flavor to its predecessor should dynamically enhance sensory percepts in subsequent dabs, until the flavor environment is neutralized.

3. Materials & Methods

Materials

To test my hypothesis, I used two models of e-rig: my modified Peak Pro, and my Poby LE. I also used two separate jars of hash rosin, involving different strains by the same producer: Paradigm Shift and Rockin’ Diesel, by Skunkfoot Farms.

My modified Peak Pro is a custom e-rig adapted from the V1 model made by Puffco. It uses the original body and battery, the glass is an aftermarket dry top, the chamber is an aftermarket quartz insert assembly by JCVAP, and the cap is an aftermarket auto-spinner by Black Market Glass. It uses (1) 6mm quartz sphere for additional surface area and spread. This device was my control for dabbing in an open-enclosure style of e-rig. The design of the airpath allows ambient air to flow through the device when not in use, which prolongs oxidation of the condensate. This also means highly aerated dabs, which spray flavor molecules broadly on the palate with enough breath to feel like a “rip”.

My Poby LE is the stock model by JCVAP with their auto-spinner cap upgrade in lieu of the stock joystick. It uses (1) 11mm quartz flake by Black Market Glass. This device was my control for dabbing in a closed-enclosure style of e-rig, whose design minimizes ambient air flow, which limits oxidation of the condensate. Compared to the Peak Pro, its air path is much longer and more restrictive, and its heating element is stronger, concentrating flavor more narrowly on the palate with a richness akin to a “sip”.

Both models use electric heat via coils embedded in the bottom and sides of a ceramic sleeve, which holds a 1mm thick quartz cup. This basic setup mimics the application of a quartz nail heated in an e-nail coil. Quartz provides clean, recognizable heat distribution, and electronic heating provides precise control.

I pre-selected the rosins based on aromatic similarities among a lineup of approximately 10 samples. Selections were limited to (2) for convenience only. For more information about each sample, see my reviews here and here.

Dosage per dab was approximately 0.1-0.2g, portioned from the jar using a low-volt heated dab tool made by Dr. Dabber. The low voltage and brief heating time avoid any scorching when loading into a rig.

Methods

Beginning with Paradigm Shift after deep cleaning my Peak Pro, I dabbed the rosin in separate consecutive sessions using a range of (4) temperatures from 490°F to 550°F: 490, 510, 530, and 550. Then I switched to my Poby LE, whose (6) preset temperatures range from 480°F to 580°F: 480, 500, 515, 525, 545, and 580. I took at least 1-2 hrs between dabs, and the effort spanned a couple months at various times of day & night. Each session occurred outdoors in the fresh air of northwest Chicago during late fall/early winter.

I recorded my flavor perceptions after every session. I carefully considered them based on earlier research by Abstrax Labs and many others regarding flavor chemistry, sensory perception, and categorization, along with my own personal history in cocktail bartending and fine dining, which formed my professional palate during 10 years (ca. 2011-2021). I believe my olfaction and gustation faculties are fully intact. I recorded my percepts in the format of The Terp Tracker, which encourages standardized subjective review using defined flavor categories and descriptors.

After finishing Paradigm Shift in this manner, I continued straight to Rockin’ Diesel without cleaning away condensation. Cleaning was limited to the nail, cap, and mouthpiece of each device.

Specifically, my cleaning procedure involves 2 stages. Stage 1 occurs at initial and final deep cleans, beginning with timed submersion of applicable parts in 99% isopropyl alcohol, followed by washing with clean iso, polishing with a microfiber towel, and cold blow-drying with a small turbo fan. Stage 2 occurs at intermediate cleaning between dabs and deep cleans, involving a dry swab with a cotton tip, followed by iso spritzing, wet swabbing with a new tip, polishing, and blow-drying.

The idea is not to eliminate residual flavor, but to control its buildup. Cleaning neutralizes the accessible cooking surface, while blow-drying helps purge and cure the surface layer condensation further along the path.

4. Results

My flavor notes (available here and here) confirm my initial selection of candidate jars by aroma. In other words, they also complemented each other on taste.

Both rosins had landed near the savory end of my lineup, expressing earthy, gassy, and citric notes. In combination, the Rockin’ Diesel emphasized the brightness of the Paradigm Shift, while strengthening its chem/gas basis. GMO from the Paradigm Shift remained detectable on the finish, adding further earthy & vegetal complexity to Rockin’ Diesel.

The combined impression from my Peak Pro was consistent in my Poby LE, despite differences in condensation in each device.

I also photographed each device against a translucent light background, to show visible extents of condensation. These areas include every surface within the air path not sterilized by Stage 1 or Stage 2 cleaning. The Peak Pro was more advanced in its buildup, showing transparent condensate. The Poby LE was less advanced, showing an obscure/foggy layer. Despite these differences, the photos demonstrate the extent of condensation throughout the airpath, emphasizing its impact and exposure. As hot, freshly evaporated aerosol flows through, it picks up flavor compounds from the condensate while depositing its own, thus introducing oxidized flavors into the mix beyond the native set from the rosin.

5. Discussion

In layered combination, the total flavor impression is more robust than the sum of its parts, achieving a chimeric transformation unique to the combination and methodology. This implies that I can experience the flavor of a jar differently on its own than with a complement. Furthermore, why stop at (2) jars? It’s conceptually possible to keep going, though at some point the returns probably diminish.

My results have significant implications for my dabbing experience as a medical and recreational user. Leveraging the performance of an e-rig, I can control my experience of how reclaim affects the flavor of my medicine. While scientifically basic, it is practically manageable for a layperson who understands the mechanics of dabbing and rig maintenance. In more common parlance, it is possible to develop one’s hash wizardry in a way that can demonstrate alchemical aptitude. That for me is a major takeaway, and a strong argument for relaxing the neuroses people like me could feel about Stage 1 cleaning in the first place. That is one hill I’m glad to survive!

The recreational implications are equally important. Medicine that is enjoyable to consume poses fewer barriers to regular administration, especially for people who might resist medicating per se. While such aversion could arguably be dampened by the psychotropic effects of cannabis, that is no reason to limit anyone's reach for the stars! I argue that intentional layering brings them closer in a sense.

My study validated a separate but corollary hypothesis about the utility of aroma detection in identifying flavor profiles without tasting. While imperfect, it is important; without it, layer control is compromised. It is entirely possible to muddle flavors. I would implore: not only can you use your nose to predict flavor, you should. It will open new horizons in your dabbing experience and just might make you a better consumer in general.

