Creamy lions roar - Oct 26-28th 2014

[Bliss Receptor]

26th - 28th October 2014

It's Sunday morning in England and it's gloomy outside my window. I'm choking on the butterflies as I swing down my coffee and chug away on my morning spliff. It's around 10:30am and my two mates arrive at my house - just enough time before we set off to smoke up some Cheese and a rather nice example of some import hash my mate has brought round.

Outside my window...


Cheese

...and Moroccan hash before we set off for the airport


The airport is chocka, my head is booming and my chest is pumping with anticipation. It's been seven years since my last visit. The flight is a breeze, 45 minutes in the air and we're there. At around 5pm we are striding out of Centraal station's entrance like excitable kids... We're here!

First stop is coffeshop Resin, fly and buy en route to Hotel Liberty on the Singel where we are staying. The budtender was friendly and happy to show us the wares. I bought 2g of N.Y Diesel (12e) - This didn't taste like Diesel whatsoever, just had a really strong grapefruit taste that was slightly peculiar, however, we all enjoyed it. 7/10
I also got 1g of the Diesel Iceolator (16e). This was more skuff than iceolator, ok, but not what it said on the tin. 6.5/10
My mate bought 1g of LA Candy Kush (14e) - It was ok, but that was about it. 6/10 (no pic).
He also got 1g of Sahara Fudge (11e) - Nice and tasty Moroccan, would buy again. 8.5/10

N.Y Diesel (Resin)

Diesel Iceolator (Resin)

Sahara Fudge (Resin)


We check in and hastily make some joints, shortly we're back on the move.

First off we go to Anyday. I can't remember exactly what we all got - the hotel spliffs have already got my mind drifting... The lady who served us was friendly and the place was heaving. This is a great shop for hash and it's a damn shame it's closing at the end of the year.
I bought 2g of Reserva X (16e?) - Nice Moroccan hash, very oily with a nice taste. 8/10
1g Caramelo (14e) - My brother smoked this and said it was far superior to the Caramello he had from Kadinsky. (no pic)
1g Sugar Kush (12.50) - Crap unfortunately. Full of premature seeds and seemed damp. Made one joint and threw the rest away. (no score/ no pic).
1g Super Silver Haze - Much better than the Sugar Kush, but still instantly forgettable. 5/10 (no pic)
My mate got some of the Grape Kush - we weren't sure at first but we enjoyed it the following day. 7.5/10 (no pic)

Reserva X (Anyday)


Next stop is Utopia. We missed it first time passing, doubled back on ourselves and there she was. Super friendly and a nice relaxed atmosphere in here. Great coffee too! We visited here again the following day, so to avoid confusion I will lump both visits/ purchases into one.
I bought 2g Citral (13.50e) - Wow! Awesome stuff. Drenched in crystals with a frosty sharp taste. Smell transfers to taste really well, burns with a nice clean white ash. 8.5/10
I also got 2g of Grand Cru (12e) - Very smooth Moroccan, creamy lions as my mate would say. 8/10
Nepal Cream (16e) - Nice Nepalese, but not the greatest. 7/10 (no pic)
My mate got some Mazar-i-sharif (8e) - I fuckin' love this stuff, mostly for nostalgic reasons. It takes me straight back to the early 90's when I was a whippersnapper - this stuff was everywhere. Prodigy on the Walkman, hiding from the rain under a bridge - A few tokes of this stuff and your eyes would seal up. Some things never change. 9/10 (biased score based on nostalgia).
Other mate also got Pink MOB (14e) and Kandydential I think? - Both were great, I especially remember the Pink MOB being wonderful. (no pic)

Citral (Utopia)

Grand Cru (Utopia)

Mazar-i-sharif (Utopia)


