Blue Cheese Strain Review

European breeders Big Buddha Seeds created Indica-dominant Blue Cheese in 2002 by combining Blueberry with a UK Cheese hybrid. The strain immediately became popular among cannabis connoisseurs for its balanced effects and superb flavor.

Soon, prominent Amsterdam breeders Barney’s Farm and Royal Queen Seeds adopted the genetic combination to create custom Blue Cheese phenotypes. The strain has also begun popping up in cannabis gardens in California and other US states.

Blue Cheese Effects

Just like tastes for the dairy product vary, people tend to react uniquely to Blue Cheese effects. Happy, uplifted, and relaxed feelings typically dominate the initial euphoria. But since the strain has an 80:20 Indica-to-Sativa ratio, most consumers report that Blue Cheese provokes more calming than energizing feelings.

Blue Cheese imparts a pronounced body buzz, and some consumers smoke the strain as an aphrodisiac. Unlike many Indicas, Blue Cheese gently washes over the body rather than slamming you into the couch.

The strain is also ideal for creative work and spiritual practices like meditation and yoga. Blue Cheese effects relax mind and body while stimulating the imagination. Consuming Blue Cheese before yoga class can foster a sense of internal balance without making you fall asleep during Shavasana or lengthy guided meditations.

The most frequent side effects consumers have reported are red eyes and cottonmouth. However, you can easily solve both of those common problems by hydrating before smoking. 

Blue Cheese Profile

Blue Cheese plants typically produce dense, light-green buds with violet-blue highlights and contrasting orange pistils. The crystalline trichome layer is moderately thick yet evenly dispersed. If you find Blue Cheese buds with bare spots between trichomes, you’ll want to pass on them. The buds have probably been machine-trimmed or overly handled during harvest or in the dispensary. 

Blue Cheese Taste and Fragrance

The Blue Cheese phenotypes are mostly sweet with a cheesy aftertaste that’s more like a subtle gorgonzola than a potently stinky Roquefort. When smoked or vaped, Blue Cheese nugs initially delight the tastebuds with fruity flavors like blueberry and ripe strawberry. 

Later, an earthy and almost creamy taste emerges along with spicy notes. Some phenotypes have a slightly sour aroma, while others possess a powerfully dank skunk fragrance. If your local dispensary allows it, take a whiff of Blue Cheese buds before you make your purchase. You can also consult customer reviews if you’re buying your herb online. That way, you can be sure you’re getting a Blue Cheese strain that will appeal to your taste.

Blue Cheese Strain Properties

Blue Cheese remains a highly popular choice in medical marijuana circles. The strain excels for relieving stress, and MMJ physicians often recommend Blue Cheese for mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder.

Blue Cheese contains exceptionally high levels of terpene beta-caryophyllene, which makes the strain particularly helpful for reducing inflammation. MMJ patients often choose Blue Cheese for relief from muscle spasms and chronic pain. 

With its decadent flavor profile, Blue Cheese makes an excellent choice for a pre-meal toke or to stimulate appetite for medical reasons. Additionally, the strain’s aftereffects produce mild sedation, which can be helpful for occasional insomnia.

Blue Cheese Strain Potency

Blue Cheese’s potency ranges around 20%, and the strain’s moderate THC content balances out its heavy Indica dominance. The effects creep slowly over the body and mind instead of hitting fast and hard.

Blue Cheese is one of the best strains for new cannabis consumers. Overall, most strains have a sweet, pleasant flavor, and the potency isn’t off the charts like some other varieties. If they start with a low dosage, beginners can enjoy a mellow first-time cannabis experience, avoiding any unwanted side effects like paranoia.

Growing Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese is moderately easy to grow, making it suitable for beginning gardeners. Despite its name, Blue Cheese resists mold and mildew thanks to its Skunk #1 ancestor. The plants can also withstand cooler temperatures than most strains can.

Blue Cheese does equally well in soil and hydroponic mediums when grown indoors. The strain has a roughly 7-9 week flowering time and can yield up to 450g/square meter.

Blue Cheese plants produce more leaves than average, so it’s crucial to prune frequently during the vegetative stage. Blue Cheese also stretches more than a typical Indica-dominant strain and can grow up to 160 cm tall indoors. You’ll need to top the plants several times to adapt them to an indoor setting. Sea-of-Green techniques work best with this strain, opening up flowering sites to the light source.

Indoor growers may want more than one filter for Blue Cheese, especially if you have neighbors close by. Most Blue Cheese phenotypes emit powerfully dank aromas during the flowering stage. 