My study also revealed differences between open vs. closed e-rig systems. The Peak Pro is much more open, and I could notice how it accelerated oxidization compared to the Poby LE. The Poby tends to isolate its condensate from the environment, oxidizing it more slowly and with less degradation between dabs. I do not have a preference between my devices in this way. They each complement their own design, with the airy rips of the Peak Pro and the concentrated sips of the Poby.

A final consideration is the importance of controlling technological alignment between the devices despite design differences. Both setups use electronic heat to load ceramic heaters that indirectly load quartz cups. Both use a “constant” heat mode (doesn’t rise, doesn’t fall), with minor algorithmic differences. The Peak Pro has a larger chamber, while the Poby has a smaller chamber, and both are optimized for the dynamics involved. Both setups use inert accessories that improve fluid dynamics via rotational spread and agitation, while improving heat distribution via additional surface, and powered by similar force (spinner tops). Where the Peak Pro uses a sphere to throw oil in open aerodynamics around a wide chamber, the textured flake in the Poby increases heated surface area to help complete the “cooking” given increased resistance and narrower chamber. With sufficient breath control, I can neutralize the difference in air path design. The result is similar flavor and effects given similar dosage in both devices. This requires personal R&D and will certainly vary from person to person based on individual dabbing styles. It is in fact part of the Zen of the practice.

[ajmeltdiaries]

A Sunday Story

After medicating this morning, I had an epiphany while cleaning my erig. Explanation requires a story beginning exactly there.

My cleaning ritual is not simple. It's not difficult by any means, but the order of operation is:

Dry swab the cap and bowl

Iso spray cap and clean w/ microfiber towel while bowl cools

Iso spray bowl

Wet swab bowl followed by mouthpiece w/ round end of swab

Finish wet swabbing bowl with pointed end of swab to detail corners and absorb remaining pool

Thoroughly blow dry cold with electronics turbo fan at chamber and at mouthpiece to evaporate any iso residue and exhaust all odor

The result is not a factory-clean erig, but it sets a standard practice for building flavor. Given there will always be flavor left in reclaim/condensate within the rig, and because completely removing it is impractical, harnessing it seems prudent. The steps I take accomplish that as far as I can tell.

So I zoomed out from there to think about my idiosyncrasy. I'm rather idiosyncratic. Aside from my focus on detail, another channel is my associativity. If my brain excels at anything, it is a deeply biological imperative to collect, process, and share information. Metaphor, analogy, and similar associative frameworks are a common tool on my belt, so to speak.

I then compared this imperative to a hypothetical hash maker's drive to excel in producing hash; or a musician's drive to excel in creating music; or an architect's in intelligent design; or a dog's in bonding with humans; or aquatic life's in vision; or a worker bee's in honey; or a plant's in its terpenoids...

You see where this is heading.

These sorts of conceptual pivots demonstrate the utility of my associative tools, which broaden my perspective in real time. That allows me to "see" a thing from many angles, which sharpens both the resolution of what I "see" and creates as complete a picture as I can muster. It's kind of like starting in 2 bits and exponentiating. From there my brain synthesizes my percepts into a narrative I can explain in a story such as this. And from there, the information is available to you.

Thus, the cycle completes. Collect—process—share.

But my brain keeps going. I think of tesseracts and dimensions. I can imagine things up to 3 dimensions, but I cannot imagine leaving this third dimension for the second, like how I cannot imagine leaving it for a fourth. A fourth dimension would reflect the footprint of my third, but where it "lifts" from there is beyond my perception. Keep this in mind...

A cannabis plant does not know of life beyond itself. It arguably doesn't know of its own life. It certainly does not know of any life experienced by its cannabinoids outside its body. Could it be said that those chemicals, as a direct extension of their mother plant, experience a "second life" inside my own? The radical botanist who lives in my head says yes, emphatically and within this narrow context. Could such a "second life" be seen as a new dimension of being from the perspective of those chemicals, entirely beyond their original universe? The radical stoner philosopher answers similarly. Recall the mental note from above about a 3-dimensional being bound to the third dimension, and boom... my epiphany.

Just as I exist relative to whatever plants existed that ultimately filled my lungs, perhaps there exists a 4th dimensional being who could use mine for its own purposes. Whomever that would be, or whatever their purpose, is unknowable to me. Given that, what do I do? Do I stop caring? Do I keep going? Do I do anything differently?

I submit that I do not stop. I keep going, and I change whatever I need to in order to keep growing and expanding. Just as a trichome will eventually exhaust its resources and burst, I want to exhaust mine and burst. I'll die one day, and if that is how my life is characterized, I'll have been my best. Better than if I had presumed I knew that 4th dimensional being or their intentions and constrained myself prematurely. Better than if I had given up and died young. Better than if I let myself implode in any way.

Then, at my peak utility, I will not be some alien's mass-produced, domesticated mids. I'll be some unique landrace flourishing in the conceptual wild, waiting to inspire further evolution by my own example. If they ever find me. If they see me.

And, if a cannabis plant's gift to the cosmic potluck is its trichomes, and mine is my consciousness as an intelligent, sensory data processor/communicator, I will have shown up well enough on my own.

Happy Sunday!

[ajmeltdiaries]

A Perspective on Dab Size

Is your dab too small?

This question is something I've wrestled with, given that I prefer smaller dabs than most people I see in dab videos. There's an inadvertent element of shame built into the very question, which I don't like. For starters, the plant is medicine; dosage size is a measure not of visual appearance, but of ECS influence. As such, the question should focus medical efficacy. Therefore, I would flip the perspective a question of size poses and ask:

Is your residue too liquid?

This gets to the heart of the matter: the efficiency of vaporization. On a spectrum, extremes can be delimited by the presence of liquid residue. If vaporization is fully efficient, there is no liquid residue. Any less, and there is at least some. Vaporization after all is the phase change from liquid to gas.

It has been my invariable--and probably biased--experience that large dabs leave residue. It happens every time. Maybe it's because I'm not starting hot enough, but that factor itself is set by my flavor preferences. Any hotter and my flavor would be suboptimal. There is a cascade of facets to consider on this point, but for simplicity's sake I'll leave it at that. For me, large dabs = residue = inefficient vaporization.

So this means small dabs are best?

I wouldn't go that far. If your setup yields optimally efficient vaporization with a big dab, glob bless. My ECS does not respond that way, and that's important. My sweet spot just happens to be around .1g, give or take a few hundredths. This not-so-coincidentally means I get ~20 dabs out of a 2g jar, which is a sustainable cadence for my budget, given the expense and logistics of procuring the medicine.

