It’s a good time to be a cannabis reviewer in Illinois. Every few weeks, craft licenses are coming online and dropping new releases. Redemption Botanicals, under the new DNA Genetics label, is one of the latest. I recently picked up a couple of the brand’s new releases, starting with DNA Cake.

DNA Cake is an indica-leaning hybrid cross of Gelato Sorbet and Lava Cake. This batch of flower tested at 1.33% THC, 23.04% THCa, and 25.25% total cannabinoids.

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Four chunky rounded flowers carried a base tone of lime green with reddish pink-and-purple highlights of remaining sugar leaf and thin, short rust-colored hairs clinging to the surface. The trichomes glittered under light ranging from clear at the center to a light-caramel amber at the surface. The buds were well dried with a nerfy bounce back after pinched, leaving a light hash-style greasiness on the tips of my fingers.

The aroma inside the jar was layered with a sweet top-end combination of vanilla-buttercream frosting and cooked carrots, followed by a warmer, earthy blend of wet-forest floor, roasted mushrooms, hot oil, and hints of diesel fumes on the finish. The roasted-mushrooms and oil notes became the stars of the show as almost all the sweetness fell away on the palate. The profile was heavy but not sticky, only lingering momentarily after exhaling.

DNA Cake delivered a classic indica style buzz, slowing my train of thought to a crawl while a slow-moving wave of muscle relaxation followed, working down from my crown to legs. At the peak, tingles of euphoria added to the physical presence, and the mental buzz remained cloudy, closed off, and introspective. Best fit for the evening, DNA Cake delivered a classic Cake flavor and indica buzz.

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