Disclaimer: Under Colorado law, the use of marijuana is restricted to those aged 21 and older or those with a valid medical marijuana license. Colorado State University does not allow the possession or consumption of marijuana, recreational or medical, anywhere on campus. The Collegian does not condone underage consumption of marijuana.

In my last review, I covered the Indica dominant Pineapple Kush Sugar Wax. I normally tend to lean towards the Sativa end of the marijuana spectrum, but the Pineapple Kush Sugar Wax was a way to give readers insight into something they might enjoy more than myself.

I immensely enjoyed this change up from my normal Sativa preference and decided that covering Indica dominant strains will become more prevalent in my reviews moving forward.

When I went to Organic Alternatives to select a concentrate last week, the helpful budtenders wanted to recommend to me a strain that they always have on deck. Organic Alternatives is a small local dispensary specializing in small batch production. Similar to how breweries create small seasonal batches, the same can be said for some of the concentrate and flower selections at the dispensary.

The budtenders recommended a few options to me, and I chose the Sativa dominant Golden Goat shatter, a strain which can normally be found in both flower and concentrate varieties at Organic Alternatives. I had one look at the Golden Goat before I knew it would be perfect for the review. Bright, golden-yellow tones were emitted from the concentrate’s translucent, stained glass-like appearance, and it had a sweet and sour aroma included with the light citrus notes. To me, this is a sign of a properly made concentrate which has very little residuals left in it. The shatter featured a ‘pull and snap‘ texture and was malleable at room temperature, helpful for sizing up the perfect dab.

When Rick last reviewed this strain, he chose the flower variety, which tested at 22.16 percent THC content. I chose to review the shatter, which sits at a solid 74.06 percent THC content. Why is the variety I chose so much more potent? Well, that is because I am reviewing a marijuana concentrate, while Rick reviewed the flower/bud version. More information can be found on this later in the Green Report, but, basically, I chose a marijuana concentrate shatter, which tends to be a more refined version of the natural plant, hence greater potency.

After I got a product to review, I needed a piece to smoke out of, which is one of the most crucial aspects of your smoking experience. I headed down to Kind Creations, the first and only head shop I have been to in Fort Collins since I started school at Colorado State University. I enjoy the fact that I learn something new every time I go in there, and you will too, no matter how much knowledge you may have about glass.

I learned that Brandon, the owner of Kind Creations, had already selected a piece for me to use and review. He chose the Kind Creations Quad Oil Drum to 31 Arm Percolator piece for my review, and instead of picking something new off the shelf, he brought the piece from his own personal glass collection at home.

Brandon told me that he had always used the piece for flower, and I know why. The large stature of the piece (I estimate 24-30 inches tall with a radius of approximately 3-4 inches) made it so that I had to use a lot of lung power to generate the necessary function. We filled the bottom portion up with more water to make it function better for the concentrate. This was the section that housed the quad oil drums, a Kind Creations signature. The $1,400 piece may not necessarily be in your budget, but the staff at Kind Creations always seem to work deals with customers and their “Black Friday” sale is coming up November 25, so you could get a steal on pieces like this.

After we found the perfect water level for smoking concentrates out of this piece I gave it a test pull. This versatile piece can absolutely be used for both concentrates and flower without any problems. I like this piece.

After I melted the first dab of the Golden Goat onto the 4mm thick quartz banger, one of the employees told me why a thicker banger is preferable. A thicker quartz banger allows for more heat to be held for longer when compared to a thinner banger with less quartz, meaning the banger cools down more slowly because it has more mass.

Why is this an important variable? Thicker quartz allows for more heat to be stored, which means bigger dabs that will not cool down your nail in the process. The thicker banger was a great call by the staff, as bigger sized dabs were effortless. The quartz banger held heat for longer instead of dropping to cooler temperatures like its thinner counterparts, and the bubble-stacking Quad Oil Drum to 31 Arm Percolator piece turned the harsh vapors into a palatable and smooth experience.

My favorite part of the Quad Oil Drum piece was how I could pull as hard as I wanted from it without the nervous worry of getting water into my mouth because of the great built-in splash guard.

The Golden Goat gave me a very uplifted cerebral high, just as most Sativa dominant strains do. This strain also generated a bit of a body buzz and relieved some pain, even though these characteristics are more reminiscent of an Indica dominant strain. I did not feel the common drowsiness or hunger associated with Indica dominant strains, despite the commonality I felt in the high. Overall, I felt happy and rejuvenated alongside the busy mental buzz the strain provides. Because I am not a huge fan of this strain’s bitter-sour potency, and often find myself mixing it with other strains to balance this potency, I give the Golden Goat 7 out of ten leaves.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this edition of Puffin’ with Paul. Look out for the next installment on collegian.com and in the Collegian soon.

Collegian Marijuana Critic Paul Kolinski can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com or on Twitter @paulkolinski. Read more of his content on Puffin’ with Paul and the Green Report. Leave a comment!