Round the corner to Kadinsky (Rosmarijnsteeg). Bit of a cold reception off the budtender, but it was ok, he wasn't rude or anything. There was about 10 people sat inside, all silent and looking pretty wasted which was quite amusing.
2g Trans Himalayan (12e) - I enjoyed it, but I wasn't as impressed as I was hoping after all I have read on here. 7.5/10
1g Safi (10e) - For my brother. (no pic)
1g Caramelo (10.50e) Nice, but nicer from Anyday according to my brother. (no pic)
1g Royal Cream - My mates favourite hash out of about 30 that we sampled. Fizzy, bubbly, melty joy. 9.5/10 (no pic, duh!)
My mate also got the Maui Haze (12.50e) - Nothing to report (no pic)

Trans Himalayan - Temple Ball (Kadinsky)


It feels like we've been here for minutes, but it's already gone midnight. It's me and my mates first time back in Amsterdam since 2007 (first trip was back in January 2003) and we've missed it like hell. My other mate (of the three of us) has never been before despite being a toker for nearly 30 years - He's in wonderland right now.
We head back to the hotel in a stoned stupor feeling very pleased with ourselves. And so we should.

Day Two to follow...

[KeyMonCha]

Very nice start indeed!! The detail is spot on... Thanks for taking the time.

Incidentally, that first pic looks like you took it out of my living room window, and the last pic looks like some pretty old THTB.... I'm also quite disappointed that you were disappointed... It used to be a really sticky, oily hash with a lovely thick taste and an equally strong stone.... Shame!


Anyway, thanks again.... I look forward to day two!

[Bliss Receptor]

Very nice start indeed!! The detail is spot on... Thanks for taking the time.

Incidentally, that first pic looks like you took it out of my living room window, and the last pic looks like some pretty old THTB.... I'm also quite disappointed that you were disappointed... It used to be a really sticky, oily hash with a lovely thick taste and an equally strong stone.... Shame!


Anyway, thanks again.... I look forward to day two!

Thanks KeyMonCha. You nailed it - the TH did seem a little stale and dry, also not as pliable as other black hashes I've had. Similar thing with the Otta I got from Bluebird, the Otta was a stronger hit though. Thanks for sharing in the disappointment, luck of the draw I suppose, I will try again at Christmas.
RE: the first pic, I hope it's not as gloomy where you are...

[pengaldinho]

Sweet report! Your mates got good taste - I too was a big fan of the Royal Cream from Kadinsky Looking forward to the rest.

[Bliss Receptor]

Sweet report! Your mates got good taste - I too was a big fan of the Royal Cream from Kadinsky Looking forward to the rest.

Thanks Pengaldinho, your reports have been a good source of inspiration and information when swatting up. I'm hoping that Royal Cream is still as nice at Christmas. Fingers crossed.

[Quazer]

You're spot on with all the hashes and weed I've tried myself, so I gonna trust you on the ones I didn't sample. Great report!

[ftcarer]

26th - 28th October 2014

First stop is coffeshop Resin, fly and buy en route to Hotel Liberty on the Singel where we are staying. The budtender was friendly and happy to show us the wares. I bought 2g of N.Y Diesel (12e) - This didn't taste like Diesel whatsoever, just had a really strong grapefruit taste

Sounds good to me , love the grapefruit tasting diesels

[Bliss Receptor]

Sounds good to me , love the grapefruit tasting diesels

It's hard to describe it, but there was no diesel taste to it at all, it tasted slightly hazey and very grapefruity. We all agreed it tasted like Lilt - totally tropical.

[Bliss Receptor]

Day Two

Managed to get up at around 9am after about 3 hours sleep. I'm still running on adrenaline and I still feel a bit stoned. This is soon rectified as a selection of joints are passed round as we make plans. Now I'm more than a bit stoned...



At around 10am we head off to La Grotte for some breaky. Full English with coffee and fruit juice for around 11e I think? We managed to get a window seat despite it being really busy. The food arrived quite quickly - just enough time for a nice smoke. After an hour or so of digesting and digressing we head off to Voyagers...

We were served by a friendly Chap with dark hair who was more than happy to let us look and smell all of the goods. There was quite a queue building up behind us but we were in no way rushed. Nice vibe in here.

