This week we’re taking a look at a cannabis strain hailing from the North of England. The Blues Strain is also known as Livers, and was originally bred around the Sheffield Area of the UK.

Starting its life as a Skunk No.1 phenotype in the late 1980s, the Blues strain has since cemented itself as a favourite of many experienced growers – it won the Dopefiend Cup in 2014 and the cutting that provided this sample was gifted to Kush Family Collective that year.

I’ve been lucky enough to pick up Blues three or four times since I first tried it, and I have never been disappointed. It’s a hybrid strain, maybe a bit more on the sativa-dom side, and comes in at under 20% THC, making this one a medium-strength strain.

Blues Strain Summary

Blues, also known as Livers, UK Blues, or U.K. Blues, is a hybrid cannabis strain leaning towards sativa dominance with a 60% sativa and 40% indica split. It features THC levels ranging between 14.4% and 16.4%, and CBD content from 0.44% to 0.66%, making it a moderately potent choice suitable for a variety of cannabis consumers. The dominant terpene, myrcene, contributes to its distinct skunky and pungent flavor profile, reminiscent of fermenting berries.

Despite its name suggesting otherwise, Blues offers an uplifting experience, making it an excellent selection for social situations where it enhances talkativeness and confidence, with some users reporting an increase in arousal. This is complemented by a subsequent calming effect that persists, making it effective for managing mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. However, some may experience slight paranoia as a side effect.

Other sites report that the strain’s lineage includes Blueberry and Joseph OG (although we understand it to be a skunk no.1 phenotype like cheese), so there’s some mystery to its exact origins due to undisclosed parentage. Its notable skunky aroma and flavour are characteristic, ensuring it stands out among other strains.

Cultivation of Blues presents a moderate challenge, suggesting that it’s best suited for intermediate to advanced growers. Its balanced hybrid nature means it can offer growers the best of both sativa and indica growth patterns, requiring attention to detail to achieve its potential.

Appearance

I love the look of this sample – it’s got a great bud structure – quite dense and non-uniform in shape, which I love – there are several delicous-looking nodules made from the calyxs stacked on this bud.

The pistils are a dusty golden colour – this sample has also been given a great trim, it looks similar in appearance to some of the US-imported strains I’ve been lucky enough to try out on the channel.

Top marks on the appearance from me!

Smell

This captures the old school skunky pungency perfectly – as a skunk No.1 phenotype, this is expected. It smells almost a bit cheesy, as that’s another phenotype of the classic Skunk No.1 strain, but this has its own distinct aroma.

It smells very strong, immediately opening the pop jar it fills the nostrils – and when broken apart/ground up the scent grows to fill the room.

Taste

For the purposes of this review, I consumed the blues cannabis strain in my Chongz widow Maker bong.

The hit itself is marvously smooth – it is deliverd with zero intensity and a whole lot of skunky flavour, making this strain one of my personal favourites to smoke through a bong.

The Blues Cannabis strain taste comes through nicely on the exhale, and I found myself going straight back for bong No.2!

Very clean, very well-cured weed.

Effects

Clocking in at 13-16% THC on average, this one isn’t a spangler. I could smoke this all day every day and still remain productive. In fact, this may be my sweet spot – two bongs of the Blues cannabis strain put me in a great mood for the rest of the morning!

The effects themselves are on the hybrid side – the main feeling I get is a nice mental uplift, but my body feels good as well. Watching back the video, my eyes look more red than I remember, and it seems to kick in hard after 5 minutes or so.

Conclusion

This very nearly made it into my top 10 cannabis strains. I have a lot of love for good UK Cheese, and this hits similar buttons, but in a fresh and enjoyable way. Even if you’re used to smoking mainly cheese you may still appreciate the flavour of the Blues Cannabis strain.

I had a great time reviewing this one, it was a pleasure to smoke.