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