Blue Cheese excels in northern climates where summers aren’t as hot and humid. Gardeners can harvest Blue Cheese in late September or early October before any heavy rains or frosts. The plants can reach over two meters and yield a whopping 550g/square meter when cultivated in an ideal outdoor environment.

Terpenes in Blue Cheese Strain

As we’ve mentioned earlier, Blue Cheese strains have unusually high levels of beta-caryophyllene, often reaching up to .45% in terpene profile reports. Other dominant Blue Cheese terpenes include pinene at around .26%, limonene at approximately .22%, and humulene at close to .13%.

Beta-caryophyllene is the only known terpene that can act as a cannabinoid, directly stimulating endocannabinoid receptors in the immune system. The ability comes from the cyclobutane ring included in beta-caryophyllene’s molecular structure. 

The result is a terpene with potent anti-inflammatory properties. Preliminary research has concluded that beta-caryophyllene may play an integral role in the future treatment of digestive ailments like colitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Also abundant in clove, cinnamon, and black pepper, beta-caryophyllene lends spicy notes to Blue Cheese’s sweet taste.

Pinene shows up in ample quantities in rosemary, parsley, mint, and evergreen trees. Several studies have included that pinene has a positive effect on learning, memory, and mental alertness. The terpene’s brain-boosting qualities may come from its tendency to slow down acetylcholine metabolism. Some consumers suggest that they experience fewer short-term memory issues when they smoke high-pinene strains.

Limonene and humulene both contribute to the skunkiness of many herb strains, including Blue Cheese. Limonene adds an alert and uplifting quality to cannabis, and the terpene exhibits potent antimicrobial, antitumor, and antidepressive characteristics in laboratory situations.

Besides contributing to the dankness of many cannabis strains, humulene adds woody herbal notes. Traditional Chinese herbal formulas often include high-humulene plants like ginseng, hops, and black pepper. In lab studies, humulene has shown potential for fighting pathogens, shrinking tumors, and reducing inflammation.

Myrcene levels range on the lower side for an Indica-dominant strain, which may account for Blue Cheese’s lack of couch-locking effects. However, the strain’s myrcene content is elevated enough to bring out the sweet, earthy flavors associated with this terpene.

Most Blue Cheese phenotypes also contain fair amounts of terpinolene, linalool, and traces of a rare terpene called fenchol. Terpinolene gives strains like Jack Herer and Haze varieties sharp herbal aromas similar to tea tree oil. Therapeutically, the terpene exhibits powerful antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory qualities. 

Linalool is abundant in flowers like lavender, lilac, and rose. The terpene has a calming effect and is often included in skincare products and massage oils. Linalool may be partly responsible for toning down the sharpness of Blue Cheese buds by adding subtle floral notes. 

The terpene has been well-studied and has exhibited a wide range of therapeutic potentials. Most notably, linalool has shown anticonvulsant properties, making the terpene one of the contributors to cannabis’ ability to inhibit seizure activity.

Fenchol is a secondary terpene that you’ll rarely find in cannabis strains. Often included in perfumes, fenchol has a refreshing scent that’s a mixture of lemon, basil, pine, and camphor. The terpene’s therapeutic potential includes antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.

Strains Similar to Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese has many characteristics in common with its closest ancestors. The mother genetics come from California’s famous Blueberry strain. Blueberry emerged in the 1970s, bred by California’s DJ Short. Blueberry’s resinous buds and sweet flavor made the strain an instant hit. The original Blueberry is thought to be a cross between a landrace Afghani strain and Juicy Fruit, a potent combination of Thai, Colombian, and Mexican Sativas.

The other side of Blue Cheese’s family tree stems from UK Cheese, a hybrid that emerged in southwest England in the 1980s. The breeder had brought some Skunk #1 seeds from California and noticed that one of his plants emitted a pungent, sour fragrance. The original gardener called his strain “Cognitiva,” and a cannabis collective called “Exodus” christened the hybrid as its flagship strain, naming their version “Exodus Cheese.” Eventually, consumers simply referred to the strain as “UK Cheese.”

Blue Cheese Customer Reviews

Cannabis connoisseurs rave about Blue Cheese on online forums:

• “This is somehow the only Indica-dominant strain I can smoke during the day. It’s amazing for anxiety and stress relief without making you too tired.” – from Leafly.
• “Amazing taste, strong head high, great for insomnia.” – from Wikileaf.
• “Wonderful head high while relieving pain, great in the evening. Love it.” – from AllBud.