I got 2g of Sour Power (12e) - Smells like cat piss in a good way (what am I writing). Taste was sour, but nice and sweet too. 8/10
2g of Holy Grail (15e) - Wow. This was my favourite weed of the whole trip. Really strong taste, very Kushy with a fried onions kick. Nice heavy Indica. 9/10
We all got 1g of Tingi (10e) - Really nice Moroccan hash at a good price. Super creamy lions. 8.5/10
My mate went for 1g of Silver Bubble (12e) - At first he thought it was bland, but on the second attempt it turned out to be lovely. 8/10
He also got 1g of Bio Strawberry Sour Diesel - What is says on the tin. Tastes of strawberries and diesel with a sour tinge. Only complaint was it was a bit twiggy. 7.5/10

Sour Power (Voyagers)

Holy Grail (Voyagers)

Tingi (Voyagers)


We stop off at Greenplace to take advantage of the outside seating and potential to people watch. We only bought drinks so I can't comment on their goods. We sat outside and smoked up some of the fine stock we had acquired from Voyagers whilst watching the crowds bustle by.

View from The Greenplace




The cold air was starting to bite now so we consult the map. Bluebird isn't far so we get our skates on.

I bought 1.3g of Kali Mist (12.50e) - This was the first weed I bought in Amsterdam back in 2003 so it caught my eye straight away. It's appearance was velvety and sparkly and it smelled sharp and piney. It wasn't the most flavourful but it packed a nice punch. 7.5/10 (no pic)
0.8g of Malana cream (12.50) - I didn't smoke any of this, it was a gift for a friend. Going off his reports I am kicking myself. It was his favourite out of eight different quality hashes, only beaten by Kadinsky's Royal Cream. Grrrr. (no pic)
0.6g of San Fanando valley Kush Iceolator (25e) - Really expensive, I know, but it was divine. It cut through 18 hours of full on smoking like a frying pan in the face. Tasty, tasty, very, very, tasty... 9/10
My mate bought some Enemy Of The State - Very strong taste and hit. Also, other mate got some Sputnik hash - can't remember much but it was nice. (no pics)

San Fanando Valley Kush Iceolator


Time well spent in Bluebird, our next target is Dampkring. After missing the street several times we eventually hone in on the scent of the Riffman Valley. It's packed inside. We patiently wait in the queue until we reach the front. I didn't even ask to look, I dove straight in and ordered:

1g of Shibani (12e) - Bought for a friend. He said it was nice, but not stand out. (no pic)
1g of Asala (12e) - Tasted a bit like what daisies or dandelions smell like - if that makes any sense? Floral, that's a better way of saying it. A lighter hash with a sweetish taste. 7.5/10 (no pic)
1g of Durrah (14e) - Sticky icky. This had to be kept in the fridge. Sweet but not overly tasty. Dark and a bit spicy. 8/10
1g of Sensabille (15e) - Wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be with this one. My mate also got some and felt the same about it. Want a little more taste and hit at this price. Expectation can be your worse enemy. 7/10
1g of Rihab (15e) - This fucked me. It might have been an accumulation of events but this knocked my head sideways for a good hour. Other side of the mountain indeed. 9/10
We sit at the window for a while squashed in like sardines, quick joints were made and we move on.

Durrah (Dampkring)

Sensabille (Dampkring)


After an hour (or 10 minutes, not too sure) in Dampkring we make our way to Betty Too. I must have been really blitzed at this point as I can't remember the shop even though we sat in for an hour or two. I do remember what I bought though.

1g of Mohan Ram Kush (13e) - Meaty, sagey, kushy taste. Rock hard nuggets. I'm marking it down slightly as it didn't have the cleanest ash I've seen. 7.5/10 (no pic)
I wanted to try the Kiefen but it wasn't on the menu so I opted for the next best thing. 1g of Jbel Tidghine - What can I say? Creamy lions at a nice price. 8/10
My mate got 1g of White Choco Bloc - He said it was really nice and fuity. (no pic)
However, bargain of the trip was purchased by my other mate. 5g of Maroc Select (30e) - Really smooth polm, not quite creamy lions, but not far off. 7.5/10

Jbel Tidghine (Betty Too)

Maroc Select (Betty Too)


After a bit of aimless wandering around we need food. Time for a De Klos takeout! We head back to the hotel and set upon a stack of spare ribs and a shoulder of lamb. Creamy dreamy lions!
Special thanks to all the people on here who have recommended this place, believe the hype - it's the dogs bollocks. Scrumtious scran!

