Why Colorado Tokes Love Black Maple

Maple syrup harvests take place in the late winter and early spring, yet Americans seem to only care about maple treats during fall. Maybe it's because of the flavor, which plays well with hot drinks and baked goods, or perhaps it's because during leaf-peeping season, maple leaves go from green to vibrant combinations of orange, red and yellow.

Whatever the reason, I'm a sap for maple staples like fudge, cookies, lattes and ice cream, and I have the Trader Joe's receipts to prove it. Adding a strain of weed to my maple arsenal was only a matter of time this autumn. And after seeing the growers and extractors working with Black Maple, I had to speed up that process.

This hybrid of Dulce De Uva and Sherbanger from Bloom Seed Co. is named after a common species of maple tree that produces sap used to make maple syrup. Given the connection, I expected notes of caramel, dates, vanilla or maybe even a little bourbon in my Black Maple weed jar. Re-creating such a specific sweetness in cannabis isn't easy, however, and Black Maple falls well short of doing so. That doesn't mean I dislike the strain, though. Far from it.

Black Maple reminds me more of white grapes and sandalwood than maple syrup, but Dulce De Uva literally translates to  "grape candy" in Spanish, so that flavor profile shouldn't be a shocker. Once I got past the non-maple flavor and lack of fall connection, my basic-ass sensibilities fell in love with Black Maple for what it was: a delicious strain with an extraordinary daytime high.

Looks: Large, oblong and prone to stretching, Black Maple's buds are still surprisingly dense. Their sparkling trichome coverage is noticeable from far away, with occasional apricot pistils and lavender spots.

Smell: White grapes and black pepper hit my nostrils up front, with hints of wood, gas and a toasty back end. The combination doesn't evoke images of maple syrup, but it's a sweet aroma nonetheless, reminiscent of a fruity bruschetta board.

Flavor: Black Maple's woody, peppery flavors are strong on the exhale, but hints of grapes, gas and vanilla all bounce around my cheeks and tastebuds. While that sounds more like an infant's waffles than flapjacks covered in maple syrup, the experience is enjoyable.

Effects: Although physically relaxing, Black Maple's flexible high is creative, jovial and social. The strain is great joint filler for dinner parties, art projects or a park hangout, and I'm perfectly fine with it before a light workout or reading session. A comedown is likely, but there's plenty of time for fun beforehand.

Where to find it: Black Maple has been spotted at Allgreens, Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill, Berkeley Dispensary, Best High, Boulder Wellness, Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, Cannabis Depot, Cherry Peak, Colorado Harvest Company, Confidential Cannabis, Cookies, Denver Kush Club, Doc's Apothecary, Eclipse Cannabis Co., Elevated Longmont, Elite Cannabis, Good Chemistry, Green Dragon, the Green Solution, Green Valley Dispensary, the Herbal Cure, High West Cannabis, Horizon Cannabis, Karing Kind, Kaya Cannabis, Kind Love, Kind Meds, Lakeshore Cannabis, Leiffa, Lightshade, Lit, Lova, Magnolia Road Cannabis Co., Maikoh Holistics, Mana Supply Co., Mighty Tree, Native Roots, Nature's Kiss, PotCo, Pure, Reefer Madness, RiNo Supply Co., Silver Stem, Simply Pure, Spark, Snaxland, Solace Meds, Standing Akimbo, Star Buds, Twin Peaks and Verde Natural.

Green Dot Labs grows the majority of Black Maple flower in Colorado right now, with Mighty Tree's also available on a more limited scale. Snaxland has grown Black Maple flower in the past, too, but I haven't seen it around for months. All three growers also make Black Maple rosin, with Mighty Tree's available under its Mighty Melts extraction label. Red Roots Rolling Co. makes hash hole joints with Black Maple rosin, as well. You can't go wrong with any representation from the three, but Green Dot's offerings take the cake right now.

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