Dutch Passion at the 2018 Highlife Cup
The Highlife Cup is one of the real highlights on the cannabis calendar for any serious cannabis breeder. It began in 1994 thanks to the Highlife Magazine (the sister magazine of Soft Secrets). What makes the Highlife Cup so special is that judging is done by independent judges in blind trials. Coffeeshops and cannabis companies enter their samples, after which they are labelled simply with a code. The samples are given to a jury of 15 cannabis connoisseurs, handpicked by Soft Secrets editor Clifford Cremer. The jury has 2 months to sample each and every sample. The jury only knows the categories of the cannabis they are smoking, but not the name of the samples nor the companies that entered it.
The Highlife Cannabis Cup. Europe’s oldest and fairest competition
The Highlife Cup evening is a very civilised affair, with music and BBQ food and of course plenty of top quality cannabis to enjoy. As well as being a relaxing social evening there is a serious side to the Highlife Cup. Some 135 samples of cannabis and hash were regarded good enough to submit to the judges, and over 8 weeks the judges assess and compare all the varieties. For many this makes it the fairest of all cannabis cup competitions, as well as being Europe’s oldest. The judges do their best to be as objective as possible, which makes the prizes all the more valuable.
USA Cannabis genetics play a prominent role
Radio 10 DJ and Highlife Cup veteran DJ Cobus Bosscha helped the evening flow smoothly along with Ed Rosenthal, who had flown in from Los Angeles. Ed is one of the USA’s more prominent authors/gurus on cannabis, and he must have felt at home surrounded by so many varieties with USA genetics in them. One of the benefits of the USA legal cannabis market has been the emergence of some top quality new genetics. These have been gratefully received by European breeders such as Dutch Passion who are bringing some of these classy USA varieties to European grow tents.
Overall Highlife Cup Winner 2018. Top honors for Lemon Zkittle
Dutch Passion’s Lemon Zkittle won 1st Prize in the Sativa Category, and was also awarded the Overall Highlife Winner Trophy. It’s a real tribute to the top grade feminized photoperiod genetics which come from Las Vegas Lemon Skunk which was crossed with Zkittle. With such outstanding parent genetics the chances of an exceptional hybridisation were good, and thats exactly what happened. This is one of the strongest varieties seen by Dutch Passion for several years, with extravagant resin production and a rich, penetrating aroma. The judges loved the top strength high and effects, and to win against such top strength competition is a real honor.
1st Prize in the Medical Category – CBD Charlotte’s Angel
CBD Charlotte’s Angel has CBD levels ranging from 15-20%, and sometimes higher. THC levels are below 0.7%, this variety won’t get you high but it is a great producer of CBD-rich cannabis. The buds are hard, frosty and with a great fresh aroma. It’s a popular variety with medical growers who want to keep a clear head. Anyone that benefits from CBD rich cannabis should try this. Quite a few recreational cannabis fans are also using CBD Charlotte’s Angel to reduce their cannabis tolerance. That’s due to one unusual property of this variety, smoke (or vape) some and it totally removes your craving for a regular THC-rich joint. This allows you to save your THC-rich stash for later, reducing your THC intake and reducing your THC tolerance.
2nd Prize in the Autoflower Category – Auto Blackberry Kush
Auto Blackberry Kush is noted for her richly coloured blue/purple buds. It’s a customer favourite, and a staff favourite too. She grows from seed to harvest in around 75 days, with a genuinely special feel-good kush effect which envelopes you in a warm blanket of happy euphoria. Your muscles and mind feel relaxed as stress dissolves away with these potent indica genetics. Like all the Dutch Passion autoflower seeds, this variety is easy to grow in any grow medium and thrives under 20 hours of daily light. The great fresh-berry taste and mind numbing smoke qualities make Auto Blackberry Kush one of the best autoflower seeds available.
The full list of the 2018 Highlife Cup results is below.
Hydro weed
1) Critical Dyna Purple by Dizzy Duck from The Hague
2) Armageddon Hydro from High Society from Leiden
3) NY Purple Diesel from Mary Jane from Maastricht
Bio weed
1) Strawberry Diesel from Missouri from Maastricht
2) Gorilla Glue from Kosbor from Maastricht
3) King Kong van Cremers from The Hague
Autoflowers
1) Sticky Beast Car from Zamnesia
2) Auto Blackberry Kush from Dutch Passion
3) Amnesia Auto from Magic from The Hague
Haze hydro
1) Amnesia Haze van ‘t Bunkertje from Apeldoorn
2) Neville’s Haze from Kosbor from Maastricht
3) Silver Haze from Zero Zero from Arnhem
Haze bio
1) Amnesia Haze of Club Media from Amsterdam
2) AMG from Kera Seeds
3) Neville’s Haze from Kosbor from Maastricht
Kush
1) Rollex OG Kush from Bagheera from Amsterdam
2) Kosher Kush from Dizzy Duck from The Hague
3) Dutch Kush from Paradise Seeds
Skunk
1) Gelato # 41 from Growers Choice
2) Chocolop Skunkberry from Dizzy Duck from The Hague
3) Shoreline of Greenplace from Amsterdam
Sativas
1) Lemon Zkittle from Dutch Passion
2) El Diablo from Easy Going from Maastricht
3) Jack Herer from the Boerenjongens West from Amsterdam
Indica
1) Royal Cookies from Royal Queen seeds
2) Rollex OG of Greenplace from Amsterdam
3) Sketch from Boerenjongens Centrum from Amsterdam
Medicinal CBD types
1) Charlotte’s Angel from Dutch Passion
2) CBD Dutch Dream by Freedom Supreme Genetics
3) OG Kush CBD of the Boerenjongens West from Amsterdam
Hashish traditional
1) Kandy Kush Hash from Club Media from Amsterdam
2) Rif of Zero Zero from Arnhem
3) Strawberry Banana from Bagheera from Amsterdam
Hash extractions
1) Moonrocks from Greenplace from Amsterdam
2) Nougat of Magic from The Hague
3) Old Skool Haze Pol from Dizzy Duck from The Hague
Overall winner, champion of champions: LEMON ZKITTLE from Dutch Passion
Dutch Passion will be submitting samples and hope for more good fortune in 2019!
