It’s been a while since we added to our “Work Sativa” and “30%+ THC” review series, so I was surprised to find a strain that fit both categories. Black Velvet from Kaviar is an old-school sativa with sky-high test numbers. I recently stopped at Cloud 9 Champaign and picked up an eighth of Black Velvet to review.

Black Velvet is a sativa-leaning hybrid cross of The Black and Burmese Kush. This batch of flower tested at 0.437% THC, 33.744% THCa, and 36.392% total cannabinoids.

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Four larger-than-popcorn flowers with two smaller pieces made up the weight. A dense-milky trichome frost provided most of the bright creamy color with black leaves and thick-orange hairs peeking through. Closely trimmed and densely dried, the flowers had almost no bounceback when pinched and required some effort to grind.

Sweet top-end notes of honeysuckle, lavender, and dark chocolate kissed the nose before being wiped away by a pungent mix of roasting walnuts, hot vinyl, rubber, shoe polish, and burning incense. The flavor was more balanced as the lavender and dark chocolate came on stronger, providing the top end of the profile and matching the strength of the hot vinyl and burning incense on the finish.

Black Velvet jolted me awake almost immediately, clearing my head and boosting my focus and energy level. The buzz was almost entirely cerebral, keeping me in a workflow for more than an hour. Light tingles traced up and down my spine at the peak, but the bulk of the physical experience was marked by a consistent light muscle relaxation. Black Velvet paired a unique aroma with some of the most sativa-like effects I’ve found on the Illinois market.

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FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from healthcare practitioners. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.

Effects & Medical Attributes are based on anecdotal evidence. Individual experiences can be varied.