Time to walk some of this food off. Our mission is; 1. Grey Area, 2. Paradox 3. 1e Hulp. We fail at stage 1. First of all the queue is out the door at Grey Area so we keep going. We fail at stage 2. I've not been to Paradox before and as some might have found out for themselves, it's a bitch to find at night when your stoned immaculate. The sign is perfectly hidden and so remained the shop.

After what feels like hours of searching for Paradox we find ourselves at 1e Hulp (kind of by accident) Result! Stage 3 accomplished. The shop was busy but we managed to get on the comfy seat upstairs. My mate ended up locked in a conversation with some Aussies. They were intrigued as to why we where labelling all our baggies with a sharpie pen. They were very friendly but I wasn't capable of conversations by point. I think my mate managed to explain that it was just so we didn't forget which was which strain but I'm not sure - neither is he, and neither were they.

I got 1g of Kosher Kush (13e) - I was a bit disappointed with this. It was harsh on the throat and the ash was dirty. 6/10 (no pic)
2g of Amnesia Pollinator (16e) - Loved this stuff. My mate also bought 2g and loved it. Crumbly, zingy, sherbet bastard. 9/10
1g of Lavender Kush (13e) - Strong and potent Palma Violet delight. 8/10 (no pic)
1g of Enemy Of The State (10e) - Nice enough, not stand out. 7/10 (no pic)
2g of White Widow (7e) - Quite a nice example, ash was a bit dirty. 7/10 (no pic)

Amnesia Pollinator (1e Hulp)


On our way back to the hotel we stop off at Coffeeshop Spirit. Very abrupt budtender with eyes of steel and built like brick shithouse. We ordered drinks and my mate bought 1g of Maroc Ice (or so he thought). We try not to take the budtender's cold demeanour to heart, after all it's late and he might have had a shitty day? We smoke a couple of spliffs in the back room, mesmerised by the clunk, thump and clatter of the local kid beating crap out of the pinball machine. The budtender is mooching about with purpose, he kills the music and starts giving signals he's ready for closing. It's just gone 12:30am but we take the hint, drink up and shuffle off.
Now for the real buzz kill. Back at the hotel my mate remembers the Maroc Ice he got from Spirit and retrieves it from his stash. To our shock, horror and disbelief, the Maroc Ice had transmutated into some kind of formula shite - something resembling hash, but not hash. It was like hard rubber. Wtf? I've occasionally had really bad weed over the years in Amsterdam, but never dud/ fake weed. This is a new one on me. Even more surprising as I've heard good things about this place. My mate was looking forward to it as it looked and smelled great in the shop - he's adamant the (fake) hash he ended up with wasn't what he was shown in the shop. Stone cold bummer. Safe to say it's been crossed off the list, once bitten, twice shy and all that.

Needless to say this didn't do anything to dampen our 'spirits'. Plenty in the stash to be going on with...

Day Three to follow...

[Uncle Ron]

Thank you very much for your time.
Spot on report, nicely described backed by pictures.
I'm looking forward to reading Day Three.
Happy Creamy lions roar.

[KeyMonCha]

Thanks KeyMonCha. You nailed it - the TH did seem a little stale and dry, also not as pliable as other black hashes I've had. Similar thing with the Otta I got from Bluebird, the Otta was a stronger hit though. Thanks for sharing in the disappointment, luck of the draw I suppose, I will try again at Christmas.

I hope you have luck finding the real deal at Christmas... I shall be there next week, and if it looks anything like it does in your pic, i guess i'll be leaving empty handed..... Except for the large chunk of Royal Cream!

Incidentally, next time you're there, this is what you're looking for:



...That's the real deal, Trans-Himalayan from Kadinsky in 2011! ...Oh, how i miss it!!!

