Between family gatherings, last-minute holiday shopping, icy roads, and the emotional endurance test that is Michigan winter, my grinder has been working some real overtime. And over the last couple weeks, four strains have basically become my seasonal coping toolkit.
These are the Michigan-grown picks that are helping to carry me through the chaos—whether I need a mood boost, a deep breath, or just a little help holding it together until January.
Shiraz by MichiGrown
Shiraz is exactly what it sounds like: a strain that smokes like a glass of red wine at the end of a long day. It’s a cross between Gelato #41 and Jealousy #7 from MichiGrown, which makes for an inherently fruity, grapey flavor profile, with some earthy funk underneath to keep it grounded.
Crack the jar and it smells like someone spilled berry preserves on a cutting board. And the buds are absolutely stunning—dense, trichome-heavy nugs with streaks of purple and orange you’ll want to admire for a minute before grinding.
Effect-wise, Shiraz is my unwind button. A shoulder-dropping calm kicks in first, followed by a warm, mood-lifting blanket that makes even awkward holiday small talk feel tolerable. It’s chill without being sedating and euphoric enough to make cheesy Christmas movies feel profound.
Read the rest of this review at Gander Newsroom