At a party several years ago, this dude kept bragging about his weed. He said no one at the party had tried weed like his because he got it from out of the country. He called it UK Cheese. So when he offered, of course I partook. It was the worst tasting smoke I have ever inhaled (and I’ve had some pretty shitty dirt weed in my life). The flavor was a rotten cheese and not in a good way. It had no floral, berry, or citrus undertones. Just a rancid cheese flavor that clung to my palate for the rest of the night, no matter how much I drank or smoked to cover it up.

Since then, I passed on any strain with the name cheese in it. I’m aware that avoiding potential medical benefits because of one really bad experience is stubborn and unjustified. I mean, I assumed Illinois cultivators were producing quality “cheese” strains. But even when I saw the first listing on a dispensary menu for Exodus Cheese, also known as UK Cheese, I swiped right by to the next strain for sale. However, last week when BEYOND/HELLO Dispensary in Bloomington-Normal listed Gorilla’d Cheese (though technically this is not a traditional “cheese” strain) on its menu, I decided to move beyond my fears and say hello to a Revolution product that boasted a 30.74% THC level.

My only regret is not doing it earlier.

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Gorilla’d Cheese, a nearly even hybrid cross between Gorilla Glue #4 and Clementine, has the complete package. Of course, I have to start with its pungent aroma, which lives up to the cheese name, in a good way. The light green soft buds are covered in crystalline trichomes and filled with bright orange pistils. When the buds are broken up, the fruit and citrus aromas gain strength. The buds also have a deeper earthy aroma that has me imagining myself inside a barn bucking bales of hay during high school summers. Except this extremely niche allusion, I am between stacks of hay and aging blocks of cheese.

Though the cheese flavor is dominant, Gorilla’d Cheese offers way more diversity than expected. Each hit, whether with a vape or a clean glass pipe, delivers the cheese but also smaller punches of citrus or berries or musk or gas. I don’t know which flavor will suddenly blast through. But it’s a fun guessing game. The smoke is smooth and matches the diverse aromas.

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My longwinded review of the flavor and aroma of cheese is just a sideshow to the strain’s best quality. It’s potent high. The onset is almost immediate, hitting first with euphoria energy. As the high builds so does the relaxation and anxiety relief. I really enjoy the body buzz. With its linalool terpene, the strain’s first onset of the body buzz has me my muscles floating. Later in the high and with more doses, my muscles feel like they’re sinking. The psychoactive effects also have me in a bit of a “thoughtlock” while writing this review.

I’m glad I sampled Gorilla’d Cheese as my first reintroduction to “cheese” weed, because one more negative experience probably would have had me boycotting for good any strain with the name cheese in it. Instead, Revolution has changed my view into wanting to try more “cheese” weed and more Revolution products (but unfortunately for some reason Revolution products are scarce in these parts).

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On a side note, I’m not a fan of most cannabis companies’ packaging, but I really like how Revolution has a see-through window on the side of their plastic containers. It’s the closest we can get to a look-and-sniff dispensary in Illinois.

For more “Thirty % Plus THC” reviews, click here.

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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.