RE: the first pic, I hope it's not as gloomy where you are...

Today, it's not quite as gloomy, but it's still pretty much the same!!!



Scary, huh? ..I take it you're from "Up Norf", judging by the terrace style chimney, the Cheese and the Polm? ....That's pretty much how we roll!!!

Oh, and day 2 was as equally enjoyable as day one... I believe my last report listed Betty's Maroc Select as my "Bargain of the Trip", also.... Shame i only came across it on my last day, as i'd have bought my limit daily... Good to know it's still an option.

Cheers! ....Keep 'em coming!

[ftcarer]

Sounds good to me , love the grapefruit tasting diesels

It's hard to describe it, but there was no diesel taste to it at all, it tasted slightly hazey and very grapefruity. We all agreed it tasted like Lilt - totally tropical.

Nope you still haven't put me off

Amnesia Pollinator , Crumbly, zingy, sherbet bastard, sounds great

Very good read , excellent pics

[Lemon Haze]

Great report so far man! Glad you took a shot and liked the Amnesia Pollinator. That's going to be the first purchase of my next trip.

[Bliss Receptor]

Incidentally, next time you're there, this is what you're looking for:



...That's the real deal, Trans-Himalayan from Kadinsky in 2011! ...Oh, how i miss it!!!

Wowser. No comparison. That looks gloppy and yummy!

Scary, huh? ..I take it you're from "Up Norf", judging by the terrace style chimney, the Cheese and the Polm? ....That's pretty much how we roll!!!

Almost paranoia inducing! Looks like you took that photo from my next door neighbours.

I believe my last report listed Betty's Maroc Select as my "Bargain of the Trip", also.... Shame i only came across it on my last day, as i'd have bought my limit daily... Good to know it's still an option.

I will have to check out your report. I'm defo grabbing more of this next time I'm in town.

[Bliss Receptor]

Day Three

We stay up in to the small hours chain smoking joint after joint, giggle fits, garble shit and the occasional elongated moments of stoned silence followed by "What's this one...? Where was it from....? How much was it...?" At around 3am the most deafening foghorn smoke alarm rings out through the hotel, it's so loud I can feel it in my teeth. We all stare at each other, freeze frame style, the window is wide open - it can't be us? We hear people from all the rooms flooding down the stairs which is unnerving us. Calm as a cucumber, my mate gets up and leaves the room to investigate, siren still blaring full blast.

A moment passes and then silence, it's stopped, then my mate reappears. He managed to turn off the alarm amongst the chaos as ten or so fellow panic ridden residents were bailing out of the front door. This was no laughing matter as there was a young couple with a young child and an elderly couple amongst the escapees, as well as the obligatory stoners. With order restored we asked him what happened? He said he walked down the stairs, found the alarm, read the sign that said "enter this 4 digit code to disable alarm", he punched it in and the alarm stopped. Fuckin' genius! It turns out that the Italian lads in the room next to ours had been chugging on a bong with the windows closed. Hot box in the hotel, not the best idea.



After limited sleep we finally get ourselves to La Grotte at about 11:30 for a cooked breakfast and manage to occupy the same seats we had yesterday. It's busy and there is a scouse chap chatting to the whole shop at the top of his voice wheather they're listening or not. He was harmless enough - just really, really LOUD. Your trying not let it distract you, but it's so loud you keep losing your thread in conversations as you try and talk over the overspill - hard enough when stoned. He comes over and asks us for a light, I'm happy to oblige. He lights a large spliff and reclines into a seat near the bar. Within seconds it's as if someone has flicked this guys mute button. Whatever was in his spliff stopped him dead in his tracks. A relieved La Grotte resumes normal service. By the time we leave the the once chatty man is still sat in silence slumped in his seat.

We make the short journey over to Sibirie. Nice shop in a nice location. Lots of art on the walls and a relaxed vibe. Good coffee and a good place to sit off for a bit.
I got 1g of Casablanca (10e) - Nice bit of hash, quite zingy and spicy, almost minty. 7.5/10 (no pic)
My mate got 1g of Hawaiian Snow but he can't remember it.

