Why Colorado Tokers Love White Russian

White Russians are a timeless cocktail, but we have our own spin in the Rocky Mountains: the Colorado Bulldog. Essentially a White Russian topped with a splash of cola (or root beer, at the now-deceased Wazee Supper Club), the Colorado Bulldog isn't viewed in high esteem by cocktail snobs, but the float-tasting booze has always been a favorite of mine.

I never have coffee liqueur or soda at home to make a Colorado Bulldog, but rolling up White Russian into a blunt is an effective homage — as long as I have a vanilla or Irish cream Dutch Masters to twist it in. The classic resin-covered weed strain was named to honor its parents, AK-47 and White Widow, and has little to nothing to do with the cocktail. Still, the mind-racing effects and euphoric feeling it gives my head are remarkably close to the buzz I get from drinking White Russians and a shot of Pepsi before 4 p.m., and the comedown is just as strong.

Don't blame the Kremlin, but White Russian isn't as readily available in Denver as it was eight or nine years ago, with Mai Tai, Mimosa and Slurricane taking the mantle of popular cannabis strains named after cocktails. Don't sleep on the Russian's power, though. It could be making a comeback in Colorado, and not in a fake way, like the 1972 Olympics. Cookies has taken on the strain, and like it or not, we've all seen the ripple effect the Bay Area cannabis company creates in Colorado.

Most dispensaries have White Russian on the sativa or daytime shelf, but I prefer mine at night, right before my favorite show or a big game. The energy is intense, cheerful and hard to corral, so it almost always leads me into a pit of laziness. It's a tasty way to end the day; just don't indulge too early.

Looks: Bright green with dark, thin sugar leaves, White Russian's buds look like a denser version of Sour Diesel's. The trichome coverage is thick and noticeable for an older strain (hence the name), but it looks even brighter right before harvest in artificial light.

Smell: White Russian is very dank up front, like an old East Coast garage, but hints of citrus are strong enough to snap out of the musty trip. Notes of oranges, limes and a creamy back end give the strong, earthy aroma an overall acidic, sweet balance that fills up a room faster than most strains.

Flavor: The smoke is more earthy than sweet, with a tart citrus finish that likes to cling to the insides of my cheeks and sides of my tongue, as well as a subtle floral aftertaste. I notice more woody notes in White Russian's flavor than the smell implies, with more spice and less cream, as well.

Effects: White Russian is viewed as a daytime strain, but it's hardly productive for me, and tends to bring the more prototypical high. The buzzing effects are uplifting, but my energy peaks so high that it falls like a turbo drop. I can rarely focus after a couple of hits, and routinely find myself melting into the couch and watching an episode of Seinfeld for the 100th time. White Russian brings the munchies, too, and is almost guaranteed to clean out your pantry and put you to sleep if toked before lunch. Despite the daytime designation, I only consume White Russian during the evening.

Where to find it: We've spotted White Russian at Colorado Harvest Company, Cookies, Higher Grade and Pig ’N' Whistle, with Cookies responsible for the bulk of what's in Denver right now. The Cookies cut carries a fair representation of the strain's dank, citrusy smell, but it made me much groggier than past forms of White Russian I've tried.

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