“Hydra” is Fluent’s version of the classic sativa staple, Jack Herer – one of my favorite sativa strains.

I’ve tried Fluent’s Hydra vape cart (review here), and Trulieve’s Jack Herer flower (review here), but this is my first time to try Fluent’s Hydra flower. As always, I love having a chance to compare the same strain at 2 (or more) different dispensaries; I find this to be a good experiment in the consistency of our strain options in Florida.

Quick Facts:

“Hydra” (Jack Herer – Sativa)

Price at time of review: $45/eighth (T4 Select)

Here is a breakdown of the prices of Fluent’s flower:

 

Lineage: Haze x Shiva Skunk x Northern Lights #5

Batch/Harvest Number: 9127720704747839

23.440% THC

0.105% CBD

23.545% Total Cannabinoids

Appearance/Cure

Frankly, I feel that this batch of flower was a step back for Fluent, compared to the high quality I’ve come to expect from other cuts of their flower. The picture above shows one of the major issues: I seriously think that a good 15% of the weight (maybe more) is in sugar leaves; the trim job is horrible – probably the worst I’ve come across.

Another issue (and one I don’t usually care about) is the size of the buds I got. They are smaller than minis, popcorn, or whatever you want to call the small buds that other MMTCs offer. Again, I normally don’t care about this. But when there are so many sugar leaves missed by the trimmer/trim machine, finding actual flower to grind up becomes a bit of a challenge.

This cut of Hydra lacks what I consider a defining characteristic of Jack Herer flower, and that is the abundance of bright orange pistils I usually find all over the buds. There are almost no pistils here, and the color is burnt orange/brown, which I have never seen on a Jack Herer cut before.

Some positives: the trichomes are there, and the moisture content/stickiness of the flower is good. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to make up for how off-putting the combination of bad trim and micro-buds is.

The worst part of all this, is that I know Fluent can do so much better than what I got in this batch – I’ve gotten really, really good eighths from them almost every other time.

Appearance/Cure Rating: 1.80/10.00

Smell/Taste

“Hydra” certainly has the familiar elements of the classic Jack Herer smell – very piney and lemon/lime citrus notes dominate the terpene profile. It’s a sharp smelling strain that seems to always make me think of the high-altitude trees I encounter during trips to the Appalachian mountains.

However, Fluent’s cut of Jack Herer doesn’t seem to have the same hint of gas that I found in Trulieve’s version. The smell is much more woody, and there is also a chemical-esque smell that reminds me somewhat of lemon-scented Pledge cleaner. Unfortunately, this aspect of the smell is a bit nauseating for me, and I don’t enjoy the terpenes in this cut as much for that reason.

Again, maybe this was just an “off” batch. It smells like Jack Herer, but doesn’t seem to smell as good as other cuts that I’ve tried.

Smell/Taste Rating: 4.00/10.00

Effects/Medical Use

Fluent’s Hydra flower is able to redeem itself in this category. The effects are definitely what I expect from the Jack Herer strain: laser focus, motivation, and enough euphoria to lift my depression without the racy and speedy aspects of some sativa strains.

I medicated with Hydra before a nice walk outdoors earlier, and medicated again with it before starting to write this review. The energy is steady and controllable, and there is just a hint of body relaxation – but no laziness, tiredness, or sedation at all.

This is a good strain for use in the early morning up to mid afternoon for me. It’s nice to have with some caffeine in the morning, and the “focus” aspect of Jack Herer seems to be unmatched. It’s present in this batch of Hydra as well, which helps redeem the overall score a bit after a disappointing presentation in the other categories.

Possibly good for treating:

• Lack of energy/motivation
• Depression
• Lack of appetite
• Minor headaches
• Relief of minor skeletal/muscular aches and pains

I’m definitely no medical doctor, so please take the preceding conditions only as my own personal observations from using this strain and having experience with a multitude of different cannabis strains. Every body is different, and every body reacts differently to various medications. 

Effects Rating: 6.20/10.00

Overall Rating: 4.00/10.00

Overall, I would best describe this batch of Jack Herer/”Hydra” flower from Fluent Cannabis as “needing improvement”.

I feel that maybe this cut has more potential and was simply the result of a bad grow and/or cure, but I was not impressed with that I got – which is not something I commonly experience when purchasing flower these days. At $45/eighth, even with acknowledgment that this is a lower tier of flower than their “Premium” with regards to trim and aesthetics, I still expect better than this. At no point should a significant mass of the flower be composed of sugar leaves or trim. This is especially true when other MMTCs are offering superior cuts of the strain for a lower price.

I doubt I will purchase this strain from Fluent again in the future, but hopefully future batches really capture the potential of the genetics – I know it’s there, and I know Fluent has the ability to produce great flower, as I’ve seen it from them so many times before.

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