- Apr 19, 2021
- 5 min read

HashWriter's 2021 Fresh Press Rosin Awards

Updated: May 29, 2021

Let me begin by saying that Cannabis Cups and competitions are a rather skewed and difficult way to judge cannabis. Sometimes there is a clear-cut winner, at least in certain categories, but quite often the results are lacking. Speaking of categories, the categories themselves are often lacking, if not completely out-of-date with what the market has come to expect.

The other issue is the timing of the events, which granted is fair to all, but not fair to the life of a farmer and the seasonal patterns of the year. Although the events tend to happen mid-winter when all harvests have been completed and the product is on retail shelves, too often the best batches never make it into the competitions. With the widespread use of light-deps, numerous harvests occur outdoors each year and timing is everything for Emerald Cup entries.

Being able to smoke at least a full gram of rosin is crucial to understanding the hash. One dab can be quite a bit different than the next depending on what stage the rosin has reached. Normally by the time I finish a one-gram size jar, I am able to smoke the rosin in all of its consistencies. Experiencing the rosin as it is curing and buddering is really necessary to make a fair evaluation of the hash. This is almost impossible comparing gram after gram after gram with only a dab or two from each. So rather than a competition with all entrees at once, I took a little scroll through the "official hash archives" (my iCloud Library) and wanted to share some of my favorites for the 2021 year.

1. The Golden Rosin Award

Out of an abundance of excitement for this flavor, I'll begin with my favorite fresh press Live Rosin of the 2020 year that came from an unlikely place. His first ever drop was such fire, that he was left wondering why nobody noticed or bothered to share about it on the Gram. That is, until he learned to use Instagram and found he had been missing everyone's posts. That's how you know he's about it and a true grower, not some marketing wiz.

This is a very close finish for my favorite rosin of the year, but @Uncle Mac's Mimosa was not only insanely photogenic, it's the same genetic that ended up winning the Emerald Cup this year (although called Strawberry Jelly and in the Ice Water Hash division). @UncleMacs also operates @southfacefarms, providing some of the best cannabis that @papas_select puts out.

Mimosa by Uncle Macs and South Face Farms

There was little doubt who my favorite was, having left such a strong impression on me that I almost doubt my own memory. It was enough however, that I took note and filed the rosin in my brain's catalogue of precious terpene memories. I remember realizing that this is the orange terps of all orange terps, that I had been forever in search of. The perfect orange profile, not sour, or strangely sweet. None of the sour tangie terps or orange-juice citrus, but instead the sugary orange flavor of cheap-orange drink. It's like drinking sweet orange candy.

2. The Silver Rosin Surfer

No question who my number two is and who I would have bet money on to win the Emerald Cup. Not only is he a half-decent guy, Eric Walz is pumping out heat and was last year's reigning champion with his grape-tacular THC-Bomb, which remains an all-time favorite.

@HumboldtKineFarms and @Papas_Select's Zberries takes terpene tasting to a new level. I'm yet to experience terpenes as heavy and flavorful as the Zberries. I've also never experienced a cherry terpene profile as distinguished as this. Unlike most rosin that will have some flavor on the inhale, but wets the palette upon exhale, inhaling the thick cherry vapor of Zberries is unlike anything you have tried before... Trust me.

I cannot urge everyone enough to get their hands on some of the Zberries Live Rosin. Every time someone does, they are sure to tell me how incredible it was. You're welcome!

I think it's safe to say, everyone knows what the bronze medal is called:

The Bronze Rosin Boner

Third Place takes a bit of thought, and I arrive at another fan favorite and one I think everyone can agree, really stepped things up. The Garlic Cocktail by @Kalya and @Vesuvio_Gardens was one I couldn't' get enough of. The big stinky, aka Garlic Cock-tail, blew me away. An absolutely fabulous collaboration with someone I'm proud to know and have met, as Joe of Vesuvio Gardens showed me nothing but love. A generous dude, dead set on bringing some rare cuts from his farms excellent hash making terroir in the Southern Humboldt area of Whitehorn.

By Kalya and Vesuvio Gardens Garlic Cocktail LIve Rosin

Fourth Place

The Emerald Cup's bronze medalist takes fourth on my list. Honestly, this garlic juice could be paired against any of my top three and holds it's own. These were all such phenomenal rosins as 2020 was the year of the GMO and Papaya crosses.

Garlic Juice aka "The Gruice" was a fan favorite.

The Garlic Juice by @southfacefarms and @papas_select was so good that it earned a nickname: The Gruice. The #Gruice is loose baby! Keep your eyes peeled for this one in rosin and in ice water hash.

Fifth Place and Shared Honorable Mentions

I don't think the Dirty Tangie was heavily in circulation, but it was certainly one of the most spectacular looking rosins I saw all year. A collaboration between @papas_select and Sugar Leaf Farms, this twist on tangie terps brought a mesquite flavor tasting like a tangie BBQ marmalade.

... and just for kicks, this Garlic Lemonade was otherworldly. A mixed live rosin working with material from @Emeraldqueenfarms and @tarhillcannabis, the Garlic Lemonade brought out the best of both genetics. The Pink lemonade sits perfect with Garlic Cookies to create a rosin where each flavor caters to the other. From Papas Select.

The surviving shot of Garlic Lemonade by @papas_select

To Conclude

Thanks to some huge sponsors, these events are judged from digital dab devices rather than with a quartz banger. There is just no way to experience the full depth of a genetic through these on-the-go contraptions. E-nails set to standardized solventless dabbing temperatures would have been far more adequate for the competition.

Regardless of competitive deficiencies, these events are a great way to honor the grower and the hash maker, bringing well-deserved attention to the craft. This is why regardless of the downsides, I support friendly competitions like the Emerald Cup and their ability to connect some of the best producers with their newest fans.

Stay tuned for my Ice Water Hash and Rosin Badder/Cold-Cure awards to come and Subscribe to the blog or become a site member to keep up with email notifications for new articles on hashwriter.org ...

Hash on!

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