In Conclusion

Comparing dab sizes might have more cultural weight than practical weight, but it's a misguided question either way. Responsible use or mastery or whatever you wanna call it involves optimizing vaporization. A more reliable visual cue than dosage size is the physical nature of any residue. An optimal degree of efficiency leaves only non-active compounds. While some of the liquid is non-active, there is no visual mechanism within the human brain that can distinguish that. A handier measure is liquidity. Thus, leveraging minimal liquid residue can be an effective tool when optimizing ECS impact on oneself. At least, more effective than the size involved.

Practical Considerations

Observe residue everywhere within your rig. There should be none aside from a gradual patina limited to the entry side of the air path. Floaties in your water, assuming you change it regularly, indicate oil flooding. Reclaim above the water line on the exit side can indicate that too. These are common signs of inefficient vaporization.

Observe residue within your nail. Residue should be localized within the vaporization area. In a tower, that's going to be the dish and bottom inch or so of the column. In an auto-spinner or banger, it'll be the floor. Residue outside these areas, particularly in the neck or at the underside of the cap, signifies overaggressive aerodynamics forcing liquid to wasteful places.

Dry residue theoretically would be limited to plant matter or other physical contaminants in the oil. That is not the meaning of dryness I'm using. I'm referring specifically to the observable presence of leftover liquid, not chemical purity.

[ajmeltdiaries]

Love your page! Have you tried full melt rosin? Also what temps would you use in the puffco?

Hey thanks for reading & asking!! These are great questions for discussing some fine points.

Re: Full Melt

While it’s not exactly what I seek out, it’s always a treat. It’s similar to rosin but different in one important way: the trichome heads remain intact. This technically means you get more authentic flavor than rosin, which would be the oil expressed from those heads when squished.

Apples are a good analogy, in that full melt is like a bushel of juicy apples, and rosin would be the jar of applesauce.

If you have the time, search videos on YouTube by Frenchy Cannoli. He was a master hash maker and was very adept at this distinction.

Anyway, I have had it, and while it’s trickier to keep & handle than rosin, it is a very unique window into the essence of the plant’s flavors!

Re: Puffco temps

For better or worse, this is a topic about precision, without precise rules! The goal is to maximize the vaporization of the oil without overheating, while balancing flavor & effects. This is difficult to visually inspect due to the concealed chamber, so you’ve gotta rely on flavor, which is a different resolution of sense perception. Add that most people visually inspect the chamber after it’s done, and voila: endless debate about what does and doesn’t work.

My sweet spot for most rosins at a rice-grain-sized dose is around 475° in a 3DXL for about 60 seconds in 4-5 smooth draws.

Your sweet spot could be different. Look for cleanliness of flavor during the dab, defined by no cross contamination or scorching. I cannot overemphasize the need to keep a Puffco squeaky clean. This is counterintuitive to the convenience of a Puffco, believe me. I was soaking my chamber weekly and thoroughly swabbing with ISO between dabs, and even then I could tell an immediate difference on clean hits. Puffcos (and all e-rigs) are challenging in this way. There is always plastic & silicone in the vapor path, which absorb odors and contribute their own.

All this said, flavor is not the only way to optimize complete vaporization in a Puffco. The other axis to consider is effects. Dabbing is essentially a tradeoff between flavor & effects, and the way a Puffco performs really emphasizes this. I think they over simplify this relationship in their marketing, but what do I know. Getting the cleanest, purest flavor on a Puffco generally involves very low temps that may not yield lots of visible vapor. The equipment tends to boil off the most volatile flavorants before “normal” temps that yield thicker vapor. This means you’ll tend to get all the flavor muddled into the first hit, with toasted flavor on subsequent hits. This is a sign of overheating relative to purity of flavor, but it’s a good way to heighten effects. In these situations you’ll taste more on the back end, as residual flavor after the dab, but it won’t be as clear as the focused flavor at low temps.

Dabbing on a quartz rig mitigates a lot of these flavor v. function concerns, but even then, there are endless camps about temperatures :)

[ajmeltdiaries]

Rigs vs eRigs

The great inequivalency

Are eRigs rigs? Is one better than the other? Don’t they do the same things? If you’re anything like me and you came up on an eRig before making the leap to quartz, these questions have given you more opportunities for gymnastics than your local YMCA. While there are no invalid opinions, there are truth and bias.

After 1 full year of dedicated practice on each, I can tell you that the question of equivalency is not the right question. Rather, we should consider them as technological complements.

Instead of considering the technologies on basis of fundamental principles, we should emphasize their practical differences. The vlogger Cewpins has said that quartz is inarguably superior, but people will get better hits on an eRig. I would drill further in saying that yes, quartz is superior, and yes, eRigs will deliver consistent dabs more easily, but an eRig can never deliver as good of a hit as quartz can, even with all else equal. They’re not just different bows; they’re aimed at different targets.

Quartz nails are invariably better radiators and insulators than the most polished ceramic atomizers Puffco et al can provide. There is no real comparison. Ceramic atomizers work on battery voltage because the working material is thin and minimal. Sure, the electronics provide precision, but nothing more accurate than manual heat and IR thermal technology could provide. The point is that an atomizer cannot be loaded with the same heat energy quartz can absorb.

It follows that the process of vaporization will differ. Atomizers rely on constant low energy to provide a temperature “floor”. Quartz nails rely on radiant decay to provide a temperature “ceiling”. The ceiling being higher (literally: hotter) than the floor, it provides a more robust vaporization environment. This bears out not only in quality of flavor, but also in volume of vapor.

In other words, an optimized eRig is a rudimentary nail. An optimized rig reaches higher.

For example, one cannot achieve this, this, or this degree of vaporization at such temperatures in a Puffco, Carta, Dr.Dabber, or any other eRig, bar none.

[ajmeltdiaries]

Trump, Zuckerberg, Rogan and the New Masculine Environment

A “boys will be-boys” sensibility has jumped off the internet and into the halls of power. Are you surprised?

CW: This is a rare political commentary post diverting from the mission of this journal. But if we can’t take time away from what we love to tend to what needs loving, what are we doing?

I’m a leftist, a bleeding heart liberal, a feminist, and I cringe at the sociopolitical right as fiercely as anyone. I’m not the sort of guy who would have centered discussions about the manosphere 6 months ago, but things are different now. We cannot afford to keep missing this forest for its most broken trees.

