Why Colorado Tokers Love Tutankhamon

We need more movies about ancient Egypt. And Greece, Rome, Babylon — wherever there were multiple gods and peasants in sandals. Give me some weed and a not-shitty action flick with sword fights and mythology, and I’m the happiest stoned idiot in the world. Enough with the fucking superheroes, already.

Seeing a strain by the name of Tutankhamon (pronounce it like this: “Toot-en-common”) at a Broadway dispensary instantly ignited my interest, and before I knew it, I was bingeing a couple of Brendan Fraser renditions of The Mummy alongside The Prince of Egypt (my choices were more limited than I thought). But smoking Tutankhamon gave me so much energy that I’d rather have hiked a few pyramids than watch movies about them.

Both the strain and the pharaoh go by King Tut for short, just in case you’ve smoked history class out of your memory. The boy king died at an early age, but his relatively intact tomb and the artifacts inside of it made him a worldwide treasure from beyond the grave. There are some theories suggesting that King Tut was actually murdered, and there was even talk of a curse on his tomb after one of the first people to enter it died unexpectedly five months after its discovery in the 1920s.

The King Tut strain is also shrouded in mystery, labeled as a sativa-dominant hybrid with a lone AK47 parent by its breeder, Pyramid Seeds. (Side note: The Spanish breeder has more strains with Egyptian names, like Anubis and Nefertiti.) King Tut isn’t anywhere near as sour or earthy as AK47, however, and is much more uplifting on the mind, even if your body is tired. Avoid smoking this strain before bedtime or you’re likely to be tossing and turning for long periods — not to mention fighting the urge for a midnight snack. If enjoyed earlier, King Tut is a dependable strain for daytime activities, and carries floral and spicy notes sure to please lavender and wildflower fans.

It’s still gaining steam in Denver, but I’ve seen King Tut flower at Mile High Green Cross and in concentrate form at a handful of Colorado dispensaries that carry Rockin’ Extracts. Home growers can also find the strain online in several seed banks, including on the Pyramid Seeds website.

Looks: Generally fluffy, even for commercial pot, King Tut looks like a classic sativa, with football- and cone-shaped buds that carry a bright wintergreen color, average trichome coverage and peach-colored pistils. Don’t be surprised if purple spots appear with certain phenotypes.

Smell: King Tut’s aroma is heavily floral and sweet, with a skunky blanket that brings all of its scents together. Zesty hints of black pepper and lavender and a subtle, sweet acidity are the most common notes I’ve come across.

Flavor: I’m not a fan of floral and spicy flavors, both of which King Tut starts off with. But that floral, grassy taste eventually turns into more of a creamy lavender, with a lingering Kush aftertaste.

Effects: Although a little spacey, King Tut brings energy and gusto while still relaxing the stomach, so be prepared to burn some calories after a session. That energy can tail off, though, and will put you down for a mid-day nap if you’re too aggressive, either with consumption or activities. Medical users have tried King Tut to treat exhaustion, eating and sleeping disorders, stress and chronic pain.

Home grower’s take: “I got some feminized seeds of King Tut off the Internet around two years ago. I haven’t bought them since, but there was nothing bad about it. Actually, if I remember right, I think it fought off some pretty rough temperature fluctuations one winter when my heater broke. I couldn’t get a new one for a few days, but the King Tut still grew some good buds — light on the leaves and yielded great — and smelled almost like a flower bed. I fed it a lot, too, though. Keep that in mind.”

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