Why Colorado Tokers Love Pot Roast

A summer spent eating cold sandwiches and salads for dinner has me hankering for winter weather, if only for the food. While any combo of beef, potatoes and gravy will suffice in the fall, pot roast will always be the GOAT of Sunday nights. It transcends class systems, it sends everyone to bed with a full stomach, and even I can make it. To name a strain of weed after such a classic American dish is borderline unholy, and instantly raised my skepticism.

Pot Roast not only must be a powerful sedative, but it has to take my nostrils and tastebuds on a Veruca Salt-like journey through the salty, savory and sweet flavors of dinner. That's asking a lot from a strain of cannabis, but seeking attention comes with scrutiny, which I'm always happy to provide.

Pot Roast reportedly comes from Oregon, where breeders mixed GMO and Meat Breath to cook it up, but my first encounter with the strain was in Lake Tahoe. I had smoked both of the parents and was intrigued by the thought of GMO's biting garlic aroma tangling with Meat Breath's musty, zesty characteristics. The recipe made sense, but my expectations were still through the roof. I let my Pot Roast cure a few days until HBO's Game of Thrones spinoff came on on Sunday night, then paired it with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

My meal was actually a frozen pizza and Coors Light, but bowls of Pot Roast met my standards either way. I was quickly impressed by Pot Roast's gravy-like qualities, and its sweet-salty-savory smell reminds me of soy sauce and carries the flavor to back it up. The high didn't weigh me down like a winter coat, as I'd anticipated, but it left me stoned, hungry and happy for a sustained period. That sense of relaxation reaches the body and stomach without overpowering motivation, setting up perfectly for dinner.

Looks: Pot Roast's buds like to expand, and their weight is average (but don't fall for the sativa-leaning look). The top nugs appear like moss-green dollops of soft serve thanks to clingy calyxes and strong trichome coverage. I've occasionally seen vivid purple spots in Pot Roast, as well.

Smell: Salty, savory and mouth-watering, Pot Roast isn't as pungent as GMO, but the aroma comes across all the same. I catch thick notes of soy sauce with small hints of lemon, wood and a sweet Diesel back end. The smell is unique and not for everyone, but consider me a fan.

Flavor: Although spicier and more Diesel-forward than the smell, Pot Roast brought the salty and savory flavors I was looking for, sticking to the sides of my tongue to the point of salivation. If only there were a way to replicate the flavor of stewed carrots, because Pot Roast lacks a much-needed sweetness.

Effects: Pot Roast doesn't knock me out, but it definitely puts me into a lower gear. The euphoric effects begin by fogging my brain, leaking into my body within two hours. I was never totally floored by the body high, but it was relaxing enough, and being able to get off the couch isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'll keep Pot Roast for after work and Friday afternoons, but it would serve fine as a bedtime strain for lower tolerances.

Where to find it: Pot Roast is hard to find in Denver, but we've caught whiffs at A Cut Above, Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill and Spark Dispensary. Wholesale cultivator iion is responsible for most, if not all, of the Pot Roast in Colorado right now, but with any luck, the strain will catch on in other grows and we'll see more takes on it this winter — and maybe even an extracted version.

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