I known I’m not alone on this, because a legion of people who look like younger versions of me handed our society and freedoms over to Donald Trump in direct spite of feminism and under direct supervision of Democratic strategists. I think this calls on us to deeply confront an uncomfortable truth: when we elevate morally in our echo chamber, dismissing so-called “toxic masculinity” recklessly opens more space for the worst toxins to spread. It inadvertently shifts the balance against people who aren’t cis-men. Not that this hasn’t happened and self corrected before—this article explains that we cycle back & forth throughout history—but something about this particular backswing feels catastrophic in light of the next four years (at least 😬).

To be clear, I’m not trying to attack feminism or claim its opposition to men in general. I’m trying to say that focusing this very antipathy is itself toxic, no matter who’s doing it, and we leftists need to know ourselves, all ourselves, better.

This NYT article is on to something. I don’t have the answers or solutions, but I think an honest reckoning is fertile ground for a different phase of discussion.

[…]the “manosphere” is not just a fringe that has become mainstream, it’s a mainstream that many liberals continue to treat as a fringe. Indeed, its popularity has resulted in part from its claim to territory abandoned by mainstream media and entertainment, whether it be because of shifting cultural mores, the decline of print media or some combination thereof: niche sports commentary, men’s health, fratty comedy, bikini centerfolds. Labeling the interest in this kind of thing as part of an objectionable extreme is likely to strike many Americans as absurd and, ironically, extreme.

Woof.

[ajmeltdiaries]

Hardware, function and flavor: A snapshot (or 3)

As a flavor nerd, I spend a lot of time on nuance. I consider that flavor is a constructed percept of physical and chemical exchanges between a brain and its environment. One effect of this is that there are no universal truths about flavor; attempts to experience it with any authenticity ultimately amount to individual pursuit. So, alongside my cleaning routine, I can exert physical influence by optimizing hardware combos based on temperatures that are optimized based on dosage size. I filmed some R&D for this post using IC Collective's Alley Cat—links and notes after the jump.

And, as always, these are guideposts, not traffic lights.

Low Temp

The nail: G7 Blender

The cap: 24mm quartz diamond cap

The insert: 1x 8mm quartz sphere

The temp: Hot start at 510°F

The dose: 0.07g

melt shot by anthonyjames

This blender-style nail uses 3mm tubing for thick walls in a 65mm column fed by swirled intake grooves in the dish. The resulting function is so far my ideal for low temps and small doses. The thick walls do well with holding heat, and the grooving creates enough torque to amplify how much surface the oil covers in a smooth, easy draw.

The column height accommodates a reasonable amount of draw strength, but the high torque can easily flood oil into the neck & joint. That's why I use this cap/sphere combo, rather than my ballasted cap and/or pillar. The ballasted cap can work fine, but I find it tends to pick up my oil and channel it right into the neck. To similar effect, I find my hollow pillar spatters too much up there.

Mid Temp

The nail: Victoria D

The cap: 24mm quartz diamond cap

The insert: 1x 8mm quartz sphere

The temp: Hot start at 525°F

The dose: 0.1g

melt shot by anthonyjames

This banger-style nail also uses 3mm tubing, I think (it retains heat similar to the G7), and its geometry is key. It has a short, straight band at its base (beneath the lower holes) that, together with the floor, forms most of the work surface. From there the sides slope inward up to the neck, and there is an upper drill hole angled for spin. The resulting function easily handles medium temps and a range of doses, because it tends to keep the oil down at the base, regardless of draw strength.

It takes a significant amount of draw force to pull the oil upward. With one 8mm pearl, I find it difficult to flood the neck. This thing also purrs like a kitten at high speed, which feels very satisfying! I do have the same issues with the ballasted cap as I do with the G7.

Bonus points: the sheer volume of the chamber creates enough suction that when the water backflows naturally after a draw, it exhausts noticeable puffs of vapor out the drill holes 🐲

High Temp

The nail: Titan 2

The cap: PukinBeagle Quartz Diamond Apex Cap

The insert: 1x 5x8x30mm hollow quartz pillar

The temp: Hot start at 550°F

The dose: 0.15g

melt shot by anthonyjames

This deluxe slurper-style nail uses 4mm tubing for extra thick walls in a 100mm column fed by 3 slots at the base above the dish. The resulting function is my preference for globs. The walls insulate heat so well that I often still see vapor below 400°. That is to say, it stays hot! This doesn't bode well for small dabs, so I try to stay north of .1g dosage, otherwise it's a lot like taking a shot.

The combination of chamber size and intake are what I love most about this nail. It's low torque, so to get the intended function, I've gotta pull. With the cap, which tends to resist upward air flow into the neck and is far enough away from the base to avoid channeling, I have practically no ability to flood the neck. The height of the hot column is sufficient to catch whatever the pillar throws. Taken altogether... 🚀🚀

[ajmeltdiaries]

41. CTC, aka Chi Town Chem (IC Collective) Live Resin

I picked this up along with her rosin sister so that I could compare the two, and I'm glad I did. At the time it had been awhile since I'd stepped off the solventless path, and I'll admit I was hesitant to purchase a live resin again, after prior experiences with bargain brand bullshit from MI that really shouldn't be called "live resin". Anyway, IC's is not that. It's legit. As this entry complements my rosin entry, a lot of notes are copied over.

Family, I believe

Chem

P: Chemdog 91 (1, 2) By IC

GP: Chemdog 91 (2, 3) By Chemdog via IC

CTC (Chi Town Chem) is a relative grandchild of original Chemdog 91, cultivated and further bred by IC Collective. They call the pheno "3 Dots", and I'm not sure of the significance, although it does neatly represent the city it's branded after.

Keynotes:

https://www.iccollective.com/ctcstrain

https://www.iccollective.com/cd91

https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/chemdog-story/

Form, as seen

This is like raw sugar set into molasses, with its large crystals and thick sauce. Not my favorite for handling small doses, but it globs fine. The jar was either sloppily filled or mishandled at some point, as the sauce coated all the interior surfaces, leaving sticky residue on my gloves every time. Upon dabbing, she melts clear at low temps and begins to darken north of 500°F.

Flavor, as tasted

Complex

Like the rosin, the resin tastes different at different temperatures (quintessential Chem!), described below. The facet I found most distinctly satisfying was bright green apple candy, which I also get in IC's Fox River Chem, another of their wonderful phenos. In contrast to the rosin, by way of comparing forms, the resin is notably brighter and more sedative. I'm not sure if this is because of the matrix differences or specifically the terpene profiles (or both!). It is really cool to observe.

Aroma starts off bright, sour, and gassy. There is a hint of sweet cookie/earth in the background. My initial impression was that it smells like good Chem. Now, at the end of the jar, I'm satisfied with that call!

