Why Colorado Tokers Love Pippa

Anyone else remember Pippa mania? Prince William was marrying Kate, and the media flipped out over his soon-to-be-wife's sister, Pippa.

That was about, oh, ten fucking years ago. Since then we've seen another royal wedding and a royal exodus. And I still don't know why we care.

A third of my life flashed before me at the pot shop as my aging reflection slid across a jar of Pippa. (I can't afford to keep my skin young forever, unlike rulers of the Commonwealth.) But the hybrid's intense floral and OG aromas shot youth back into my veins. I shouldn't have been surprised, as Pippa's background is the definition of Colorado cannabis royalty.

Award-winning Denver breeder Rare Dankness is responsible for Pippa, crossing Flo OG (an all-time favorite) with Pamelina, a mix of the Girl Scout Cookies Forum cut and a Rare Dankness phenotype. That's a lot of pine, rubber and flower bouquets to pack into one smoke. Pippa does a moderately successful job of showcasing them all, with a few of its own twists, as well.

Most hybrids that include Girl Scout Cookies carry a heavy sweetness that reminds users of cakes or baked goods, but Flo OG, another homegrown strain from Rare Dankness, is like that local bar legend who once KO'd a cage fighter, dominating most of GSC's trademark quality. Pine and rubber components blanket any hint of dough, and even the sweet characteristics are different, coming off more tangy and floral, with a slight kick that's like ginger lemonade. While that many directions made it tough to come up with an educated guess on what the high would be like, it became clear after a couple of sessions.

Although labeled a daytime strain, Pippa was much more of a switch hitter, playing off my mood and energy level. Smoking a joint before dinner made me a groggy mess before 8 p.m., but smoking a joint after dinner, when I was full and nourished, kept me buzzing and awake until midnight. My focus and ability to critically think never waned, though, solidifying Pippa's status as a business-hours strain.

Looks: Pippa tends to be forest green and dense, with above-average trichome coverage and limited pistils. The buds like to foxtail, and the clingy sugar leaves can be hard to get rid of in a timely fashion.

Smell: Pungent and room-filling like Flo OG but with subtle notes of oranges, ginger and lavender, Pippa walks a fine line between three different profiles. The dominant smells of rubber and pine break out fast, followed by tangy citrus notes and a floral smell that hangs around my nostrils.

Flavor: Pine and floral flavors do most of Pippa's heavy lifting up front, but there's a tangy, rubbery aftertaste that sticks to the sides of my tongue, much like that of Flo OG.

Effects: Pippa's a fine "anytime" addition to my stash. The high gives me a boost if I'm anywhere above 50 percent in the tank, but if I haven't eaten for a while or have just finished a mission, Pippa makes my eyes heavy almost immediately. My reaction is easy enough to predict, though, and my mental capacity is largely the same after two bowls. Such reliability is hard to find.

Where to find it: We've seen Pippa at the Green Solution, Local Product of Colorado, Lova, Mile High Green Cross and Nature's Gift Shop of late, though stores carrying House of Dankness's wholesale flower likely carry it, too. Willie's Reserve, another wholesale brand, also sells Pippa to partnering dispensaries. If you're looking for the best representation of the strain, though, you should go to the operation where it came from: House of Dankness, the sibling of Royal Dankness.

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