There are many legends in the Paradise Seeds library, from old classics to new champions for the cannabis cause! However, there is one strain which is the most legendary of them all and has become synonymous with the Paradise Seeds story. That strain is Sensi Star!
Once described as the ‘the strongest indica you will encounter’ Sensi Star still upholds a reputation for extreme potency over 20 years since it announced itself to the world. It still remains the case that just one puff will unleash an effect tsunami that takes the puffer on a ride through intense euphoria followed by the deepest relaxation (often accompanied by an extreme attack of the giggles!).
A true indica plant, Sensi Star is a real bush in the grow room, growing relatively short but sprouting multiple side branches and multiple bud sites. The Paradise breeding team also recommend letting it grow a bit longer than other varieties because it’s bushy nature means it stops growing when it flowers. Although Paradise Seeds founder and master breeder Luc Krol, keeps some of the cards close to his chest, Sensi Star’s awesome power is the result of a genetic base that carries influential genes from some of the world’s strongest indicas. Essentially Afghani and Indian in nature (with a Skunk infusion) the original was back crossed with an Afghani and selection was made over hundreds of plants.
Sensi Star: The Making of a Legend
Just how much of a legend is Sensi Star? The super strong indica has sired 55 direct descendants (according to seedfinder) including Bio-Diesel, Stevie Wonder, Death Star, Sensitron and Lemon Stinky. This strain has also won as many cups and awards as the big chunky buds which weigh down its branches. The headline achievement was the Sensi Star victory in the High Times and Highlife cannabis cups in 1999, but other cups it has collected over the years include La Bella Flor, Champions Cup and Copa Mendoza (not forgetting High Times and Soft Secrets Plant of the Year awards).
Talk about a way to turn heads! Paradise Seeds founder and master breeder, Luc Krol, talks about the 1999 ‘arrival’. “Sensi Star was actually one of the first strains that we released when we started the company in 1994. From the beginning I knew it was an exceptional strain but Paradise Seeds was still a small seed bank and it wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. So we decided to launch a guerrilla attack on the High Times cup!
The year after we released the strain we went to the High Times competition (which was held exclusively in Amsterdam at the time) and took a few Sensi Star plants with us. The idea was that if we couldn’t get noticed by the judges, we would see what the people thought! At the time White Widow was grabbing all the attention, but when people saw Sensi Star the reaction was so ‘wow’! When they sampled the buds and experienced the power, I knew that it was impossible to ignore anymore!”
Legendary Qualities of Sensi Star
Sensi Star’s incredible appearance, intense smell and explosive resin production fast tracked Sensi Star to the first of many big wins on the cannabis circuit. Its tremendous oil production makes it a favorite for hash producers (even in the heart of Morocco’s traditional hash producing regions) and the intensity of its terpene profile also contributes to its power.
In the grow room it ‘smells like victory’ – early flowering producing a distinctive metal smell that turns lemony at the end. The taste is also like no other and is so unique that words do not come easy. Once asked to describe the taste, Luc described it as, “Her bouquet is strong and somehow fresh like mint, metal and oxygen combined, crazy, hard to explain!...” What is not in doubt however is the unanimous approval of the Sensi Star flavor by strong indica cannabis fans.
While the years have rolled on, Sensi Star has lost none of its popularity value, despite the emergence of so many ‘new genetics’ indica strains on the market. This is hardly surprising when you start from a ‘just one puff’ baseline! Nevertheless, the breeding team at Paradise has been tweaked a couple of times since its heyday in order to maintain and improve on its own high standards. Sensi Star fans will also be intrigued to hear that another upgrade is in the pipeline for the not too distant future too…