The following tasting notes are from my Victoria D banger with diamondium cap and pearl.

At 510°F, CTC tastes Prototypical (Floral, Gas, Earth). She starts with a sweetness that transitions to gas and florals as spice begins to come forward. These continue to swirl into a long, green, almost savory finish.

At 525°, the profile is Prototypical (Dank, Gas, Chem). This is most like what I think people would regard as chemical or savory, but I can distinguish a transition much like that at 510 but more dank than sweet. This temp is great for .1g doses and is kind of like a concentrated version of the experience at 510.

At 550°, the profile is Sweet (Floral, Spice, Cookies)! I think this temp is near the last stop in flavor town before tasting burnt. The sulfurs sweeten up, turning the gas to cookies and the dank to baking spice with accents of fruit and citrus. This temp is not great for small doses! Burnt resin tastes uniquely gross.

Felt Effects

A little racier than the rosin! But like the rosin, the resin is a great expression of Chem effects. Balanced but strong head and body medicine that both boosts my mood and drops my roots. Dogbud & chemweed, man. I did find the resin to be more sedating than the rosin at higher doses, which is helpful.

Effect: Strength of Evidence (0=None, 5=Optimal) Energy/Amplify: 5 Relaxation: 4 Relief: 4 Sleep: 5 Haze: 5 Lock: 3

Final Thoughts

I'm so glad I did a flight of CTC! It gave me a gracious break from Fort Solventless without involving distillate. This was a very encouraging purchase at its price point, too. I'm glad to know I can trust in IC's resin when I'm down to beans. While the form wasn’t my favorite, the smoke was smooth without the usual LR throat tickle, the flavor showed off the strain’s brighter/fruitier tones, and the effects were clean. Not sure I would pick this over the rosin, but they compare well, and that is just my bias.

melt shot x anthonyjames

I’m old enough to be clueless with a ring light, but I’m trying!

Can we make this night last? Side bet in Idalou

[ajmeltdiaries]

31. Tallac (IC Collective) Live Rosin

Family, I believe

Chem, OG

PX: Diablo OG (1, 2, 3, 4) By unknown via IC

GPX1: OG Kush (2, 5) GPX2: South Africa Sativa (2, 6)

PY: AJ Sour Diesel (1, 7) By AJ Murray via IC

GPY1: Diesel #1 (8) GPY2: Diesel #2 (8)

Tallac blends IC's cut of Diablo OG with their cut of AJ Sour Diesel. Both are legacy strains with legendary origins. Lots of nerdy reading in the keynotes!

Keynotes

https://www.iccollective.com/tallacstrain

https://seedfinder.eu/en/strain-info/diablo-og-kush/unknown-or-legendary

https://www.allbud.com/marijuana-strains/sativa-dominant-hybrid/diablo-og-kush

https://www.iheartjane.com/embed/stores/1013/products/37461/ic-collective-diablo-og

https://seedfinder.eu/en/strain-info/og-kush/clone-only-strains

https://seedfinder.eu/en/strain-info/south-africa-sativa/original-strains

https://www.iccollective.com/sourdieselistrain

https://leafmagazines.com/profiles/grows-gardens/a-j-sour-diesel-returns-to-new-york/

Form, as seen

This cultivar has the doughy, cold-cured texture typical of IC rosins this year, soft and spongey but not runny, and is beige / sandy in color. She appears granular at first, but, after tooling, changes into a uniform consistency that is semi-wet. The terps form more than a sweat (see 33. One Way), but less than a sauce or batter. Upon dabbing, she melts into a dark amber.

Flavor, as tasted

Complex

By which I mean Tallac's flavor fits multiple profiles at various temperatures and sequence (referring to tasting sequence, or distance from 0, where 0 is synonymous with a deep, reset cleaning). The overarching motif is breathy and dank.

Aroma starts off fairly muted and earthy. After tooling, it blooms into top notes of citrus and bright fruit (hello ocimene!), dominant notes of evergreen, earth, and rubber / Chem, and low notes of sweetness and baking spice. In total, aroma represents the cross with high fidelity.

The following tasting notes are from my G7 Blender with diamondium cap and pearl.

At 510°F, I'd call the profile Prototypical (Evergreen, Skunk, Kush). As with the aroma, flavor starts with bright, fresh notes reminiscent of evergreen forest and gas that lead into floral sweetness and baking spice, alongside ripe skunk. These continue to swirl throughout the finish.

Then at 525°, the profile becomes Savory (Rosemary, Spice, Diesel). Starts heavy on rosemary and evergreen, followed by the Diablo spice, before the Sour Diesel takes over. At this temp the Cannasulfurs taste like fuel instead of sweet. The finish is very herbal and savory, becoming astringent as it lingers.

I decided to forego tasting at 550°. The freshness of the flavors at the lower temps is enough for me, and I think this one could lose most of that to tasting burnt.

Felt Effects

Tallac gives me heady, uplifted vibes with good relaxation and relief, without being too locking or hazy. This is quintessential Kush + Diesel from IC. I find it good for focusing, introspection, and mind expansion, which is a very fun combination in a variety of settings. Effects in my head were like a gentle swell into higher elevations, while my body was calm and collected. I would say this leans more toward the head than the body, but there is no lack of body.

Effect: Strength of Evidence (0=None, 5=Optimal) Energy/Amplify: 5 Relaxation: 4 Relief: 5 Sleep: 3 Haze: 3 Lock: 4

Final Thoughts

Tallac is one of my ongoing favorites by IC. My first experience was their March cultivar, and I bought their June cultivar twice. This October cultivar does not disappoint! The form is nice and soft, the flavor is loud, and the effects hit like an OG. The overall impression is breathy, kushy, skunky, and lifted. IC touts her as a heady powerhouse, and they are not exaggerating. She balances me out like few others. If some genie could instantly realize my homesteading dream at the cost of one strain for life, Tallac would be it!

Edit: Meant & forgot to address the SD male parent vis-a-vis the quality of the dank / skunk flavor. It was with Tallac in March that I first suspected this correlation. Since then it’s held true in every other example, notably Sweet Sting, PH #73, and ICKO. Early on in my IC journey I read stories glorifying their lost cut of Zkittlez for its quintessence. I think whatever SD male they’re hunting with deserves the same recognition. 🤌

melt shot x anthonyjames

From earlier today when the fish were jumping and the birds were laughing at me 🫠 (PS this hardware set works quite nicely!)