We went somewhere after Sibirie but I'm drawing a blank. I've had to piece together this whole report from memory, a few vague lists of strains, and the labels on baggies. (I will take notes next time!). At this stage you could say fatigue and excess where playing their part. I'm quite sure my mate purchased this Charras somewhere during this lost hour or two or three... - It wasn't very tasty but had quite a nice high. 7/10

Charras (Not sure where it's from)


Some gift shopping is in order and it's been put off until now. We decide to try Haarlemmerstraat for the simple reason it's near to the hotel. The first shop we try and my mate successfully gets all of his gifts in one fell swop, gift wrapped n' all! With his family presents sorted we can now continue looking for creamy lions.



There's a much shorter queue at Grey Area this time so we get in line. It's about 7:30pm and we get to the front quickly. The same two American guys we were served by in 2003 were behind the counter. Nice and friendly service.

I got 1g of wardareek'en (12e) - I really liked the smell and flavour of this. I didn't have the best looking buds but it stood out from the crowd. 8.5/10
My mate got 1g of Kuchi (12e) - Wow! Really strong! 9/10 (no pic)
My other mate got 1g of Silver Rock (14e) - Really nice bright kick off this, great flavour too. He's a hash lover and was purring over this one. 9/10 (no pic)

Wardareek'en (Grey Area)


Yesterday I failed to find Paradox so I was determined to find it tonight. It's only a short walk from the Grey Area and we find it in no time, CLOSED! Arghh! This was the last chance to sample the Wash and the Turkish. Denied.

We set off down Prinsengracht until we find Coffeeshop Johnny. You have to ring a bell and they buzz you in. It's a tiny shop but well worth a visit. Just a quick fly and buy due to lack of space/ seating.
I got 1g of Kaviaar (10e) - This was similar to the Casablanca I got from Sibirie only it was a little paler in complextion and a little smoother. Not that similar then. 8/10 My mate also got some of this.
1g of Tbizla Jasmine (10e) - This was a bit more creamy lions. 8.5/10

Kaviaar (Johnny)

Tbizla Jasmine (Johnny)


We get round the corner to Tertulia but alas, it's closed. It shuts at 7pm.

1e Hulp seems the obvious choice so off we trot.
My mate got 1g of Shoreline (13e) - His review. Pants. 5/10

Onto Utopia...
1g Citral (Repeat purchase)
2g Grand Cru (Repeat purchase)

Quick by and fly at Resin for more of the NY Diesel that tastes like Lilt.

5g NY Diesel (Repeat purchase)
Mate also got 5g NY Diesel

To end our short trip we head to our final coffeeshop, De Kuil. We have been here many times over the years but every time I go I struggle with that bloody door. You need to be Ram Man to push that thing open, with the agility of a cat not to get trapped in them. We get ourselves 3 stools at a high table opposite the bar. My mate goes off to ask after the Pavati Cream. A tall and skinny budtender with long hair starts to grin. He tells my mate they only got this batch in four days earlier from India and it was a really fresh batch. Sounds like sales patter, I know, but proof is in the pudding. He cuts into it and shows him the golden crumbly interior, glistening inside with silvery flecks. Sold

We all get 1g each of Parvati Cream (14e) - Taste and smells like 1970's leather, Nag Champa incense and liquorice. I nearly fell off the high stool I was perched on. Another one that needed to be kept in the fridge. 9/10

Parvati Cream (De Kuil)


To finish off the night with off with a bang, an eight foot giant had a proper whitey whilst we were in 420. He dropped to floor like a sack of spuds crashing into my mate and a few stools on his way down. The long haired budtender was at his side in seconds and somehow lifted the giant single handed onto a stool in the blink of an eye. The giant was brought round with cold water and some comforting words from the staff. Great to see CS staff acting in this way. The giant was fine after ten minutes or so, just a little embarrassed.



We buy cakes from across the street and head back to the hotel for the final time. The flight is early in the morning and we have lots of creamy lions to smoke up.

(Next trip 26th -29th December)