Why Colorado Tokers Love Mimosa

People say that a sure sign of aging is that your hangovers get worse, but if you can battle through the pain and make it to work, that proves you’re still young at heart. They’re wrong: The real sign that you’re moving over the hill comes when you start preferring going out during the day to going out at night, when both your body and your mind have had it with the bar-room chumming, tequila shots and Taco Bell runs. Now you care more about raking leaves, finishing The Haunting of Hill House before social media spoils it, and enjoying a good meal.

If going hard at brunch now means buds instead of booze, you can get the best of both worlds from Mimosa, a sativa-leaning hybrid named after the favored Sunday cocktail. A child of Clementine and Purple Punch, Mimosa is a strain new to the Mile High that’s gotten off to a quick start. It appeared on several best-newcomer lists this year, including our own, and can be found at a handful of dispensaries around Denver despite not having shown up until 2017.

Mimosa’s easiest strength to pinpoint is its tangerine aroma. Sharp notes of tropical citrus fruits bounce around the nostrils and lull customers into a sense of bliss, as though they’d just smelled a scented candle. Relatively high levels of beta-caryophyllene, linalool and limonene terpenes make it a hit among tokers who prefer the taste of citrus strains, but that’s not Mimosa’s only visceral appeal. Large frosted buds stand out easily on dispensary shelves with their light-violet hues — probably a marker of the strain’s Purple Punch lineage. That same background makes itself known by giving users the yawns within a couple hours of smoking. Seriously, don’t let Mimosa’s breakfast scent and initial uplift fool you: It can make for a very disorienting experience, much like a bottomless order of the beverage variety.

Mimosa can be found at Silver Stem Fine Cannabis locations around the metro area, as well as at the Herbal Cure, High Level Health and the Lodge. My favorites so far come from the Herbal Cure and High Level Health, both of which look like they were dipped in cocaine and smell like they were sprayed with organic tangerine juice — a deadly combination for the Denver elite.

Looks: Mimosa comes packaged in moderately dense cone-shaped buds, and in a myriad of colors. Wintergreen calyxes, bright-orange pistils, milky trichomes and occasional purple spots on the buds and leaves make this a beautiful sativa-leaning hybrid.

Smell: Right up there with Tangie, Tangerine Power and its parent, Clementine, Mimosa carries one of the stronger tangerine-flavored haymakers in the game, with a sweeter, juicier kick than that of most orange strains. Don’t expect much outside of tropical and citrus notes, though — so OG lovers beware.

Flavor: Poorly grown or nutrient-heavy cuts of Mimosa won’t showcase its loud, tropical flavors, but anything properly flushed should bring out a thick, fresh-squeezed taste of tangerine with a subtle, earthy back end.

Effects: Mirroring its drink-inspired name in more ways than one, Mimosa starts out with a blast of exuberant energy, but lack of concentration and distractions are amplified, and the crash is always around the corner. The strain’s hazy, potent effects make it a candidate for treating anxiety, headaches, minor pain, eating disorders and stress, among other conditions.

Home grower’s take: “You’ll have to get it from seed online, probably, because it’s still pretty rare. Her smell and heady effects might seem sativa, especially in the grow, but, good God, does it smell like a carton of morning orange juice. But the buds are very dense, like an indica. Smells a lot like Clementine, honestly. I’m not sure you or I could tell the difference.”

Commercial grower’s take: “Colas get massive; it’s definitely one of the most popular strains among our growing staff. The smell is a huge reason, too. It just dominates any room it’s in, and that includes grows with other strains.”

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