And another to show off my brand spankin’ new Titan 2! This thing absolutely rumbles, and I’m having a good time figuring it out 🤠

[ajmeltdiaries]

40. CTC, aka Chi Town Chem (IC Collective) Live Rosin

Family, I believe

Chem

P: Chemdog 91 (1, 2) By IC

GP: Chemdog 91 (2, 3) By Chemdog via IC

CTC (Chi Town Chem) is a relative grandchild of original Chemdog 91, cultivated and further bred by IC Collective. They call the pheno "3 Dots", and I'm not sure of the significance, although it does neatly represent the city it's branded after.

Keynotes:

https://www.iccollective.com/ctcstrain

https://www.iccollective.com/cd91

https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/chemdog-story/

Form, as seen

It's a doughy, cold cured texture typical of many other IC strains released this year. It's soft and spongy but not runny. Dark straw / sandy in color. Like One Way, CTC looked a little granular at first, but after tooling*, it changes into a solid consistency with a nice terp sweat.

Full disclosure, I forgot to take post-tooled photos #3-4 above for a couple weeks. These reflect a few days of usage, and the jar was at room temp for an hour or two prior. One unintended benefit here is that you can see a cross section of the mass weeks after tooling.

*Whipping is a common misnomer. You can’t whip this stuff. You can, however, gently form it into a uniform mass using a dab tool. That, for brevity, is tooling.

Flavor, as tasted

Too complex to generalize!

Before I get into aroma, let me clarify that this has perceptibly distinct flavor profiles at slightly different times/temperatures. It is enigmatic and one of the best expressions of this aspect in Chem that I've come across.

Aroma has a major rotating cast of sour skunk, bright citrus, and tart berry--quintessentially Chem fruit--followed by a minor rotating cast of floral, earth, and gas. There is a promise of Kush to be delivered in the flavor.

For the following I used my Victoria D banger.

At 510°F, CTC started as spicy diesel that led into floral, citrus, and fruit candy. The finish was bright, tart, and difficult to pin down between chem and sour candy. This is what I would call Prototypical (Gas, Floral, Sour).

At 525°, the diesel took on a sweeter, breathier Kush note, which emboldened the floral, citrus, and earth/gas notes. She finished dank and sour, with toasted citrus in place of chem/candy. I would generalize this as Sweet (Pastry, Fruit, Chem).

At 550°, the spice took over and transformed the profile into a savory mix of intense gas and chem. I got salty lime in the finish. I would generalize this as Savory (Spice, Gas, Chem).

Felt Effects

This has everything I expect in a pure Chem. It's body and mind, elevated to the clouds, after a long, gradual seeping in. My head felt light and lifted, hazy but creative. My body was fully relaxed and relieved. I could get stuck on the couch if I wanted, and it is fantastic for neighborhood walks. It's potent as hell and can be sedative with enough dose (~.1g for me).

Effect: Strength of Evidence (0=None, 5=Optimal) Energy/Amplify: 5 Relaxation: 5 Relief: 5 Sleep: 4 Haze: 5 Lock: 5

Final Thoughts

IC bottles lightning yet again! This chameleon of a Chem reflects so many different sensory aspects in its flavor and effects, it is very properly named after Chicago. It's sweet, it's savory, it's bright, it's funky. It's gritty and adaptable. It's strong as fuck and unbothered. It's an excellent companion with coffee, or a movie, or going out, or however else I wanna walk that dog in me.

melt shot x anthonyjames

Grand rising with the inimitable Nick Shoulders Evening dip with CTC live resin and the Deslondes

[ajmeltdiaries]

Thoughts on Rosin Forms

I had a recent interaction that got me thinking about physical form descriptors commonly used for concentrates & extracts, especially rosin. Two widely used examples are budder and badder.

First off, it’s silly to 420-ify the base words with dd instead of tt, but whatever.

More perniciously, one might think of these metaphors in the baking sense, which would seem like the point. Perhaps, like my dumb ass, you think of butter in its softened form and mistake batter for kneaded dough. Perhaps instead you are a baker whose first impression of butter is a cold, hard stick. These terms serve neither perspective.

I’ve long thought of doughy consistencies of concentrates as badder, and runnier but not saucy consistencies as budder. My interaction was with someone who bakes, and they corrected me about batter. Turns out I do not prefer batter, I prefer dough.

To me, dough is a good metaphor for rosin that appears solid (not wet/loose) but is soft and pliable to the tool. It stands in better contrast to badder or budder. It is ideal for handling and dosing, and it locks in flavors.

Still, do we really need another borrowed term to describe what we see and feel in rosin?

I’m not sure where I land. On one side, we are sensory animals, so anything that aides better should apply. On another, concision is key in complex matters. In a conscious effort to bridge both, I’ll start listing the type of cure (if known; IC discloses this, at least), plus my usual description in words like dough and badder. And as for those, I’ll start thinking of looser forms as the latter.

[ajmeltdiaries]

33. One Way (IC Collective) Live Rosin

Family, I believe

Chem, OG

PX: Crossroad Chem (1, 2) By Skunk VA via IC

GPX1: Chemdog 91 (2, 3) GPX2: SFV BX2 (2, 3)

PY: Fog Dog (1, 4) By IC

GPY1: Chem D (4, 5) GPY2: Chemdog 91 (4, 6) GPY3: Chem Sis (4, 7)

Crossroad Chem is related phenotypically to Chem Krush, which I always thought IC developed themselves. The story is deeper though, with both phenos having been gifted to them by Skunk VA. One Way is very interesting in this sense of mixing two separate legacy cultivars of CD91. Skunk VA also refined SFV OG. We get all these, plus IC's CD91 siblings, in this strain. It is a masterful layering of old, precious genes guarded for decades by vaulted keepers of the flame.

Keynotes:

https://www.iccollective.com/oneway

https://www.iheartjane.com/products/42418/ic-collective-crossroads-chem

https://seedfinder.eu/en/strain-info/crossroad-chem/lucky-dog-seed-co

https://www.iccollective.com/fogdogstrain

https://www.iccollective.com/chemdstrain

https://www.iccollective.com/cd91

https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/chemdog-story/#ThebirthofChemdog

Form, as seen

Cold cure, doughy, with dark blonde/sand/straw hues. Initially it appeared granular, almost sugary (photos 2 & 3 above), but after tooling & tamping it rested into a uniform consistency that is very easy to handle and dose. This aerated the mass, blooming the aroma and producing a slight terp sweat (photos 4 & 5 above).

