Why Colorado Tokers Love Chimera

Like a new restaurant, major boxing match or long-delayed album, cannabis strains preceded by big hype often fail to live up to expectations. Just ask Dr. Dre why it took him sixteen years to make a third album: Even if the music is objectively good, too much anticipation makes satisfaction impossible.

The more I heard about it, Chimera quickly became one of those mythical strains. There was little available about its background; those who grow the mix of White Truffle and the Creature from Beleaf Cannabis pay a hefty premium for the genetics and keep their cuts close to the chest. The photos I'd seen of Chimera looked more like a colorful crystal formation than cannabis, and the few descriptions of its smell and flavor painted one interesting picture. Maybe this strain deserved to be named after a lion-goat-dragon monster in ancient Greece after all.

The chimera was said to terrorize people by flying down from the sky and scorching the land by breathing fire. That myth likely originated from a volcano in what is modern Turkey, but anyone who smokes Chimera today will be living that legend, because this shit is fire. Not just hot or worthy of praise. Fire.

Vivid colors on Chimera's buds remind me of a blue and purple flame. It's some of the best-smelling cannabis my nose has come across in a while — a unique mixture of griddled dough, skunky tobacco and berry jam — and the upbeat, centered high is a rare win for daytime tokers. Now I know how Prometheus felt.

Looks: Sharp, thick trichomes, a wide range of colors and upward plant nodes make Chimera's buds look like cartoon flames. I've seen violet, blue, orange and red, too, with the light-wintergreen buds taking a back seat.

Smell: A mix of fruity cereal and earthy mushrooms is immediately noticeable upon opening a jar of Chimera, which walks the line of sweet, doughy and savory almost perfectly. The skunky, creamy ending doesn't wipe out those jammy biscuit notes, either. Instead, they mix together to create hints of sweet tobacco.

Flavor: If Chimera falls short anywhere, it could be the flavor, but re-creating such a dynamic aroma through smoke could be asking too much. Even so, hints of sourdough, fruit syrup and a zesty, skunky back end are a solid translation — and the rosin hits those notes even better.

Effects: Chimera doesn't bring the same energy as a Sour Diesel, but the high is upbeat enough, and the focus and creativity more than make up for it. Reorganize the house, write a letter or get a little artsy; whatever activity you choose, Chimera livens it up. Add in a manageable comedown and munchies, and this could be my favorite daytime toke of 2023.

Where to find it: We've caught Chimera at Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill, Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, Canna City, Cherry Peak, Colorado Harvest Company, Cookies, Confidential Cannabis, Dank, Eclipse Cannabis Co., Golden Meds, the Green Solution, Leiffa, Lightshade, Mile High Dispensary, Oasis Cannabis Superstores, Police & Thieves, RiNo Supply Co., Rocky Road, Snaxland, Solace Meds, Spark Dispensary, Standing Akimbo, Star Buds, Twin Peaks Dispensary and Unity Road.

Most, if not all, of the Chimera flower on the market is grown by Iion, but a handful of extractors have worked on it as well, including Denver Dab Co., Eureka, Green Dot Labs and Nine Extracts; lion is now making its own Chimera rosin, too. Although I always love seeing multiple growers involved, lion has taken full control of the strain, delivering vibrant, Trix-smelling buds that bring an equally spirited high. I haven't tried any of lion's extracts yet, but Green Dot's Black Label badder smells like a hot waffle with raspberry syrup the moment the jar opens. The more craft operations that get their hands on Chimera, the better.

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