Flavor, as tasted

Sweet (Navel orange, Chem fruit, Gas)

After manipulating the badder, the aroma was very dank, skunky, almost foul. It is the first time I think I've detected skatole in an aroma after reading the Abstrax article that inspired this blog! If not for the lemon, orange, and fruit notes, this might smell somewhat tangie/fecal. There are subtler notes of floral earth, pine, and minerals, almost cement-like.

The flavor at 510° on my G7 Blender is superb. It follows the aroma closely. I tasted naval oranges and an elusive fruit candy note I call "Chem fruit", because it's the type of fruity notes I associate with various Chems, followed by sweet earthy kush and gas, which finished bright and candy like. After a few minutes the finish tasted very much like an orange chemsicle (what I imagine an Orange Creamsicle by Chemdog would taste like).

Felt Effects

This rosin is a stellar example of effects aligning with what I'd expect given the parents. They hit instantly in my body, which started with a wall of relief and relaxation that settled into a deep, heavy, neural hug, or what I'd describe as a clean, clinical, Kush effect. In my head, effects were classic Chem, which is to say very hazy, heady, lifted, and locked. I've read other people describe effects metaphorically in the sense of filling one's cup or expanding one's cup. I'd say the overall effects of One Way achieve both while packing a medicinal level of potency.

Effect: Strength of Evidence (0=None, 5=Optimal) Energy/Amplify: 5 Relaxation: 5 Relief: 5 Sleep: 4 Haze: 4 Lock: 5

Final Thoughts

This strain is a repeat pickup for me, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Chem, Kush, and potency. The effects are bona fide, and the flavor is quintessential with a subtle but surprising Tangie-like character. This batch was produced in August, and my previous pickup was from March. Between then and now, the form, flavor, and effects are consistent, if not improved. That is one reason I like IC Collective so much. Another reason is their commitment to legacy genetics, which this strain also showcases. I'll close by addressing something I've covered ad nauseum on Reddit, to the extent I don't pick it up there any longer. Some people struggle with the flavor in IC strains. As a rosin smoker maybe I’m more biased than a flower enthusiast, but as with flower vapor, low temps and clean gear are your friend! That really is the key. Very much like cooking an omelette. Use too much heat, a dirty skillet, or both, and them eggs are done, son.

melt shot x anthonyjames

I made two! One with my G7, and another with my Victoria D.

Both set to the thunderous, pummel of High On Fire. Enjoy!

[ajmeltdiaries]

42. Modified Sour (IC Collective) Live Resin

Family, I believe

Chem, Cookies, OG

PX: Modified Grapes (1, 3)

By Symbiotic Genetics via IC

GPX1: GMO (3) GPX2: Purple Punch (3, 4)

PY: AJ Sour Diesel (1, 2)

By IC

GPY1: Diesel #1 (5) GPY2: Diesel #2 (5)

Keynotes:

https://www.iccollective.com/modifiedsourstrain

https://www.iccollective.com/sourdieselistrain

https://seedfinder.eu/en/strain-info/modified-grapes/symbiotic-genetics

https://www.thevillagegrows.com/about

https://leafmagazines.com/profiles/grows-gardens/a-j-sour-diesel-returns-to-new-york/

Form, as seen

I think this is warm cured. It is heavily nucleated crystals in sauce. Not my favorite to handle or dose, but she’s fun to whip and looks downright thirsty. I say it’s not my favorite largely because the matrix changes with use; it’s a lot of sauce to start, then I get to a point where the crystals take over, and ultimately the last dab is mostly sauce. This means flavor varies significantly over the life of the jar. The optimist in me appreciates the complexity, but the perfectionist takes note. This consistency is also quite messy, which for my experience with IC in general is a just a little underwhelming. I did not like that the nooks & crannies of the underside of the terp cap were covered in residue.

Flavor, as tasted

Prototypical (Sour Grapes, Skunk, & Gas)

My first thought was holy shit, this tastes like a j! Not at all like frankendistillate. In fairness, I was expecting no less from these guys, but it is nice to find a real one in the dodgy world of solvent extracts. I like this most in a quartz banger starting at 510°. 490° is sinfully delicious. 525° is a good upper bound. The parents are neatly represented at these temps. The SD emphasizes both the GMO and the Purple Punch in the MG. The total impression is like a rich, dank mix of sour grapes, skunk and gas. She stanks!

Felt Effects

Nicely balanced, soothing relief. Initial onset in my head with a slow, clear glow that builds into a comfortable, stony vibe. My body starts with a soft tingle that builds into long lasting relief. Very calm, cool, collected vibes. Not too hazy, not too sedative, but a nice strong blend of both.

Energy/Amplify: 3/5 Relaxation: 5/5 Relief: 4/5 Sleep: 3/5 Haze: 3/5 Lock: 5/5

Final Thoughts

I like this a lot. Classic taste & feel from days of yore. I’m not kidding about the loudness, either… This is one of those “they’re gonna know” type smokes 😏 I'm impressed with IC's resin, which shouldn't surprise me but honestly does. As mentioned above, I loathe the recombinant distillate product a lot of people call "live resin", which is why I typically stick to rosin. This, however, is a real, single source type of resin, similar to Revolution but very much in IC's lane. Like Rev, IC's resin offers a unique snapshot of the plant’s aroma & flavor. I look forward to a Modified Sour rosin. I could see this strain working well in a hash hole, too.

melt shot x anthonyjames

She coulda been a diamond

[ajmeltdiaries]

Hello, I’m Anthony

I can recall the first joint I ever smoked. It was summer in the early aughts. The Millennium had passed without catastrophe, Donald Trump was merely a has-been on reality TV, and nu metal was dying its death by pop. I’d sat shotgun in my best friend’s Econoline, with the Deftones cranked to an obscene level. I could taste diesel and gas (in fairness this occurred at a gas station), but what I remember most clearly was a surge of activity accompanying total signal clarity in my brain and body, like correcting a partially seated audio cable, or tuning a distant station. Everything suddenly seemed animated by its own unique flame of life, forming a vibrant kaleidoscope of perception I had only heard about prior. Cannabis has been a part of my life ever since.

Two decades later, a series of cascading personal events found me in a novel situation intolerant of smoking. Up to this point I had only smoked flower. I picked up a portable dry herb vaporizer, reluctantly hoping it could be a temporary solution, and I was jolted by the clarity of flavor. “Arrested” even. It was like the gas station of yore, this time about smell & taste. Sweet notes, savory notes, tropical notes, funky notes all peaked their little heads in concert with one another, not unlike the signal of a wave crossing my palate. (I’d later understand this as the sensation of “dissecting” flavor via molecular boiling points.) Moreover, the effects felt distinctly more electrifying and less narcotic than smoking. So this was vaporization, huh? A second renaissance began, and within a year I upgraded to a desktop Volcano.

Eventually circumstances changed further, and concentrates became the most economical form of cannabis available to me. Around this time my aging body began feeling the longer reaches of commuter cycling & bartending trauma, concerning chronic neural pain & discomfort in my dominant arm. Enter, dabs! I initiated myself using an OG Peak Pro (still have it!) and quickly found my highway. Within a year I started building my analog rig. Now I’m cruising, with all sorts of things in my rear view.

On my way I rediscovered the joy of documenting by writing experiential product reviews for myself. I eventually developed a standard writing format. I sought community and found it briefly on Reddit, where Enthusiasm meets Derision. Indeed, the waters proved shallow and brackish. These days I enjoy the community on Instagram. As for writing, I’m largely here, in my own lane.

There was no shinier way to tell this briefly, so thanks for reading! Please, take five, pour some coffee, queue some music, and come back after the jump for more practical insights in a Q&A format.

WTF is this place?

My blog component to melt shots by anthonyjames. Together these extend my physical journal. Journaling helps me track flavors and effects across strains, cultivators, and forms of cannabis I use. Blogging helps me expand my ideas. Melt shots are an expressive way to promote the culture, demonstrate function, and participate.

The graphics I use are openly licensed by ACS Omega in their essential article concerning cannabis flavor science and classification: Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabis. Please consider it foundational to my flavor comments.

Who are you?

Anthony, aka anthonyjames, aka ajmeltshots. Midwestern native, MCPP, and perpetual student. Born in the 80s, bothered by the 20s, and terrified of the 30s. I like to analyze, philosophize, and tell stories.

Who aren't you?

A weed partisan, by which I mean someone who profits in coin or clout from my knowledge and opinions on the matter. I do have opinions and biases—I’m human!—but I try hard to keep the full picture in frame, and no one pays or sponsors me. What I write expresses my passion as an enthusiast and patient, nothing else.

Why promote brands?

Modern cannabis is a frontier more like the Wild West than Shangri-La. Even among legal jurisdictions, there is little to no standardization of breeding, cultivating, processing, product labeling, or marketing. Each market remains shrouded in secrecy, subject to misinformation concerning personal medical tracking (chemotypes, cultivars, phenotypes, oh my!). I invest resources into illuminating these shadows for myself, which begets preference. I do this within my local markets, especially while interstate commerce remains risky. Simple as that.

IC Collective is one example. I’ve watched their journey in IL from the start. Based on effects alone, their rosin felt right, despite growing pains with early packaging. I’ve seen the evolution not just of their products, or of their commitment to the plant, but of their compassion for us patients. Their website contains all kinds of ways to connect and communicate information, which is also thoroughly listed on their labels. I think they are a model example of caregiver-cum-craft-cultivator in IL. Beyond all this, they focus their lineages on Chem, which brings me back to the gas station.

So you write reviews. What’s with the format?

Each entry is titled with a number and description. The number is an index originating from one physical journal, now spanning multiple journals, and may appear nonsequentially. The description includes the product, brand, and form. In the body, I review from 5 standard angles, outlined & summarized below.

1) Family, I believe

I review the known parentage and grandparentage based on information from the brand, popular taxonomic databases like Leafly and SeedFinder, and/or various supporting anecdotes. I list my references, but this is more storytelling than science. Corrections & expansions are welcome!

2) Form

I review the physical form of my sample. I use descriptors like “badder”, “cold cure”, “jam”, “crystals”, “sauce”, etc. These are common parlance but nonspecific or even exclusive. Feel free to ask what I mean. This is no hill to die on.

3) Flavor

I describe what I smell and taste, drawing from culinary experience. For me these are integrated senses, observable both in unison and as separate parts. Sometimes they converge, sometimes they diverge. I suppose I am reviewing them in a practical sense, but I hold off on giving comparative ratings. Flavor is too big for small claims, no matter how astute.

For my primary reference concerning sensory classification and description, see the aforementioned ACS Omega article and others by Abstrax. I nod to their research in my subheading, e.g. ‘Prototypical (Sour, Skunk, Gas)’.

Also, I like to use the concept of complexity. In my usage, this refers to facets. A thing with many facets is complex, like a crystal; a thing with relatively few is simple, like a marble. Complexity indicates juxtaposition, or contrast, which I use in two ways. Within the subheading I refer to contrasting flavor types (e.g. Protypical vs Sweet), and within a flavor type I refer to contrasting notes (e.g. fusel-sweet vs pastry-sweet). Do not mistake complexity for quality, though; just as some simplicities are too boring, some complexities are too muddled. It simply denotes more viewing angles.

4) Felt Effects

I review 6 distinct types of "head" and "body" effects, which I grade on a scale of 0 - 5, with 0 representing no and 5 representing optimal evidence present. This is inspired by both S.T.A.T.S. and the teachings of Frenchy Cannoli. This can get amorphous. There is a larger dive looming here, into the intersections of human cognition, perception, and the ECS.

5) Final Impression

I offer high level thoughts toward establishing a summary. I leave this for the end, because a good TLDR never belongs at the beginning.

Ok, but fuck BHO! Solventless only!

I believe the correct response to this is to constructively criticize it as an exclusive comment in what should be an inclusive discussion. There is room everywhere for solvent extraction. It provides accessible tech for processors to use biomass that might otherwise be wasted, it yields unique, potent medicinal forms, it’s arguably the most purified form of extract, and aside from these practical considerations, it produces a chemical matrix with different flavors and effects than can be isolated in rosin. Just like rosin provides its own benefits compared to flower and hash, so do solvent extracts. Add that resin is a fraction of the price, and the implications should be obvious. Medicine is medicine, and safe medicine with wide availability, wide applicability, and low cost is simply more effective on the macro level.

There are good producers of solvent extracts, and from a culinary perspective it is a unique opportunity to have different expressions of the same cultivar from a single source. Each expression offers another window through which to view. Additional views broaden experience and bring more knowledge.

I do love Camp Solventless. Life there is nice. I still see no reason to exclude other camps, and their knowledge, by comparative virtue. That’s dogma.

Aren’t you biased?

Certainly! But if you haven’t gleaned any integrity by this point, I’m afraid we’re having different conversations.

How often will new content appear?

No promises. This is a passion project limited to my free time and pockets. Some folks like my AV content. Come vibe.

I have a different question.

Please ask 🙂